Pre-Cap: Cavs 108, 76ers 105 (or, The Kids Win It!)

On a night in which the Cavaliers’ pre-game show focused on the top plays from last season, and ended with footage from last June’s championship parade, it was up to a bunch of unproven young players—and many of whom won’t be with the team this season—to hold onto victory against a Philadelphia 76ers squad that looks like it may field a real NBA team for the first time in years.

First Quarter

Cavalier fans got their first look at 76ers center Joel Embiid, who is finally healthy after losing the first two years of his career to injury. He quickly gained attention with an aggressive dunk off a pass from fellow rookie Dario Saric, and followed that up by knocking down a pair of free throws after being fouled on a drive to the basket. With the Cavaliers starting Chris Andersen in place of the injured Tristan Thompson, the Sixers went to Embiid early and often for offense, while the Cavaliers played an aggressive, free flowing style on offense that bordered on sloppiness as they moved the ball by making the kinds of risky passes that could be huge mistakes against better teams. On the plus side, they did a great job of pushing the ball in transition and getting into their offense early. By the first time out the Cavs led 18-8 while Iman Shumpert led all scorers with seven points, including a corner three and a nice layup in transition.

Of course Shumpert proceeded to airball a mid-range jumper just after the timeout, as he and the rest of the Cavaliers went cold while the 76ers went on a 9-0 run of their own. As was the case whenever they saw each other last season, the Cavaliers built a lead against Philadelphia and then took their feet off the peddle while the Sixers continued to play hard. The Cavs then went to their bench, bringing in Channing Frye, Richard Jefferson, Mike Dunleavy Jr., Jordan McRae and Kay Felder withing a two-minute span. This lineup allowed Felder and McRae to work with several floor pacers, but outside of Frye they were cold from the field, and the 76ers came back to take a 27-26 lead as the quarter ended. After giving the Cavaliers a boost in the first preseason game against the Magic, McRae missed a pair of free throws while Felder struggled with both getting to the rim and setting up his teammates.

Second Quarter

The bench lineup started the second quarter for the Cavaliers, and the Sixers were able to continue to attack the basket using their superior athleticism. Both Felder and McRae missed shots at the basket, and Irving and James returned after an eight-minute rest. The Cavaliers continued to be cold from the floor, scoring just two points in the first 3:21 of the quarter as the 76ers opened up a 35-28 lead. A LeBron James jumper stopped the bleeding, and a 9-2 run by James and Irving tied the game at 37 apiece. Unfortunately, the team stayed cold from the perimeter and were unable to establish a substantial lead. Enter the Birdman, as Andersen scored four points and did a nice job of shutting the Sixers down around the basket to help the Cavaliers take a 51-47 lead at the half.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDuTmwEJu9M

Third Quarter

Felder, McRae, Dunleavy, Frye, and Andersen started the second half for the Cavaliers, and were much more successful than they were in the first half, starting the third quarter on a 9-2 run before the 76ers called timeout three minutes in. Things didn’t change much after that as the Sixers stayed cold while Dunleavy and Frye canned a pair of threes, and before you knew it the Cavaliers had a 15-point lead. Cory Jefferson and Jonathan Holmes were the first training camp invitees to see game action, replacing Andersen and Frye, respectively, and DeAndre Liggins came in for Dunleavy with 5:48 left in the quarter, as it was time for the roster hopefuls to get there run. Arguably more entertaining was Tristan Thompson, who joined Fred McCleod and Austin Carr on the broadcast for the quarter. Thompson’s engaging personality and positive attitude made him as fun to listen to as his tremendous work ethic and energy make him easy to root for. Meanwhile, Jordan McRae began to find his stride, attacking the basket and getting to the line for 13 points. Despite this, the 76ers were able to cut into the Cavaliers’ lead, and a three by Sergio Rodriguez pulled Philadelphia to within seven as the Cavaliers led 83-76 heading into the final frame.

Fourth Quarter

Toney Douglas, McRae, Holmes, Cory Jefferson, and Liggins started the fourth quarter, while the Sixers continued to use potential rotation players, highlighting one of the many differences between a young team and title contenders. The Cavaliers were able to extend their lead back to 10 behind five quick points by Jonathan Holmes and a pair of free throws by McRae. Markel Brown then entered the game for Holmes, moving Liggins to the nominal power forward spot just one game after he spent the majority of his time at point guard. Only in the NBA pre-season do players not named LeBron James get to do this. Three straight threes in 70 seconds pulled the 76ers within three, and Brown sent Richaun Holmes to the line where he made both free throws to cut the Cavaliers’ lead to just one point. Felder then returned to the game for Douglas, and the Cavaliers promptly went on a 6-0 highlighted by Felder saving a loose ball that led to a three by McRae. The 76ers weren’t done though, and countered with a 9-3 run of their own before Sergio Rodriguez was fouled by Cory Jefferson and made a pair of freebies to give the Philadelphia their first lead since the second quarter. McRae then turned the ball over, but the Cavaliers were able to get the stop, and Felder was able to drive and get a dish to Brown for a layup and the lead.

