Cavaliers Overcome Knicks in Final Minutes On the Back of Kyrie Irving

(photo. James Herbert, YouTube)

Madison Square Garden is often referred to as "the Mecca of Basketball" and that title was certainly deserved tonight.


A day after Nike introduced Kyrie Irving as their next signature athlete, Irving proved his worth to Nike and the Cavs, propelling Cleveland to the 90-87 win over the New York Knicks.

The Knicks held the lead for much of the second quarter and half of the third, but the Cavaliers were never out of the game.  The Cleveland offense was paced all night by Kyrie Irving, who finished with 37 points on 12-18 shooting from the field and 10-11 from the free throw line.  Seventeen of Irving's points came in the second quarter.

The Knicks held the lead for all of the fourth quarter, until the final minutes.  With the Cavs trailing 83-85 with 3:54 left in the game, LeBron James hit a three-pointer to put Cleveland ahead for good.  James finished the game with only 19 points on 7-17 shooting, but seven of those points came in the final quarter.  James also had 12 assists, playing the point guard role for much of the night and giving Irving the scoring duties.

Irving and James also led the way for the Cavs on the defensive end of the floor as well.  New York point guards had eight combined points and, perhaps even more impressive than that, Carmelo Anthony was held to only nine points.  James played lock-down D all night, something that hasn't always been the case this season, and held Anthony to 4-19 shooting.  With Anthony essentially a non-factor, the Knicks had trouble coming up with other options that would have won them this game. 

Even with the Anthony's struggles though, this one came down to the final seconds.  With the Cavs up by only one with 10 seconds left, Irving hit a 3-foot jumper that put the nail in the Knicks' coffin.

Three Things:

1. Kyrie Doesn't Need to be a "Traditional Point Guard"

Kyrie Irving had two assists tonight...and that shouldn't matter.  At all.  On a night where his shooting is on fire, the lack of assists don't even need to be brought up.  With LeBron James on this team, the Cavs have the luxury of another playmaker on the floor who can make the offense tick.  And let's be honest, Irving has always been a better scorer than pure point guard, and that's OK.  The Cavs' offense is by far their biggest strenght, in part because they have players that can play multiple roles, and Irving has been wonderful at this.  On a night when none of the other Cleveland players were having trouble getting into a groove, this team needed Irving to score to keep them in that game.

2. The Offense Looks Good, But Other Areas Still Need Work

Another game, another night of the Cleveland bench being clearly outplayed.  The Knicks reserves outscored the Cavs subs 42-10.  Dion Waiter, once thought to be the spark that would lead Cleveland's second unit, had six points.  Yes, the Knicks do have the talented offensive player J.R. Smith leading their bench players, but a 32 point difference is not going to cut it.  In addition to the bench play, the Cavs were out rebounded 47-33.  Seventeen of the Knicks' rebounds were off the offensive glass.  On a team that has Kevin Love, Anderson Varejao and Tristan Thompson, allowing a team to have that many second chances is a major problem.  Against teams better than the Knicks, these factors probably would have led to a loss.

3. Continuity is Still Missing

When a team brings in a lot of new players, there is always an adjustment period.  And while the season is still somewhat young, we're at a point where trends can start being spotted.  After a stretch of amazing games for Kevin Love, the big man was almost invisible for much of this game.  Love finished with 11 points, only five of which came after the first quarter.  Mike Miller is apparently in the rotation now, but didn't score in 12 minutes.  Joe Harris, once thought to be in the running for a starting spot, played four minutes.  Irving was hot tonight, and LeBron found himself in the fourth quarter, but the rotation is unpredictable and finding continuity soon should be a point of emphasis. There's still a lot of time for this to be improved, but the sooner the Cavs can find balance, the better. 

Statline of the Night:

Kyrie Irving - 37 points, 12-18 FG, 10-11 FT

Irving carried the offensive load tonigh, there is no question about that.  He didn't accumulate much else in terms of stats but you can't knock him for that on a night where the Cavs just needed someone to put the ball in the hoop.

What's Next:

Dec. 5, on the road against the Toronto Raptors, 7:30 p.m.

Cavs End Losing Streak, Dominate Orlando Magic

(Chuck Crow/The Plain Dealer)

Now that's more like it. 

