Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 Developing Story Lines

Cavaliers basketball is back! Enough arguing decimals on how you split the pie, enough who’s the next star in New York or Los Angeles, enough missing games from a lockout. Time to see what the Cavs latest draft picks will produce on the floor, and if the Cavs will remain a team with a large number of ping-pong balls at the end of the season.

Friday’s preseason opener against Detroit was a story of two teams with a number of similarities as they both rebuild to regain the prestige associated with each franchise over the past decade. Both teams are slowly losing role players from their better years and infusing their roster with young talent provided by disappointing seasons.

As the Cavaliers start to figure out how much progress has been made and what path to follow next, the following story lines should be prevalent during this lockout-shortened 66-game season.

Will Kyrie Irving Lead Cavs in Scoring?

With Baron Davis gone and Ramon Sessions at point guard, a majority of last year’s scoring will not be on the court at the same time as Kyrie Irving. This disparity turned into opportunity during Friday night’s preseason opener, resulting in Kyrie leading the team in scoring with 21 points.

Irving was most effective when driving to the basket, hitting a number of runners, but also creating contact to go to the line. Irving shot 15 free throws, converting on 13, with four of those free throws used to ice the game at the end of the fourth quarter.

Irving can take a beating like Allen Iverson when driving to the hoop, but he’ll also get dirty by diving for loose balls. Irving had fans holding their breath after taking a hard fall on his wrist, but Kyrie toughed through any pain on his way towards getting the win.

His play with the Cavaliers’ starters is still to be seen, and whether his role will change to orchestrator in order to utilize Jamison and Varejao in the post, and Anthony Parker on the perimeter.

How Raw Is Tristan Thompson?

Tristan’s slow start to the preseason was marked by four fouls in the second quarter, and little production on the offensive end. Thompson offset the horrible start by making a key block and dunk with about nine minutes left in the fourth. 

Thompson finished his streak of impressive play by sliding across the block for a huge block on Detroit’s Greg Monroe. The block excited Byron Scott, who was the first to greet the rookie on the sidelines with positive feedback for his improved play.

Thompson finished the game with eight points, four rebounds, and two blocks in 22 minutes of play. Thompson's issues at the free throw line were also on display, going 4-for-8 for the night. The Cavs will need Byron Scott’s enthusiasm for improvement, possibly channeling his inner-Paul Silas to develop Thompson’s offensive game as the former Cavs coach did with Carlos Boozer.

Will Antawn Jamison End Season with the Cavs?

Under the new collective bargaining agreement, the following benefits are available to teams under the salary cap: 

 - Teams under the salary cap can provide a Mid Level Exception of $5 million for four years, opposed to $3 million for three years for teams above the salary cap.

 - Teams under the salary cap have greater flexibility in sign-and-trade deals to take on more money, while having the ability to reduce salaries as much as they’d like.

 - Luxury taxes are greatly increased for teams above the salary cap.

All of this accounts to an increased importance of being under the salary cap. Antawn Jamison’s huge expiring contract could help a team reduce their cap space next year, along with picking up a talented veteran that could help make a run into the playoffs. 

Jamison showed with value in a limited 21 minutes of action, scoring 13 points, along with six rebounds. Jamison could be the Cavs’ leading scorer this year, and a leader in the locker room for both Thompson and Irving. We'll see if those benefits outweigh what could be discovered on the trade market.

How Long Will the Eyenga Project Last?

Eyenga won’t get a better opportunity to show his skills than the one presented on Friday night against a depleted Detroit. The showcase was uninterrupted by competing teammates vying for playing time, as Omri Casspi was a healthy scratch for the night.

Eyenga played a majority of the second and fourth quarters with Irving and Thompson, mixing in a highlight-making block with getting faked out of his jock to give up an important two points in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter.

In 24 minutes of play, Eyenga accounted for two points and one block, while turning the ball over six times. Eyenga must improve in order to keep his playing time from going to Alonzo Gee or Casspi.

How Low Can Attendance Go?

Friday night’s preseason opener at The Palace appeared to be a minor league hockey game after glancing at the stands, not a game featuring two of the game’s hottest young prospects. Yes, the game was preseason, but both teams and many around the league must worry about a backlash from fans from the long holdout. The hope of creating a level playing field has already been bashed by Chris Paul’s move to Los Angeles, leaving fans questioning the purpose of the holdout.

In 2010-11, the Cavs benefited from fans misplaced trust of LeBron’s loyalty to Cleveland, but now those season ticket purchasers will be severely reduced for a team that is once again rebuilding.

With a league constantly moving towards amassing talent on a handful of teams, can the Cavaliers convince fans it’s worth visiting Quicken Loans Arena for the Pistons, Pacers, Bucks, and other small-market teams?