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Cleveland Cavaliers continue integrating new players as stretch run of regular season looms

The Cleveland Cavaliers will continue integrating their four new players as the stretch run of the 2017-2018 regular season looms.
Coach Tyronn Lue and the Cleveland Cavaliers will continue integrating their four new players as the stretch run of the 2017-2018 regular season looms.

CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Cavaliers resumed practice at Cleveland Clinic Courts Wednesday after returning from their weeklong break for the 2018 NBA All-Star Game festivities at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

And with four new guys in the rotation after deals were made ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline, coach Tyronn Lue felt as though Wednesday was like the first day of training camp with the Cavaliers.

“It really was, and just like I suspected, they forgot the plays, so we grabbed them early, tried, and we’ll grab them after shooting to continue to keep going through the plays and a couple of the defensive coverages,” Lue said with a laugh.

“Overall, the energy of the practice was great.”

Since making trades that brought in guards George Hill, Jordan Clarkson and Rodney Hood, as well as forward Larry Nance Jr. in the hours ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline, the Cavaliers (34-22) have extended their winning streak to four games, including a blowout win over the Boston Celtics and a hard-fought victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder, both on the road.

While Lue and the Cavaliers’ veterans are taking a patient approach to integrating the new players, they know how much work needs to be done in the final 26 games of the 2017-2018 regular season before gearing up for the NBA Playoffs.

“I’m just trying to keep it as simple as possible right now, but we have to start adding,” Lue said. “Especially when the playoffs come, we don’t want to be a predictable team, so we’ve got to continue to keep adding, but right now, we’ve just got to stick with what we know and just continue to keep building off of that because like I thought before the All-Star break, they forgot the plays. It’s kind of tough, so we’ve just got to keep working at it.”

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. (24) drives to the basket in front of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Patrick Patterson (54) during the second quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Although Lue has to reteach some plays, effort, energy and hunger are things he does not have to coach.

Of the four guys brought in through the deadline deals, only Hill has substantial playoff experience. Nance, Clarkson and Hood have never been to the postseason.

“I think you get young guys, but not rookies or second-year guys,” Lue said. “You’re getting guys that have been in the league four or five years, and we’re keeping everything pretty basic and simple, but they know how to play the game, and when you’ve got guys who know how to play the game, it’s easy to fit in.

“We’re going to continue to keep building once they pick up on what we’re trying to do, and they’ll get better. It’s going to be a process and they understand that, a lot of longer practices now so we can teach and guys can understand what we’re trying to do.

“When you’re young, you don’t know any better. You just want to play the game and play hard. That’s all you know, and that’s what this group of guys has done. They play hard for us. They compete, and they can also go out and score the basketball, shoot the basketball, so it’s been a great fit so far.”

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