Growing Up

clejgabriele

Cleveland's Tenacious Defender Looks Back on His Early Days in the ATL

by Joe Gabriele (@CavsJoeG)
3/1/22 | Cavs.com

You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who didn’t recognize Isaac Okoro as the Cavaliers top stopper on the defensive end. But you might be surprised to find out how the rugged sophomore became an excellent defender.

In today’s installment of Growing Up … the Wine and Gold’s starting shooting guard opens up about his early days in Atlanta and how he converted himself into the big league baller you see today.

Selected No. 5 overall out of Auburn in 2020, Okoro missed out on all the fanfare that surrounds the NBA Draft, not long after the early days of COVID-19 abruptly wiped out the conclusion of his college career.

As a rookie in Cleveland, the 6-5, 225-pounder led the squad in minutes and games-played and cemented his starting spot on the league’s top-scoring defense this year. This season, Okoro has topped double-figures on 18 occasions, with a pair of 20-point performances.

But Okoro’s not the type of player to stuff the stat sheet on the offensive end. He makes his bones shutting down an opponent – a skill that earned him the inaugural Junkyard Dog chain after clamping down on Kyle Kuzma in the fourth quarter of last Saturday night’s win over Washington.

As the Wine and Gold head into the homestretch – beginning with a Wednesday night showdown with Charlotte – Cavs.com sat down with the man they call “Ice” to recall his early days in the ATL, how he grew into a defensive stalwart and, of course, his first dunk …

In last week's win over Washington, Okoro's nasty fourth-quarter defense earned him the inaugural Junkyard Dog chain.
Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images

I wouldn’t say … that we're an athletic family. My parents both came from Nigeria, so they really didn't know a lot about sports and things like that.

I have three other siblings … so they just put all of us into soccer, because that's the sport they knew most about. In Nigeria, soccer a popular sport, so they put us into that first. I was pretty good at soccer – but not real good.

My parents also got me into … basketball and football – and I just fell in love with basketball. My other siblings really didn’t have the taste for sports, but I really stuck to playing basketball and continued to do that.

I was actually pretty good … at football, but they weren’t passing me the ball, so I wasn't really enjoying it. In basketball, I was getting the ball, I was moving around, I felt more active.

I have two sisters and one brother … and I’m the youngest.

They all played … sports in school. One sister did cheerleading, my other sister did volleyball. But they stuck with it for, like, two months – and after that they just they quit it. They really didn’t stick around playing sports.

I started out playing hoops … in a church league. My dad put me into that – and from there I went to rec ball, and then from there we formed an AAU team called A.O.T. And I stayed with that head coach, Omar Cooper – Sharife Cooper’s dad – through high school.

I stuck with him … because he took a chance on me. During the rec ball league, nobody wanted to pick me up. I was just tall. I was that tall kid who really couldn’t do anything. So, nobody wanted to pick me up. But he took a chance on me and then from there he just worked me up – and as a little kid I progressed.

When I was real young … I was taller than most kids, so I played center.

And I was told … to ‘just stay on the block and get rebounds and lay it back in.’

"I was a tall kid, but the only thing I could do was defend. And that was the only way I could stay on the court. So, I learned that from a young age."

But back then … I was struggling just to finish layups. When I was little, I was the worst person on the team.

Then, starting in my … 7th and 8th grade years, I started staying in the gym. I knew I was the worst kid, so I started staying later, coming in earlier, putting in a lot of work. I didn’t want to be the worst person. I wanted to be the No. 1 or No. 2 option.

I guess my defensive skills … developed when I was a little kid.

I was a tall kid, but the only thing I could do … was defend. And that was the only way I could stay on the court. So, I learned that from a young age.

So, I knew right away … if I’m not out there defending, I’m going to be over here on the bench.

Auburn was the second school … to make me an offer. Rutgers was first, but they faded away. Auburn was always contacting me, staying in touch with me going back to 9th grade of high school. They always showed me love – coming to my practices, coming to my games. And every time I went down there, it felt like a family environment. That’s what I looked for in a school.

