7 Reasons to Keep Hope as a Cleveland Cavaliers Fan

Number One: Collin Sexton

In my opinion, Collin Sexton is one of the most underrated players in the NBA. Sexton is a now an undersized two-guard who works harder than almost anyone out there. He isn’t called the “Young Bull” for no reason. If you’re an avid watcher of Cavs games, you know that Sexton scores in volume. He’s a consistent finisher with a beautiful jump shot as well. He works hard on defense and seems to get better every game. As a player, he’s evolving into a franchise centerpiece like the Cavs had hoped for when they drafted him. Hopefully he’s a piece that stays in Cleveland for many years to come.

Number Two: Kevin Porter Jr.

Kevin Porter Jr. was the thirtieth player chosen in last years draft. Cleveland got away with absolute thievery in that pick. Kevin Porter Jr. has proven already that he has tremendous upside. He’s got a lot to learn, but he’s shown that he is stellar on both sides of the ball. His handle as a small forward is very impressive to me. His jumper is very smooth as well. Porter’s biggest weakness to me right now, is his basketball IQ. I just think he has to work on a few mental things and learning the NBA game itself before he becomes a star. I have very high hopes for him and believe he will be an All Star one day.

Number Three: Andre Drummond

A surprise addition before this year’s trade deadline was the 26 year old big man, Andre Drummond. I loved the trade package that was put together for the center from Detroit. The Cavs didn’t give up much at all in return for the All Star big. I think that he’s a great fit especially next to Kevin Love. I thought it was great that they were able to bring in a star big while retaining another veteran in Love. As long as those two remain on the team, rebounds will never be a problem for the Cavs. Although Drummond is on a player option this year, it opens up many different possibilities for Cleveland. They could retain him or Tristan Thompson, or even let both walk and draft a center. The possibilities are endless.

Number Four: Koby Altman

The backbone of an NBA team is its general manager. Koby Altman is a young business man, 37, who’s already done great things for Cleveland. He’s shown time and time again he knows what he is doing in this rebuild process. He’s done his part to speed up the process and has made good moves to put us in a better position for the future. I honestly think the Cavs are only a couple moves away from the playoffs. Obviously younger players will need reps for growth, but everything is moving in the right direction right now. Altman should be the GM in Cleveland for a long time based on what he’s doing right now. He’s definitely a bright spot in the organization.

Number Five: J.B. Bickerstaff

This spot seems very bright right now and we’re all begging that it doesn’t change. The Cavaliers have played so much better already under Bickerstaff after the changing of spots at the head coaching position. Through 11 games coached, his team has won 5 of those bouts. Although that doesn’t sound great, we have to realize that it is more than a third of the wins that the Cavs had under Beilein. Bickerstaff is much younger and yet more experienced. I love his fit with the Cavaliers and I hope it doesn’t change any time soon.

Number Six: This Year’s Draft Pick

This years draft pick has the potential to be the number one overall pick. The Cavaliers have a tied best 14% odds for the first pick. Of course, they did last year as well when they ended up with the fifth pick. But even then, there are about five or six really good prospects that would bode well for the Cavs. They’ll probably be hoping for a player like Obi Toppin, Anthony Edwards or LaMelo Ball, wherever their selection is. Any of these guys can help the team in a large way in the future. This should be really exciting to fans because it gives us potentially another young star to go with the few others we already have.

Number Seven: Salary Cap Space

Although there aren’t a ton of great free agents this year, the Cavs have done a good job in opening up cap space for the future. Another problem is attracting free agents to Cleveland. If we’re being honest, Cleveland has a bad rep to NBA players for whatever reason. Despite that, the Cavaliers have managed to be in a spot where they can release many expiring contracts this year, including players like Tristan Thompson and Matthew Dellavedova who have large salaries. With such a young team, it’s going to be vital to have that money to spend on established guys who can help the team win.

I hope that I’ve convinced you to not give up hope as a Cavalier fan. There’s definitely bright things ahead. For more NBA content, check out our basketball section and forums. Follow me on Twitter @TShelt23.