Cavs Fall Flat in Canton

Cavs Fall to Bucks in Canton

Tonight two NBA teams came to play a pre-season basketball game at the home of the NBDL's Canton Charge. Unfortunately only one team played like a NBA team and the other played...well, like a NBDL team. The Milwaukee Bucks laid it to the Cleveland Cavaliers 97-80 in front of a sold out Canton Memorial Civic Center. The Cavs showed that they are an extremely young team searching for an identity. The Cavs on a back to back after taking on  Montepaschi Siena last night at the Q fell flat early on. Coach Byron Scott described the teams play as "selfish basketball". The Cavs lacked ball movement and played very stagnant on the offensive end. There were some bright spots for the Cavs, as Kyrie Irving dazzled the Canton crowd and CJ Miles once again took the opportunity that Coach Scott gave him and ran with it. Miles lead the Cavs with 18 points three rebounds and an assist. Irving finished with 16 points five rebounds and three assists. No other Cavalier finished in double digits. Second year forward Jon Leuer who was drafted by the Bucks last season and then traded to Houston before the draft in the Samuel Dalembert trade; came off the bench and played well. Leuer showed he could spread the floor and open driving lanes for the Cavs back-court. 

Rookie guard Dion Waiters struggled coming off the bench and finished with two points and four turnovers in just over 14 minutes of action. It was an all around rough night for the rookie, not only was his stat line lack luster but Coach Scott made a point by saying he seemed to lack focus. After the game Byron said “I took him out in the second half because I drew up a play, diagrammed a play, and he messed it up. So to me that was a lack of focus. I figured he didn’t need to play the rest of the game.”It is increasingly clear that Coach Scott is playing tough love with Waiters, the rookie has seemed to accept the challenge. After the game on Monday night Waiters said he was thrown off a bit as he has "never sat out a quarter before in his life". He did admit that he initially got down on himself but quickly realized that "he (Coach Scott) wanted to see how I would react." Waiters who said that he has been working hard in training camp focusing on man to man defense after playing zone defense his college career and also playing more off the ball in the offensive sets. With 6 pre-season games left we will in fact see how the rookie guard "reacts".

After the game Irving said that the Cavs progression as a team "will be a day to day process" and said that the team is looking for a "continuity on offense". Irving also said that he has talked with Waiters and has stressed that he needs to "trust his instincts". (Check out Kyrie Irving's post-game interview below)

The Cavs are a young team and the first two pre-season games may be a synopsis of what to expect through out the whole season, an up and down ride full of dazzling plays and at times frustrating mistakes.

• The Cavs trimmed their roster on Wednesday to 18 by cutting Guards Kevin Anderson and Justin Holiday. The Cavs must trim their roster to 15 by the start of the season.

• The Cavs travel to Illinois to face the Bulls on Friday and then return to the Q on Saturday to face the Washington Wizards.

                                         

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