The Auburn staff told me … what they wanted from me. I always knew Bruce Pearl would coach me hard and not just tell me what I want to hear. It was the perfect school for me.

Bruce Pearl has a … great, big personality. He’s very energetic. He motivates his players, and he has a ton of confidence in them. He wants you to go out there and be great. He gives you the confidence to go out there – take the shots, play hard, be the best player you can be.

I have to admit, though, that … it’s still kind of depressing that I didn’t get to go through all that in college. You dream of going through March Madness. And I feel like at that time we were one of the best teams in the country. I felt like we would have made a big push in March and that would have been good for us.

And I wish I’d been part of … the NBA Draft – walking across that stage, people in the crowd, shaking Adam Silver’s hand, the cool suits. Missing out on that process was painful, but I’m just glad to be in the NBA.

I definitely remember … my first dunk. It was in 7th grade. And, of course, the dunk was weak.

It wasn’t a powerful dunk … but it was still a dunk. With our AAU team, we were always blowing out teams, so there was always a whole bunch of leak-outs and stuff. By that time, we’d blown the team out and it was an easy leak-out for me.

My teammates were … excited. I was excited. It’s a moment you never forget.

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Growing Up ... Isaac Okoro

The Finnisher Looks Back on His Early Days in Jyväskylä

by Joe Gabriele (@CavsJoeG)
1/21/22 | Cavs.com

For starters, can we talk about what an underrated nickname “the Finnisher” is for Cavaliers forward Lauri Markkanen?

Markkanenen – the versatile seven-footer from Vantaa, Finland – is technically the squad’s starting “small forward” – one-third of a jumbo frontline that’s barnstormed through the NBA through the season’s first half and put Cleveland squarely into the Playoff picture.

The 24-year-old, acquired by the Wine &amp; Gold in a three-way deal between Portland and Chicago during the offseason, has had a rock-solid NBA career – averaging double-figures through each of his first five seasons. This year with the Cavaliers, Markkanen – the 7th overall pick, originally by the Timberwolves – is averaging 13.7ppg and 5.4 rebounds per.

Markkanen’s also coming off his best offensive performance of the season – dropping 28 points on his former squad on Wednesday night in Chicago, going 9-for-14 from the floor, including 5-of-9 from long-range. The 5th-year man has been very good overall of late – averaging 16.2 points per on 55 percent shooting from the floor, 47 percent from long-range over his last six outings.

Markkanen – whose father Pekka was Finland’s Player of the Year in 1989 – has excelled in separate stints with the Finnish national team and, in his single season at Arizona, was named All-Pac-12 First Team.

Through his first 37 games with the Wine &amp; Gold, Markkanen has already drilled some huge shots as well as thrown down some jaw-dropping dunks – both of which were readily on display over the past couple weeks.

As the Cavs prepare for a well-earned three-game homestand, Cavs.com sat down with the Finnish forward to talk about his hometown, how he came to the States and who’s the best hoopster in his uber-athletic family in today’s installment of Growing Up …

Over his last six games, the 5th-year man from Arizona is averaging 16.2 points per on 55 percent shooting from the floor.
Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Vantaa was actually … just the place I was born. But other than that, I don’t have any kind of connection to it. Jyväskylä where I grew up – from when I was three until about when I was 16. That’s more of like my hometown.

In Finland … Jyväskylä is a low-key city. I don’t have anything to complain about, growing up there. It was a great environment to get better and grow up and have fun at the same time. It was the perfect place for me.

I come from an … athletic family. My parents and one older brother played professional basketball and another brother plays professional soccer in Europe. I’m the youngest one.

Growing up, I played … a lot of hockey. Not on a team, but outdoor hockey a couple times a week until I was about 15. And I played soccer until I was about 13. Other than that, I started basketball really young.

My second-best sport … would probably be soccer.

With hockey … I mean, I’m seven feet tall, and I’d be, like, 7-6 – I’d be like Tacko – with the skates on.

