The Cleveland Cavaliers made it rain on Thursday, sending a half-dozen players elsewhere in trades and bringing in some intriguing talent in the form of George Hill, Rodney Hood, Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson.
While virtually the entire league has weighed in on the transactions at this point, LeBron James arguably ranks at the top of the list when it comes to importance of how the moves were perceived and, on Friday, he weighed in to the assembled media in Atlanta. (via ESPN)
“It’s my job to get these guys integrated as fast as possible. I know the coaching staff and [coach] T Lue is going to do it as well, but it’s my job to get these guys on the same page with us where we want to accomplish what we want to do. I look forward to getting them here. … All four of them are pretty smart guys, and it should be fun.”
James is uniquely equipped to bring new teammates up to speed, simply because he holds such great weight for the Cavs on the floor and how the offense is structured. He, of course, noted that Tyronn Lue and the coaching staff have a significant task ahead as well but, in general, James seemed upbeat and positive about the additions.
“I think we became a younger team, more athletic. We added some more shooting as well. So, we’ll have to see how it meshes. I like the pieces that we have coming in.”
With any NBA contender undergoing significant changes, there is a learning curve in place and that will be in no different in Cleveland. Still, this particular overhaul is under the microscope like few in recent NBA history, and given the simple math of how many new faces will need to be streamlined, the Cavs will be highly interesting to monitor in the coming days.
The new players, headlined by Hill and Hood, won’t be available when the Cavs take on the Hawks on Friday but, in a weird twist of fate, the stars will align for the fresh blood to suit up for the first time against the Celtics in front of a national television audience on Sunday afternoon. Get your popcorn ready.
