By George Efkarpides/ efkarpides@eurohoops.net
Cedi Osman’s rookie season was somewhat particular. Cleveland tried to provide LeBron a supporting cast with experienced players such as Wade, Thomas, Rose, and Crowder but the team didn’t mesh well.
Lebron James’ final campaign with Cleveland was arguably his best individual season and the Turkish rookie got a chance to witness and compete against the best player in the world.
Osman had to fight for minutes and had some great outings but always found himself behind in the depth chart.
On February 22nd, just a few hours after general manager Koby Altman traded away nearly half the roster, Osman played 39 minutes and poured in 16 points to go along with 6 rebounds 5 assists and 3 steals in a victory.
LeBron spoke very highly of his teammate on that night calling him an “unbelievable talent”
“He showed me nothing I didn’t know already. He’s an unbelievable talent. He’s been a professional for a long time. He knows how to play the game. He didn’t show me anything I haven’t seen before.”
Cedi earned plenty of praise from his coach and his teammates due to his toughness, ability to stretch the floor and defend multiple positions.
In two games during summer league Osman averaged 20 points and 8 rebounds and 4 assists in 31.5 minutes per game, just days after being the leader of the Turkish national team in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers.
He appeared more built and it was quite clear that he doesn’t belong in the Summer League. And he also emerged as a vocal leader.
Jedi leadershippic.twitter.com/WMVToSYr5c
— Eurohoops.net (@Eurohoopsnet) July 12, 2018
Now, with LeBron James gone and Cleveland ready to rebuild, Cedi Osman is ready to thrive as he gets more minutes in order to develop his game at both forward spots.
The Turkish rookie has the skillset and the work ethic to succeed and Cleveland will definitely be patient with him. While the question remains can Cedi or anyone for that matter keep the Cavs competitive in the post-LeBron era, it’s obvious that Osman can be a real asset to his team.