I haven’t played … hockey in a long time – probably seven or eight years. But I enjoyed it a lot, just going out with my buddies and hanging out. We didn’t have pads or anything like that. I was more just skating around, playing more of a technical game, I guess. Without equipment, you can’t really do slap shots.

Basketball’s always been … the easiest to to play, against my parents and my brothers – and growing up we had a hoop in our back yard.

It’s tough to say when … I was first able to be my dad at basketball.

As a kid … you think the other person is going full-speed, trying to beat you, trying his hardest. But I don’t know, at which point, I could legitimately beat him without him, kind of, ‘letting’ me.

I always challenged … my dad and my brothers and my mom when I was a kid. They got tired of my always asking them to come outside and play. But I wanted to beat them. They let me off the hook very easily. It was very competitive.

I didn’t start … beating my brothers until after I was 11, at least. Probably even older.

I was always … kind of lean and my brothers were just bigger, so it depended on whether my shot was falling or not. Once I got a little bit bigger and stronger, the gap between us closed.

"I mean, I’m seven feet tall, and I’d be, like, 7-6 – I’d be like Tacko – with the skates on."

It never got physical … between my brothers and I. It wasn’t like that. I wanted to win, and my brothers didn’t want to lose to their baby brother. You can see that I’m not the biggest trash-talker in the world. We played to win, but there was never any bad blood.

I had to make a decision … when I was 16. I was just playing basketball because it was fun. I never thought about having a career or anything like that. But at 16, they started recruiting me to Heilsinki and to the academy to kind of prepare for college. So, I had to make a decision – do I want to get something out of basketball or do I just do it for fun, stay at home and play with my best friends.

So I moved to Helsinki … and spent a couple years there in high school and our coach did a great job of contacting schools. I told them right away instead of going pro in Europe, I wanted to try the college route.

My one year at Arizona … happened so fast. I had national team stuff in Finland, so I didn’t come over until September, I think. And we were done in March.

I had a great time … and now that I look back at it, I feel like I only remember the good stuff. Like, you don’t remember how hard it was, going to class at 8 a.m. after playing a game the night before. I look back and I know the decision was right. It got me in the place I’m at now – and that wouldn’t have happened without Arizona.

Looking back, I definitely … remember my first dunk. I think I was 14 or 15.

The funny thing about it is … that I had never dunked in practice. It was in a game and the opposing team had a sideline in-bounds. I stole the ball and had a breakaway, and I actually went up with my right leg, trying to do a left-handed layup.

But then I realized … how high I was – so I dunked with two hands. That was my first dunk ever. It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing. I guess because it was a game, the adrenaline was pumping a little harder.

It happened in a really small gym … that was basically just everybody’s parents, but it was still a fun moment I’m going to remember for the rest of my life.

(Even though my brothers told me afterward  … that I’d dunked too early – and now every game that I didn’t dunk will be a disappointment.)

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Growing Up ... Lauri Markkanen

Cavs Outstanding Big Man Looks Back on His Days in the Lone Star State

by Joe Gabriele (@CavsJoeG)
12/16/21 | Cavs.com

If the key to NBA success is consistency, there hasn’t been any Cavalier who’s been as consistently excellent this season as Jarrett Allen.

The 5th-year man from Texas, who arrived in a midseason deal less than a year ago, has solidified the center spot for the foreseeable future. And as good as he was in the second half of last season, he’s been playing at an All-Star level since the opening tip in October.

As the Cavaliers prepare to hit the road for three, Allen is averaging career-bests in almost every offensive category, leading the team in double-doubles (17) and at .703, ranks third in the league in field goal percentage.

Allen’s been the main cog of a formidable front line that’s helped make Cleveland the top scoring defense in the Conference. This season, Allen – the 22nd overall pick by the Nets in 2017 – has three games with three blocked shots, seven occasions with a pair of blocks and a five-block performance in Cleveland’s recent win in Miami, helping snap a 20-game losing streak on South Beach.

The young Cavaliers have been the surprise, feel-good story of the NBA this season, and their 23-year-old big man has been one of the main reasons for Cleveland’s success.

