3 Cavs who have impressed in first two preseason games

3 players who have impressed for Cavs: Caris LeVert

Caris LeVert is the talk of Cleveland right now. After head coach J.B. Bickerstaff announced that it was a six-player competition at small forward, LeVert has started both games thus far at the 3. It appears he is quickly gaining momentum to officially gain the starting position and become a full-time small forward for the Cavs.

LeVert has stood out in training camp and in the preseason, playing the role many didn’t expect he could fill. To be clear, LeVert’s track record still supports pessimism that he can elevate this team as an off-ball, 3-and-D wing at small forward, but a good start is better than a poor one.

Building on his natural skills as an on-ball creator and playmaker, which have both been on display, LeVert has been running in transition whether he has the ball or not. This has helped to set up the Cavs for quality looks early in the shot clock. He also has just a single turnover in two games, a stark contrast to how many of his teammates have been careless with the rock.

How has LeVert looked on defense? He is certainly putting in the effort, but there were also a number of defensive lapses or missed rotations, especially in the second game. The Cavs tried to get cute and do some cross-matching, but that resulted in Tobias Harris roasting Darius Garland multiple times. LeVert has played well, but the skepticism that he can be a ceiling-raising 3 on this team is still present.