Newest Cavs fitting in as season is set to resume

Depending on perspective, the long NBA All-Star break came at a very good time or an unfortunate time for the Cavaliers.

It came at a good time because most of the Cavalier players got a seven-day break to rest for a grueling pace that has them playing 17 games in the next 32 days, starting with a game against the Washington Wizards at 8 p.m. Feb. 22 at Quicken Loans Arena.

The timing was bad because the four new players — Larry Nance Jr., Jordan Clarkson, Rodney Hood and George Hill — at practice on Feb. 21 in Independence had to be reminded the plays they were taught after being acquired at the Feb. 8 trading deadline.

How the break affects the Cavaliers’ momentum of a four-game winning streak will be answered as the game with the Wizards unfolds.

“It was just like I suspected. They forgot the plays,” Coach Tyronn Lue said after the Cavs were together for the first time since beating the Thunder in Oklahoma City on Feb. 13. “Today after shooting we continued to go through the plays and a couple defensive coverages, but overall the energy of practice was great.

“I’m trying to keep it

as simple as possible right now. But we have to keep adding. Especially when the playoffs come. We don’t want to be a predictable team, but right now we have to stick with what we know so the team can continue to build off that.”

Hill, Hood, Nance and Clarkson helped the Cavaliers to impressive road wins in Boston and Oklahoma City. On the surface it might seem like any problems the Cavs might have been experiencing were eliminated when Isiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Derrick Rose, Iman Shumpert, Dwyane Wade and Channing Frye were traded. No one on the roster is settling for that, however.

“It was a good refresher,”

said Clarkson, a 6-foot-5 guard. “A lot of this stuff you can pick up. It’s kind of geared to our strengths. You have to be patient, but we’re still picking up stuff. Every day is something new. We still know we have a lot to learn.”

Clarkson and Nance came from the Lakers. Before being traded to the Cavaliers, each could have made plans for what to do after the regular season ended because the Lakers were not in the playoff picture. Now any personal plans have to be put on hold because the Cavs will be playing until mid-June if they advance to a fourth straight Finals.

Playing in Los Angeles

did mean one advantage for Nance and Clarkson, however. Both already know what it’s like to perform on the big stage, even if that stage was the glitter of the L.A. lights and not the glitter of the Larry O’Brien championship trophy.

“I wouldn’t call it a new hunger,” Clarkson said. “I always had a chip on my shoulder. I always wanted to win games. But it’s definitely a new mindset.

“Nothing against the Lakers, but we were usually done in April. Now we’re playing for something more. There’s one goal here.”

The busy Cavaliers play in Memphis on Feb. 23 and host San Antonio on Feb. 25.