By Eurohoops Team / info@eurohoops.net
After yesterday’s 20-point contribution to a triumph against Miami Heat, Cedi Osman posted a new season high against Atlanta Hawks. With 23 points and just two missed shots, he was one of the best players in another victory for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
No wonder team leaders Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland are amazed by what the Turkish international has been doing lately.
“I don’t even run back on offense when he catches the open floor. So when I steal the ball, I throw it at him and let him go. You know he’s going to go to the rim and finish“, Mitchell said. “He plays phenomenally on both sides of the floor. He does a lot for the team. Sometimes he doesn’t play, and sometimes it takes a little time, but he does a great job on the court. Caris LeVert was absent today, and Cedi played exceptionally.”
Mitchell claims that fast breaks are Osman’s specialty: “When he finds the open court on the fast break, everybody goes crazy as if he’s going to make a 360 dunk. As soon as I give him the ball, I just stand there — no need to waste my energy. Because I know he will score or take the foul, he’s terrific on fast breaks“.
Garland says the team needs his energy: “His confidence is increasing. He’s getting his time and taking advantage of it. He gets the most out of his minutes and is super efficient on the floor and competing on both ends. We need him as a spark plug. We are happy that he’s an in a good place right now, and we need him to stay there and bring that energy every night for us“.
The young and talented guard praised the bench players like him, who play an essential role in this season’s success of the Cavs, who opened the season with an 11-6 score and are currently sitting in third place in the Eastern Conference standings.
“Players like Cedi Osman, Isaac Okoro, Kevin Love, Robin Lopez, and Lamar Stevens are making a huge impact that we need. When they make a shot or do something good, the arena explodes. That’s the same thing with us as their teammates. You feel that energy when they do something good or make a defensive stop. We need that from them, for sure“, Garland concluded.