Cavs: 10 observations on the first two preseason games

Cavs: 10 observations on the first two preseason games – The Bad

5. Lack of strength inside

Evan Mobley is built like he spends the offseason advertising for car dealerships. Lauri Markkanen is not much more filled out than he is. Even Jarrett Allen lacks the lower body heft of many interior players. While Allen is a great rim protector and Mobley should develop into one, and both are efficient finishers inside, none of the Cavs’ top bigs have a lot of strength.

That plays out on both ends of the court. Repeatedly Mobley and Markkanen were bumped off of their spots as they tried to score. Against the Hawks, Mobley tried to drive inside multiple times and was unable to finish through contact. It also showed up as rebounders, when both Mobley and Markkanen would have good positioning but lose a rebound to a stronger player.

Defensively it was even more painful, as both teams took advantage to finish inside. None was more painful than the dunk of the preseason thus far (and honestly, perhaps the dunk of the year already):

https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1445932698443288583

I’m sorry you had to watch that.

6. Cedi Osman is hopeless on defense

J.B. Bickerstaff played Cedi Osman as a key rotation player in both games, the primary backup to Isaac Okoro. Offensively he flashed at times, hitting shots and tossing up a lob pass for an Evan Mobley throw-down. The problem was on defense, where he was repeatedly beaten backdoor or simply in isolation. It’s almost as if he wasn’t out there on defense. Given the reality of playing defense with Darius Garland, Collin Sexton and Lauri Markkanen all in the rotation, the Cavs can’t afford to have a sieve on the wing.

7. Isaac Okoro’s shot looks broken

Last season Isaac Okoro shot 29 percent from the 3-point line. Among players who took at least three long-range shots a game (minimum: 20 games played) that ranked 4th-worst in the entire league (brutally, Damyean Dotson ranked 3rd; last season was painful). This offseason his focus was going to be on improving that shot to help the offense breathe.

That growth has not occurred, and the offense was suffocated when he was on the court. When Okoro did shoot his aim was horrifically off, going 1-for-5 from deep. They were nearly all wide-open attempts, as defenses effectively ignored him on the perimeter to clog the paint against drives from Sexton and Garland. Sometimes Okoro passed up the open shot and drove inside to make something happen, resulting in a whole lot of nothing and one charge committed. The mirror image of Osman, Okoro’s defense (which had some real moments) may not be enough to balance out his lack of offense.