❤️ Kay Felder so much. https://t.co/slJKVQSZoF

— Michael Gallagher (@MikeSGallagher) October 9, 2016

With Liggins all over him, Rodriguez missed a three, and Jordan McRae promptly secured the rebound and hit pair of free throws to give himself 20 points—all in the second half—and the Cavaliers a three point lead. Rodriguez then missed another three and the Cavaliers held on for the 108-105 victory.

Things I Noticed

If you were wondering, Jordan McRae's experiment at PG is over. Lue said there was no need for him there and wasn't 'fair to him'

— Joe Vardon (@joevardon) October 8, 2016

Before the game Tyronn Lue told the media that Jordan McRae will no longer be considered for the backup point guard spot. That’s probably for the best for all parties involved. McRae simply doesn’t have the kind of court vision needed to run the point. He’s a scorer who looks for his own shot above all else. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s not what the Cavaliers need from that spot. Even with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving initiating the offense—plus the possibility of running the offense through Kevin Love at the elbow or in the post—the Cavaliers still need a point guard who can get the team into their sets, play both on and off the ball, and be a defensive presence on the perimeter. So far McRae has only shown the ability to score in multiple ways, and has only done that effectively when the Big Three are off the floor. He could have a role on this team, but backup point guard isn’t it. Speaking of which…

https://twitter.com/joevardon/status/784905055602372608

If last night’s game is any indication, Felder has taken the lead for the job. Like McRae, he struggled in the first half, and his final line of four points on 1-of-6 shooting to go along with three assists and two turnovers certainly isn’t anything to write home about. Still, Felder continues to show tremendous energy on both ends of the court and isn’t afraid of big moments, playing his best basketball in the fourth quarter tonight. Tyronn Lue has said that he intends to take it slowly with the rookie and wants to avoid giving him too much responsibility too soon, but if he can find a way to score more efficiently—and play effectively when he is not the one initiating the offense—then he may force his coach’s hand. Regardless, Lue has shown more faith in Felder than in Toney Douglas, who was brought in a week ago to give the Cavaliers a veteran presence at the point.

Joel Embiid looks like the real deal, finishing with 12 points, four rebounds, and a block in 13 minutes of action, albeit on 4-of-10 shooting. If Embiid can stay healthy and Ben Simmons is able to live up to the hype, then the Sixers will have the beginnings of something that could be special.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLc3Yc7i720

Interestingly, Jefferson came off the bench for LeBron while Dunleavy did the same for Love. James later came in Dunleavy to play alongside Jefferson. Love then replaced Andersen. At this point in their careers, Dunleavy and Jefferson bring somewhat similar talents to the table as wings who can stretch the floor, play smart defense, and spend some time at power forward. Jefferson is the physically stronger of the two, while Dunleavy has more length, but they are basically interchangeable. If these two are going to be the primary back ups for both Love and James, then it will be interesting to see what minutes are available for Andersen, who has played well in the preseason, when Tristan Thompson returns to action. The same can be said for McRae if and when J.R. Smith re-signs with Iman Shumpert playing so well.

LeBron’s jumper looked good tonight, and he went 3-of-4 from the line. After a poor season in terms of perimeter shooting last year, a workaholic like James likely put in tons of time working on his jumper this summer. If he’s been able to fix it, then the Cavaliers will be that much tougher to beat.

Kevin Love was just 1-of-7 from the field, but showed good energy on the defensive end during his 16 minutes of action. Then again, Kevin Love is starting to become known for his defensive effort.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbMS1rcaNR0

One random thought, what’s going on with Dahntay Jones? He’s on a non-guaranteed contract, but played in just the fourth quarter against the Magic and not at all against the 76ers. Is he already a lock to make the team? Is he in camp as a courtesy? With J.R. Smith still unsigned, the Cavaliers can keep up to three of the training camp invitees on the final roster, but who those three players will be still seems up in the air outside of possibly DeAndre Liggins. While Jones is older than the rest of the invitees, one would think he would have to compete for his spot. Still, after what he did in Game Six of the NBA Finals, it would be hard to blame Tyronn Lue if he has already decided to give Jones a spot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whnWWOmKJBg

The Cavaliers are back in action Monday night as they travel to Atlanta to face the Hawks. In the meantime, let’s enjoy all of the positives this team is showing in the preseason, and GO TRIBE!!!