Cleveland Cavaliers: A Hot Start To 2019 Has Cedi Osman On The Path To Superstardom
Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images
What’s gotten into Cedi Osman? The 2nd-year forward has had the most successful month of his career. The Cleveland Cavaliers are thriving because of his play. Where does he go from here?
Osman was called the “Next LeBron” by many. The nickname isn’t meant to be serious. Although, he’s taking over the role LeBron James left. The amount of pressure Osman must be under can’t be described in words. In January, that pressure doesn’t seem to be getting to him
Starting off 2019, Cedi has averaged 14.9 points. (A career high for any month.) He’s done so shooting .482 from the field. There have been games where Osman looks like the best player on the court.
Starting on January 19th (a 6-game stretch), Cedi Osman has scored in double digits 5 times. He’s recorded three 20-point efforts, along with three games of 5 or more rebounds. In addition, Osman was also announced for the Rising Stars game during All-Star weekend.
There seems to be a confidence with Osman he didn’t have at the onset of the season. He’s more confident in his 3-point shot. Over the course of 4 games starting on January 23rd, Cedi has shot 7 three-pointers once and 8 three-pointers three times. He’s also getting to the line a lot more frequently.
Cleveland Cavaliers head coach, Larry Drew, believes Cedi can become a great player in the league. When asked about his young forward, he responded with the following quote.
(Via Cleveland.com) “I would say he has exceeded expectations as far as his play performance, I just see him getting better and better. Cedi is a part of this future. As he continues to grow, he continues to develop, he has a chance to be a really special player.”
Every game is a learning experience for Cedi Osman. He’s had games where his scoring output is in the single digits. If he can remain consistent, the Cleveland Cavaliers have themselves a building block for the future.
Osman is already a fan favorite. Cavs fans can see him in Wine and Gold for the foreseeable future. The city doesn’t have a lot to believe in when it comes to the Cavs. Kevin Love has been out almost all season. Cedi has taken the role of face of the franchise. Atleast he’s given the team a glimmer of hope.
It’s not out of the realm of possibility Cedi Osman makes and All-Star team in the future. It might seem like a longshot, but, his improvements seem to be permanent. Cedi needs to work on his defense and work on his jumper. He’s already an efficient three-point shooter and can get to the basket. Osman is more than capable of taking the next step.
Cedi Osman will never be the next LeBron. He’s making his best effort to endear himself to the Cleveland Cavaliers fans. Nobody will ever be able to top the King in Cleveland. Cedi’s month of January shows he’s able to handle the pressure.
Daniel is a guru of baseball and basketball prospects. He’s a very experienced Amusement Park traveler as well. Follow him and his hot takes on Insta @dgentleman9288
