Open Thread: Game 7s, Conference Semis (Bonus: Roster Review, Small Forward edition)

Good evening CtB!!!

We have a couple of game sevens coming up, Bucks/Nets and Hawks/Sixers, so come on in and enjoy the spectacle with your CtB family. But in the meantime, some Roster Review Small Forwards edition for your reading pleasure…

Taurean Prince

Taurean Prince came over to the Cavs as part of a contract dump/throw-in with the Jarrett Allen trade. However, Prince really revealed himself to be exactly the type of player the Cavs needed, an athletic “3 and D” wing. Prince instantly became one of the best three point shooters on the team (41.5% 3pt FG percentage on over four attempts per game). He also proved himself to be at least an average playmaker (18.2 assist ratio), moving the ball well enough within the rhythm of the offense. Just as important, Prince brought some much needed defense (0.0 dEPM, 61st percentile in the NBA), displaying good defensive playmaking (1.5% steal rate, 53rd percentile in the NBA, 2.2% block rate, 69th percentile in the NBA).

The two biggest negatives with Prince were his inability to finish at the rim (47% FG percentage at the rim, 4th percentile in the NBA) and an ankle injury that hampered him and cut his season short. His status with the team is obviously up in the air as an expiring contract as well as the possibility that the Cavs draft a wing in the wing-heavy draft. But it would seem to behoove the Cavs to keep him in the fold since playable “3 and D” wings are a precious commodity in today’s NBA, and a veteran presence such as Prince can only help the Cavs if they have any designs on actually trying to win.

Cedi Osman

The oft-maligned Cedi the Jedi had a rollercoaster year himself, suffering through the worst shooting campaign of his career (.488 true shooting percentage). But while he struggled to put the ball in the basket, Cedi at least was able to be a slightly above average playmaker (19.8 assist ratio) and decent decision maker with the ball (11% turnover percentage, 52nd percentile in the NBA). Cedi also flashed some defensive playmaking, with an above average steal rate (1.7%, 68th percentile in the NBA).

Similarly to Isaac Okoro, Cedi has been miscast as a “3 and D” wing when in actuality he’s at his best with the ball in his hands as a point forward/shooting guard archetype. It’s an indictment on the Cavs organization that they’ve tried to turn Cedi into purely a catch and shoot three point specialist when the totality of his tape prior to the NBA showed a guy who needed the ball in his hands to impact the game. With the gaping hole at backup point guard and the general dearth of playmaking on the team, here’s to hoping they carve out more of a on-ball role for Cedi to maximize his impact on the game.

Lamar Stevens

The rookie campaign of Penn State product Lamar Stevens was a tiny, pleasant surprise in a season for the Cavs that wasn’t exactly full of pleasant surprises. Stevens came in as an undrafted free agent, and made an immediate impression with his NBA quality defense. He showed off his athleticism and energy as an above average rebounder both ends of the court (5% offensive rebound rate, 65th percentile in NBA, 17% defensive rebound rate, 64th percentile in the NBA). He also showed better than average defensive playmaking (1.6% steal rate, 62nd percentile in the NBA, 2.3% block rate, 70th percentile in the NBA).

The uphill climb that Stevens will have to stick in the NBA is his poor shooting, especially from three (16% 3pt field goal percentage). He did flash an excellent ability to finish at the rim (69% field goal percentage at the rim, 86th percentile in the NBA). His college stats show that he’s a guy who can get the rim at will as an isolation scorer (.382 career free throw rate, 28.5% career usage rate). But until he shows a consistent jumper, he will always struggle to stick in today’s NBA that is starved for three point shooting wings. One thing that should give Cavs fans hope is that Lamar Stevens is exactly the type of player that the Cavs need to investigate on the margins. One only has to look at Terance Mann for the Los Angeles Clippers as an example of a guy similar to Lamar Stevens that can be mined on the margins of an NBA roster.