Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 takeaways from 2018-19 season opener
By Ryan Piers
3. Combinations to be tinkered with
Coach Lue has his work cut out for him. After Kevin Love, the difference in talent from player to player is minimal.
Yet, the Cavaliers appear deep with at least two serviceable options at every position. It will be up to the coach to mix and match different combinations, determining which crews jell the best.
Love led the way with 21 points (impressive considering he was 5-for-18 from the field), while four other players scored in double figures. Thompson was the only starter to score under 10, but led the team with 13 rebounds.
Our #CavsRaptors comeback falls short in Toronto, but we showed plenty of grit on Opening Night ↓@kevinlove: 21 pts, 8 reb@cediosman 17 pts, 10 reb@George_Hill3 15 pts, 7 ast@JordanClarksons 15 pts@rodneyhood 12 pts@CollinYoungBull 9 pts, 3 reb#BeTheFight pic.twitter.com/Sz2f1ipGfJ
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) October 18, 2018
Collin Sexton just missed double figures with nine points. Kyle Korver hit only a single 3, but Cleveland outscored Toronto by 13 points while he was on the court. Ten players saw significant minutes and that was with Nance and Smith both out.
The point is, it looks like the minutes will be spread thin among a deep, yet star-lacking Cavaliers roster. Lue will experiment with combinations, playing with matchups depending on the team. The results could be promising if he mixes right.