Following an undefeated three-game homestand – part of a season-best five-game win streak and a stretch of nine wins in their last 11 outings – the Wine and Gold hit the road before the Christmas holiday, beginning with a Saturday night stop in Milwaukee.

Before they fly the friendly skies, Cavs.com sat down with the squad’s amicable big man to talk about his early days on the hardwood, his John Lucas/Houston connection, how he settled on his hairstyle and, of course, his first dunk as a youngster in today’s installment of Growing Up …

Jarrett Allen ranks third in the NBA in field goal percentage, and has three games already this year in which he hasn't missed a shot.
Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

You could say I come from … an athletic family.

I was actually born … in San Diego, and my father – Leonard Allen – went to San Diego State. He led them all-time in blocks for a little while, although I don’t know who has the record now.

Other than that … my older brother played basketball and my cousin – Jahvid Best – played in the NFL for a little bit for the Detroit Lions.

At recess … if they threw out a soccer ball, I’d play soccer. If they threw out a dodgeball, I’d play dodgeball. I’d just go out and do anything.

When it came to organized sports … I played football in 7th grade. But that’s the thing in Texas – you can’t get away with not playing football.

In short football career … my jersey never got dirty, I can tell you that.

I played basketball … off and on when I was a kid.

I played when … I was little. I played in a little church league when I was about seven. And then I didn’t play until about sixth or seventh grade.

I started playing more hoops …  when I started to become the tallest guy in the class. It’s one of those things where you almost have to play. And just blossomed from there.

In high school, I’d take part … in these John Lucas workouts in Houston. I was a high school freshman playing against NBA players for about a week straight. So, I know John Lucas well.

I’ve had this hairstyle … since my junior or senior year of high school. That’s when I grew it out. I just didn’t feel like getting it cut.

At this point … I guess it’s like a ‘Sampson’ thing. It’s kind of my identity.

The reason I wear No. 31 goes … back to one day before practice. I reached into a pile of jerseys, fished my hand around and pulled out 31.

It happened during practice … back in 7th grade, the summer of 7th grade. We were at a church. We were just having fun. Nobody could dunk, but then all of a sudden, I went up and did it.

For the longest time … I thought: ‘This isn’t real; the rim must be short.’ But it was real – and everybody was a little bit stunned, a kid that young dunking.

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Growing Up ... Jarrett Allen

Cavaliers Sophomore Swingman Looks Back on His Formative Years In Philly

by Joe Gabriele (@CavsJoeG)
10/28/21 | Cavs.com

On Wednesday night in L.A., the surprising young Cavaliers ran their win streak to three – shutting down the Clippers as their early-season roadie rolls on.

With Isaac Okoro on the shelf with a hamstring strain, second-year man Lamar Stevens saw his first significant action of the year – and despite struggling from the floor, was one of the dogged Cavalier defenders who made things just as tough for Clippers All-Star, Paul George. In 21 minutes off the bench, Stevens finished with two points, six boards a steal in the gutsy 92-79 victory.

An undrafted, four-year man from Penn State, Stevens signed with the Cavs last year and impressed on both ends of the floor. As a rookie, he posed three double-digit scoring games, including a historic 15-point, 11-rebound effort against San Antonio – becoming the only Cavalier in team history to post a double-double in less than 18 minutes of work. His game-deciding dunk last February against Atlanta snapped the squad’s 10-game skid.

As impressive as Stevens is on the floor, he’s just as solid off it. During his time at Penn State, he authored a 16-page children’s book titled “Lamar’s Climb — A Journey to Happy Valley” which documented Lamar’s journey from Philadelphia to State College and which was colored by six special needs kids connected to the Nittany Lions program.

”Penn State was a place that was so good to me,” recalled Stevens. “And through Coach (Pat) Chambers, we always participated in Special Olympics and a thing called ‘The Buddy Walk’ with kids with Downs Syndrome. We did that every year. So, I was able to develop a great relationship with those kids. And we had a game where we played Minnesota which we released the book. It was awesome.

