Casspi will hold his tenuous claim to a starter's spot, while Samuels is in danger of falling out of coach Byron Scott's rotation.
Such was the news Monday on the two Cavaliers who have struggled most through the first eight games. Scott, who uses 10-game intervals to evaluate progress and ponder rotation tweaks, inferred that Casspi's position is safe for now. He also said it's fair to assume that Samuels could lose minutes to Semih Erden, who returned to the lineup Sunday after missing the first seven games and all the preseason with a broken thumb.
Not exactly the assessment Samuels wanted to hear on his birthday.
Scott believes both players are dealing with a loss of confidence, particularly at the offensive end. Casspi missed all five of his 3-point attempts in a 98-78 loss to Portland on Sunday and Samuels committed five turnovers in less than 14 minutes.
"Samardo gets so down on himself," Scott said. "He's like Omri in that fashion when they get down on themselves if they miss a shot or make a bad play. When you throw it away or make a bad play, you hold your head down that one or two seconds [and] they're running to the other end.
"You can't do anything about it, but you can make up for it on the defensive end. That's what I'm trying to get across to a couple of those guys."
The Cavaliers (4-4) are bereft of reliable scoring options after rookie point guard Kyrie Irving and power forward Antawn Jamison. Casspi is expected to supply scoring and stretch the floor. He admits, however, he's enduring one of the worst offensive stretches of a career that includes his pro days in Israel. He's averaging just 6.5 points and 2.3 rebounds and has been outplayed by backup Alonzo Gee, who's earning seven more minutes per game.
Casspi is having to adjust to a new team, new system and new role as a starter. He refuses to use his pre-season knee injury as an excuse for his poor start. On Sunday, he was briefly benched for failing to hustle back on defense after missing a shot from behind the 3-point arc, where he's converting at 30 percent.
"I'm just trying to clear my head and play the game," Casspi said. "I can't control if [the shots] go in or out. I'm taking good shots, I'm not forcing them, I'm taking what the defense gives me. It's hard on me. I'm trying to play like I know I can play, like I need to play."
Casspi has met with Scott and assistant coaches about his faltering game. He acknowledges the need to be more assertive on the boards, where he's averaging fewer rebounds than guards Irving, Daniel Gibson and Ramon Sessions. But a shooter also needs to score.
"I just [have] to see that ball go in the net," Casspi said. "I really feel like I'm turning the corner, that it's right there and I feel like we are going to see it on the court."
