The Cleveland Cavaliers are coming off a long road trip and were able to get back home to face the Washington Wizards. It was also the first home game for the new additions on the team after all the trades, and they got a glimpse of what the season would look like with the fans supporting them.
Keon Ellis, who was traded from the Sacramento Kings, spoke about the energy from the home crowd, and he was already prepared for good things after getting a text from a former Cavs player.
“Matthew Dellavedova, he was my teammate when I was in Sacramento. He texted me when I got traded, and he was like, ‘You’ll love it.’ Definitely a sports city, so it was definitely good energy in there tonight,” Ellis said.
Dellavedova was loved when he was on the Cavs back in the day, as he was the person who came off the bench and brought energy when they needed it the most. He was a key piece on the 2015 team when he had to start in place of Kyrie Irving in the playoffs because of an injury. He made his presence known in the offseason and helped them get to the NBA Finals.
Ellis and Dellavedova played with each other on the Kings during the 2022-23 season, so they both know each other’s game well and what they can bring to the court.
Ellis will be key for the Cavs for the second half of the season as they try to climb the Eastern Conference standings. The other new additions, Dennis Schroder and James Harden, will also play a big part in their success moving forward.
The hope for the Cavs is that they can make a deep postseason run, and they now have the pieces on the team to do so.