Cavaliers End Losing Streak

After jumping out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter, the Cavaliers never looked back and beat the Charlotte Hornets 97-88.

(Photo from: Gus Chan, The Plain Dealer)

It's always interesting to see what Lebron comes out to start the game. Will it be the attacking, aggressive Lebron or the facilitating Lebron who lets the game come to him?  Monday night it was the facilitating Lebron who came to play as he had six of his 13 assists in the first quarter. His teammates would follow suite as the Cavs ended the quarter with 11 assists on 11 made shots.

The ball would continue moving the entire night and while Charlotte remained in the game, the Cavs remained in control on their way to victory.

In addition to his 11 assists, Lebron James would finish the night with 27 points and seven rebounds. Helping lead the way for the Cavs was Kevin Love who finished the game with 22 points and 18 rebounds. Kemba Walker would pace the Hornets with a team-high 24 points.

Three Things:

1. Lebron on the decline?

Coming into the game, Lebron was only averaging 5.5 rebounds per game, his lowest since his rookie year. While some may look at this as a sign of concern, it is better to look at it as a sacrifice. The reality is, playing with Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, and Anderson Varejao not too many rebounds are going to be available. Anybody looking at Lebron's rebounding numbers as a reason he is on the decline would be sadly mistaken given the circumstances.  

2. Magic Jordan

Lebron can score, that's a fact. After scoring 41 points against the Pelicans last game and a career high 61 points against Charlotte last year, Lebron decided to this time dominate the game with his passing.  Even though he finished the game with 27 points, his assists seemed to be much louder than his points scored. Lebron can always channel his best Michael Jordan impression but thats not what this team needs with scoring threats like Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. Instead the Cavs seem to be at their best when Lebron decides to do his best Magic Johnson impression, evident by tonight's game versus the game against the Pelicans.

3. The Hornets who have no Buzz

Coming into the season, I picked the Hornets as the team I thought would give the Cavs most trouble come postseason, and boy I could not have been more wrong. While the talent is there, this team struggles to space the floor and score effectively. The organization reportedly is ready to move on from the Lance Stephenson experiment and if he is traded, the experiment becomes another chapter added to Michaael Jordan's failures as a GM. 

Statline of the night: 

Lebron James: 27 points, 13 assists, 7 rebounds.

While Kevin Love's monster double-double was a candidate, Lebron takes the honor of having the best stats because of how his passing became contagious to the entire team. With Lebron setting the style of play, the team would finish with 28 assists on 38 field goals. 

What's next:

Cavs take on the Atlanta Hawks at the Q, Wednesday Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. EST.

Cavs Continue Winning Ways

(Photo from: ftw.usatoday.com)

It was a complete team effort by the Cavaliers which saw them cruise to a 110-88 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on the road.

With the royal couple watching sideline and Lebron James calling it a "huge honor" to play before the royal couple, signs were pointing to a king size performance from one King James but the Cavs didn't need it.

After going into the half only up one, the Cavs would turn it on in the third quarter outscoring the Nets by 17 and remaining in control from that point on.

The Cavs as a team got off to a slow start in the Barclays Center. Lebron and Kevin Love were the only two to score for the Cavs in the first period. Kevin Love carried most of the load, scoring 15 of the 22 points the Cavs would end up with at the end of the period.

Anderson Varejao would end up as the lone Cavs starter with a field goal in the second quarter. While this would usually be problematic for the Cavs most nights, tonight was different. Led by Dion Waiters' 13 points, the Cavs bench would end up scoring 26 points in the quarter, beating their season average. James Jones was a marksman from downtown, connecting on all three of his three-point attempts in the quarter, and hitting four of five for the game.

Three Things
1. Good Dion
For Cavs fans, Dion Waiters serves as one of the most polarizing players on the teams. The talent has always been there for Waiters, the patience, poise, and level-headness it takes to be a consistent player in the league is not always there. Tonight, he put all those things together and was the best player on the court.

2. James Jones
The veteran came in for the second game in a row making it rain from downtown. For the season he is 8-for-12 from deep making the loss of Mike Miller who has only connected on five threes out of 20 for year, a little bit easier to swallow.

