Thoughts On The Wine Versus Gold Scrimmage

Tonight Cavalier fans got their first taste of this year’s highly anticipated team with the annual Wine Versus Gold scrimmage at Quicken Loans Arena. I attended the game with my lovely wife and a few things stood out to me besides the enjoyment of a rare night away from our two (wonderful) kids.

There have been some rumors that Tristan Thompson may start at center over Anderson Varejao this season. If tonight was any indication, that is the way the team was leaning. Thompson was the first team center during pregame drills and started for the Wine alongside Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters, LeBron James, and Kevin Love. Chances are Thompson, Varejao, and Love will all play heavy minutes this season, so who actually starts at center is likely more about fit with the first and second units and keeping Varejao healthy than anything else.
Speaking of Thompson, he appears to be in remarkable shape this season. Thompson has put on muscle throughout his career, but this fall he his absolutely jacked. He has both size and definition and this added strength should help him hold his own in the paint.
Many see either Brendan Haywood or Lou Amundson as the fourth big on the squad, but the real fit there may be Shawn Marion. Thompson and Varejao will probably split most of the center minutes with Love moving over there in smallball lineups. All three men can also play power forward and Marion will likely get some minutes at the four as well when he is playing alongside LeBron besides serving as his backup.
This does not mean that Haywood won’t help with rim protection. This was the first time I have ever seen him play in person and he is absolutely massive. Don’t get me wrong, he looks fit, but Haywood has the kind of size that simply deters the opposition from attacking the paint. He altered several shots, grab rebounds, and did a nice job moving the ball on offense. While he didn’t show much touch with his shot, Haywood does look like he could help the team in the right role.
If this scrimmage was critical to Amundson making the team (it’s not) he would likely be cut. David Griffin was with Amundson in Phoenix and knows that his strengths are rebounding, running the floor and playing defense with energy. Amundson did all of these things tonight, but he was also looking to score. He shouldn’t. Ever. Amundson simply has no touch on his shot and missed every shot he took. The only shots he takes should come off of dunks and putbacks. That being said, he was always in the right place at the right time, crashed the boards, and ran the floor. A team could do a lot worse for a reserve big man who will likely only play when one of the men ahead of him is unavailable.
The big three of James, Love, and Irving as well as Dion Waiters all looked extremely impressive on offense. Irving and James already seem to have a special chemistry and seemed to make one another even better. Irving’s behind-the-back pass that led to a James dunk was arguably the best play of the night.
Finally, the offense seems to a bit ahead of the defense. This is no surprise considering both the offensive skills of the the players on the team as well as the fact that they were likely looking to entertain the crowd as much as anything. Still, the spacing, shooting, and basketball I.Q. of this team as well as David Blatt’s offensive scheme should make the Cavaliers an amazingly fun team to watch.

The Cavaliers are in action again this Sunday night when they open the preseason against David Blatt’s old team, Maccabi Tel Aviv. While the Cavaliers will have a huge advantage in talent, it will still be exciting to see them in a competitive game for the first time.