”The thing I loved most about was the kids being able to go on the court at halftime in a sold-out arena and have everyone cheer for them and see the smiles on their faces.”

As J.B. Bickerstaff’s young guns take a day to enjoy the California sunshine and get ready for the second half of their West Coast trip, Cavs.com talks to Lamar Stevens about his athletic family, getting game night texts from grandma and, of course, his first dunk as a kid in today’s version of Growing Up …

Stevens was a two-time All-Big Ten selection during his decorated career at Penn State.
Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

I come from … an athletic family. My dad played basketball at Widener University – a D-III school in Chester, PA. He’s actually the all-time leading scorer there. And my mom, she didn’t play any sports, but growing up she was a big runner. She used to do the Broad Street Run and stuff like that. So, that’s where I get it from.

My brother played … football at a D-III college called Wesleyan University in Connecticut and my sister plays volleyball now.

And ranking us athletically … I’m definitely first.

As a kid … I played baseball and football. I played football right up until before I went to high school, 8th grade. I just wanted to lock in on one sport. Plus, I kept getting hurt in football – so I figured that wasn’t for me.

My big growth spurt … came from 7th grade to 8th grade – I went from 5-8 to 6-3, because I remember being 6-3 in 8th grade. And then every year I just got a little taller.

One of my best mentors … was my coach at the Haverford School, Harry Fairfax, who really introduced me to working hard, getting up early, buying into your craft. And that was also around the time I was getting recruited. So, we were able to share that experience together. That was huge.

My parents … were also great guides for me along the way.

I first thought I could … possibly reach the next level of basketball in my 9th grade year. It was always my dream to play in the NBA, so there was always a chance I thought I could. But I remember in my freshman year, receiving a letter from Xavier. And I thought: ‘I need more of these.’ That was the start.

It feels … really good to get recruited by a bunch of schools. It lets you know that your hard work is being noticed.

I actually never thought … about Penn State in terms of basketball. I didn’t think I was gonna go there until I went up and saw the campus and saw everything they stood for, their vision. And Coach Chambers is another mentor of mine that I’m super-close with to this day.

To be honest, I was looking … at Villanova and Temple as a kid. And I never, ever thought about Penn State. But, hey, you can’t script this stuff.

Yes, my grandma still … texts me after every game. Actually, she texts me every day. But she especially makes sure to hit me after every game. She watches every game.

I can do no wrong … in her eyes. There’s never any criticism. If I didn’t play my best, she’s like: ‘You’re gonna kill ‘em next time!’ It’s really cool.

I remember my first dunk … in my driveway AND a game.

In the driveway … was the actual first time. I was just practicing with my dad. We were just going over and over it again and again, just trying to figure it out. Because I could get up there, I just couldn’t figure out how to do it. But then I did.

And my first game dunk … was in 9th grade and I actually dunked on somebody for my first dunk. I just went for it. It was at a small gym. It was in transition, and I just remember going up and dunking – and it was a great feeling. Everybody went crazy.

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Growing Up ... Lamar Stevens

Cavs Sharpshooting Swingman Looks Back on His Early Days in Indy

by Joe Gabriele (@CavsJoeG)
4/24/20 | Cavs.com

In a time of true uncertainty, specifically in the NBA, Cavalier fans know one thing about their 2020 incoming rookie class. That their “bonus draft pick” – Dylan Windler – can play at this level.

After a successful Summer League stint following his selection at the No. 26 overall pick last June out of Belmont, Windler didn’t see a minute of action during his rookie year, sidelined for the season by a lower left leg injury.

The Cavaliers other first rounders from this past Draft – Darius Garland and Kevin Porter Jr. – have shown flashes of brilliance, and the future looks bright for both. Windler, who led the Ohio Valley Conference in both rebounding and three-point shooting as a senior, was rock-solid last Summer, but he’ll have to wait before completing the triumvirate.

While we await word on what steps the league will take as we return to normalcy, here’s a chance to catch up with the sharpshooting swingman from Indianapolis, as Dylan Windler walks us through his formative years …

Windler was tabbed at No. 26 overall after leading the Ohio Valley Conference in rebounding and three-point shooting as a senior at Belmont.
Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

I come from an … athletic family. My mom, she played basketball and ran track in high school – and she was really good at both.

