In a game which featured zero starting players from the 2017 NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers cruised past the Golden State Warriors in Summer League action, 91-74 on Monday night in Las Vegas.
Patrick McCaw and Kevon Looney were on the floor, so technically the Cavs beat a pair of NBA champions.
The Cavs improved to 3-0, but more importantly, some of their younger contributors looked great.
Here are some of the takeaways from the win:
Felder’s Best Performance of the Summer Yet
It’s only three games, but Felder has gotten better with each game over the last four days.
Monday was his best game from a decision-making standpoint, as he scored 12 points, passed for six assists, grabbed four rebounds and only turned the ball over once.
He shot 4-of-14 from the field and 1-of-2 from three-point range, but his shot selection was the best of these three games.
Felder attacked the basket and got to the free throw line, knocking down 3-of-5 shots from the stripe.
In the first two games, Felder shot 1-for-9 from three-point land, an area that has not treated him kindly in his professional career.
Felder’s 2017 Summer League debut on Friday was his worst shooting night, as he went 0-for-6 from deep.
He did a better job in that regard on Saturday, going 1-for-3 from long-range, but turned the ball over four times.
Monday’s game was a sign that he’s learning from his mistakes and adjusting accordingly.
Edy Tavares’ Block Party
Not one. Not two. Not three. Not four. Five blocks for the big man.
Those five blocks all came in the first half, in which Tavares played 12 minutes.
After a relatively quiet first two games, this was the 7-foot-3 center we’ve been hoping to see.
All eight feet of his wingspan were on display and he finished with five rebounds, playing 15 total minutes (only three in the second half).
Cleveland could’ve used rim protection like that in 2016-17 and if Tavares keeps up the good work, he’ll have a chance to be a meaningful contributor this season.
Brandon Paul is Ballin’
The sharpshooter erupted for a game-high 21 points, knocking down 8-of-12 field goal attempts, hitting 4-of-7 from three.
Paul got out to a rough start from beyond the arc since joining the Cavs Summer League squad, as he went just 2-for-12 from deep in his first two games, but with shooters like him, it’s always just a matter of time before they get hot.
That’s what happened against Golden State and Paul continued to stand out as one of Cleveland’s best talents on the floor this week.
Coming into Monday, Cleveland’s arsenal of wings, including Paul, Casey Prather, Anthony Gill and Andrew White all put up workman-like efforts in the first two games, but no one particularly jumped out.
Paul appears to have taken that leap as one of Cleveland’s strongest candidates to earn a two-way contract.
It’s worth noting that prior to this three-game stretch with the Cavs, Paul also tore it up with the Dallas Mavericks in the Orlando Summer League, who won the tournament championship.
In four games, he averaged 16.5 points per game, the second-most on the team, and shot 12-of-27 (44 percent) from three-point range. Through seven total games in Summer League play, he’s scored 109 total points (15.6 per game).
At 6-foot-4, his size doesn’t seem like the “perfect fit” for Cleveland’s NBA roster, but his athleticism and scrappy style of play make him an intriguing possibility.
The Other Wings
It was a relatively quiet night for some of the aforementioned wings, especially Prather and White.
White, for the second-consecutive game, only received five minutes of playing time.
After putting up an impressive Summer League debut on Friday, when he scored 11 points in 12 minutes, it’s curious to see the sharpshooter get such little action.
Prather, who scored 22 points in the first two games, went just 2-of-5 on Monday, scoring four points and grabbing two rebounds in 17 minutes. One of his best attributes is his defense and that’s something that could help him go a long way with the Cavs’ coaching staff, even if he’s not putting up big numbers.
Gill put up 11 points, hitting 4-of-8 field goal attempts and 3-of-4 free throws, but it appears Golden State made a concerted effort to keep him off the glass. The 6-foot-8 forward grabbed 21 rebounds in his first two games, but hauled in only two in 24 minutes on Monday. It wasn’t a bad game at all, but the lack of rebounding for a guy who was a monster in the first two games was a bit surprising.
Sir’Dominic Pointer had his best game of the summer so far, scoring 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting, and grabbing five rebounds.
Pointer didn’t get a real opportunity in the first two games, playing five minutes on Friday and receiving a DNP on Saturday, but he made the most of his 17 minutes against the Warriors.
Malcolm Thomas Continues to Impress
The 28-year-old power forward has been one of the better players in the last two games, as he finished with seven points and ten rebounds (four offensive boards) in 19 minutes.
Thomas grabbed eight rebounds on Saturday and the 6-foot-9 big man has been using his size, strength and veteran wisdom to his advantage in Las Vegas.
His +20 ratio on the plus-minus scale was no accident and if Cleveland is looking for “NBA-ready” players, Thomas might fit that category best. However, his ceiling, athleticism and scoring ability don’t quite match up with a guy like Paul.
T.J. Williams’ Rough Night
After two games, Williams was arguably the most impressive player on the court for the Cavs.
Monday was a down night for the Northeastern product, who shot 2-for-8 from the field.
That doesn’t take anything away from his white hot start, as he went 9-for-12 in the first two games, but it shows that everybody is capable of having their off nights.
It’d be a surprise if he’s not back to normal in the next game.
Sam Cassell Jr. another guard on Cleveland’s summer squad, scored eight points on 3-of-9 shooting. He’s put together a decent three-game stretch, but so far, it’s been a relatively quiet week for him.
About that Next Game…
The way the Summer League schedule works out, the No. 1 through 8 seeds don’t play again until Thursday. The Cavs are undefeated, so yeah, they’re not playing until Thursday.
We’ll have to wait and see who they match up with, as there are two days worth of games between now and then.
Who’s Leading the Pack?
Right now, Felder, Tavares and Paul appear to have the best chance of a future in Wine and Gold.
Again, this is just my speculation, but these three are all showing signs of their potential, which if fully unleashed could help any NBA team in a big way.
As writers, like Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd and NBA commentators have discussed these past four days, there’s nothing earth-shaking about the Jose Calderon signing.
If Felder proves he’s able to contribute at the NBA level, Calderon won’t be the reason he’s denied a shot.
When it comes to Cleveland’s bigs, Tavares is the closest thing to a true backup center the Cavs have for Tristan Thompson.
If the Cavs are successful in trading Channing Frye, it would clear the way for even more possible playing time for Tavares.
The Shooting Guard Conundrum
When it comes to Paul, there is a bit of a logjam at shooting guard right now, but that could change over time.
Cleveland has been actively shopping Iman Shumpert, which would open room for a third shooting guard.
Another possibility, although there haven’t been any reports indicating this would happen, is a potential mid-season trade involving Kyle Korver.
While Korver is well-known as one of the best three-point shooters in NBA history, his defensive shortcomings make him a bit of a miscast character in the battle to match up with Golden State.
Given the fact the Cavs have such little trade ammunition, I wouldn’t rule out a scenario in which Cleveland parts with Korver later in the season (using his 3-year, $22 Mil. contract) as part of a deal to upgrade the roster for players which fit the matchup better.
If that scenario arises, perhaps a guy like Paul would be an even better candidate to get a shot with the Cavs, even if it’s in a very limited role.
It’s summer time and everyone is wondering how the Cavs will upgrade the roster enough to counter the Warriors, but Korver as a trade chip is not something to rule out just yet.
Anyways, we’ll check back on the Summer Cavs on Thursday, when we preview the playoff road ahead.
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