3. Welcome back Delly
Monday night saw the the return of Matthew Dellavedova back into the lineup. While he only scored two points tonight, anybody who watches the Cavs know that his real impact can't be found in the box score. Always proving toughness and playing his heart out, his return gives coach Blatt another permitter option to close the game and allows Dion Waiters to focus solely on scoring when the second unit comes in the game.

Statline of the night:
Dion Waiters: 26 points, 4 assists, 2 steals

Dion stole the show Monday and was in a grove all night. This was the Dion, Lebron envisioned when he said that Dion would be best suited for the team coming off the bench. If Dion can serve as a Jamal Crawford type off the bench, look out!

What's next:
Dec. 9 against the Toronto Raptors in the Q

Cavs welcome in the Magic, looking to end four-game skid

There's no surprise that the Cavs have struggled this early in the season, as most "super teams" take more than just the preseason to have everything click. There is surprise that the Cavs are in the middle of a four-game losing streak where there effort has been questioned more than their play on the court.

LeBron James and Co. look to start getting things heading in the right direction, facing the Orlando Magic at the Q.

Orlando Magic

Record: 6-9, eight in the Eastern Conference

Offense: 100.6 (24th)

Defense: 104.0 (17th)

The Good

- Two years after the Dwight Howard trade, the Magic seem to be the clear-cut winners of the four teams involved with that deal. That trade let them get rid of the Dwight Howard saga, while also netting one of the top young centers in the league. Over the last two years, Nikola Vucevic has become averaged a double-double, and this year has been no different. Vucevic currently averages 19.4 points and 12.1 rebounds per game, which is good for second in the league. Orlando has another young front court player: forward Tobias Harris, who is averaging 18.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. These two have been the key to Orlando's surprisingly okay start.

- Their offense isn't great (or even good for that matter), but they are one of the most effective 3-point shooting teams in the league. They don't shoot a lot of 3-pointers, ranking 24th in 3-point rate, but they do make plenty of the ones they take. Led by off-season acquisitions Channing Frye and Even Fournier, their team 3-point shooting percentage of 38.8 percent is the fourth best in the league. If the Cavs give them open attempts from behind the arc, they will take advantage.

The Bad

- For as many 3-pointers as they don't take, they don't necessarily get the free throw line at a good rate. If there is one thing Cleveland does really good defensively it's not fouling a lot. I can't say if that's a good thing, but it's something to shed light on. Limiting the free attempts for Orlando will force them into taking more shots, relying on a strong defensive rebounding edge to improve the defense.

- We've seen how deadly the Cavs can be on the break. Any chance they get Kyrie Irving and LeBron James on a fast break advantage, two points should be guaranteed. However, in order for them to get out on more fast break opportunities, they need to force more turnovers. Luckily for them, Orlando struggles with turnovers, ranking 24th in turnover percentage. Both the Raptors and Wizards were able to take advantage of the Cavs sloppy offense, can Cleveland do the same to the Magic?

The Matchup to Watch

Anderson Varejao vs. Nikola Vucevic

The Cavs have been absolutely atrocious at interior defense, seemingly allowing big man after big man to hurt them in the paint. Vucevic, as I noted above, has improved himself over the last few years to be considered an elite center. He does most of his damage in the paint, and does it effectively, shooting 64.6 percent inside of five feet from the basket. Varejao will have his hands full, but has shown he is the best interior defender the Cavs have right now.

The Playlist

Florida has one and a half good rappers (Rick Ross and Ace Hood), but neither of them are from Orlando, so we're not gonna use the city-based rapper here. Instead, "Magic" will be the key in our song selection, so we turn to New York-based rapper to provide us with the Orlando playlist:

Why the Cavs will win

Look, I think LeBron and the Cavs are just as sick of hearing about everything that has gone wrong with them so far as Cavs fans are. LeBron acknowledged his poor play, and if he asserts the effort that was lacking over the previous game, we could see an entire game of the Cavs looking good, instead of just one quarter. The bench will need to provide production from more than just one person, and if they do, it will be hard for the Magic to escape the 216 with a victory.

