Though the most important move they’ve made since losing LeBron James was to sign Kevin Love to an extension, the Cavs have quietly been making moves, trying to improve their roster. They brought back Channing Frye, and traded for Sam Dekker earlier this week. Read below though, as we look at the fits of their two newest guys, David Nwaba and Isaiah Taylor.
Starting off with Nwaba, his NBA career began late in the 2016-17 with the LA Lakers, with a few 10-day contracts. He was a decent scorer, averaging six points per game in 20 appearances, but made his presence felt with his defensive ability. He recorded thirteen steals in his time and shot the ball well from the free throw line. Unfortunately, he couldn’t earn a spot with LA for the following year, and he decided to sign with the Bulls.
Though he continued to struggle with his three-point shot, Nwaba upped his points per game total to 7.9 as a sophomore and had a 20-point game as well. He grabbed 10+ rebounds on four occasions, playing as both a shooting guard and a small forward. He filled in as a starter frequently, ready for whatever his assignment was. Despite being listed at 6’4, he had no issue covering wings up to 6’10, like the great Tony Allen did before. The guard also had five multi-block games.
His fit with the Cavs will likely be as a guard off the bench, coming in when the team needs a spark. He has a knack for getting to the rim, something they could really use. Nwaba is a guy that Ty Lue will certainly know how to utilize and a signing that will pay dividends for them.
Just yesterday, the Cavs came to an agreement with guard Isaiah Taylor. After an uneventful year in Houston in 2016-17, Taylor rose to the occasion when given a chance with the Hawks. A team who was thin at point guard gave him a lot of opportunity. He posted back-to-back 20-point games late in the season and proved to be a viable option. The team went just 2-7 in his nine starts, but he scored in double figures in six of those games.
What Taylor can be for the Cavs, is a nice change of pace point guard. He runs the half-court very well and is a viable option to knock down jumpers. Unfortunately for him, the minutes on this team will be scarce this year, with Jordan Clarkson, George Hill, and Collin Sexton all around. However, with Cleveland rumored to be trying to move Hill, he could then take some minutes as the rookie Sexton’s backup, while Clarkson plays some minutes at the two.
One thing is sure of both Nwaba and Taylor: They are two guys who have had to work hard to get to where they are, and they will grind in practice to show they’re deserving of game minutes.
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