Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Miami Heat: 5 reasons LeBron James will get revenge tonight

3. The Moz-god has come for your soul, Miami

Needing a legitimate big man and rim protector, the Cleveland Cavaliers used two protected first-round picks to acquire Timofey Mozgov from the Denver Nuggets. While experts saw the move as necessary, many questioned the price that Cleveland had to pay to obtain a center that was averaging 6.3 points and 4.8 rebounds for his career at the time he was traded. Turns out, the Cavs knew what they were doing.

Mozgov has been a huge difference maker for Cavaliers and it starts with his comfort and familiarity with Cavs head coach David Blatt, who coached him on the Russian National Team. He had already had a head start with Blatt’s concepts and started contributing immediately.

Since joining the Cavaliers, Mosgov has averaged a career-high 10 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Utilizing the playmaking ability of LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, he has been able to capitalize on his opportunities close to the rim, shooting a career-high 55.6 percent from the field as a Cavalier.

The energy he has brought to the Cavs has translated into extra possessions and defensive stops that have helped the team win for the past month. With Mozgov in the lineup, Cleveland has a net rating of +11.5 points per 100 possessions and in the 17 games Mozgov has played, he has averaged career-highs with 3.2 offensive rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.

Those blocks would come in handy when protecting the paint against strong finishers like Dwyane Wade. Oh wait…

Next: Dwyane Wade limping into the all-star break