Why the Magic will win

When facing a young team, effort will never be in question from them. The Magic have some good players to go with their youthfulness, and could cause problems for a Cavs team that loses energy and effort after the first quarter. Just like the Jazz game, the solid backcourt of Vucevic, Harris and Channing Frye could cause problems for a Cavs defense that is one of the worst in the league.

The Prediction

Cavs 110, Magic 99

LeBron hasn't lost five straight games since March 2006, and I expect that to still be the last time after tonight's game. The Cavs have too much talent to lose three straight games, let alone five straight. I expect good games from all three of the Big 3, taking it to a team they are supposed to beat.

Sloppy offense leads to third straight loss for Cleveland

With their poorest offensive performs of the year, the Cleveland Cavaliers (5-6) drop their third straight game, falling to the Washington Wizards (8-3) on the road 91-78.

Credit goes to the Wizards, who were able to hold the league's second-best offense to a minuscule 78 points, thanks in part to the 19 turnovers they forced. Most of them were due to their backcourt duo of John Wall and Bradley Beal, who combined for seven steals, but the rest was more self-inflicted by the Cavaliers. Multiple times throughout the game, Cleveland had fast break opportunities ruined by bad passes and miscommunication. In the first quarter, Anderson Varejao tried to play point guard on a two-on-one fast break with LeBron James, but made a bad pass leading to a turnover and two points for Washington on the other end. Washington was able to capitalize all night on Cleveland's miscues, scoring 24 points off of turnovers.

When the Cavs didn't turnover the ball over, they still made bad decisions shooting the ball, making only 36.0 percent of their shots tonight. Ball movement, which is a staple of head coach David Blatt's offense, was as nonexistent as it has been all season. The Cavs finished with 13 assists, and ended way too many possessions with zero passes or one-on-one isolation. Plenty of shots were taken with at least 15 seconds on the shot clock, most of them coming from LeBron. If the offense wants to be as good as they can be, they must eliminate these mistakes.

This is more than just losing games for the Cavs right now, as it seems that LeBron's message isn't getting across to everyone. Communication is mum, both on AND off the court, leading to problems that could easily be avoided. It's early, but if things don't change quickly, it will be long season in Cleveland.

Oh, and if things weren't as bad as they were now, the Cavs play the best team in the Eastern Conference tomorrow. But hey, all it takes is a few wins and this will all go away.

Three Things

1. LeBron is not helping.

Well, his play is (kind of), but his body language is definitely not. More times than not, he looks disgruntled and it's been rubbing off on his teammates, specifically to Kevin Love. At times, him and LeBron look as if they don't want to even share the court together. Look, LeBron knew it would take time for this team to gel, and even said that in his letter announcing his return to Cleveland. He shouldn't be the guy being frustrated, he should the guy be trying to calm everyone down when something goes wrong, and not making comments as if he is surprised at the situation the Cavs are in. Leaders are supposed to set good examples for others, not compound an issue when it arises. If and when things start to change in Cleveland, it will begin with LeBron showing the leadership he learned from Dwyane Wade and Pat Riley.

2. It's hard to be good when your bench isn't.

Just as important as having two or three star players are in order to win a championship, you need two or three bench players that can come in and make an impact on the game when the starters need a rest. Right now, there is no one on the Cavs bench that has constantly played well. Waiters and Thompson were supposed to be the go-to guys off the bench, but their play has been spotty to say the least. Joe Harris showed signs earlier, but since the Atlanta game his play has fell off. Mike Miller has been the Jason Giambi of this team: the old veteran who is more of a locker room guy than anything, and only does the one thing he does well good every once in awhile. There's plenty of time in the season for these guys to step up, but right now, it's gonna be hard for them to win games with no bench production.

3. Dear NBA Gods, let Varejao stay healthy.

You're not technically an NBA writer/blogger if you have not yet talked about the Cavs defense or lack of interior depth. Flat out, they're not good at defense, and no matter how much better they get, they're ceiling is no higher than 15th in defensive rating. As of now, Varejao has been the Cavs best interior defender while also providing some spark on the offensive end. I'm not a fan of him taking 10 shots in three quarters (as he did tonight), but he can score when given an open shot. If Varejao goes down, you're looking at Haywood as your backup big (barring any trades) with Thompson as the starting center. As bad as things have went so far, the last thing the Cavs need is for the Brazilian big man to go down with an injury.

