The thing I've noticed most in the last couple of games is Mike Brown not calling nearly as many timeouts as he was the first couple of games for defensive lapses. This seems to be due to the lapses becoming less frequent, but also Brown seeing if his young team can work through these things together.
The other thing I've realized is that while there is a hole at small forward, the rest of the starting lineup looks absolutely fantastic to this point. Kyrie Irving has been dazzling at times, although the turnovers have been high, but he's more in-tune defensively than he's ever been and that's worked its way down the roster. Dion Waiters looks more confident on offense, although he still likes to jack up jumpers a little too frequently; side note to that is he looks much better shooting them and has taken to Brown coaching him up.
Tristan Thompson seems to have no issue with the switch to shooting with his right hand. If anything, he looks much more confident, much smoother with his shot now. He was hitting from 20 feet with ease, although I don't think Brown wants to see many of those shots from TT. Anderson Varejao is, well, Andy. All he does is crash the boards, cause mayhem, and get easy baskets. He and TT seem to be very similar in that regard, which has helped the Cavs become better in the rebounding department.
The bench is going to be better this year just because of Jarrett Jack alone. He brings a level of toughness that this team really needs and should be able to keep the ship sailing smooth when Kyrie needs a breather. It's hard to really say who's going to round out the bench on this team, although it's becoming more clear by the game. It will be interesting to see who Brown keeps and how his rotation looks, but it should be a decent bench.
Notice I didn't mention Andrew Bynum? The big man has participated in three on three drills and seems to be closer to coming back than most thought he would be at this point. It's encouraging, but most fans will be happy if he is held until completely healthy. Without him this team should be more competitive to begin with; Bynum coming back healthy and at All-Star form could push this team higher than some could've hoped.
Alonzo Gee is a wildcard. He's always been a tough defender and shown occasional glimpses on offense, but he's never been consistent on the offensive side of the ball. If he can give the Cavs 10-15 points per game, it would go a long way.
Matthew Dellavedova is an intriguing player to me. He hasn't shown a consistent shot, and he's prone to turning the ball over at times, but he also has shown he has the ability to be a competent back-up in this league. Could be a valuable player to have if Irving and/or Jack are in foul trouble or deal with injuries.
Oh, and then there's top pick Anthony Bennett, who no one seems to know what to make of. He's looked great at times, but at other times he's reminded us how much work he needs to put in still. Yet Brown has remained patient with him, teaching him at every opportunity. Bennett has shown he can rebound, grabbing 10+ on a couple of occasions now, plus he does have the ability to go on a scoring streak at times as well. He's going to be fun, yet frustrating. Get ready fans.
Now, onto the games I've failed to cover the last few days.
They've gone 2-2 in the last four games, losing to the Charlotte Bobcats in Canton, dismantled the Detroit Pistons in Cleveland, were dismantled by the Pacers in Cleveland, and held off the 76ers in Columbus.
In all four of those games, the starters have played well, mostly outplaying the starting unit on the other side of the court. Irving didn't play the fourth quarter in three of those games, as was the case with the rest of the starters as well. In the case of the Bobcats and Pacers, the second and third units were often pitted against starters, and the game got away quickly. In the game against the Pistons, the backups manhandled the Pistons starters, which was quite the surprise.
What's become clear is while Brown is coaching to win, he's also trying to teach and find out what each player has to offer. Instead of giving the players a couple of minutes to showcase their talents, he's giving them almost entire quarters, which should make it easier to make a decision going forward on who stays and who goes. He's used timeouts to show individual players what they did wrong and what they should be doing instead.
In last night's game against the 76ers, he finally played his starters in the fourth quarter and they turned a 74-73 deficit into a runaway win, highlighted by Irving's pass to Bennett and TT's soft touch on his jumpers. Defensively they locked down on the 76ers, allowing just 35% shooting for the game and outscored the 76ers 33-24 in the fourth.
With just two preseason games left, it's time for those players on the bubble to show whether they belong or not, then it's time for the regular season, where yours truly will be in attendance (it's my birthday!).
Cavalier Caveats
- Irving continues to show that he's taken the challenge seriously to play better defense. His stance and reactions to what the opponent is trying to do is so much better this year than last. Let's be real though, you watch Irving to see him break ankles and he was in full force last night in Columbus, at one point causing a defender to fall backwards.
- Varejao and TT in the paint is a nightmare for opposing teams. Varejao has always had a tendency to drive opponents crazy and it appears that trait is rubbing off on TT more and more. Both have a knack for knocking the ball away from would-be rebounders, only for themselves or someone else to come and scoop the ball up.
- I want to believe in Gee and last night's game is why. When he's on, he's a valuable asset on this team, capable of hitting a corner three and the occasional driving slam. He's also such a good defender, but he plays a challenging position that expects scoring. As mentioned earlier, if he can give the Cavs 10+ PPG, most will be happy, but his defense needs to stay at a high level.
- If Bynum comes and plays at his previous level, this team isn't just dangerous, it's a possible contender. He would give the Cavs a low-post threat that's different from TT and Varejao, but it also would boost the bench as one of those three isn't going to be starting. It's a big what-if, but could have the biggest payoff if it pans out.
- There's a lot of talk about health and rightly so. If Irving and Varejao can play 70 or more games, this team is drastically different than if one or both miss significant time. Freak injuries cost both players last year, so many fans will be watching to see how they hold up.
- I'm very interested to see the growth from year two to three in TT and Irving, but also interested to see the growth from year one to year two in Waiters. He's perhaps the most polarizing of the three for some reason and has the most to prove it seems to fans. He has such a great ability to drive to the basket, but needs to be able to consistently hit the outside jumpshot to keep teams from squeezing the paint when he has the ball. So far his shot has looked much improved, but old habits are easy to fall back on.
- Some fans are concerned about the sleeping disorder that Bennett has and to an extent, it's a justifiable concern. To me, the bigger concerns are his mentality and work ethic. He has talent, but will he work to get better? One of Brown's weakest areas has been working with younger players, in particular rookies. If Brown can shape Bennett into a hard-worker who always is trying to get better, then we'll be able to say that Brown has truly grown as a coach. If Bennett reaches his potential, you won't hear clamoring for LeBron James as much.
- Which brings me to the LeBron discussion. Many nationally feel the Cavs are positioning for a run at LeBron. I have mixed feelings about this. Yes, he's the best in the game now, but it's hard for me to think that Gilbert is going to swallow his pride and go after LeBron. I could be wrong though.
- Next up the Cavs "host" the Washington Wizards from US Bank Arena in Cincinnati.
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