Tonight, the Cleveland Cavaliers play their first preseason game since March 10, 2020. It's good to see them back.
They weren't a great team last year, and they most likely won't be a great team this year. They are too young in the backcourt, they still need to learn to defend, their best player is injury-prone... there's a reason they only won 19 games last year.
It's frustrating being a fan of a small market team in the NBA. The best players only want to play for major markets, leading to a NBA that has 10 great teams and 20 versions of the Washington Generals. And when a small market team does develope a great player, there's a countdown until that player leaves via free agency. It's frustrating.
But at this point in the team's progress, that's not an issue. Instead, we're seeing the journey and hoping this team can come together and improve.
They have players that can step forward- Sexton, Garland, Okoro, Windler, KPJ. Drummond is an excellent player who is, unfortuantely, playing in an era that works against his skillset. Love, when healthy, can still play well.
But I think the single most important person for the Cavaliers next year is J.B. Bickerstaff. If Sexton or Garland step up, the team will do well. But if Bickerstaff coaches these players well- defines their roles and puts them in a place where they can succeed- then all of the young players can improve. It may not show in the standings this year, but it will show eventually.
The win total this year will not be fun. But the journey might be.
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