Statline of the night: John Wall. 28 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals. 12-of-20 shooting.

I noted in the preview that Wall was one of the best two-way guards in the league, and he definitely showed that tonight. He was unstoppable on offense, but even more impressive on defensive, snagging four steals in what would be a turnover fest for Cleveland.

What's next: Nov. 22, at home against the Toronto Raptors. 7:30 p.m.

Cavaliers Can't Hold On To Early Lead, Lose to Spurs Again

(Photo by Gregory Shamus/NBAE via Getty Images)

LeBron James just can’t seem to beat the Spurs. 

Coming off a disheartening loss on Monday, the Cleveland Cavaliers (5-5) dropped Wednesday’s matchup with the San Antonio Spurs (7-4), 92-90, giving the Cavs two losses in as many games after winning the previous four.  This is the Spurs’ 10^th straight win over the Cavaliers.

The Spurs came into this game winners of five of their previous six games, and both teams hit the floor ready to play.  After a back and forth first quarter, the Cavs were able to build up an 11-point lead in the second but led by only three heading into the half. 

Tim Duncan paced the Spurs through the beginning stages of this one, taking 10 first-quarter shots.  Duncan finished the game with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

The Cavs’ Big 3 of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love all struggled, with James scoring only 15 points and Love able to score only 12.  Cleveland was able to stay in the game thanks to Anderson Varejao, who led the Cavaliers in scoring with 23 points on 11-16 shooting, and also pulled down 11 rebounds.  

Tony Parker was a non-factor all game, finishing with only 8 points and 3 assists, but Bris Diaw was able to pick up the slack and facilitate the Spurs' offense.  The versatile big man scored 18 point and dished out 7 assists, with 6 rebounds.

In the second half, both teams traded buckets and leads, and neither team led by greater than five in the fourth quarter.  The Cavs lost their lead for good with 1:39 left in the game.

Cleveland did have a chance to win the game, though.  San Antonio led 92-90 when  Manu Ginobili missed a free throw that was rebounded by Varejao.  Varejao then passed the ball to James, who dribbled the ball off of his leg when attempting to get past midcourt. The ball was picked up by Ginobili, who dribbled out the clock.

Three Things

1. The Offense Still Hasn’t Gelled

We are now 10 games into the season and the Big 3 have only have had one game where all three have played up to their potential.  Now, it’s not realistic to expect 25 points every game from each of the Big 3, but this offense is certainly capable of doing better.  James shot only 6-17 (although he did have nine assists) and Love shot only 4-12.  Love also attempted only four field goals in the first half and took only one shot in the fourth quarter.   The team also committed 16 turnovers.  James, Irving and Love are third, fourth and fifth, respectively, in minutes played this season, and depth will continue to be a problem for the Cavs, so it will be even more important for the offense to roll when the Cavs have James, Irving and Love all on the court together.

2. Interior Defense Continues to be a Problem

Everyone knew that one weakness this team would have coming into the season would be defense, and that showed tonight.  There is no doubt that improvements need to be made on that end of the floor, particularly in the paint.  Far too often the Spurs’ big men were able to get wide-open layups or dunks, especially early on in the game.  Duncan and Boris Diaw had no trouble slicing up the defense with their passing down low and while it may not be a major concern in November, it will be if the Cavs want to be playing in June.  With no real rim protectors on the roster, this may be an area general manager David Griffin should look to address in the coming months before the trade deadline.

3. David Blatt is Continuing to Figure Things Out

After acknowledging that the team came out flat Monday against Denver, Blatt made sure that the Cavs were ready to play at the start of this one.  The game was back and forth to start, but it was obvious that the Cavs had their minds in this one.  The rotation is also a work in progress.  In the second half, rookie Joe Harris came in before Dion Waiters, and Mike Miller didn’t get off the bench at all. It’s still early, but the Big 3 still hasn’t been able to click at the same time and figuring out which combinations of guys produces the best results will be key to having success this season.

