Cleveland Cavaliers: Cedi Osman is hitting his stride

Cedi Osman has had an inconsistent season so far for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but it seems like he may have hit his stride recently.

Coming into the season, many fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers had high hopes for Cedi Osman. The 23-year-old was entering his second NBA season and showed brief glimpses of potential in his rookie campaign. While his performances on the court have been erratic, it appears that Osman may finally be growing comfortable in his role.

Last season, Osman played limited minutes as a reserve. During his time on the court, he displayed the ability to have an impact on multiple facets of the game. Standing at 6’8″ and having above-average ball-handling skills gave him a unique skill-set.

His potential was intriguing enough to earn an invite from LeBron James to work out in the 2018 offseason. James has been very high on Osman and has openly praised his game. It is clear when watching Cedi that he has taken direct inspiration from his veteran peers such as James and former Cavalier Kyle Korver.

Therefore, anyone who had been keeping up with Osman’s progress was very excited to see what the 2018-19 season had in store for him. With the Cavaliers in a rebuilding stage, it would be free rein for Osman to grow and develop.

However, the season didn’t start off too hot for anyone on the Cavs roster. The team quickly fell to 0-6 and head coach Tyronn Lue was fired. Injuries to multiple players continued to occur as the team struggled to find consistency.

Osman was one player that was heavily affected by the lack of consistency in the lineup. With new starting lineups being debuted every other night, it would be tough for any player to perform under those circumstances, let alone a player in his second season attempting to learn the game on the fly.

To make things worse, Osman’s jump shot seemingly disappeared for a stretch of the season. His once reliable jumper became ineffective and his confidence took a huge hit as a result.

Over the course of 12 games, Osman averaged 9.4 points on a poor 31.1 percent shooting from the field. He was even worse from the 3-point line, shooting only 23.7 percent from deep. Despite this, the Cavs surprisingly had one of their best runs of the season, going 4-8 in this stretch.

While the team hasn’t been doing very well lately, Osman has improved greatly. His efficiency has skyrocketed and his shooting is at a career-high level. In the last four games, Osman is averaging 19.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while shooting 58.3 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc.

This stretch from Osman included back-to-back games in which he broke his career-high for points. He started by scoring a career-best 25 points against the Boston Celtics, only to top it two days later against the Miami Heat with a 29-point outing.

Osman’s performances haven’t led the team to any more wins, but it has been a pleasant sight to see. His promise on the court is something that will help solidify him as a cornerstone for the future of the team.

For a franchise that is desperately trying to rebuild, it is relieving to see a player like Osman hit his stride. He obviously has a long way to go before reaching his full potential, but his increased confidence is a great sign of what is to come.

Hopefully, Osman will build off of this stretch and continue to grow as a player and a leader.