Mario Hezonja’s first NBA game in six years delivered a moment that said plenty about why the Cavaliers wanted him around.
Late in the third quarter, Hezonja waved off Donovan Mitchell, took over the possession himself and backed his defender down from the three-point line for a basket. For a bench player to call for an isolation in that spot might look bold from the outside. In Cleveland, that’s part of the assignment.
“I told him [Mitchell] you’re not supposed to bring the ball up under pressure because we need you in the last quarter,” Hezonja said on Saturday. “We need you in the playoffs.
We need you in game 80, game 60. Having somebody like me that can help.
As I said on the first day, I’m here to help you. … As much pressure that I can take off of him, and James [Harden], Evan [Mobley], and Jarrett [Allen], players we need a lot, is just going to be so beneficial for the group.”
Hezonja’s mindset showed up again in the way he read the floor. He said he waived off Jaylon Tyson so the spacing would open for him to attack a mismatch, and he stressed the importance of recognizing those situations when they appear.
“I waived JT (Jaylon Tyson) so he creates space for me to go one-on-one against my mismatch,” Hezonja said. “I spoke to James [Harden] and Donovan; there’s five of us on the court, and you need to read those mismatch situations.”
That has been a familiar issue for the Cavs at times. In high-leverage moments, opponents have sometimes tried to hide smaller defenders on Mobley and Allen. Cleveland has punished that at times, including in Game 7 of last year’s first-round series against the Toronto Raptors, but not always.
Even in just one game back, Hezonja has already looked like the sort of veteran piece Cleveland had in mind. His play was among the positives Kenny Atkinson pointed to from Thursday’s loss, and the fit has been evident early.
Hezonja said he expected nerves after spending the last six years in Europe, but the transition has been smoother than he imagined. He credited the way the organization and his teammates have received him since he arrived.
“It’s much easier than I thought, thanks to my teammates, to the staff, and pretty much everybody in the organization, from the top to the last person, really since day one, they embraced me with open arms,” Hezonja said when asked about his return.
“They know the basketball player that I am, but they also got to know the person that I am, so it’s definitely been super great, very welcoming. I hope that the comfort zone I’m feeling, people can see it’s thanks to them.”
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LeBron Nearly Returned To Cleveland And Cavs Fans Will Hate Why
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James acknowledged that Cleveland was seriously in the mix, even if he stopped short of digging into why the decision went the other way. Around the league, Bill Simmons and Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson both suggested the Cavs believed they were on track to land him, which only adds to the frustration of a near miss that now reads like one of those what-could-have-been summers. [Read more 🡒]
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For Brooklyn, the lesson is immediate. The Nets have already dropped their opener too, and now they draw a Cleveland team that can punish mistakes when Donovan Mitchell gets going, even as the Cavs sort through the adjustment of a new coach and a roster still settling into its roles. Clevelands defense remains the bigger marker, though, after Atkinson made clear his team did not handle Philadelphias ramped-up approach well. [Read more 🡒]
Mario Hezonja Is Already Testing How Clevelands Stars Will Respond
Mario Hezonja has already started settling into life with the Cavaliers, and his first few moments in a Cleveland uniform suggest he is comfortable enough to talk about fit as much as feel. After making his official debut, he has shown signs of acclimating well on and off the court, while also making it clear he sees a defined role for himself alongside the teams established core. His willingness to support the stars and talk about how he can complement them is an early sign that he understands the assignment.
The more interesting part is how Hezonja is already navigating the little flashpoints that come with joining a contender. A couple of on-court moments needed clarification, and he addressed them by explaining his mindset and intent. For Cleveland, the bigger question is not just whether Hezonja can blend in, but how smoothly the teams top players will adapt to a new voice and a new set of ideas around shared usage and spacing. [Read more 🡒]