Statline of the Night: Boris Diaw.  19 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals.

While Anderson Varejao certainly deserves credit for his 23 point, 11 rebound night, Diaw was really the engine of San Antonio’s offense tonight.  Tony Parker was taken almost completely out of this game but the Spurs offense was able to hum on thanks to Diaw’s passing from the post and heads up play around the basket.

What’s Next: Nov. 21, on the road against the Washington Wizards, 8 p.m.

Cavs begin long home stretch against the Hawks

After a gratifying win in Boston last night, the Cavs come home tonight to face the Atlanta Hawks for the first time this year. Tonight's game begins a stretch of eight home games in the Cavs next nine games.

Atlanta Hawks

Record: 5-3, fourth in the Eastern Conference

Offense: 106.0 offensive rating (16th in the NBA)

Defense: 103.9 defensive rating (11th)

The Good

- Just like the previous team the Cavs played, the Hawks do a good job of spreading the wealth. They are second in the league in assists per game, averaging 25 per game, and do an excellent job of moving the ball around, leading the league with a 67.3 percent assist percentage. The Cavs struggled against teams that move the ball effectively; just look at the defense that was played against Boston and Portland. Look for Atlanta and point guard Jeff Teague to exploit the Cavs with ball movement, leading to open shooters like Kyle Korver (who could have a Ryan Anderson impact on this game).

- The Hawks are average in terms of offensive efficiency, but find a way to get their points. They their buckets by taking smart and effective shots, which is why their effective field goal percentage ranks fourth in the league. They won't beat themselves with dumb shots, which will be a problem for Cleveland. The Cavs got away with poor shot selection and turnovers from Boston, but cannot expect the same from Atlanta.

- Two players that have helped Atlanta to 5-3 record are Teague and power forward Paul Millsap. Teague averages 16 points per game, and is sixth in the league with 8.1 assists per game. He is considered one of the fastest players in the league, making him very tough to guard. Millsap has slowly developed himself into one of the better stretch fours in the league, averaging 16.9 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, while also shooting 37.9 percent from behind the arc. Just like Rondo last night, if these two play well, it won't be good for Cleveland.

The Bad

- If there is one game where the Cavs can show how "dominate" they are on the glass, this is it. Atlanta is one of the worst rebounding teams in the league, averaging 39.4 rebounds per game, which ranks 25th in the league. The Cavs should be able to exploit this weakness with Kevin Love, Anderson Varejao and Tristan Thompson cleaning up down low. 

- Just like the Cavs, the Hawks struggle at defending the paint. Not only does their small front-court limit their ability to rebound, they also allow opponents to shoot 63.5 percent inside of five feet of the basket, which is the third worst mark in the league. The way LeBron and Kyrie have been attacking the rim of late, it's gonna be a long day for the Hawks on defense.

- To continue the theme of interior play for the Hawks, scoring in the paint is something they lack. As a team they rank 27th in the league in points in the paint per game. Facing a Cavs team that lacks a true rim protector, it will be hard for them to exploit a glaring weakness that the Cavs possess. Despite having one of the best big man combos in the league, it's hard to imagine they struggle on both ends near the rim.

The Matchup to Watch

Kevin Love vs. Paul Millsap

Over the last few years, Love has been known as the premier stretch four in the league. His ability to shoot the three and rebound at a high rate is a skill set that very few possess. However, he has not really had that "WOW" game that both Irving and LeBron have both had. Millsap, on the other hand, has quietly developed himself into a stretch four in his own right. These two will battle both inside and out, and depending who dominates this matchup, it could mean the difference in the final result of the game.

The Playlist

Let's be honest, is there any other artist or group from the ATL that we should play over OutKast? If you said yes, please, PLEASE re-evaluate your life. ATLiens, coming to Cleveland.

The Prediction

Cavs 113, Hawks 102

The offense for Cleveland is finally starting click, starting with the two best offensive weapons they have: LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. Their play over the last three games has been the exact reason they have won all three of those games, making up for the poor defensive effort they have shown. I expect the offensive juggernaut to continue, bringing the Cavs winning streak up to four heading into Monday's game against the Denver Nuggets. 

