Mozgov on joining Cavs: 'Everything is going to be great'

Everything is awesome.

That's what Timofey Mozgov expects now that he's a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, even if his debut Friday was inauspicious.

Acquired from the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday for a pair of first-round picks, Mozgov scored nine points with eight rebounds in his Cavs debut, a game the team lost by 18 to the Golden State Warriors. Times are tough for the 19-18 Cavaliers, who are on a four-game losing streak and at the start of a tough west coast trip. Though, their new rim protector is optimistic.

"We'll need a couple games at least," Moz Def said Friday. "But I think everything is going to be great."

Head coach David Blatt admitted there was some confusion ahead of Mozgov's debut, leading to the Russian being cleared to play late, without having practiced with the team. He came off the bench Friday but seems a safe bet to start eventually, perhaps as soon as Sunday when the team visits DeMarcus Cousins.

Standing 7-foot-1, Mozgov provides the type of back-end help Cleveland has been missing, with opponents shooting poorly at the rim when he's defending. It may take a few games for Blatt to find the best way to utilize him within the team's system and for Mozgov to learn his role, but the acquisition has the makings of being a game-changer for the Cavs in the long-run.