With Tristan Thompson out for three to four weeks due to a strained calf and Isaiah Thomas (hip) out until sometime around January, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue has been forced to make a few adjustments with regards to his rotation.
According to Joe Vardon of cleveland.com, NBA rookies Ante Zizic and Cedi Osman are expected to see playing time in Cleveland’s road game against the Washington Wizards on Friday night.
Vardon also noted that coach Lue and his staff were working with Zizic in practice at the gym early on Friday morning. The 6-11 Croatian big man, who might see action as early as the first quarter, could be a viable answer to Marcin Gortat, Washington’s “Polish Hammer.”
Osman, a 6-8 Turkish-born wing player, will likely be filling in for Iman Shumpert, who has been dealing with knee soreness, off the bench. If the Cavs want an influx of youth and exuberance, that’s exactly what they’ll get from “Jedi,” as he’s known.
Earlier this week, coach Lue stated that Channing Frye could see increased minutes as Thompson recovers from his injury. With all of the new faces that were added to the Cavs’ rotation during the offseason, Frye, now 34 years of age, saw his role diminish. Maybe this will be an opportunity to fire up the deep Fryer once more.
Coach Lue also stated that Jae Crowder will be back in the starting lineup, which means the Cavs have now used six different lineups in nine games to begin the 2017-18 season.
Friday night’s game is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off with ESPN and Fox Sports Ohio having live broadcast coverage. Let’s see how some of Cleveland’s young players fare against a talented Washington side.
