Preseason Game #1 - Cavaliers 87, Bobcats 72

As I sat watching the Cavaliers in their first game of the 2010 season, I couldn't help but notice how different this team is from last year.  New coach, new players, and a new attitude.  Gone are the days where LeBron drew the attention of the entire defense, opening up easy shots for other players.  No more endless media scrutiny from ESPN (that also went to South Beach.)  No, this is a completely different team with an altogether different mindset.

There were definitely some other things you couldn't help but notice.  One, was the lack of J.J. Hickson in the starting lineup.  Don't get me wrong, I'm sold on Byron Scott.  But why was Joey Graham starting at the 3? 

When J.J. did make his way into the game, the Cavaliers endlessly sent the ball to him, almost in a LeBron-esque manner.  How much did we hear about Hickson's improved jump shot, and his new confidence in it?  By my count, he shot one jumper, and it clanked off the rim.  Far more often, J.J. was given the ball outside of the paint, expected to make things happen.  Granted, he does have a quick first move to the basket, but he didn't look like the player we all are expecting him to be. 

Another thing I noticed was the play of Ryan Hollins.  Ryan was given the start, and it was clear everything thats been said about him is true.  Sure, he's an athletic 7 footer who can run the floor.  If you watched the game, you will have realized that this concept does not translate to productivity as well as efficiency on the floor.  Hollins looked out of control, and quite frankly he was physically dominated.  He's exactly what we expected;  Ryan represents a raw and unfinished product who hasn't mastered his craft.  I believe it was in the 3rd quarter when he picked up his 5th foul.  He would exit the game and not return.  Let's hope to see better things from him in the future.

Comparable to the unpolished look Hollins provided, Samardo Samuels did not impress me.  Maybe part of it was the fact that he wasn't sure he was even going to play, but he did get inserted into the game.  He tried to move way too fast and didn't mesh well with the other players on the floor.  Maybe it's just me, but it looks like he could have used another year in college.

Now, let's talk about the play of Ramon Sessions.  He definitely was one of the few players attempting to push the offense down the floor, but he sometimes got into trouble and forced things that weren't there.  He had several turnovers and couldn't really create good opportunities for his own shot.  Under his direction, I didn't really see the flow I had expected.  I think Byron wanted to see a little more out of him as well.

Jawad Williams did not see the floor until the 4th quarter.  For a player you'd assume is challenging for the starting SF position, that couldn't have given him too much confidence.  Sure, Byron said that he was just trying to figure out what might work, but get him in the game earlier.  Jawad looked out-of-sync offensively and couldn't really make good on his opportunities. 

I'm not trying to question Scott's lineup strategy in the first preseason game.. well actually yes I am.  Arguably the most athletic player on the team this year is Christian Eyenga.  Why not get him into the game and get him a taste of some NBA action?  Another major issue:  why not get some of the training camp invites more playing time?  How can you know what you really have until you see them in game action.  Personally, I would have loved to see Manny Harris get a chance to show what he can do.  I refuse to accept the thought of cutting him from the team until we see what exactly he has in his arsenal.  Speaking of which, shoutout to UMhoops.com who linked my last article about Manny.  We appreciate the love.

My last major bone to pick is the so-called "Princeton" offense, or lack-there-of.  Too many times I caught myself wondering why we were running a halfcourt offense.  This team is not going to win many games if we play that sort of basketball.  Byron clearly is conditioning this team to run the floor.. the entire game.  Let's not get into some of the bad habits this team had from last year.  I expected to see more of an uptempo feel.  Enough setting up the offense and attempting to play through the big-men we clearly are lacking.

Enough about the things that bothered me, because in all reality, the Cavaliers put on a pretty good show.  Most of these things can either be corrected or improved, and we still won the game by 15 points.  Mind you we were without two of our biggest impact players, Mo Williams and Anderson Varejao.

Daniel "Boobie" Gibson led all scorers with 19 points.  He has noticeably improved his game from last year, and looks far more confident this year. 

Boobie's jump shot is undeniably pure, and we can only hope to see more of that. 

Not only was he knocking down perimeter shots, he was also looking to drive to the hole, and it translated into point production.  When's the last time Gibson shot 10 free throws in a game?

Anthony Parker can still shoot the basketball, and proved it with multiple jump shots.  He really seems to have great focus when he's on the floor, and he probably will cement his starting position at the 2.  Parker was actually pretty fun to watch last night.

Jamario Moon might just be the most underrated player on this roster.  His energy level was a huge boost for the Cavaliers, and he made several nice plays that made him stick out from the rest of the crowd.  One was a great/lucky block.  He added a few memorable dunks as well.  Jamario might have had the best game out of everyone on the floor.  If I had to name a starter at the SF position after last night, I'd say the nod would have to go to Jamario.

The Cavaliers pulled away in the 4th quarter, thanks in large part to the terrible shooting of Stephen Jackson.  It seemed like every time he pulled the trigger on a 3 it was always going to be a brick.  Gerald Wallace didn't have his best night either;  The Bobcats will need both of these players to perform on a nightly basis to be competitive this year.

There is however, another player who is worthy of mention.  In fact, it's almost embarassing that I haven't mentioned him yet.  I must say it was a shock to see.. an NBA legend representing the Charlotte Bobcats?

No, I'm not talking about Michael Jordan.  He was okay from what I've heard, but there was a more notable figure on the sidelines.  If you guessed Larry Brown, you're wrong again.  Do you even know who #24 on the Bobcats is this year?

Ahhh.. it's all starting to make sense now.  Darius.Miles.  Say it one more time out loud.  Darius Miles.  Really?  I felt honored to watch in person, a player with such grace and presence as the great D-Miles.  Don't look at the statistics, just believe me when I tell you he made the impact that was expected of him.  In fact, he played so well that he should maybe cement his chance of surviving another week of training camp.  That's right, he doesn't even have a guaranteed contract.  Something is clearly wrong with the world we live in.

To sum everything up: 

• The Cavaliers blew out the Bobcats, on the same day they unveiled new jerseys as well as a new teamshop.  We actually played halfway decent defensively, and beat a team who arguably has more talent than we do.
• There is a lot of room for improvement, namely the insertion of Manny Harris into the game.
• Everytime the Cavs scored, I said proudly.. "Anddd the Cavs are better than the Bobcats"
• The Legend of Darius Miles exists.    

The way I see it, the Cavaliers are off to a running start.. pun intended.  Let's hope we can keep up the good karma and show John Wall how to do the "John Wall Dance".  Ladies, look at your man, now back at Darius, now back at your man.  Sadly, he's not Darius.

We can't all be perfect.