CLEVELAND -- When the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired power forward Channing Frye in a three-team trade with the Portland Trailblazers and Orlando Magic midway through February, they got a veteran who not only gave the team added size, but another floor-spacing option at the three-point line.
After a slow start that included twice not playing in games and making just eight of his first 23 shots with the Cavaliers (48-19), Frye has found a comfort zone in the rotation and scored 14 or more points in three of the last four games, all but one of which were Cleveland wins.
“I’m just trying to play as hard as I can, come in, relieve the guys that need to be relieved and be aggressive and just play the right way,” Frye said. “So far, it’s been pretty good. I don’t really have anything to lose. I’m just going to play as hard as I can against Dirk Nowitzki. I think he’s like 14th all-time in scoring, so if he makes a couple on me, that’s it, but I just want to make him work.
“I want to make sure I’m doing the right things, playing the right way and for me, when I play in there, it’s usually a faster-paced game. That’s kind of how I’ve been raised and how I play basketball. If you’re coming off the bench, you want to change the pace of the game, cause a little havoc, play a little different than that first unit, so we’re getting there.”
Frye’s increased offensive production started in a 120-108 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on March 10th, a game in which he came off the bench to score 21 points on eight-of-10 shooting and five of seven from three-point range in 24 minutes.
Then, as a follow-up, Frye knocked down five of his seven three-pointers en route to scoring 15 points in a 24-point win over the Los Angeles Clippers, and following a seven-point game in a loss at Utah, he got back into a rhythm against the Mavericks.
Frye totaled 14 points, three rebounds and one steal in the win over Dallas.
“It’s basketball,” Frye said. “I’ve been playing basketball for a long time, so at the end of the day, it’s like, ‘Now I know that play. I know what the guys are starting to like and what side of the court and their tendencies.’
“If I make a mistake, it’s probably trying to play too hard or I’m just a little tired from running around with the other guys, but other than that, I’m just trying to have some fun. I’m enjoying the atmosphere. To be able to play in a place like this, in this arena is a blessing, so I’m just enjoying it. I’m having a good time.”
Although the Cavaliers twice built leads of 20 points against the Mavericks Wednesday night, they had to fight to the very last second of play to hold onto a 99-98 win over a motivated team in need of a victory to hold their position in the Western Conference standings.
But according to Frye, a game like Wednesday’s against the Mavericks was a good learning moment for the team that has just 15 contests left before the start of the playoffs next month.
“We’re still learning,” Frye said. “We still can get better. Sometimes, defensively, we’re a step slow. I know I was a little late on one rotation, but I think overall, we’re getting better. It was a big thing that we got the win, but I think when you play a team like Dallas that’s extremely well-coached with veteran guys, you know they’re going to throw in different teams, different mixes and you’ve just got to be ready at any moment.
“For me, it’s just establishing a pace of the game. You’re not just going to be able to turn it on. I think we have to be able to understand each game, teams are going to throw different stuff at us. Tonight, they threw in that zone.
“Now that we’ve seen it, we should be a little more acclimated to it, so we’ve just got to prepare ourselves for anything during the playoffs. If Coach is able to play different players in different positions at different times and get used to different units, this is preparing us, so when the playoffs come, nothing is, ‘Oh man, we haven’t seen that,’ and that’s how we’ve got to approach it.”
