Shorthanded Cavs lack rebounding, passing ability in 113-105 loss to surging Portland; Three takeaways

Change of plans

The original reports indicated that Ante Zizic would start at center, and Hood would come off the bench on a minutes restriction. Lue decided to change his mind, opting to swap the two players hours before tipoff.

Zizic had 11 and 15 points in his past two games, both career-best marks that figured to propel him to the starting five in place of Nance Jr. Instead, he logged six minutes of action, going 0-for-1 from the field with two blocks and zero points.

As a 6-foot-11 rim protector, Zizic is still developing from a prospect to a rotational player. His late scratch from the starting lineup is a testament to this process, as veterans like Green and a recovering Hood are more likely to get the nod when facing championship-caliber competition.

Simply put, Zizic missed a valuable opportunity to fill the void left by Love, Thompson and Nance Jr.

Pages: 1 2 3 4