Cleveland Cavaliers · 5 notes
He has a dynamic that we were missing this last year.
Mario Hezonja, back from Europe, is still figuring out his role in Cleveland and where he is comfortable, James Harden said at practice. Harden made the case for finding him a spot: "He has a dynamic that we were missing this last year."
be aggressive, make plays, you know, shoot open shots
Cleveland's Mario Hezonja has no set role yet. Kenny Atkinson wants him to "be aggressive, make plays, you know, shoot open shots," and said it's "too early" to put him in a 10-man rotation. He said Hezonja "could be really good" crashing in from the 3-point line for rebounds.
Having a bigger guy that can do that should be a nice change-up for us.
Mario Hezonja gives the Cavaliers a bigger, rim-attacking option off the bench, Sam Merrill said, naming him a camp standout with Peyton Watson and rookie Meleek Thomas. "Having a bigger guy that can do that should be a nice change-up for us."
at 250, 255 pounds, he can do much more damage in the paint.
Cavaliers 3/4 Atkinson said Mario Hezonja is no longer just a shooting power forward: "at 250, 255 pounds, he can do much more damage in the paint." Peyton Watson sees his Cleveland role as "the anchor of our defense." Atkinson is still sorting out the bench mix.
Cavaliers practice: Kenny Atkinson loves playing his two bigs together, calling them among his "top 4 best players," but says they can only share the floor for so long. Hence more one-big lineups, with Peyton Watson at power forward and Mario Hezonja at either forward spot.