Cavs players, coaches give early impressions of newcomer De'Andre Hunter
Yesterday at 07:10 PM
The winds of change fuel the NBA’s annual trade deadline – especially if you’re a traded player. However, for new Cleveland Cavaliers forward De’Andre Hunter, the transition to life in Cleveland will be a little easier. Thanks, in part, to Cavs guard Ty Jerome, Hunter’s friend and former college teammate.
"We've been talking about playing together for years," Hunter said of Jerome. "For it to actually come together and to actually happen, especially at a place like this, it's amazing. So I'm definitely excited."
But even with a friend to help him adjust to his surroundings, Hunter has to learn and adapt to playing Cavs basketball. While the NBA is a copycat league, there are still intricacies and nuances to how Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson wants his team to play.
However, it isn’t about learning who Hunter is as a player for Atkinson. Part of Atkinson and his coaching staff’s job is scouting and fully understanding opposing players, which Hunter once was.
Instead, what matters more for Atkinson in the coming days after the trade is building interpersonal relationships between Hunter, the team, and the coaching staff.
"I think the first days are [about] building relationships," Atkinson said. "How's your family? Is your family here? We talked a little tactics today. … It's more getting to really understand them as people first. … I just want to get to know him better as a person."
Atkinson believes that it takes a player three or four games to feel comfortable in a new system and about 15 for the coaching staff to adjust.
"We obviously have the analytics of what they're good at, but you have to, as a coach, you have to feel it, see how you can best use them in a team setting," Atkinson said.
What are the Cavs saying of De’Andre Hunter’s expected role?
Hunter’s role with the team is uncertain until he adapts to the nuances of playing for the Cavs. However, he’s been a consummate professional throughout the process and is already turning heads in practice, getting rave reviews from his teammates.
“He’s a great defender,” said Cleveland big man Jarrett Allen. “[However], he’s a guy who can do it all on the offensive end as well. Honestly, he’s one of those guys that you don’t like playing against. It’s always good when those guys are on our team.”
To Allen’s credit, Hunter has averaged 16.4 points per game against the Cavs, his fifth-best scoring average. However, Hunter will still have an adjustment period. His skill set as a shooter, combined with his size and versatility on the defensive end, should help him assimilate quickly.
"I'm gonna play hard every night," Hunter said. "I'm gonna give it my all. You never got to worry about my effort. I'm gonna be ready to go every night."
From a coaching perspective, Atkinson shared that he’s excited about Hunter’s “positional size.” That carries into how he can help on defense as Atkinson continued, “It’s the defensive end and ability to guard different guys, one through five. He can switch and all of that stuff.”
Allen echoed sentiments similar to Atkinson’s, saying the Cavs can lock down opposing offenses. That added defensive pressure can lead to easier buckets on offense, helping elevate Cleveland as one of the NBA’s premiere two-way teams.
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