Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 takeaways from 2017-18 season opener

1. Still More Work To Be Done

To whom much is given, much is required.

While the Cavaliers should be happy about coming out as the victors in their season opener, the team made a series of mistakes that nearly costed them the game on Tuesday.

Cleveland committed a total of 17 turnovers on the night, most of which came during the second half as Boston managed to go on a 28-11 run late in the third quarter, scoring primarily out in transition to rally back into the contest after being down by double digits in the first half.

The Cavaliers’ woes did not stop there. They also managed to have a rough night from beyond the arc, shooting just 5-for-22 from 3-point range, and failed to generate little to any offensive production out on the perimeter as a result.

Although the starting lineup of Rose, James, Love, Wade and Jae Crowder has not had a chance to develop much continuity with one another, doing the little things such as taking care of the basketball and knocking down shots will prove to be very important should the Cavaliers seek to take down the juggernaut in Oakland this season.

Next: 2017-18 NBA season previews, predictions and power rankings

The road to making it to the NBA Finals might appear to be all but a foregone conclusion with the Celtics having lost one of their marquee stars (get well soon, Gordon!), but nothing is ever fully guaranteed. The Cavaliers must seek to return to the film room with an understanding that there is more work to be done and room to improve.