When examining the Cleveland Cavaliers’ preseason performance thus far, an often heard question comes to mind. How much should preseason play be factored into projecting the upcoming NBA regular season?
The Cavs met the Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers and Memphis Grizzlies in their first three preseason games and lost each contest, albeit by an average of less than five points per game. Tuesday night, the Cavaliers (more like a deficient version of the team) met the Milwaukee Bucks at Quicken Loans Arena. The result was a 110-101 Bucks victory, pushing the Cavs’ preseason record to 0-4.
“It’s definitely good to get back in front of the home fans,” Cavs guard Mo Williams said. “The most important thing was getting out there and getting in …show more content…
27 in Chicago against the Bulls. Tuesday night against Milwaukee, none of the players projected to be Cleveland’s regular season starters played in the game. Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith, LeBron James, Kevin Love and Timofey Mozgov all sat out Tuesday’s contest due to injury or rest. Cavs shooting guard Iman Shumpert, who would have likely been the regular season starter over Smith, also missed the game as he continues to recover from right wrist surgery. Cleveland, short most of their key players, attempted to find scoring in other areas.
Williams led Cleveland with 18 points, six rebounds and four assists. Richard Jefferson, who started against Milwaukee, finished with 16 points, three rebounds and three assists. Matthew Dellavedova chipped-in 13 points.
The NBA preseason is fluid and often provides an inaccurate depiction of what the regular season product will look like. In the preseason, key players are healthy scratches from contests and training camp invitees that likely don’t have a realistic shot at making the final roster earn playing time. The Cavs have seven players in training camp vying for two available roster spots with the early leader for one of the spots being fourth-year guard Jared …show more content…
Through the first three preseason games, Cunningham led the Cavs in scoring at 18.0 points per game and ranked second in field goal percentage (.619). However, the 6-foot-4 guard struggled against Milwaukee as he shot 1-of-12 from the field and scored six points in 23 minutes. Cunningham played in 19 games for the Los Angeles Clippers last season and has also spent time in the D-League.
“Honestly, coming in, I did not have direct experience with Jared,” Cavs head coach David Blatt said. “I had never really seen him play in the league. I didn’t see him play in college. I know his history and looked into what he had done in the NBA and in the D-League.
“This is the first time I’ve had the opportunity to work directly with him and to see him on the floor. He’s done nothing but acquit himself well in every way. He’s playing good basketball. He’s playing two-way basketball, and he’s making a serious run to try to make this team and doing a good job.”
The Cavs have two available roster spots because Tristan Thompson is still not with the team as he continues to hold out with no end in sight. One of the two spots would be reserved for Thompson, but if his holdout doesn’t end by the start of the regular season, the Cavs will likely sign two players to reach the maximum limit of
The Cavs met the Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers and Memphis Grizzlies in their first three preseason games and lost each contest, albeit by an average of less than five points per game. Tuesday night, the Cavaliers (more like a deficient version of the team) met the Milwaukee Bucks at Quicken Loans Arena. The result was a 110-101 Bucks victory, pushing the Cavs’ preseason record to 0-4.
“It’s definitely good to get back in front of the home fans,” Cavs guard Mo Williams said. “The most important thing was getting out there and getting in …show more content…
27 in Chicago against the Bulls. Tuesday night against Milwaukee, none of the players projected to be Cleveland’s regular season starters played in the game. Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith, LeBron James, Kevin Love and Timofey Mozgov all sat out Tuesday’s contest due to injury or rest. Cavs shooting guard Iman Shumpert, who would have likely been the regular season starter over Smith, also missed the game as he continues to recover from right wrist surgery. Cleveland, short most of their key players, attempted to find scoring in other areas.
Williams led Cleveland with 18 points, six rebounds and four assists. Richard Jefferson, who started against Milwaukee, finished with 16 points, three rebounds and three assists. Matthew Dellavedova chipped-in 13 points.
The NBA preseason is fluid and often provides an inaccurate depiction of what the regular season product will look like. In the preseason, key players are healthy scratches from contests and training camp invitees that likely don’t have a realistic shot at making the final roster earn playing time. The Cavs have seven players in training camp vying for two available roster spots with the early leader for one of the spots being fourth-year guard Jared …show more content…
Through the first three preseason games, Cunningham led the Cavs in scoring at 18.0 points per game and ranked second in field goal percentage (.619). However, the 6-foot-4 guard struggled against Milwaukee as he shot 1-of-12 from the field and scored six points in 23 minutes. Cunningham played in 19 games for the Los Angeles Clippers last season and has also spent time in the D-League.
“Honestly, coming in, I did not have direct experience with Jared,” Cavs head coach David Blatt said. “I had never really seen him play in the league. I didn’t see him play in college. I know his history and looked into what he had done in the NBA and in the D-League.
“This is the first time I’ve had the opportunity to work directly with him and to see him on the floor. He’s done nothing but acquit himself well in every way. He’s playing good basketball. He’s playing two-way basketball, and he’s making a serious run to try to make this team and doing a good job.”
The Cavs have two available roster spots because Tristan Thompson is still not with the team as he continues to hold out with no end in sight. One of the two spots would be reserved for Thompson, but if his holdout doesn’t end by the start of the regular season, the Cavs will likely sign two players to reach the maximum limit of