'Wait for my moment': Cleveland Cavaliers' Cedi Osman responds to two recent benchings
Marla Ridenour
Akron Beacon Journal
Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s tough conversations with
Cedi Osman haven’t come only over the past week.
Praised by veterans for his ability to communicate, Bickerstaff said he has made his message clear to the 26-year-old forward all season.
So when Osman did not play in the previous two games and was yanked after six minutes in the one before, Osman knew why.
“We have conversations all the time. That’s kind of what we do, why we do what we do,” Bickerstaff said in reference to Osman’s recent struggles. “We don’t save it for the difficult times to have conversations. We talk to the guys all throughout the year so they know what to expect and what we expect of them.
“We coach for the difficult times or the bad times so that when they happen, people are already aware and it’s not a big deal.”
Osman responded Thursday, but it was not enough to help the Cavs avert a costly 131-107 loss to the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena.
The Hawks are one of three teams in the Eastern Conference with 40-37 records. The Cavs (42-35) sit seventh, two games ahead of Brooklyn, Charlotte and Atlanta going into Friday’s action. In the tightly-bunched East, all four are vying for a top-six seed to avoid the Play-In Tournament.
Osman led the Cavs with 21 points, 17 in the second half. He hit 7-of-10 field goals, 3-of-6 3-pointers and 4-of-6 free throws. He also contributed six rebounds, four assists and a blocked shot in his 27 minutes.
It was Osman’s highest point total since Feb. 28, when he scored 21 in a home loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. On an ugly night for the plus/minus, Osman’s minus-5 tied for fourth-best on his team and he posted a “0” in the second half.
“I thought he was really good,” Bickerstaff said. “I thought he was aggressive, I thought he was attack-minded and his game wasn’t determined by his shots. His game was determined by how aggressive he was, how hard he was working, how hard he was playing. And when he plays like that, good things happen.
“Cedi’s a good basketball player and we need him to be his best so we can be our best.”
From the outside, Osman’s spot on the team seemed shaky as he sat out against the Dallas Mavericks and Orlando Magic, with Bickerstaff calling swingman Dylan Windler off the bench ahead of him.
Although Windler was not involved, the same thing happened to Osman earlier in March, when Bickerstaff sat Osman against Philadelphia and Denver, then played him against Detroit on March 19. Against the Pistons, Osman scored 16 points and added four rebounds in a four-point Cavs victory.
Osman sees his most recent inactivity in the same light.
“I don’t know. I was just trying to do my best whenever I was on the court,” Osman said. “Obviously, we’ve been talking a lot about this, especially the last couple games and we talked again after that Detroit game. I’m just trying to stay ready.”
Judging by his body language, both on the bench and in interviews, Osman has been discouraged. But he hasn’t changed what he’s doing.
“I just keep trying to work hard and wait for my moment because I know my name is going to be called,” Osman said. “If I’m not playing I’m supporting my teammates. If I’m playing, I’m just trying to do what I was doing since the beginning of the year and help this team.”
Osman is averaging 10.8 points and 2.2 rebounds in 22.4 minutes of 61 games (three starts) this season. He’s dramatically improved his shooting from a dismal 2020-21, when he posted career lows from the field (.374) and 3-point range (.306), but still averaged 10.4 points in 59 games (26 starts). This season he’s raised those percentages to .427 and .352, respectively.
Asked if he found something that helped him get into a rhythm against the Hawks, Osman said, “I was just trying to be myself and just do the right thing, make the right play. At this point, it doesn’t matter because we lost.”
Osman was right, but the Cavs are struggling without
All-Star center Jarrett Allen, sidelined since March 6 with a fractured left middle finger, and
rookie center/forward Evan Mobley, who
sprained his left ankle Monday.
“We need all hands on deck right now. We have guys on this team that we believe can help us from top to bottom,” Bickerstaff said.
That answer was to a question about Windler, but it fit Osman just the same.
“He played with a competitive edge and was attack-minded on both ends of the floor,” Bickerstaff said of Osman, “and that’s what we need from him.”
