Cleveland Cavalier Omri Casspi Has Not Had A Very Good Week So Far

While the Cleveland Cavaliers started off the season on a great note on Tuesday, one player hasn’t had a very good week so far.

On Tuesday night, the Cavs defeated the Washington Wizards 94 to 84, and it seemed like nearly everyone who played for the Wine and Gold contributed to the win.

One familiar name didn’t make it onto the floor, though, as Omri Casspi drew the dreaded “DNP – Coaches Decision” mark in the stat book.

And now, the The Plain Dealer is reporting that Cavaliers management declined to extend Casspi’s contract on Wednesday. With the deadline for extending the contract now passed by, the Cavs will wait until after the season before they decide whether or not to resign Casspi.

So what does all this mean? It’s not clear so far, but certainly none of it is good news for the 6-9 forward from Israel.

The Cavs traded for Casspi before the beginning of the 2011-2012 season and hoped that the athletic forward could become a consistent scorer in Cleveland. He had an up and down first year with the Wine and Gold, though, as some nights he looked like a star and other nights he seemed to disappear. Casspi is an athletic forward who can score inside and out, and can get up and down the floor. He has a great deal of potential, but just has not put it all together yet.

Casspi only scored 7.1 points a game last season, the lowest of his career, and pulled down 3.5 rebounds per game, also the lowest of his career. He also played the fewest minutes of his career, 20.6 per game.

He obviously wasn’t great last year, and he must not have impressed the coaches too much in the preseason this year, or he likely would have played on Tuesday.

All of that being said, though, Casspi will get his chances this year, and it is up to him to take advantage of his opportunities. He can still prove himself in practice, and he can make things happen when he gets on the floor. He has the ability to stretch the defense when he is on offense, and he should be able to work well in Scott’s offensive system. The Cavs need him to be a solid defender and rebounder, and someone who can knock down shots once in while.

If he can do that, he’s going to find a lot more playing time and either the Cavs or another team will sign him to a new contract at the end of the year.

If he doesn’t impress the coaching staff in practice or in his times on the court in games, though, Casspi may want to find a comfortable place on the bench. This team is young and has a long way to go, but it has some talent and it is improving. Hopefully, Casspi will be able to contribute.