The Cleveland Cavaliers had not played a basketball game in give months, but that changed this week as the preseason began for the NBA. The Cavs played a back-to-back set on the road, and we got our first look at the 2021-22 version of the team.
The first game was an ugly one, a 131-95 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night. The Cavs rebounded the next evening, dropping the Atlanta Hawks with a tight 99-96 victory. While this is the preseason, and every result should be taken with a grain of salt, there is still plenty we can learn about the team in its first action.
The Cavs played the first 96 minutes of their season. What are 10 observations from their preseason debut games?
1. Evan Mobley showed some exciting flashes
Anyone suggesting that Evan Mobley is a finished product is clearly not watching the basketball games, as the rookie made plenty of errors across two games. He also had a number of plays that showed off his sky-high potential. Against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday his first field goal was a vicious driving dunk, and then followed that up with a pair of alley-oop dunks.
Defensively he was equally impressive, finishing with four blocks across two games and altering a number of other shots. ESPN’s Mike Schmitz highlighted his impact in the Atlanta game:
Evan Mobley's defensive versatility was on full display against the Hawks last night. Changed so many shots around the rim, especially with his left hand. Really comfortable sliding on the perimeter with wings and guards alike. Connects the dots on both ends of the floor. pic.twitter.com/wGYFUXEiFU
— Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) October 7, 2021
The rookie has a long ways to go, and he needs to develop his outside shot to help the offense when he and Jarrett Allen are on the court together. That being said he showed us in a number of moments how special he is going to be.