Cleveland Cavaliers Bench Shows Promise Against Pistons

The Cleveland Cavaliers bench played tough but came up short against the Detroit Pistons in OT 112-110.

The 2015-16 season in the NBA finally came to an end on Wednesday.

While most playoff bound teams rested their starters, others played their guys hoping to find a positive niche going into next season. But for a few hours, the league stood still and watched history.

Kobe Bryant went out in style for his last game scoring 60 points against the disappointed Utah Jazz (eliminated from playoff contention), and the Golden State Warriors became the best team in NBA history after winning number 73 against a banged up Memphis Grizzlies team.

More from Cleveland Cavaliers

It was arguably one of the best nights in the NBA, but there were still more games that were played.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons rested all of their starters for the final game. Newly signed forward Dahntay Jones, Sasha Kaun, James Jones, Richard Jefferson, Matthew Dellavedova, Timofey Mozgov, Channing Frye and Jordan McRae all saw action.

Tristan Thompson played for four seconds to preserve his consecutive game streak at 369. He also paid homage to Bryant by wearing the black and gold Nikes he wore during his last game.

One of the biggest issues for the Cavaliers this season has been their production off the bench. With Mo Williams hurt and Iman Shumpert struggling for the season, scoring was tough. There wasn’t a Jamal Crawford or Will Barton-type scorer to contribute.

Apr 13, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Dahntay Jones reacts in the fourth quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /

Dellavedova would try his best, but his impact is more on the defensive side of the ball. According to Hoopsstats.com, the Cavaliers ranked 19th in the NBA in overall bench scoring. They averaged the third lowest points at 28.1 PPG.

It led to a lot of comebacks and losses from opposing teams. They scored 110 points combined which just shows how talented the group can be as a unit. However, the star of the group was McRae.

He played a total of 53 minutes in his last two games combined where he’s only played a total of 59 minutes all season with the Cavaliers. In January, he scored 61 points with the Delaware 87ers of the D-League (affiliate of Philadelphia 76ers) in a single game.

He continued that same approach as he finished with 36 points. McRae showed that he could penetrate to the basket. shoot the three-point shot and get back on defense.

He made the game tying three-point shot to send the game into overtime, but when he had the chance to tie the score at 112, he missed 2-of-3 free throws, and the Cavaliers lost the game by two.

D.Jones didn’t show any rust from not playing in the NBA since last season with the Los Angeles Clippers. He showed he still could bring it defensively, and could still score.

Channing Frye had a good overall game going 6-for-10 from the field, but only went 1-of-3 from three-point range. I don’t have an issue with that because he’s showing that he can do more than just score from the perimeter. Mozgov also had a great game with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

More from Hoops Habit

That was his second double-double of the season. I highly doubt he would of have been that productive if Andre Drummond had been playing.

It was a game that showed the true value of the bench and how effective they could be with confidence and opportunity.

This was more of a playoff “non-preview” than an actual one. The level will be turned up on Sunday at Quicken Loans Arena in downtown Cleveland. It will be more physical, and most of the bench won’t be playing that many minutes except for Frye and Dellavedova.

But after Wednesday’s performance by McRae, he might have forced head coach Tyronn Lue into playing him in a few games. He proved that he can play in the NBA and made a significant difference with a chance.

More hoops habit: NBA Injuries: 20 Stars That Deserve Career Do-Overs

Is the inconsistent play from the Cavaliers finally gone? Is everybody on the team in “playoff mode” and ready to bring the city of Cleveland its first championship since 1964? This will all be answered in the next eight weeks of postseason basketball.

Home/Cleveland Cavaliers