When the Cavaliers were able to surround Kyrie Irving with LeBron James and Kevin Love, they were obviously thrilled. But general manager David Griffin knew they weren't a finished product.
Later, when Griffin orchestrated a trade to acquire guards J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert from New York, the Cavs filled two important needs. But something still was missing.
It was a void that everyone from Griffin to coach David Blatt to the national media to fans discussed as the Cavs sort of stumbled to a 19-20 start. The Cavs, clearly, were desperate for a man to defend near the basket.
Or to steal the grotesquely overused word on social media, they needed to find a "rim-protector."
Cleveland, meet Timofey Mozgov.
Just a few days after obtaining Smith and Shumpert in early January, Griffin landed Mozgov from Denver for two future protected first-round picks (via Memphis and Oklahoma City).
Griffin described it as "a deal that we worked on for quite some time," claiming Mozgov "fits our needs."
Gosh, does he ever.
Mozgov is 7-foot-1 and 250 pounds. He can alter shots, pull down rebounds, run the floor and finish with monster dunks. And that's all in one on possession.
Interestingly, Mozgov wasn't really viewed as much more than strong and athletic with the Nuggets. He was a nice center, but certainly not a franchise-changing type. The Nuggets were a mere 15-20 when they traded him to Cleveland. So it's not like he was rescuing them from the Devil's Island of pro basketball.
But put him next to the likes of James, Irving, Love and others, and Mozgov becomes precisely what a winning team desires.
Mozgov arrived Jan. 8. It's probably no coincidence that since Jan. 15 (just a week after he was acquired), the Cavs have compiled an NBA-best record of 27-6.
And since the trade for Mozgov, the Cavs are surrendering 97.3 points per game on 43 percent shooting. Prior to the trade, it was 100.1 and 47 percent.
Granted, James' return to health, the career year being had by Irving, and the additions of Smith and Shumpert have plenty to do with the recent run of success. But so does Mozgov, a native of St. Petersburg, Russia, who speaks with a sharp Russian accent.
"We got a big guy who protects the rim and protects all of us with his toughness," Irving said.
Irving also cited Mozgov's presence as the reason Irving feels more comfortable playing tighter defense on the perimeter. After all, if opposing point guards get past Irving or Smith, they'll have to deal with the big man near the basket.
It's quite a luxury, and one that the Cavs haven't had since the days of Zydrunas Ilguaskas.
Offensively, Mozgov offers a strong finisher off the pick and roll. While he sometimes has a difficult time handling bounce passes in traffic (much like every 7-footer everywhere), he never has an issue leaping high above opposing centers, catching an alley-oop pass, and throwing it down.
"I love to dunk," Mozgov told reporters in broken English, and broken English or not, watch him play for 10 minutes and you'll get the message.
How much does Mozgov benefit from playing with the Cavs? His scoring average has increased from 8.5 points with Denver to 10.8 in Cleveland, with his shooting percentage rising from 50 percent to 59.
In turn, it's fairly evident the likes of James, Irving, Love and even backup center Tristan Thompson thoroughly enjoy the many benefits Mozgov provides as well.
James, in particular, seems to really appreciate having the big man by his side.
"When we made the trade, everything that he brought is what we needed and wanted," James said. "He's going to be huge for our team. Very, very skilled offensively and understands defensively. He's just a smart basketball player and it's great playing with him.
So yes, Cleveland. Meet Timofey Mozgov. And yes, opponents, meet a big reason why the Cavs believe this season could result in big things
