Expectations are not high, but Cleveland Cavaliers have plenty of potential

The start of the 2018 NBA season brings quite a bit of change to the shores of Lake Erie. This time around the Cleveland Cavaliers kicked off the season with no media circus, no national television broadcast, and no real expectations from those outside of Northeast Ohio.

A couple of key differences were noticeable right from the start of the game that bode well for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

They are willingly making passes to the open man, and are often times making the extra pass to maximize their possessions. The ball is not going to stick with an individual, as it often did when LeBron James was on this team.

James was in command of the offense the past four years, and he did a masterful job running the offense. But often times James was a safety net, and would have to bail out quite a few possessions.

With James gone, there is no one to turn to when the shot clock is running down or the team needs a bucket. This will force players on Cleveland to get comfortable with the ball in their hands in crucial minutes or when the clock is winding down.

Cedi Osman showed flashes of talent early in the game, scoring seven early points to lead the Cavaliers. Osman brings an aggressive and energetic attitude when he is on the floor. Over time he is a guy that will come into his own and be a key piece for this franchise moving forward.

Overall Osman poured in 17 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out four assists. Those were very impressive numbers from the Cavaliers new starting forward.

Rookie Collin Sexton had a ho-hum debut (with nine points and three rebounds) for the Wine & Gold, but did still show some promise. Sexton is a tough, hard-nosed defender and not going to back down from anyone.

His “Young Bull” nickname is something he does not take for granted and he will be a player the Cavaliers fan base can rally behind. Sexton will surely hound players for a full 94-feet and make his opposition work for every basket.

Something that has not changed from seasons past is the Cavaliers’ ability to crash the offensive glass. Both Tristan Thompson and Kevin Love could be seen underneath the basket fighting off multiple red jerseys in order to gain an extra possession for the Wine & Gold.

With the offense struggling to shoot the ball for much of the game, gaining extra possessions and getting easy baskets near the rim kept the Cavs hanging around. For the game, Cleveland grabbed 14 offensive rebounds.

Love looked comfortable in his new role on the team. As the sole member left of the once vaunted “Big Three,” Love will have to once again re-adjust his game to best suit the Cavaliers.

That is one thing Love seemingly has perfected over the years in Cleveland, adjusting to his team’s needs. With 21 points and eight rebounds, Love’s stats were good overall, but he did have stretches where he did not make much of an impact. However, Love’s leadership and calm demeanor in the huddle and on the court is invaluable.

Cleveland had trouble stopping the one-two punch of the Raptors, though, as Kyle Lowry poured in  a game-high 27 points (5-of-6 from three-point range) and dished out eight assists. New addition Kawhi Leonard scored 24 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, as well as locking down Cleveland players for much of the night.

Another good sign tonight was the fight Cleveland showed after going down by 20 points early in the second half. Younger teams like the Cavaliers can often times just dissolve when faced with such a big deficit, but Cleveland did not.

Even down 15 points entering the final 12 minutes, Cleveland would battle back and keep the game within striking distance. The Toronto lead would dwindle to seven points thanks to a surge by Jordan Clarkson, who had 15 points, and displayed why he had such rave reviews in training camp.

Nonetheless, the Cavaliers could not get closer, and went down by a final of 116-104.

While dropping the opener was not apart of the Cavaliers’ game plan, they can certainly hang their hats on their resolve and tough demeanor on the road. Toronto figures to challenge for the top seed in the East once again, and Cleveland took their best shot and answered back with one of their own.

Wins are going to be tougher to come by this season, but Cleveland surely has the right attitude moving forward. With more time to gel and form a more cohesive unit out there on the hardwood, this Cleveland team could challenge for a playoff spot by season’s end.