Cavs vs. Bucks preview and game thread
The Cavs look to bounce back after ugly loss in their opener.
The Cavs will look to right the ship against the Bucks in their second Las Vegas Summer League outing.
Who: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Where: COX Pavilion - Las Vegas, NV
When: 3:30 p.m. EST, Sunday July 14
TV: NBA TV
Spread: Cavs -4.5
What to watch for
Getting a competitive game
It was difficult to take too much away from Friday’s blowout loss to the Orlando Magic. The game was all but officially over before halftime which turned an already meaningless exhibition into more of a free-for-all than it should’ve been. This lack of structure made it difficult to evaluate what was real and what wasn’t.
You’d like to not waste these valuable reps for young players like Jaylon Tyson. Hopefully, for everyone’s sake, the Cavs can provide some level of defensive resistance which would go a long way in helping this look like a basketball game.
Craig Porter Jr.’s bounce back
Second-year players typically dominate the lower competition in Summer League. This is especially true when they’ve had some level of success in the NBA like Porter has.
That wasn’t the case on Friday as he went 3-10 from the field. Porter couldn’t organize an offense that was badly in need of someone to provide some structure. He also struggled to get to the rim when the defense went under on screens which is a concerning trend that started during the second half of last season.
This isn’t the most talented Summer League roster. Especially compared with last year’s squad which included Sam Merrill and Isaiah Mobley. Porter is the only proven talent on this team. They need him to play like the guy he’s shown he can be to remain competitive.
Jaylon Tyson’s learning curve
Tyson’s first game was a learning experience. He admitted as much afterward saying he “learned a little bit” from the humbling loss. Tyson’s stat line doesn’t look bad as he contributed 15 points on 50% shooting from the field with eight rebounds, but it was a rough opening quarter. One that isn’t too uncommon for rookies during their first Summer League run.
We’ll see if he’s able to put into practice what he learned from his debut outing.