After losing the previous four games, the Cleveland Cavaliers (6-7) easily dispatched the Orlando Magic (6-10) by a final score of 106-74.

Coming into the night, several players, including LeBron James and Kevin Love, called this game a "must-win," something you usually don't hear great players say this early in the season.  Whether or not that label means anything in November is debatable but there is no question that the Cavs players backed up their words.

Cleveland came out of the locker room locked in, dominating from the opening tip.  James started particularly fast, scoring 11 points in the first six minutes of the game.  In the first quarter, James had 16 points and four assists, pacing the Cavs to a 10-point lead after one.

The Cavs would not look back from there, increasing their lead to 18, 23 and 32 at halftime, the end of the third quarter and the end of the game, respectively.  James finished the game with 29 points, four boards and 11 assists in only three quarters of play.

While the Cleveland offense was on full display tonight, the defense also deserves credit for the win.  Orlando shot 36.3 percent from the floor and were only 5-17 on 3-point attempts.  Coming into this game, the Magic were fourth in the league in 3-point shooting percentage at 38.8 percent.  The Magic also committed 18 turnovers.

Three Things

1. Offense Finds Balance

For the first time in a long time, the Cavs offense looked like the complete unit we all expected to see.  The level of offensive chemistry visible tonight was much more consistent than in recent games, with the Cavs assisting on 30 of their 42 made field goals.  James led that charge with the 11 assists mentioned above, Kevin Love chipped in five dimes and Kyrie Irving had four.  Other than LeBron, none of the other players had eye-popping numbers, but great individual performances weren't needed.  Seven different players for Cleveland attempted at least seven shots, and the team shot 51.9 percent from the field.  Love, who has spoken recently about getting more shots in the paint, attempted only one of his 11 shots from beyond the 3-point arc.

2. Defense Steps Up

What a difference two days makes.  On Saturday versus Toronto, the Cavaliers were outscored 89-59 in the final three quarters.  On Monday, the roles were reversed and the Cleveland defense was the unit blanketing the opposition.  The Magic were forced into 18 turnovers, which turned into 25 Cavalier points.  The Cavaliers allowed 42 points in the paint, not a bad number at all considering how porous the interior defense has been this season.  Young Magic center Nikola Vucevic had a good game with 18 points and 13 rebounds, but he was the only Orlando player who was able to operate at a high level near the rim.  Veteran center Brendan Haywood had three blocks in only 6 minutes played, and the Cavs had nine blocks as a team.

3. Blatt Able to Experiment with Lineups

One of the other positives that can be taken away from this game is that coach David Blatt was able to rest his star players while seeing what other players work well together.  James, Irving and Love played only 31, 31 and 32 minutes respectively, which is good news for those three, who continue to be near the top of the list for most minutes played per game.  Twelve different players played against the Magic; Mike Miller being the only active player who did not leave the bench.  Little-used center Lou Amundson, who had played only 14 minutes total this season entering tonight played 16 minutes.  Joe Harris, once thought to be in line for a promotion to the starting lineup, played only 10 minutes.  Nights like these will be vitally important for a team full of new players to get experience playing with each other, and the sooner that chemistry can be established the better. 

Statline of the Night:  LeBron James.  29 points, 11 assists, three steals, 9-11 FTs

James said before this game that he needed to step up in order for this team to get where they want to be and he certainly delivered.  This was a vintage LeBron performance, who did all of his work in the first three quarters.

What's Next: Nov. 26, home against the Washington Wizards. 7 p.m.

Cavs Leave Fans Happy

(AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

The Cleveland Cavaliers picked up their first home win of the season, beating the New Orleans Pelicans 118-111, marking the team’s first win streak of the season.

The key matchup of this game featured the NBA’s best player in Lebron James versus the player who many see as the next best player in the league, Anthony Davis. While both these all-stars put up their typical all-star numbers, it was the teammates of these two that made the most noise in the Quicken Loans Arena.

The first half belonged to Ryan Anderson. Coming off the bench, he came in the game shooting lights out knocking down five three-pointers. The Pelicans entered halftime up 56-51 in large due to Anderson’s 23 first half points.