Actually, my mom was … a state-competing high-jumper. She went to the same high school as me and to this day she still holds the high-jump record. It’s right there in the wall of the gym of my high school.

I have a sister … who’s three years older than me who also did high-jump, along with soccer and basketball. She goes to Ball State, but doesn’t play organized sports there.

Growing up … I really played everything.

Obviously, everybody plays … organized soccer. I played a lot of soccer – I played indoor, outdoor soccer.

And then I also played … football in elementary school and middle school. I played on a traveling team for baseball and played baseball through middle school. Obviously, golf and basketball. I played tennis, but not organized – just against my dad a lot.

I’m only a lefty … in basketball. I guess I kick with my left foot, but everything else is right-handed.

I throw a baseball and football … right-handed, swing a golf club right-handed. I’m a little weird in that way.

I probably started golf and basketball … at around the same time, maybe around five years old.

I remember …  going to the driving range with my dad as a little kid and hitting balls before I really knew how to swing a golf club. I couldn’t hit it more than 10 or 20 yards, but I still had fun doing it.

And then in hoops … I played in all the same YMCA basketball leagues probably from around the same age.

As young as you were allowed … to play an organized sport, I played it.

I probably started thinking I could … get to the next level at golf in middle school. I started to see that I was getting better than most everyone else. I was the No. 1 on our middle school team and was the No. 1 as a freshman in high school. So, I always thought I could take golf to the next level.

"I think it’d be really fun to complete against some other NBA guys, if there would ever be a pro-am tournament or something like that."

Dylan Windler, on the chance to golf against fellow NBA players

Basketball, I was always … pretty good, but I didn’t have the height until about sophomore, junior year of high school. That’s when I started to get better. And then I got a break in a Tournament playing AAU during my junior year.

So it was until my junior year … where I thought I might have a chance to take basketball to the next level.

I’m not exactly how many … NBA guys are also pretty serious golfers.

I think I’d do pretty well … against most guys. I know Steph (Curry) plays and he’s really good. J.R. (Smith) plays. I know he’s not in the league right now, but I’ve heard he’s good. But I think Steph is really up there among NBA guys.

I think it’d be … really fun to complete against some other NBA guys, if there would ever be a pro-am tournament or something like that.

Everyone thinks golf … is something you can do every day. But golf was actually almost more of a grind than basketball in high school.

You’re going to practice … every day after school for about two hours, and then during the summers you have a tournament every weekend. Throughout the week you’re at the golf course every day for a couple hours – whether you’re chipping and putting or at the driving range.

Every now and then you get … out on the course, but for the most part, I’d go but never actually play the course – just hit the driving range or chipping or putting range for hours.

It’s very frustrating … at times because golf is just a very up-and-down sport and it’s hard to be consistent. When you have one of those tournaments when you’re just not playing well, it can be mentally exhausting.

In 8th grade, I was … a point guard because I wasn’t that tall.

And then, during my freshman and sophomore … years in high school, I went from six foot to 6-5. I switched out onto the wing, but I still had all those ball-handling skills, because in middle school and even before that I was always the one bringing the ball up.

That growth spurt … really gave me a big advantage.

That’s right around the time … that I finally got my first dunk.

I think it was the summer … going into my freshman year in high school. I remember I couldn’t dunk in middle school and I was really mad about it because I had a couple teammates that could, and it really got to me.

So I remember … that whole summer I worked on it and was constantly trying to dunk.

And then right before the start … of my freshman season, it was open gym and of course everyone is trying to dunk and show off. And I finally got one!

The guys all … went nuts. But you know when you get that first one. It’s always kind of a scene.

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Growing Up ... Dylan Windler

Big Man Andre Drummond Adjusting to His New Surroundings

by Joe Gabriele (@CavsJoeG)
2/27/20 | Cavs.com

The basketball fan in us probably expected Andre Drummond to put up monster Andre Drummond numbers up starting from the opening quarter of his February 9 debut against the Clippers.

