After an eventful trade deadline, the Cleveland Cavaliers showed up to the Boston Garden with their new roster and absolutely demolished the Celtics on Paul Pierce’s jersey retirement day. In a 121-99 blowout, the Cavaliers looked like a team with better chemistry and were again having a ton of fun playing.
All four of the new Cavaliers members made their debut and played extremely well. George Hill, who started at point guard, poured in 12 points and three rebounds. Off the bench, Jordan Clarkson scored 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.
Rodney Hood added 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting, while Larry Nance Jr. provided five points, four rebounds, and three assists in 21 minutes.
The offense was better than ever against Boston’s top-notch defense, and Cleveland’s defense was looking magnificent again. Guys were making multiple efforts and playing hard, restoring faith for the team.
Cavaliers’ players chime in on new-look roster
The blowout team victory excited all of the older Cavaliers players, including Kevin Love and J.R. Smith. During the late stages of the game when LeBron James and the remainder of the starters were on the bench, there was a lot of excitement.
“We got a f****** squad now,” Smith yelled. “There you go! There you go!” Love yelled as well.
James, who was all smiles and laughter on the bench, was approached by Kevin Garnett on his way to the locker room, where Garnett told him, “y’all look so different.”
The new players are a better fit
“At the end of the day, I like being around guys that want to win and work hard,” James said. It’s true. The new set of guys they added to the roster are all hard workers, who play with a chip on their shoulder.
Hill is the perfect fit at the point guard position because he can play off the ball as a spot up shooter. Additionally, he plays solid perimeter defense, moving his feet well and using his quick hands to come up with steals. Hood is an excellent outside shooter and can excel off the ball as well, while Clarkson is a scoring combo guard, who is instant offense off the bench.
Meanwhile, Nance provides energy, hustle, rebounding, and defense, exactly what the Cavs needed.
All these new players fit alongside LeBron James much better than the players they traded away. In LeBron’s system, you need players who can defend and shoot threes, and that’s what the Cavaliers have now. The personnel of the team has changed and is proving to be a better fit.
