The Cleveland Cavaliers kept up their hot streak in the Summer League, as they won their third straight game against the Memphis Grizzlies. They currently have the best record in the Summer League at 3-0.
The Cavaliers blew out the Grizzlies, as they won by 23 points, which funnily enough, was the same point differential that the Cavs had against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night. During the first half, the score was somewhat closely knit. It was only a nine-point game, so there was definitely room for a comeback.
However, during the third quarter and 4th quarter, the Cavaliers outscored Memphis by 14 points, which led them to getting the victory. The team brand of basketball the Cavs played was really impressive, as Cleveland had 23 assists compared to Memphis’ 17 assists.
One really key part of the night was Cleveland’s nine-of-18 shooting from distance, a blistering 50 percent. The Cavs’ ball movement plus the amazing shooting from the whole squad really gave Cleveland the boost they needed to be able to pull away with the victory, which as of now, they go into the game against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday with all the momentum in the world.
The Cavs’ victory is really impressive, as they have the highest point differential for any Summer League team, at +16.7 points per game. This team is bulldozing through their opposition, and now they have a really great chance to win the Summer League title.
Their team style of basketball was really impressive, but, there were two players who really stood out tonight. Those players, we will get to in a minute. Before getting into those two players, let’s some other key contributors.
Craig Porter Jr. played really well as the team’s sixth man, and put up 12 points and six rebounds, along with two offensive boards. He also had six assists, a steal and had the Cavaliers’ second-best plus-minus of the whole game at plus-22.
Khalifa Diop played pretty well, too. Even though he only had two points, his defense was there. He also grabbed nine rebounds, which was really important. The rebound battle helped Cleveland win, as they had a plus-five rebound advantage throughout the whole game.
With that all being said, here are my two key points from the Cavs’ victory, starring Cleveland’s two stars from the most recent game.
Key Takeaway No. 1: Emoni Bates deserved to go higher than No. 49
This take might be a bit too soon. Despite that, Emoni Bates showed his potential throughout this whole game, making difficult shots, and practically scoring at will. His offensive versatility was on full display in this game, as he had 21 points.
Another thing to mention is Bates had two steals. He was really disruptive in passing lanes. He still isn’t an otherworldly defender, but he should improve on that end in time. As a player who has a negative wingspan, being able to accumulate steals is really important.
I was really high on Emoni Bates when he was coming into the 2023 NBA Draft, I’ll admit it. Bates could’ve been the perfect selection with their second round pick that was 49th overall. As of now, some of his play has been encouraging in Summer League, and his basketball game is oozing with potential.
Bates also had great efficiency against Memphis, which was a pleasant sign. He was shooting 33 percent from the field going into the game on Monday, which wasn’t great. Still, it seems that he’s starting to get more comfortable, as he shot seven-of-11 from the field, as well as five-of-eight from distance.
Bates’ jump shot is smooth, and has a good release point. Some NBA prospects come into the league having their jump shot out of sorts. Conversely, though, Bates doesn’t have to worry as much about his jump shooting, as he should mainly worry about defense and playmaking.
If he can become a better defender and better passer, he can get his name on the All-Star ballot multiple times.
Key Takeaway No. 2: Sam Merrill needs more minutes
Sam Merrill was the star of the show in this game. He had 27 points, and also knocked down eight of his 11 three-point attempts. Every time Merrill got himself off of a screen, he had the confidence and poise to be able to knock down a triple.
Merrill’s jump shot is really quick. Defenders barely have time to react to his shot, and by that point, the ball will be already out of his hands. Merrill is a career 37.5 percent three-point shooter. Granted, he’s only played 41 games in his whole NBA career, and has only averaged 8.5 minutes per game in those games.
In college, where Merrill got a lot of minutes, he was a career 42.0 percent three-point shooter at Utah State. That percentage shows that Merrill has the ability to be an incredible, knockdown shooter. Having a player like Merrill in the lineup could really open the floor for the Cavs’ slashers, such as Donovan Mitchell and Isaac Okoro.
The commentators mentioned in the game that Merrill was the new best sharpshooter in Summer League history. Max Strus had the previous record of seven three-pointers in a singular Summer League game, but as of now, his new teammate, Sam Merrill, owns that title.
The Cavs’ backcourt depth is full as of now. Ty Jerome, Ricky Rubio, Caris LeVert, Max Strus, and Isaac Okoro are all players who can play either backup point guard or backup shooting guard. But as a differentiator, Merrill has something that none of those players have, and that is deadly accuracy from beyond the arc. That could be a reason why he could get more minutes come regular season, even if it’s a long shot.
The Cavaliers could get their first Summer League championship this year, considering how well their team has played together. As of now, it’s too early to tell. Fortunately, there is a good chance that they’ll be in the semifinal round, as the four teams with highest scores will be in competition for that championship.
As of now the Cavaliers have a good shot it seems.