Second half, it was all about the Cavaliers Big Three. While Lebron went on to mess around and get a triple double, it was Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love who seemed to make all the shots that got fans up out their seat Monday evening.

For the game, Irving and Love combined to go 10-for-16 from deep and connected on seven treys in the second half. Coupled with Lebron’s 17 free throw attempts for the game, the Cavs were just too much for the Pelicans at home.

Three Things

1. Lebron lead and Kyrie Irving followed suite

Lebron was in attack mode the entire night, evident by his 17 free throw attempts. By attacking the basket, he got his teammates involved and made the game easier for others. Also in attack mode was Kyrie Irving. Criticized against Utah for his lack of passing, Irving played with poise, getting his teammates involved and while taking shots within the rhythm of the game, finishing the game shooting over 50 percent from the field.

2. In David Blatt we trust?

While it’s early and the Cavs are still trying to figure things out, keep an eye out on how many minutes the Big Three play down the road. Lebron James and Kyrie Irving are leading the league in minutes played per game, with Kevin Love rounding out the top five in that statistic. Not an encouraging sign after many media members pointed out last year Lebron looked gassed for the first time in his life. And while Irving and Love both have youth on their side, neither have played into the months of May and June, so all the mileage could eventually play a factor. Blatt and Cavs fans must remember the season is a marathon and not a sprint.

3. Cavs must address bench play

So far this Cavs bench stinks, no other way to put it. Coming into the game they ranked 29^th in the league in bench points scored and on average get outscored by 13.8 points per game. Against the Pelicans, the Cavs bench was outscored 44-16. Now while a team with Love, Irving, and James shouldn’t have to rely on its bench to outscore teams, it can use a boost, particularly on the nights one or two the stars are struggling. Hopefully Dion Waiters and Matthew Dellavedova can provide that spark once back healthy, and the bench as a whole can cut down into some of the minutes the Big Three are playing.

Statline of the night: Lebron James. 32 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, 9-for-17 from the field and 13-for-17 from the free throw line.

While other players may have made bigger noise Monday night, make no mistake that James was still the best player on the floor. Lebron looked at ease on the court, letting the game come to him all while posting a monster statline relatively quietly.

What is next: November 14, on the road against the Boston Celtics, 7:30 p.m. EST.

Love is considering an opt-out, but there should be no worry of him leaving

Kevin Love, a four-time NBA All-Star, was acquired by Cleveland in a three-team trade this offseason

Just when everything seemed to be going well in Cleveland, a report from Sam Smith from NBA.com has nearly spoiled the happy state-of-mind in Northeast Ohio. Smith reported that Cavaliers forward Kevin Love would use his opt-out clause this summer and bolt for Los Angeles to play for the Lakers.

From Smith:

"It’s not going to get as much discussion during the season, but one of the biggest issues for the Cavs is that both LeBron James and Kevin Love own opt outs after this season. LeBron James basically cannot afford to go anywhere after his return to Cleveland. But watch out for Love. Indications are he will seriously consider the opt out and has his eyes on a return to Los Angeles, where he attended college and where the Lakers long have had him on their free agent wish list.."

It is well-known that both LeBron James and Love will opt-out this summer, but that has more to do with a larger salary cap than the idea of changing teams. Thanks to a new television deal the NBA signed last month, many expect the salary cap to increase by up to 140 percent. Not only did the new TV deal mean more money for the league, it means more money for players.

With the increase in money, this bodes well for the Cavs. They already possess the ability to offer more money to Love, thanks in part to the Larry Bird rights, it would be even more with the higher salary cap.

There are not many logical reasons why Love would be making the right decision by changing teams for the third time. The Lakers have always been a potential destination for top-tier free agents in the past, but have struck out numerous times over the past few years. LeBron (twice), Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and Paul George have chosen different paths over playing with the fame and glory that comes with being a Laker. What would make Love want to go their any more than these guys?

Love, however, did play college down the road at UCLA, but that was only for one year. If George, who grew up just an hour outside from Los Angeles, does not want to come home and play for them, there is no better reason why Love would want to play there. It would make more sense if Love wanted to play in Portland, whereas he grew up in Lake Oswego, Oregon.

