Schroder and Ellis inject palpable intensity and a relentless bulldog mentality, fundamentally shifting the Cavaliers' on-court attitude and personality.
From the moment the Cleveland Cavaliers traded De'Andre Hunter for Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis, the two have brought a palpable edge to the team.
Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis have impacted the Cleveland Cavaliers in one of the most important ways that a stat sheet can't illustrate. Their approach to every game thus far has been to be physical on the ball and to make plays happen on the other end.
The former Sacramento Kings have undoubtedly made their mark in the short month that they've put on the wine and gold uniform. Whether it's been unmatched defensive intensity or making plays on the offensive end, Schroder and Ellis have filled the void Cleveland lacked before the deal.
In an episode of Courtside with Cavs, Spencer German and I got into how each new addition has changed the squad's attitude:
"I can go on and on about these two. With Schroder, he's got incredible burst, but my thing is he uses that burst toward the end of the shot clock. If they need a bucket, he's going to either get to the free throw line or he's gonna at least get that thing up and make sure it hits the backboard. If it goes in, it goes in. If it doesn't, it doesn't.
"It's a different dynamic when you're able to rely on someone to put that kind of pressure on the rim because teams must react. That means somebody's gonna be open in the corner, the wing, or on the cut. The bulldog mentality. And with Keon, there are so many deflections, and his defensive IQ is through the roof. These two are the reason this team's personality has shifted."
The Cavs held practice the last two days and got plenty of rest and recovery. They will host the Boston Celtics in a highly anticipated matinee affair at Rocket Arena on Sunday.
Cleveland will welcome the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday, on the second night of a back-to-back, then hit the road to face the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.
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