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CLEVELAND, Ohio – It was much better than the first matchup.
Less than a week ago, the Cleveland Cavaliers were hampered by the Chicago Bulls in Game 1 of the preseason, prompting coach JB Bickerstaff to berate the guys for their lack of focus, tenacity and intensity. It was an important first lesson for a young team who still don’t know how to win. The Cavs have been a different team ever since. They’ve clearly taken those final warm-up games more seriously – even though Cleveland lost Sunday’s game in the closing minutes, 102-101, as the regulars watched from the bench.
“I think we played a really good game,” said Bickerstaff. “You look at what Chicago did to people in the preseason, and they’re a good team. I thought our guys coming out of the last game we played came with a goal and an interest to earn their respect. I thought they did it tonight.
With Darius Garland (illness unrelated to COVID-19) and Collin Sexton (outstretched right shoulder) both sidelined on Sunday night, Bickerstaff has reverted to a variation of the jumbo line he introduced two nights ago .
Ricky Rubio. Isaac Okoro. Lauri Markkanen. Evan Mobley. Jarrett Allen. All five players are at least 6 feet 4 inches tall. Three (almost) 7 feet. A unique blend of length and skill that few opponents can match.
“Lauri at 3 is important to us, but we have to adapt to a lot of things, so we still need some time to see not whether it’s going to work or not, but how we’re going to play with each other. Said Rubio. “In defense I think this is the best formation I have ever played with.”
After a few offseason moves, height is suddenly one of Cleveland’s perks. Bickerstaff is doing its best to maximize this. It was a problem for the Bulls.
Markkanen, starting as a small striker against his former team who essentially gave him up after four seasons, scored a high 18 of 8 of 14 points from the field and 2 of 5 of 3 points to go with four rebounds, three assists. , three blocks and two interceptions in 26 minutes. Bickerstaff spoke with Markkanen several times throughout training camp about being more than a one-dimensional player. Although Markkanen is one of Cleveland’s best 3-point shooters and the team are determined to throw more trebles this season, Markkanen has shown the versatility that makes him such an attractive team.
Mobley, the No. 3 pick in the draft who is dripping with potential, put in his best performance of the preseason. Seeming more comfortable with each passing day, Mobley recorded a double-double, scoring 15 points, including 13 in the second half, and grabbing 10 rebounds. He also had four assists, three blocks and two steals.
“I feel like I’m letting the game come to me,” Mobley said. “I wasn’t trying to push too hard. I was just playing the game and the game rewarded me tonight.
Allen, the third big in the unconventional starting group, finished with 12 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.
There was no lethargy against Chicago this time around. No shot has trouble putting the Cavs in a first hole. The Bulls entered the night undefeated in the preseason, winning both games with an average of 36 points. The rotating Cleveland players spent with them all night, holding the explosive Chicago 41.8 percent of the field and 25 percent of the 3-point range.
Rubio orchestrated the offense like a seasoned pro, showing why the Cavs have made his acquisition a priority for the offseason. When Garland was out last year, the offense felt like a bewildered mess, as the Cavs played without a reserve playmaker for most of 2020-21. They tried to reconstitute this position with Yogi Ferrell, Damyean Dotson, Quinn Cook, Jeremiah Martin and Sexton. Rubio is a player of a different caliber. He finished with nine points and nine assists before sitting down the span of the second half.
“I consider him a starter,” Bickerstaff said of Rubio. “I think over the course of the season he will get starter minutes. We’re going to talk about rotations and things like that, we haven’t made a decision. We are evaluating all of this. But I consider him a starter. He is one of the best point guard in this league. And I sincerely believe it. I don’t think he’s recognized because his impact impacts his team and teammates in ways that a lot of people don’t. He might not go out and get 30 points a night or those obscene numbers, but everywhere he goes the people he plays with are getting better. And as a staff and an organization, we appreciate that.
Technically, the Cavs have another preseason game Friday night in Indiana. But Bickerstaff has already said it would be a glorified practice. Sunday was the de facto final.
The next week will be filled with workouts – a chance to make adjustments and work on specific sets. After the opener in Chicago, it looked like Cleveland had a lot of work to do. Maybe even an overwhelming amount.
What a difference a single week can make.
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