The biggest positive for Cleveland is that they have LeBron James. Love has expressed how big of an impact LeBron has made for him to come to Cleveland. Without LeBron, Love might still be in Minnesota. Kobe Bryant could have that same pull LeBron has, but it seems he has pushed more players away than he's brought in.

A lot can change from now until July; nobody thought at this time last year that LeBron would be returning to Cleveland. It would be surprising if Love would leave, especially if this team plays well. As of now, reports are just reports.

Cavs end road trip with a win over Denver

(Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

With panic flying around the NBA about the Cleveland Cavaliers and their 1-3 start, they erased some doubt with their most defining win of this young season, defeating the Denver Nuggets 110-101.

The score seemed closer than what it was, but the Cavs dominated both ends of the court tonight. At one point in the game, the Cavaliers had a demanding 20-point lead, with the offense looking head and shoulders better than it has all season. Ball movement, which was essentially non-existent all season, was as solid as it could get. After having six assists against the Jazz, they had 21 assists on 30 field goals. Also, seven guys were in double figures, by far the most this season.

LeBron James, shooting 41 percent from the field on the season, had an all-around performance tonight, which included a near triple-double. James had 22 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds, but it was his leadership that seemed to have the biggest impact. Whether it was directing guys on offense or coaching from the sideline to guys on defense, he led people know that he was doing everything in his power to return this franchise to the one they had before LeBron left.

Defensively, the Cavs looked a lot better (albeit against a Nuggets team that is 22nd in offensive rating) than they have compared to the first four games. After allowing opponents to shoot 49.5 percent from the floor, the Cavs held the Nuggets to 43 percent shooting tonight. The effort, most importantly, seemed to be at a higher pace than it was against the Jazz and Trail Blazers. If the Cavs can continue to get just enough stops on defensive, this will be a good sign for future.

With the win tonight, the Cavs end their road trip going 2-2. Lucky for the Cavs, nine of the next 11 games are at home, which will help get the Cavs back on track.

Three Things
1. This is a better example of what the Cavs will look.
Fans around the NBA have waited for the Cavs to play up to their potential, and tonight was the first sign in that direction. This team tonight looked head and shoulder different than the team that played in the first four games. The ball movement was splendid, the defense made stops when it needed to and they blew out a team they were supposed to beat. There was a Spurs-esque style of offense tonight, with the team totaling (( assists on (( field goals, including a number of extra passes that would make Gregg Popovich crack a smile. This is the game the Cavs needed to get their season going and I expect this only to be the beginning of a hot streak.

2. LeBron leadership is having an effect.
LeBron's attitude and effort has been shoddy for most of this young season, and his play has been equally as unimpressive. Tonight, however, LeBron looked like a guy who was disappointed in what he has seen this year and wanted to make a change. His numbers were so-so, but his leadership showed throughout the entire game. He was constantly pointing at guys to get in the right place and communicated with his teammates nonstop. This team needs LeBron to be more than just the best player in the world. He needs to help these learn how to win and play like a team. Tonight, he did exactly that, and the team effort and final score showed.

3. Hey there, Dion Waiters.
You saw the good Dion Waiters, aaaaaaand you saw the bad Dion Waiters. The good thing about tonight, the good heavily out-weighed the bad and his big plays down the stretch helped eliminate a Nuggets comeback that was putting some threats into Cavs fans. Waiters has STRUGGLED the first four games, including being played in favor of Matthew Dellavedova. If the Cavs want to go far, they need Waiters to have games like he did tonight. He seems to be adjusting better to his role, and this is extremely positive for the Cavs.

Statline of the night: LeBron James. 22 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds. 8-18 from the field.

Who better to look to when your team needs a spark? After having only six assists as a TEAM last night, LeBron nearly doubled that himself tonight with his 11 assists. This might be the game that gets LeBron going, which will be scary for the NBA.

What's next: Nov. 10, home against the New Orleans Pelicans. 7 p.m.

Cavs singing the blues, lose to the Jazz to drop to 1-3

(Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

In what seemed like a rollercoaster game for the Cleveland Cavaliers, the ride ended with the Cavaliers leaving Utah with a 102-100 loss to the Jazz.

