Last Week: (L) to Memphis, (L) to Charlotte, (W) over Atlanta
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been in a close game in each of their three contests thus far. In the first, a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, they were within one point with two minutes to go before the Grizzlies went on an 11-0 run. Against the Charlotte Hornets, they were leading at halftime and then a turnover-induced run by Charlotte in the 4th quarter opened a lead that could not be overcome.
Finally, the tides turned against the Atlanta Hawks, a team the Cavs frequently have success against. The Cavs managed to get out in front and then hung on for dear life to get across the finish line. New addition Ricky Rubio has been key for them as Darius Garland has missed two games already. The offense is moving the ball well (3rd in the league in assists per game) even if they are still avoiding the 3-point line.
First Impression: The “Triple Towers” look has issues. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff made the surprising decision to move Isaac Okoro to the bench and start Lauri Markkanen at the 3, giving the team two 7-footers at the two forward positions. Given that they already start an undersized 6’1″ shooting guard in Collin Sexton, the juxtaposition leaves a major gap of 11 inches. Against teams with good forwards, this could be a death sentence, as it was against Miles Bridges and Gordon Hayward on the Hornets.