Cleveland Cavaliers: Marquese Chriss trying to save his career

Marquese Chriss has been playing with his career on the line lately, but it seems like he has found a home with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Cleveland Cavaliers may have found themselves a hidden gem in Marquese Chriss. Just three years removed from being a top 10 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Chriss has been battling to keep his career alive. Luckily, Chriss is saving his reputation in Cleveland.

Despite only being in the league for three seasons, Chriss has already played for three different franchises. The Phoenix Suns traded for him on draft night, only to trade him two years later to the Houston Rockets. After a failed stint in Houston, Chriss was shipped to the Cavaliers earlier this season.

Before joining the Cavs, Chriss had shown to be a reluctant defender who often appears uninterested throughout the course of a game. While he has amazing athletic ability, Chriss’ lack of energy made him a detriment to his previous teams.

It didn’t take long for the Suns to grow tired of his poor habits and trade him away. Considering that Quese is in his early 20s, the fact that a rebuilding franchise like Phoenix was willing to give up on him so early should say something about his skill level.

Of course, Houston found the same displeasure when acquiring Chriss. He appeared in only 16 games for the Rockets before being deemed unworthy and thus traded to the Cavaliers.

At this point, it is believed that his NBA career is on the line. According to Jason Lloyd of The Athletic, Chriss is walking on thin ice in Cleveland. The Cavaliers will not be giving him any second chances and one poor stretch could mark the end of his playing career.

It seems as if Chriss has used this as motivation to finally start playing up to expectations. He is currently averaging 8.0 points and 4.9 rebounds in just 18.1 minutes per game for the Cavs, turning into a bright spot in an otherwise dark season for Cleveland.

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Unfortunately, Marquese is still struggling to remain consistent. In his last five games, Chriss has been marginally less productive and has reverted back to his old habits. However, this could be a result of the return of Kevin Love, which has caused Chriss to see declined minutes.

There is still reason to have optimism for Chriss, however. He has played over 20 minutes in four times for the Cavs and averaged 14.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in those games. He’s also been shooting a career-best 35.9 percent from the 3-point line on nearly four attempts a game.

The road to becoming a valuable NBA player will be a long one for Chriss. He has a lot to improve on. Learning the ins and outs of the game will be huge for him, as he still seems lost at times on the court.

Furthermore, polishing his offensive game will be critical because right now he relies too much on his strength and jumping ability to score. The improvements we have seen to his jump shot are very encouraging as it shows that he is dedicated to becoming a better player.

Marquese Chriss is set to become a free agent this summer and it is likely that Cleveland will elect to offer him a short-term contract. He has potential and seems eager to prove his worth in this league. The Cavaliers will definitely look to continue developing his game as they rebuild their franchise.