For as bad as the Cavs played in the first 26 minutes of the game, it was a surprise that the game was as close as it was. With 10:41 left in the third quarter, the Cavs trailed the Jazz by 16 and did not look like the team many predicted them to be. The defense looked pathetic, allowing the Jazz (25th in offensive efficiency last year) to score 59 points on 58.5 percent shooting in the first half.

The second half looked much better for the defense, as well as the offense, outscoring the Jazz 52-43. The Cavs had a chance at the end to send the game to overtime, with LeBron James hitting a three and three free throws to know the game up at 100. On the next possession for Utah, Hayward made all of Butler, Indiana proud by hitting a dagger over top of Tristan Thompson to put the Cavs at 1-3.

Individually, there were plenty of positives to go around. After being dominated by Damian Lillard last night, Kyrie Irving bounced back with 34 points. He had zero assists, which is not exactly what you want from your point guard, but he did have just one turnover to counter that argument. LeBron also had a bounce back night, scoring 31 points and hitting some big-time shots down the stretch.

As a team, there were plenty of negatives to go around. First off, the Cavs finished with six TOTAL assists tonight, compared to 26 for the Jazz. For an offense that is supposed to be all about ball movement, the ball moved from player to basket with almost nothing involved in between. If the Cavs want to have the all-world offense, they are gonna need to share the wealth a lot more.

Rebounds also did not go in favor for the Cavs. Many (including myself) thought the Cavs would be one of the better rebounding teams in the league. Through four games, they have been out-rebounded in every game, including tonight where they grabbed 11 fewer rebounds than the Jazz. Until the Cavs begin rebounding at a rate we expect, it will be hard for them to compete with the better teams in the league.

1-3 is not the ideal record for a team predicted to make the NBA Finals. However, this team is no where close to the final product that we will see come April and May (and hopefully June). LeBron stressed patience, but it is hard to tell a city that has not seen a competitive basketball team in four years to be patient.

Three Things
1. This defense, oh man.
It is one thing when you let the Portland Trail Blazers destroy your defense, considering they were second in the NBA last year in offensive rating (points per 100 possessions). But the Utah Jazz? Well, that is a problem. Jazz ranked 25th in offensive rating, but the Cavs made them look like a serious offensive juggernaut. Too many open shooters combined with zero interior defense will lead to an incredulous 59 percent from the field in the first half. The highlight of the Cavs D can be described by this vine:



In the second half, however, the defense looked a lot different than that in the first. After giving up 59 points in the first half, Cavs only allowed 44 in the second half. If the first half defense continues to show up, it will be painful. If the second half defense shows up, then there is plenty of hope for this team in the future

2. Where is the offense?
At least we knew the defense would be below-average; but the offense, on the other hand, was supposed to be the best in the league. So far, it has been no where near that hype. Too much standing around and barely any ball movement. Head coach David Blatt's offense was preached for his offensive genius, but so far, it looks as if Mike Brown is calling the plays. Obviously it's early in the season, and we here at Deep in the Q refuse to make any assumptions with small sample sizes, so we cannot say this is what we will see for the rest of the season. The bigger question is, when will see improvement from one game to the next?

3. The Jazz are not as bad as you think.
I'm not gonna sit here and tell you that the Jazz are going to go out and win 50 games and make the playoffs. If anything, they will again be a lottery team with a top-10 pick in next year's draft. However, they do have some nice pieces on their team, starting with Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors. Each had 21 points, with Favors grabbing 10 rebounds and Hayward grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out four assists, while also hitting the game-winning shot. This team is young, and has a few pieces that could lead to them being good down the road.

Statline of the night: Gordon Hayward. 21 points, seven rebounds, four assists. 7-12 shooting from the field.

Hayward made two of the biggest plays tonight, with each coming on both sides of the ball. He stopped LeBron 1-on-1 with the Jazz leading by two and also hit the game-winning shot almost 40 seconds later. Many questioned the money that Utah gave him, but so far he has earned every cent of it.

What's next: Nov. 7, on the road against the Denver Nuggets. 10 p.m.

Cavs rebound (literally) from opening night loss, beat Bulls on the road

(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

After a disappointing opening night, the Cleveland Cavaliers had their own shocking road win, defeating the Chicago Bulls 114-108 in overtime.