Cavs travel to Boston to take on a surprisingly good offensive Celtics team

To quote the great Gil-Scott Heron, home apparently is where the hate is, at least for those who put the Cavs on the road for five of their first seven games. After not playing any of the first four road games on the East Coast, their fifth road game lands them in Beantown to take on the Boston Celtics. Before the ball is tipped, let's take a look at this year's Celtics team and preview tonight's game:

Boston Celtics

Record: 3-4, ninth in the Eastern Conference

Offense: 109.9 offensive rating (seventh in the NBA)

Defense: 111.8 defensive rating (27th)

The Good

- From an offensive standpoint, the Celtics rank as one of the top teams in the league. Their offensive rating of 109.9 ranks seventh in the NBA, just two spots behind the Cavs. Second-year head coach Brad Stevens has put in a system that involves pushing the ball and creating an up-tempo pace. Their pace factor, an estimate of how many possessions a team has per 48 minutes, ranks fifth in the league.

- The man in charge of this high-powered offense is Rajon Rondo, who is off to one the best starts in the league. He leads the NBA in assists, avergaing 11.3 per game, while also averaging 8.2 rebounds per game, which ranks 28th in the league. He is one of the better all-around players in the game, making him tough to stop for any defense, let alone a Cavs defense that is 28th in defensive rating.

- With the help of Rondo, the Celtics are a team that does a very good job of sharing the wealth. They currently lead the league in assists per game and points created by assist per game. Their ball movement should cause some troubles for Cleveland, as they have given up the second highest assists per game in the league.

The Bad

- If there is one thing that this team doesn't do well on either end, it resolves behind the line that stands 23-feet, 9-inches from the the basket. The Celtics are last in the NBA in three-point percentage at 30.1 percent, and second-to-last in opponent's three-point percentage at 40.6 percent. Facing a Cavs team that ranks 10th in the NBA in three-point percentage, it will be tough for them to win if they can't defend behind the arc.

- With a bad three-point shooting team, you would expect them to get to the free throw line at an above-average rate, right? Wrong. The Celtics rank last in free throw attempts, 15 shots lower than the next closest team. While their 79.8 percent clip from the free throw line, they are the only team in the league not to hit 100 free throws on the season. The Cavs are the best in the league at limiting their opponents chances at the line, allowing only 117 free throw attempts this entire season.

- For as good as their offense is, their defense is the complete opposite. Their defensive rating is the fourth worst in the league, six points higher than the league average. Their opponent's effective field goal percentage just as bad, the fifth worse in the league. Despite possessing two of the better defensive guards in the league, the rest of their team involves a multitude of turnstiles on the defensive end.

The Matchup to Watch

Kyrie Irving vs. Rajon Rondo

If there were any two point guards that . One can score at will and is one of the better shooting guards in the league, yet "struggles" to involve his teammates at a high rate, while the other has more joy in letting other scores than himself, yet is one of the worst shooting guards in the league. If there is one thing they have in common, it's their play in big games. Expect each of these guys to bring their best performances tonight.

The Hair

CAVS: Sideshow Bob

CELTICS: Legolas

The Prediction

Cavs 116, Celtics 109

In a battle of two high-powered offenses (and two atrocious defenses), this game should be a high-scoring affair, with the Cavs coming out on top. LeBron LOVES playing the Celtics, while Irving and Kevin Love will have a field day from behind the arc. Expect Rondo to get his, but it will not be enough against a Cavs team finding their stride on offense.

Cavaliers still going through growing pains

(Photo by Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports)

Following the theme of ruined homecoming, Kevin Love returned to the city he grew up in Tuesday with his new team, only to suffer a 101-82 defeat at the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers.

Unlike Lebron James who played poorly in his homecoming, Love shined for the Cavs connecting on five shots from deep and getting his accustomed double-double, ending the game with 22 points and 10 rebounds.

While Love continued to be a bright spot and the most consistent Cavalier of the season so far, that was about the only positive thing to take away from this game.

