It’s not usual to see the best team in the NBA get better midway through the season.
However, GM Koby Altman didn’t want to leave anything to chance.
He pulled off a big move by getting De’Andre Hunter while also getting under the luxury tax threshold, a master move from a basketball and financial perspective.
Hunter might be just what this team needed, and that’s why Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report believes he’s going to be the team’s X-Factor down the stretch:
“Not to put too much pressure on him, but De’Andre Hunter might be the difference between disappointment and glory for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs would have been just fine without Hunter. But if he fits in well, they’ll be on the path to greatness,” Hughes said.
The Cavaliers were already one of the most efficient offensive teams in the league, and adding a big and mobile wing who could shoot over almost every defensive player in the game was a massive addition.
He’s a 41% shooter from beyond the arc this season, and he’s also great at making the most of his size to post up smaller defenders.
More than that, he’s also an absolute nightmare on the defensive end of the court.
He knows how to position himself to stay in front of smaller players, and his arms are long and strong enough to also hold his own against some of the most athletic wings in the league.
The Cavs’ record and tape showed few flaws, but they clearly needed an athletic 3-and-D wing.
They happened to get a former top-five draft pick in the midst of a career year at a very reasonable price, and the best part is that he’s still under contract for two more years.
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