This did not feel like your average second game of the season, just like last night did not feel like your average opening night. Contrary to last night's game, this game was exciting from start to finish and had the feel of game being played in May, not on Halloween. Both teams came into the season with high expectations, and showed tonight why many think they will play seven times in the playoffs.

We ripped LeBron last night, but tonight, he made us eat our words. James had 36 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals in a game that many were calling a "must-win" just two games into the season.

However, only one player played just as big as LeBron James -- Tristan Thompson. He scored 16 points, but tallied 13 -- THIRTEEN -- offensive rebounds, including a monstrous one in overtime with the Cavs clinging to a lead. Leading by two, Thompson grabbed a LeBron miss and finished with a furious slam to nearly put this game away.

The Cavs played better defensively, but still left some guys open that should not have been, and were (sadly) helped by Derrick Rose leaving the game with six minutes left in the game and not returning. Rose showed plenty of flashes of his old self tonight, scoring 20 points in 25 minutes. Without him, the Bulls were not able to finish off their Central division rival down the stretch.

Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love shot poorly from the field (combining to shoot 12-34 from the field), but played big in other aspects of the game. Love grabbed 16 rebounds and played well on the defensive end, while Irving had a huge three-point play to help send the game in to overtime.

This was only the first game of the revived Cavs-Bulls rivalry, but let us hope that this is the just the first of many more classics to come.

Three Things:

1. This is the LeBron we expected.
We are running out of words to describe LeBron's return last night, with none of them being pretty. He did not want to admit he was nervous, but it was obvious he was not himself. He redeemed himself against a Bulls team that many picked to compete with the Cavs for the Eastern Conference championship. He looked much more relaxed tonight and it showed in his game. He was more aggressive, not passing on driving opportunities just to get his teammates involved. He proved that last night was a fluke and pushed Cavs fans farther away from the panic button.

2. Good defense, bad defense.
Both sides of the Cavs defense were on display tonight. The interior defense gave the Bulls no easy buckets, but the perimeter defense left too many open shooters around the three-point line, especially when it counted, when Kirk Hinrich was left wide-open on back-to-back three-pointers late in the fourth quarter. Compared to opening night, the defense was better, but it helps they were playing a team not known for the offense. However, there is still plenty of work to be put in on that side of the ball. Communication is nowhere near the level that head coach David Blatt wants it to be. Once that aspect get worked out, the rest of the defense will come a lot easier.

3. Can we see seven of these in May?
From start to finish, this had the feel of a playoff game. This game was close the entire game, with big shots from both the Bulls and the Cavs. Look, we know these two will play in the Eastern Conference Finals, barring a major injury. If you're like me, I enjoyed every second of this game. I might be greedy, but I WANT MORE. Let us let both let these teams work out their kinks, then let them unleash holy hell on each other in the playoffs.

Statline of the night: Tristan Thompson. 16 points. 14 rebounds (13 offensive). 7-13 on field goals.

How times will you see a guy put up 36 points, eight rebounds and four assists and not be have the best statline of the night? Well, when you tie a franchise record for offensive rebounds, you will get that nod nine times out of 10. Thompson wants that contract extension, and he gave us no reason to believe that he should not deserve it.

What is next: Nov. 4, on the road against the Portland Trail Blazers, 10:00 p.m. (YAY WEST COAST GAMES).

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.

LeBron says Bulls are better, but by how much?

LeBron James made big (not really, but since it's still preseason, people will hype it up as big) news this morning by saying that bulls were "much better" than Cleveland right now.

Via the Northeast Ohio Media group:

“It’s going to be fun. I don’t really see a rivalry renewed right now,” James said after shootaround this morning. “We haven’t done anything right now. They’re a team that’s much better than us right now just off chemistry. They’ve been together for a while. The system has been there for a while. So, we have a long way to go.”

Monday’s preseason contest will be a nice preview of things to come, but James, playing his final preseason game this evening, says it’s also important to make it out of the game uninjured. […] “Just get out healthy,” James said and proceeded to knock on the wooden floor. “Just get out the game healthy. Gets some conditioning, get some camaraderie with my teammates. Get some rhythm. But get out of the game healthy for all of us.”

