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NBA: 5 big questions left unanswered after the trade deadline

By Jacob Doole

DALLAS, TX - FEBRUARY 10: Isaiah Thomas #7 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts as the Lakers play the Dallas Mavericks in the second half at American Airlines Center on February 10, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. The Mavericks won 130-123. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX - FEBRUARY 10: Isaiah Thomas #7 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts as the Lakers play the Dallas Mavericks in the second half at American Airlines Center on February 10, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. The Mavericks won 130-123. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) /
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BOSTON, MA – FEBRUARY 11: Rodney Hood #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts in the second half during a game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on February 11, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – FEBRUARY 11: Rodney Hood #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts in the second half during a game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on February 11, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /

Can Cleveland make their new pieces fit?

Before the trade deadline, the Cleveland Cavaliers were in crisis. They had gone 8-14 since mid-December, had a negative net rating for the season (-0.6, 19th in the league), and were only ahead of bottom-feeders Phoenix in defensive rating.

But that was before the deadline. Now… well, they might still be in crisis. But at least they recognized their roster’s issues, and gave it a major shakeup.

Here’s the net outcome from their deals on Thursday:

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IN: Rodney Hood, Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., George Hill

OUT: Isaiah Thomas, Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, Jae Crowder, Channing Frye, Iman Shumpert

That’s a huge overhaul for a team that is third in the East and has made the Finals for the past three years. But when broken down bit by bit, they could certainly be better now than before.

Cleveland’s biggest problem all year has been defense, and their trades were made with that in mind. Rodney Hood and Larry Nance are long, athletic and provide some much needed switch-ability. Jordan Clarkson isn’t a plus on that end, but his size and athleticism alone put him ahead of Dwyane Wade and Isaiah Thomas. And George Hill has shown previously that, in a winning situation, he can be a savvy defender.

Hood and Clarkson add some scoring punch that should ease the load on LeBron, and Clarkson’s playmaking should similarly benefit The King during the playoff push.

The problem is, adding players isn’t quite that simple. It’ll take some time for the new faces to be integrated into Cleveland’s system, and Kevin Love’s return in the near future will only further complicate things.

The first outing for the new Cavaliers was promising, with a dominant 121-99 win over the Celtics. But it remains to be seen whether the renewed energy they played with will stick around in the long term.

And with Tyronn Lue’s coaching credentials still being questioned, it’s hard to know whether their improvements on paper will translate to the court for the rest of the season.

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