Starting the game 10-for-10 from the field, the Cavaliers’ offense was a thing of beauty early on, but then the rest of the game happened.

After the sizzling start, the Cavaliers would connect on only 21 of its next 75 shots, finishing the game with a lowly 36.5 percent from the field. As for the Cavs defense, they didn’t do too much better allowing the Blazers to shoot nearly 50 percent from the field.

One thing is clear: For the Cavaliers to enter the conversation of elite, this team still has much work to do on both ends of the floor.

Three Things:

1. Lebron must lead

Let’s be clear about one thing, this team will only meet its potential and go as far as Lebron leads them. Now in Cleveland as a two-time champion, Lebron is the clear leader of the team. While it’s encouraging to see Kevin Love play well, Kevin Love will not lead the Cavs deep come spring, he’s already had that chance several times and failed. Lebron James ended the game with only 11 points but more disheartening was the second half he had, where he failed to score and only took four shots.

2. The backcourt must step up

Dion Waiters said in the offseason that he thought himself and Kyrie Irving posed the best young backcourt in the league, but so far they aren’t proving that statement to be correct. Against Portland, they combined to go 6-for-28 from the field and through three games are a combined 27-for- 79 from the field. That’s 34 percent and quite frankly will not cut it.

3. Rebounds equal wins?

Through three games, the Cavs have lost each game that they were outrebounded in. With rebounding forces such as Love, Anderson Varejao, and Tristan Thompson, this team should not be losing the battles of the boards often but it is interesting to know that they have been beaten twice already this young season. Keep an eye out on this statistic as the season goes on.

Statline of the night: Damian Lillard. 27 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists.

Three seasons in, Damian Lillard has already established himself as a big-time playmaker. Coming into the game averaging 13.7 points on 26 percent shooting, Lillard shaped back into form and was a problem for the Cavs on the defensive end all night. Quite ironic that the player cut from Team USA Basketball this summer was the best player on the floor, beating out Team USA members Lebron, Kyrie, and Love.

What is next: Nov. 5, on the road in Utah against the Jazz, 9:00 p.m. EST.

Point guard battle goes in favor of Cleveland

Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

In the first matchup of these two heavyweights, the Cavaliers were able to take round one from the Chicago Bulls by a final score of 107-98.

The stars of this battle came from the one-guard position: Kyrie Irving and Derrick Rose.

Irving put up 28 points and had eight assists, while his counterpart upped him with 30 points, five rebounds and three assists. Both players provided some flashy moves and most importantly, provided us with a glimpse of what this matchup has been hyped up to be over the last two years. This is only the second time they have matched up against each other, but the first time where they showed their talents.

Anderson Varejao provided some much-needed offense tonight, putting up 22 points and grabbing eight rebounds. Varejao was able to make up for Kevin Love's poor scoring performance, where he was held to just nine points on 2-10 shooting from the field. What he lacked in scoring, however, he made up for in rebounds, where Love grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds.

As a team, the Cavaliers shot 48 percent from the floor, extremely good against a tough Bulls defense that held opponents to 43 percent shooting last year. Cavs also did a good job of limiting the Bulls on the offensive end, holding them to 42 percent shooting. Cavs also out-rebounded the Bulls, 47 to 40.

Head coach David Blatt said earlier this week that he was gonna treat this game as a regular season game, as far as minutes go. Blatt held true to that tonight, as LeBron, Love, Irving and Dion Waiters each played at least 31 minutes tonight, with Irving playing a team-high 38 minutes.

Three Things:

1. Please let Anderson Varejao stay healthy.
We have talked countless times of how the Cavs need some help on the interior. Most of that relies on Varejao's health, as he has missed 166 games in the last four seasons. He has shown this preseason his effectiveness as an NBA player. He's a perfect fit for Blatt's offensive scheme, can rebound with the best in the league and is the best interior defensive player on the Cavs. Varejao will be a pivotal piece to a Cavs title run, but only if he can stay on the court, rather than on the end of the bench.