“A preseason game is not going to make our chemistry be where we want it to be,” he said. “It’s going to take regular-season games, it’s going to take some losses, it’s going to take some practices, some film sessions for all of us to get on the same page.”

James does have a few points, considering the Bulls are a lot more "battle-tested" than any other team in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls big three (Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol) have all played at least 29 games in the playoffs, compared to the Cavs big three (LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love), who only LeBron has tested the playoff waters.

The Bulls also have an identity (something the Cavs have yet to figure out) as being one of the best defensive teams in basketball. Last year, they led the league in points allowed per game (90.2), and were second in the league in defensive field goal percentage (.430) and defensive rating (100.5). This is led in part to their man in the middle, Joakim Noah, who has been named to the All-NBA defensive team three times in the last four years.

However, this is no guarantee that the Bulls will be a sure-fire lock to finish in the top two spots of the East. All-"What If" player Derrick Rose is returning from not one, but two knee surgeries in the last 18 months. For someone who relies on speed and agility, Rose is no guarantee to return to the MVP-like form he had back in 2011.

Just as LeBron talked about how the Bulls have better chemistry than the Cavs, but the question is how much? Rose has missed virtually the last two seasons and Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau still has to figure out how he wants to use all three of them in the offense come the regular season. Gasol has played well so far this preseason, but it will be interesting to see what his role is on this team.

On paper, the Cavs are more talented than the Bulls (and every other team in the league), but talent can only take you so far. Once the chemistry is built and their identity is set, the Cavs will be the better team when all is finished this season.

Who is Dion Waiters?

We all know who Dion Waiters is. He's a 6'4" shooting guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He played college ball at Syracuse University and grew up in the south side of Philadelphia. He likes to talk trash and tries to back up everything he does.

But you already knew that. We want to know more than that.

In is his first two seasons, we have seen Dion show he is capable of one thing: instant offense. If you need someone to score points, he has the ability to come in and go on his own one-man offensive scoring runs. His ability to score the ball has never been in question.

But there is one thing that people will wonder: who is Dion Waiters?

This isn't a question of his personality, or what he looks like. This is more of a comparison. If you could compare Waiters to one player, who would he be?

In order to find out who is, we need to create some guidelines on how we are going to compare him. Are we going to pick out of hat? No. Are we going to yell random names and see which one we like the best? No, but that sounds extremely interesting.

Instead, I came up with three things we will use to find out who is Dion: position, stye of play and role on the team. From these three objectives, we will be able to answer our question.

Position

This one is easy. Waiters plays shooting guard, so all we have to is find everyone who is listed as a shooting guard, right? Well, yeah, we could do that, but there a lot of shooting guards in the league. Like, 127 of them. 

Since Waiters has the ability to play shooting guard, as well as point guard, we can consider him a "combo guard". So instead of looking at all 127 shooting guards, I have narrowed it down to 22 "combo guards", a little easier to choose from. Here's the 22:

- Arron Afflalo

- Bradley Beal

- Kobe Bryant

- Jamal Crawford

- DeMar Derozan

- Goran Dragic

- Monta Ellis

- Tyreke Evans

- Randy Foye

- Manu Ginobili

- Eric Gordon

- James Harden

- Gordon Hayward

- Kirk Hinrich

- Andre Iguadola

- Joe Johnson

- O.J. Mayo

- Austin Rivers

- Iman Shumpert

- Rodney Stuckey

- Dwyane Wade

- Lou Williams

There might be a few guys that surprise you on this list, but when you think of Waiters, he would fit right in that category of players as far as "position".

But, we are not here to categorize him, we are here to find out who he is. And since all of these players are not the same, let's take a took at the next criteria.

Style of play

Waiters can be described as a "high-volume scorer": a guy who takes plenty of shots, but can put up big numbers in a hurry. He has put up good numbers in his first two seasons (18.9 points per 36 minutes), but it is likely due in part to his high usage rate (26.6 percent).

