A few dribbles on the Cavaliers heading into Saturday’s road game against the Pistons (7 p.m. EST) …
1. I’m actually kind of excited to watch the Cavs. That’s something I haven’t said in a while. Don’t misunderstand — I always enjoy watching pro basketball. But sometimes, when you watch 100 games a year, it can start to feel like a job. Heaven forbid, right?
2. So why am I kind of excited? Well, because the Cavs were kind of fun in their season-opening win over the Hornets. Collin Sexton was great in the first half. Darius Garland was excellent in the second. And man, what a game from Larry Nance Jr. Throw in Isaac Okoro and Andre Drummond, and the Cavs were fast, athletic and able to put up points.
3. Overall, the Cavs’ 121 points were the most for a home-opener in franchise history.
4. Granted, it was just one game. The road tends to treat NBA teams very differently. The defense still looked mostly bad — especially in transition. But the Cavs also showed some grit on that end, too. Not always, but sometimes. I attribute that to coach J.B. Bickerstaff. He has his team’s attention and admiration.
5. Yes, Kevin Love (calf) is expected to make his debut tonight. I don’t know if I’m as enamored with that as the Cavs and some fans might be.
6. Love is still a fine player, a veteran offensive threat and someone who will grab close to double-digit rebounds (or more). I’m just not sure how well he fits anymore.
7. For clarity, I’m not saying Love definitely is no longer a fit. I’m saying I’m not sure.
8. One opposing scout had this to say about Love in Sports Illustrated: “I don’t know what Cleveland does with Kevin Love. In recent years, you heard about teams being interested in him. You didn’t hear much of that this offseason. I still think he can play, but Cleveland needs to find a team to take him. He doesn’t fit the direction of the team.”
9. I mostly agree with that. Or as one opposing scout told me this offseason, “It’s probably gotten to the point where the Cavs should just give (Love) away.”
10. The Heat, Nuggets, Pacers and Jazz were among the teams that I heard still had an interest in Love. But that was a few months ago. Mostly, I’m getting the same vibe as the scout in SI. I’m not hearing about much outside interest.
11. Either way, Love is seven points away from scoring 13,000 for his career. When he gets there, he will become just the ninth NBA player to record 13,000 points, 7,000 and 1,000 makes on 3-pointers.
12. Who is charged with keeping those stats, I have no idea.
13. Also, worth noting: Sexton has scored at least 25 points in six straight games dating back to last season.
14. I know there is something else I wanted to mention, but I can’t remember at the moment and I’ve probably droned on long enough. So thanks for reading, enjoy the game and I’ll talk to you soon.
