Mario Hezonja’s first run with the Cavaliers gave a quick look at why Cleveland brought him in.
In the preseason opener, the newest Cavs seemed to carry real confidence onto the floor, and that showed up most clearly with Hezonja, who was back in the NBA for the first time in seven seasons. He looked comfortable right away, and for a player making his first NBA appearance since the COVID bubble in 2020, that mattered more than the final numbers.
His line was modest: five points, five rebounds and three assists. But the stat sheet only told part of the story.
One of those points came on a catch-and-shoot three during a 12-0 run that forced a timeout. He also showed the willingness to attack the rim, using confidence on drives and finishing with reverse lay-ins.
And the passing stood out, too, with three assists coming on sharp feeds to cutters and open shooters. There were flashes of the vision that wasn’t as visible during his first NBA stint.
Hezonja also looks different physically than the player many remember. He is listed at 6”9, 260 lbs., and now profiles as a power forward rather than the small forward/undersized power forward who played for the Portland Trail Blazers. The added size changes the picture, and the early signs suggest he can use it.
There were also reminders of the player who won EuroLeague MVP two years ago. That version of Hezonja was visible enough in the preseason opener to make the fit look promising.
For Cleveland, the appeal is straightforward: he can score, and he can do it with size. That gives the bench a dimension it didn’t have before. The summer conversation around him has centered on that exact point, especially in comparison to the scoring Dean Wade brought in the minutes he previously played.
As the first free agent the Cavs added this summer, Hezonja already looks like someone who could have helped last season. The example that jumps out is the Knicks series in the ECF, where a player like this might have been useful when Cleveland needed a momentum shift and a play that could change the game.
Hezonja’s value may go beyond scoring, though. The early preseason glimpse suggested there could be some secondary playmaking in there as well. It is still too early to lock in any kind of projection, but the impression he left was strong enough to matter.
The veterans have already spoken highly of his work ethic, and the early signs point to a player who should be in the rotation from the start. Look for minutes from the previous Real Madrid standout in the first quarter of the season on Oct. 22 against the Sixers.
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Cavaliers May Have Found The Wing Help This Roster Needed
Mario Hezonja is back on an NBA roster, and the Cavaliers are taking a low-risk look at a player whose journey has taken him through several seasons in Europe. Cleveland brought him in on a one-year minimum deal as part of its effort to shore up wing depth, and early exhibition games have suggested there may be something worth exploring here beyond simple camp competition.
Hezonja has looked more physical and athletic in those tune-up minutes, which is exactly the sort of trait that can matter for a team trying to build a sturdier bench behind its core. If that carries into the season, he could give the Cavaliers a useful option on the wing and potentially bring more to the table than Dean Wade did in that reserve role, even as the larger question remains how much of this early promise translates once the games count. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Exposed A Cavaliers Problem Kenny Atkinson Has To Solve
The Cavaliers preseason opener offered Kenny Atkinson an early look at both the promise and the problems still waiting to be sorted out. Cleveland fell to Boston 124-113, and while the score mattered less than the process, Atkinson had plenty to like from the way Peyton Watson attacked with creativity and athleticism, along with the work of second-round pick Meleek Thomas and Craig Porter Jr.
What stood out most, though, was how often the Celtics kept creating extra chances, a reminder that the Cavs front line has some clean-up to do before the games count for real. The rebounding issues were hard to miss, and with James Harden out as a precaution because of ankle soreness, the opener became less about the final result and more about how quickly Cleveland can tighten the details that tend to decide better teams. [Read more 🡒]
Tyrese Proctor Just Made Clevelands Guard Battle A Lot More Real
Tyrese Proctor has already done the part young guards usually hear about and then have to prove later. After getting feedback from Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson, he put real work into strength training and showed notable physical improvement, a sign that Clevelands development message is landing with him. For a team trying to sort out its backcourt depth, that matters, especially with Proctor working to carve out a role in a group that also includes Craig Porter Jr. and Meleek Thomas.
Proctors case gets stronger because he is not just adding muscle, he is absorbing lessons from established scorers around him, including Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. That kind of daily education can speed up the learning curve, but the Cavaliers still appear to be looking for a very specific defensive profile before they settle the backup guard rotation. So while Proctor has made this competition more interesting, the final shape of the bench remains very much up in the air. [Read more 🡒]