We can all agree that many expected Cleveland Cavaliers to win the championship this year with all the star players they brought to the team, but with so many stars on the court, there was no place for every one of them to play their own game and the Cavaliers started playing very bad.

With the record of 32-22 as the third-seeded team in the weaker Eastern Conference, I could see that the things were not working very well for the Cleveland. So, their decision to make some major Changes wasn’t too big of a surprise for the fans.

What changes happened to the Cavaliers roster?

Cleveland traded six players in total, and gained four, becoming more defensive-minded and athletic. They first traded Channing Frye, Isaiah Thomas, and their 2018 first-round pick to Los Angeles Lakers for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr.

Another trade Cleveland executed was a three-team trade with the Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz. From this trade, they gained George Hill and Rodney Hood in exchange for Iman Shumpert, Derrick Rose, and Jay Crowder. And finally they gave away Dwayne Wade for essentially nothing, so the future Hall of Fame star could finish his career where it started, with the Miami Heat.

Are the Cleveland Cavaliers better now?

We can most certainly say that this fresh new start is a great thing for Cleveland because when they stuffed their roster with stars they changed their team’s identity, which was actually very bad for them, as we saw. Now that they acquired some of the assets that they lacked, things should get better for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

First off, Cleveland got Larry Nance Jr., who is a great defender, which they didn’t really have before, plus Nance is the kind of player that could fit in any team, so he is a clear upgrade to the roster. The only problem is Nance’s shooting. His shot is not broken, but it is also not good yet. We could imagine that in Cleveland it will get better over time.

George Hill is practically an ideal point guard for LeBron’s team, as he can run pick-and-rolls when needed, he is a great defensive player, and he has the ability to guard opposing players. He shouldn’t take much time to get comfortable in Cleveland.

Jordan Clarkson is a player that can play like a normal point guard, or he can share the court with Hill or Jose Calderon. He is very athletic and quick player but we have yet to see if joining Cavs will make him more efficient than he was. His only problem is that he is not shooting very well from the deep this season at only 36 percent.

And the last player that Cavs got is Rodney Hood. With the Utah Jazz, he played as a playmaker but didn’t grow as a top option this season after Gordon Hayward left. This is great for the Cavs, as they desperately need more playmakers. He is also shooting 41 percent from the three-point line this season.
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