2. Bull-Cavs will be FUN.
Before LeBron took his talents to South Beach, the Cavs and the Bulls were one of the best rivalries in the NBA. With LeBron back in Cleveland, the rivalry will be renewed with some more star power involved. Two polarizing teams; the Cavs with a superior offense and the Bulls with a punishing defense. Both of these teams are projected to finish as the top two teams in the Eastern Conference and each game will predict to be a battle. They are expected to play four regular season games, but much fun will seven more games in the playoffs sound?

3. Who will step on D?
It's understatement to say that Derrick Rose lit up the Cavs tonight. He scored 30 points in 24 minutes and blew by his defender multiple times in the first half. Blatt tried Irving, Dion Waiters and Matthew Dellavedova on Rose to no avail. We've known about Irving's ability on defense, but if he doesn't step on that end of the court, guys like Rose will be circling their schedules waiting to light up Irving on defense.

Statline of the night: Kyrie Irving. 28 points, 7 assists, 2 rebounds. 10-19 on field goals.

It was a great night for point guards, as both Irving and Rose played extremely well. This is only the second time that they have played against each other due to injuries to both, but this was the first in which they both played well.

What's next: Oct. 22, on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Love, Waiters shine against LeBron's former team

(Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)

Despite playing without their All-Star point guard, who sat after rolling his ankle in practice this week, the Cavs did not miss a beat. Led by Kevin Love and Dion Waiters, the Cavs were able to defeat the Miami Heat, 122-119 in overtime.

The big storyline coming into this game was LeBron against his former team. As big as the build up was, it didn't live up to the hype during the game. LeBron didn't play his best (or even look interested in playing), Dwyane Wade only played 24 minutes and Chris Bosh played well (19 points, 8 rebounds), but it didn't mean anything towards the outcome of the game.

The two big games belonged to Love and Waiters. Love scored 25 points, grabbed seven rebounds and was 4-5 on three-pointers, including three makes from the corner. Although there was none of his patented outlet passes, it did not deter his game on the offensive end.

With his backcourt mate sitting out this game, Dion Waiters showed just how good he can be on offense. The third-year guard out of Syracuse would finish the game with 16
points on 7-12 shooting, including a couple of nice finishes around the rim. He also impressed with his decision-making skills, showing the ability to pass it off when needed, instead of forcing up a bad jumper.

As a team, the Cavaliers shot 50.6 percent from the field, including 42.9 percent on three-pointers. This came without Kyrie playing and a subpar shooting performance from LeBron (2-8 FG). This is a good sign for the Cavs, showing they have plenty of options on the offensive end. Cavs also out-rebounded the Heat 44-40, again showing their ability on the glass.

Three Things:

1. Offensive options. As noted above, the Cavs were playing without Kyrie Irving, one of their top offensive players as well as one of the top offensive players in the league. Without him, the Cavs didn't skip a beat on the offensive end. Six players scored in double figures, which did not include LeBron James. Love, Waiters and Varejao combined for 55 points, and, while I do not think Varejao will score at that rate, it shows how many weapons this offense has. If one player has an off night (like LeBron tonight), the Cavs have three other options to choose from to score points.

2. Ball movement. We talked about how important ball movement is in this offense and it was on display today. Almost every shot for the Cavs was an open one, which was in part to the extra pass. Cavs also shot just north of 50 percent from the field, showing the importance of ball movement tonight. LeBron led the charge with eight asssists, but others played stepped up their passing games as well. Waiters especially, who showed improvement from last season on his playmaking decisions, passed it when needed and did force too many bad shots. Look for the Cavs to assist on a majority of shots this season.

3. It's great to have LeBron back. After four years without their hometown king, any chance LeBron has to play in a Cavs uniform is a sight to see. He didn't show anything special today, but just seeing him play basketball in a Cavs uniform is something all Cavs fans will cherish. He has matured from the last time he donned a Cleveland uniform and has taken on mentoring younger players on the team. His impact off the court will be just as pivotal as it is on the court.

Statline of the game: Anderson Varejao. 14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 7-10 FG.

We easily could have given this either Waiters or Love, but why not give it to the big man playing in his home country? He got the start, scored the first points of the game and finished with 14 on the game. Nice to see him play well in his country.

What's next: Oct. 14, home against the Milwaukee Bucks.