After all, we’d seen it up close and personal so, so many times. In a home-and-home series just last month against the Pistons, Drummond averaged 25.5 points and 21.5 rebounds. In 35 career games against the Wine and Gold, Drummond posted 22 double-doubles and five games of at least 20 points and 20 boards.

We could do Andre Drummond stats all day, and it reads like a game notes greatest hits.

But it’s no secret that it’s been an adjustment period with the Cavaliers through his first five games. His numbers for mere mortals – 12.8 points per game, 10.6 rebounds – would be sufficient. But we’ve seen what Drummond can do, and the All-Star big man knows there’s more in store.

Drummond’s production might still need to be jumpstarted, but the squad has been impressive since his arrival – winning four of six as they head into a tough weekend back-to-back against New Orleans and Indiana.

Before the Cavaliers left town, Drummond sat down with Cavs.com to talk about his first couple weeks with his new club …

The 26-year-old Drummond has led the league in rebounding in two of the last three seasons and is on pace to do so again this year.
Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images

It’s been a couple weeks. How has the transition been so far?

Andre Drummond: The transition's been pretty good. I'm enjoying myself and I'm definitely happy to be in a place where they want me to be.

Getting adjusted to the guys has been a challenge, but I'm starting to figure it out little by little.

My production really hasn't been there, so I'm still trying to figure things out. But I think with time, I'll be just fine and playing the way I normally play.

Did you kind of expect an adjustment period?

Drummond: I've never been in this situation, so I didn't know what to expect when I got here. I didn't know how long it would take me to get adjusted. And obviously, it's been a couple of games now and I'm still trying to get into the flow of things.

But I'm taking the time to really learn everybody and figure things out. I think I'll be fine.

Did your presence throw off the Cavs young guards early on?

Drummond: Yeah, I think I think that's probably the biggest thing right now, having three young guards that are basically rookies, having to adjust their games, which they’re still learning for themselves.

So for me, it's just trying to get them adjusted to learning what it's like to play with different bigs. Me, Kevin, Tristan, Larry – trying to teach them different things on how to handle different pick-and-rolls, how to come off, what kind of passes they need to make.

But it's been a fun process and obviously, we're getting better as we go.

What’s your relationship been like with the team’s other big men?

Drummond: I mean, I immediately got attached to those guys. Obviously, they play in the same position as me, so the camaraderie was already there.

"I think it's starting to get a lot better for us. Guys are starting to have a lot more fun and the culture starting to build here, too. We have a lot to look forward to."

Kevin and I had a relationship, Tristan and I had a relationship. Larry and I, we've met each other and been around each other in passing, but just being here, it didn't take very long for me to start liking him.

I've been having a lot of fun since I've been here. We've been winning, which is really cool for the guys here that haven't won at home since Christmas. Now we've won four of five. So, I think it's starting to get a lot better for us. Guys are starting to have a lot more fun and the culture starting to build here, too. We have a lot to look forward to.

Drummond: It's a Championship level frontcourt, if you want to be honest. I think once we figure it out, I think it's gonna be really scary for people.

After some major struggles from the free throw line early in your career, you raised your shooting percentage over 200 points the last three. Why the big change?

Drummond: I just went back to my roots. I went back and started working out on with my high school trainer – my high school and college trainer, Don Levine. We just kind of found that switch and got me back to shooting comfortably again and getting out of that headspace where I can't shoot.

I think 98 percent of it was mental. Almost none of it was form. I've been shooting my whole life. I've never had a problem of shooting (at the line) until right around when I got to college and NBA because a lot of people were trying to change my shot, the way I shoot things.

And as a young guy hearing so many things so many times, you get nervous when you get to the free throw line. You're thinking: this guy told me this, this guy told me that. And then, over time, it just became impossible to focus.

And for me, I remember everything vividly. So I'm trying to incorporate all those voices, and it wasn't a good result.

So, a couple of years went by and I got tired of it, I got tired of being known as a bad free throw shooter.

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