Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 goals for making the 2019 NBA Playoffs

1. Get those young guys on the floor

About a year ago, before the Kyrie Irving trade went through, the Cleveland Cavaliers had one of the worst young cores in the entire NBA. During the 2016-17 season, they had the fourth-oldest team in the NBA with an average age of 29.18. That number kept on growing into the 2017-18 season, making the Cavaliers the oldest team in the NBA (30.3).

As a result, many thought the Cavaliers would be back to square one if LeBron left. As a surprise to many, the Cleveland Cavaliers actually have a pretty solid young core at the moment.

Collin Sexton, Cedi Osman, Ante Zizic and Larry Nance Jr could all be potential starters for the team in a couple of years, changing the team’s identity from a veteran clubhouse to an up-and-coming group.

In order to shape this team for the future and maximize every player’s potential, those young guys have to play, a lot. It’s the only way for them to improve and help the team reach the playoffs. Apart from Cedi Osman, the other guys do not face too much competition for their spot on the team, either as a starter or a backup, and they could play a solid amount of minutes this season.

When it comes to Cedi, a player that has pleasantly surprised the organization and his fans throughout the summer with his performances, a spot on the team seems almost guaranteed, as many believe that he will be the leader of the Cavs in a few years.

Spending time on the bench or in the G League would help those youngsters evolve too. Nothing, though, can be compared with getting minutes on an NBA floor, something that Tyrone Lue should be aware of.