Cavs' Anthony Bennett can literally breathe easier going into the 2014-15 season

Tap here to access our NBA Tracker, which includes offseason rumors, trades and signings.

Maybe the playoffs were on your mind when Anthony Bennett got his tonsils out in May, but rest assured, he's doing just fine now.

He underwent the procedure to help improve his sleep apnea. Bennett also deals with asthma.

“Since [having] my tonsils out, my adenoids, I have a lot more room to breathe,” Bennett said via Basketball Insiders' Jessica Camerato. “It was hard, definitely, with my tonsils in. I feel like taking them out was a huge step.”

The Cleveland Cavaliers forward posted disappointing numbers in his rookie season. Between rehabbing from shoulder surgery and a knee strain, he was limited to 52 games. He told Camerato during NBA Summer League in Las Vegas that he felt hindered by his breathing on the court during the regular season.

“It acted up at times,” Bennett said. “There’d be times I was playing good, I wouldn’t really notice it. And then there’d be other times where it was real hard to breathe. But I just tried to push through it and do the best I can.”

In Vegas, Bennett averaged 13.3 points and 7.8 rebounds in 29.8 minutes, a big jump from his 4.2 points and 3.0 rebounds in 12.8 minutes as a Cavs rookie. It's been noted that he's significantly slimmer, too.

“For me, last year I was working, I was trying to recover from the shoulder stuff, so it was a setback for me," he said. "Pushing through that, trying to get healthy conditioning-wise, everything just built up on me. I feel like right now I’m healthy, I feel good. It should be a better season for me.”