Cleveland Cavaliers: NBA Summer League 2017 preview
By Ryan Stein
The Cleveland Cavaliers will tip off their play at the Las Vegas Summer League today.
The first game of the preliminary round is today, Friday, July 7 at 6:30 p.m. est vs. Milwaukee Bucks. The following two games are on July 8 vs. Houston Rockets at 10:00 p.m. est. and July 10 vs. Golden State Warriors at 10:30 p.m. est. The Cleveland Cavaliers get another chance against the Warriors, this time in the summer league.
With such few games, there are many important things to look for in a little amount of time.
The crucial players to watch are the young players who are expected to play a role next year on the regular season roster. This includes Walter (Edy) Tavares, Andrew White, T.J. Williams, and, of course, little-big guy — Kay Felder.
Edy Tavares, standing tall at 7’3″, is the only Center on the roster. The NBA, let alone the Cavaliers, is desperately lacking effective big men. Last year the Cavaliers were missing shot blocking and a reliable center off the bench. Edy Tavares, last years G-League player of the year, is exactly what the Cavaliers need. Sadly, like Andrew Bogut, Tavares got injured very quickly in Cleveland; however, we did see him score 6 points and block 6 shots in very few minutes in his first game for the Cavaliers before breaking his hand. Watch Tavares as he develops into the reliable big man off the bench the Cavaliers desire.
We already know what to expect from Kay Felder — stable scoring off the bench. With such limited minutes last year, Cleveland has yet to truly see Felder develop into the tantalizing scorer he was in College. Felder is sure to start for the summer league roster and play significant minutes; look for Felder to average 20+ points per game and continue his transformation into the NBA point guard role.
Related Story: Kay Felder: Diamond in the rough?
Andrew White III is another player to keep an eye on. This exciting three-and-d prospect could be exactly what the Cavaliers need moving forward. Standing tall at 6’7″, White is a capable defender of nearly any position and a knock down three point shooter. Undrafted out of Syracuse, White has a lot to prove in a little amount of time. Expect him to leave it all on the court, proving why he deserves to be J.R. Smith’s successor.
Related Story: Andrew White III
Finally, the last exciting player to watch is T.J. Williams. Williams, also undrafted but out of Northeastern, is a young, flashy guard with the biggest upside on the roster. Similar to Kay Felder. Williams is a proven scorer in college and is capable of taking and making the biggest shots; however, also similar to Felder, Williams is quite young and will not see a lot of regular season minutes if he makes the roster. So, look for Williams to take a high quantity of shots, as he tries to show the coaching staff why he should be the Cavaliers next backup point guard.
Regardless, this summer league season should be fun to watch, as many players have so much to prove in such little time. Can Tavares step up and be the backup center the Cavaliers need? Can Felder continue to develop into a reliable NBA scorer? How will the called up G-League players perform under the increased pressure?
These are all questions awaiting an answer; for now, relax and watch some Cavaliers’ summer basketball.