When looking at the list above, we'll need to look at guys who had a usage rate of greater than 24 percent (meaning he is involved in the offense) and scored at least 18 points per game (showing he can score enough to be effective) over the last two seasons. From the previous 22, only seven of those guys made the cut:

- Arron Afflalo

- Bradley Beal

- Jamal Crawford

- DeMar Derozan

- Goran Dragic

- Monta Ellis

- James Harden

- Dwyane Wade

As you can see, these are some pretty big names. Am I implying that Waiters is one of the best shooting guards in the league? Well, I'm not saying he's at the top, as there are a number of guys ahead of him, but he as heard some praise from certain media member that would give me reason to believe he in the top 10.

Anyways, let's get back on schedule.

Three-point shooting is an underrated part of Waiters game, as he shot 36.3 percent from behind the arc last year, which was above the league average. In order to narrow this list down even more to find our answer, we'll need to find guys who shot at least 36 percent the three-point line last year.

Two guys were cut; Wade and Ellis. I’m just as surprised to see Wade cut as you are. Don’t get me wrong, Wade was (and has an argument that he still is)one of the top players in the league. Some have compared Waiters style of play with Wade, but three-point shooting is one of Waiter’s strengths, se we couldn’t discount that.

This leaves us with these guys:

- Arron Afflalo

- Bradley Beal

- Jamal Crawford

- Goran Dragic

- James Harden

As you can see, these guys are very good at attacking the paint, as well as shooting the ball. They also can score overall at a high level while also possessing a high level of usage.

We're getting closer to answering our question, and for those of you who have read this far, here is a GIF of Waiters hitting a buzzer-beater last year.

Role on the team

Just as big as style of play is for this question, the role of the player on his team is equally important. You can't compare a guy whose role is to be a defensive stopper to a guy who you expect to lead your team every night in scoring.

Waiters has seen a few roles over the last two years, including being both sixth man and starter. He has played well in both roles, with his number being very similar for each. Here are his splits for starting and coming off the bench.

	GP	PPG	RPG	APG	FG%	3P%
Starter	72	15.6	2.5	3.3	.419	.336
Reserve	59	15.0	2.7	2.6	.430	.351

Over the long run, many expect him to be a full-time sixth man (as he was at Syracuse), where he can flourish with the second team. However, Waiters has publicly stated that he wants to start, despite rumors that he could come off the bench.

Waiters have never been considered the teams number one scoring option with Kyrie Irving on the roster. In order to cut our list down, we will have to look at guys who are not the number one option on offense. We'll look for guys who are not first on their team in usage percentage. By looking at the numbers, here is who we have left:

 - Arron Afflalo

 - Jamal Crawford

Two guys left. Both fitting all of the qualifications we have thrown at you.

However, Dion cannot be two different people, he can only one.

The last criteria we will use, is the exact title of this section: their role on the team.

Crawford is known as one of the best sixth men in NBA history, having won the Sixth Man Award twice, which is tied for the most all-time. He has been one of the best guys in the league in terms of "instant offense", meaning he can score a lot of points in not a lot of minutes. When he gets hot, he is one of the hardest guys to stop.

On the other hand, Afflalo is more of a quiet player in terms of scoring. His efficiency is one of the best for his position, and has allowed him to be successful on the offensive end. Unlike Crawford, Afflalo can spread out his points, leaving most people shocked to see his point totals game-by-game (averaged 19 points per game last year).

After looking at the tape, we've decided that...

Dion Waiters is Jamal Crawford! Seriously, the signs are all there. Waiters isn't as flashy as Crawford, but his game is set up in a very similar way. Both guys are "microwaves" on the offensive end, and will heat up with only one shot. Neither of them have a shot they do not like, and are HUGE fans of the pull-up jumper.

The glaring thing that made it clear that Crawford was the better option than Afflalo, was the fact that he came off the bench in 56 percent off his career games, compared to just 29 percent for Afflalo. We’re not saying that Waiters is better suited on the bench, but his style of play fits that of a sixth man.

**

Now that we finally have our answer, what does this all mean?

Since the Cavs already have three very good offensive players ahead of Waiters, he needs to adapt his game. What makes Crawford a very good NBA player, is that he understands his role: he scores when the offense needs a spark and solidifies the bench.

If Waiters can be Crawford 2.0 (which I think he can), the Cavs will reach their goal as a team: by winning an NBA title.