Prospect Spotlight: Cedi Osman’s stepping up for Anadolu Efes

Cedi Osman noticeably struggled during the Euroleague regular season. The 31st pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2015 NBA Draft, Osman has been a highlight reel off the bench for Efes and for the Turkish youth teams. However, this year things haven’t really materialized that way, as Osman’s been pushed out of playing time by Dario Saric, Furkan Korkmaz and former Xavier forward Derrick Brown.

Osman’s averaged just under 14 minutes per contest this year, about 5.4 minutes less than in 2014-15, and he’s really struggled to hit shots, shooting 38.6 percent from the field, 35 percent from 3-point range and earning just 10 attempts at the free throw line. While Saric and Korkmaz have looked strong, the third member of Efes’s youth movement couldn’t stay on the floor.

That’s changed in the Round of 16, as Osman’s seen increased playing time and stepped up in a big way for Efes, who have started 2-1. Osman’s minutes have increased to an average of 19 over the three games and he’s responded by shooting 11-18 from the field. He’s looked more comfortable in the lineup, and this past weekend he had his best game of the Euroleague season to date, earning the start for Efes and responding with 12 points on 5-7 shooting, six rebounds and two blocks in an 84-71 win over Darussafaka.

Darussafaka is a bigger, slower team, so Efes attempted to go small and run against them, starting Osman as a pseudo-center in place of Bryant Dunston in a super-small lineup. While this didn’t pay early dividends for Efes (they finished the first period down 15-14), this group effectively ended the game in the third quarter, stretching a 36-30 lead to 46-30 within four minutes.

Osman was a big part of this quarter, hitting a layup followed by a trailing 3-pointer off the break to make it 43-30:

Osman has an early release on his shot, but he has pretty decent shooting form otherwise. He has been a good 3-point shooter before, but he’s incredibly streaky, as we’re witnessing this season. Consistency from the outside is important for Osman’s development because he’s likely going to be asked to knock down perimeter shots if and when he comes to the NBA, especially for the Cavs, who already have the off the dribble game covered by two of the best players in the league. Hopefully this round, which has seen Osman hit 4-10 from outside, is sustainable for him.

Osman also showcased his athleticism in during this run, chasing down Metin Turen on a fast break for an emphatic block:

There’s a lot to be impressed with on Osman’s behalf here. He covers a ton of ground in order to leave his man and cover for Saric. He gets great elevation on the contest and the timing is perfect, waiting until the ball had left Turen’s hand and avoiding the foul, an incredibly tough thing to do on a weak side fast break block. Osman’s raw defensive ability is his main draw as a prospect, and while he’s more known for his quick hands, averaging almost a steal per contest in his career, Osman can make athletic plays at the rim, too. He also looks much stronger than he did last season, which is great news considering his slender frame has often been a concern in his young career. That Efes could roll with Osman and Saric as a starting frontcourt against Semih Erden, Furkan Aldemir and Manuchar Markoishvili and have success defensively is a good sign for both Efes players.

Osman doesn’t get a lot of time as a creator next to all of the weapons Efes has in their backcourt, but he did undress the Darussafaka defense with a fun baseline drive early in the game:

Granted, the degree of difficulty here isn’t high, as Reggie Redding makes an ambivalent attempt at containing Osman’s drive. But for a guy who has recently struggled attacking the rim, Osman gets a nice explosive first step off the catch and makes an agile move to avoid the help defense. A consistent baseline drive off a kick-out would be another nice step for developing Osman’s offensive game, and hopefully this means he’s working on improving there after sometimes looking completely overmatched at the rim early in the year.

Osman has stepped up in the Round of 16 and his resurgence has helped Efes get out to a 2-1 record. It’s good to see him look more comfortable in his role, and hopefully he continues to have an impact that mimics the type of role he could expect in the NBA. Osman’s probably not coming over this summer thanks to a buyout, but the Cavaliers will always be able to use athletic wings who can shoot next to LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving.

If Osman can continue to be a consistent role player for Efes, he looks like an intriguing prospect for the Cavs to consider adding moving forward.