Random dribbles entering the Cavaliers’ game at Orlando on Monday (7 p.m. EST).
1. JaVale McGee is the second thing that comes to mind when I think of the Cavs. Collin Sexton, of course, being the first.
2. That’s not me saying McGee is the second best player on the team. But I do find him to be the biggest surprise, and a player who is making a real difference in reserve.
3. I love how McGee brings a winning mentality to an otherwise fairly young squad. He won a championship last season with the Lakers. He two more before that with the Warriors (2017 and ’18).
4. So don’t mention the word “tanking” around McGee. He wants no part of that. And frankly, I don’t think the Cavs as an organization do, either.
5. McGee has been everything coach J.B. Bickerstaff has hoped for off the bench — and more. Some around the team have said that McGee has eased the hurt of losing Tristan Thompson, now a starter with the Celtics. Thompson is the better player, a team source said, but McGee is the better fit with this group of Cavs.
6. Through the first six games, McGee is averaging 10.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and shooting 53 percent from the field. Along with center Andre Drummond and forward Larry Nance Jr., McGee is excellent defender near the rim, altering shots and daring small players to challenge him inside.
7. It’s been a long time since the Cavs had a rim-protector like Drummond. It’s seemingly been about 48 since years they had TWO — as they do in Drummond and McGee. And yes, you can throw Nance in there, too.
8. This isn’t to say McGee is going to alter the franchise for years to come. He may not even do so beyond this season, as McGee has an expiring contract of $4 million. But for the Cavs in the early season, McGee has been quite the find. Along with all that, he’s just been fun to watch.
9. And all GM Koby Altman had to do to land McGee was trade Jordan Bell and Alfonzo McKinnie to the Lakers. Neither would have played in Cleveland.
10. As for the team overall, Sexton has been drawing tons of praise from outside sources. The Cavs and their fans already know what he can do. So it’s nice to see the rest of the NBA nation giving him some love.
11. Former Cavs center and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins was the first to say “I told y’all” about Sexton.
12. Heat legend Dwyane Wade also weighed in over the weekend. “Collin Sexton has figured it out! I love watching guys come into their own,” Wade tweeted. “Keep an eye on him everyone!”
13. At any rate, this is going to be a toughie for the Cavs. It really is expected to be a “schedule loss.” The Magic (4-2) have lost two straight after winning their first two. They are at home and are due to win.
14. Meanwhile, the Cavs (4-2) are already coming off a hard-fought road win over the Hawks on Saturday. They are on the road and due to lose.
15. That said, this team has been full of pleasant surprises this early season. You never know what you’re going to get, but what you get has often been good.
16. Basically, Bickerstaff said before the season he wanted the Cavs to be a pesky team that opponents hate to see. That is the team they are today.
17. Cavs guard Darius Garland is a game-time decision with a strained shoulder, Bickerstaff said. The coach added that Isaac Okoro could make his return from a bum foot. Okoro is no longer in the league’s safety protocol. It appears Okoro is also a game-time call.
