5 Takeaways from the Cleveland Cavaliers First NBA Game

The Cavaliers’ new catchphrase, “Hey Cleveland, what’s not to like?” could be a poor choice if the Cavs make a habit of Monday night’s season opening performance against the Toronto Raptors.

The slogan, inspired by Nick Gilbert’s response to a question during the NBA lottery, could be used as a starting point for fans to voice their frustrations with a rebuilding franchise. After a dreadful season from the Browns, and the Indians falling short of high expectations from a remarkable start, the Cavs will have a short window of fan positivity, where many fans already feel this season’s only result will be another lottery pick.

So, what’s not to like? There were a couple items to mention after Cleveland’s season opener, along with a few to like as well.

Like: Tristan Thompson’s Performance

Tristan Thompson played outside of the spotlight on Monday, coming off the bench with most of the attention placed on the performance of Kyrie Irving. Thompson had an array of powerful dunks that electrified the crowd, coming from offensive rebounds and a no-look pass from Ramon Sessions.

Thompson’s 14 points and five rebounds in 17 minutes closely mirrors the per-minute point total from Ramon Sessions' team high, as well as the per-minute rebound total from Anderson Varejao’s 10 rebounds in 33 minutes.

Thompson, who held a 48.7 free throw percentage at Texas, even gave a great performance at the stripe by converting 6 of 8.

Not to Like: Poor Shooting from Jamison and Irving

The Cavs’ starters were outscored by the bench 51-45, continuing the trend set within the short preseason. The results aren’t necessarily defined by the Cavs’ personnel, as Omri Casspi and Kyrie Irving traded positions with Gee and Sessions in the starting lineup. Casspi was noticeably absent after his strong preseason game against Detroit, only scoring 2 points on 0 of 4 shooting.

Casspi’s poor shooting was a blip on the radar compared to Antawn Jamison and Kyrie Irving’s combined 8 of 32 for a depressing .250 shooting percentage. 

Kyrie Irving’s success in the preseason was characterized by impressive drives to the hoop and a faulty jump shot, while the season opener featured more of the latter to result in a 2 for 12, 6 point total.

Antawn Jamison’s shooting was just as dismal, falling short of the expectations for the No. 1 scoring option. Of all players with more than 20 field goal attempts on Monday night, Jamison’s 6 of 20 for 15 points was the worst, with Brandon Jennings of the Bucks coming closest with 8-21 for 22 points.

Like: Alonzo Gee Steps Up After Scary Fall

Alonzo Gee did little during the preseason to warrant a position in the starting lineup, leading to Byron Scott’s preference of bringing Gee off the bench against the Raptors. Scott has talked about the correlation between Gee’s confidence and performance, noting he needs to stop thinking on the floor and just start playing.

After a scary fall in the first half, Gee might have knocked the self-talk out of his head, creating a more natural style of play that Byron Scott has been looking for. Gee went on to score 13 points on 5 of 7 shooting, along with three rebounds, three steals and three assists.

Not to Like: Raptors Shooting 53 Percent from the Field

Any team in the NBA is going to have problems when their opposition shoots above 50 percent, and last year’s 25th-ranked offense in the Cavaliers are certainly no exception.

There wasn’t a shot that gave the Raptors problems, going 11 of 13 from the free throw stripe and 9 of 21 from outside the arc. The Raptors' well-rounded attack saw seven players in double figures.

Sometimes you just catch a hot team, but that shouldn’t stop Byron Scott from re-focusing the team on defensive pressure.

Like: Austin Carr’s Announcing

I’m a big fan of Austin Carr and the entertainment provided during every Cavaliers game. Here’s a few nuggets of wisdom from “Mr. Cavalier”:

(After a huge Tristan Thompson slam dunk)
"Whooo hooo, he’ll throw you in that basket in a minute."

(When asked how correctable Kyrie’s poor shooting is)
"Ooh that’s easy, that’s just a comfortable feeling, he’s a little tight."

(After a horrible Jamison miss)
Woo weey!

(After another big dunk from Tristan Thompson  in the 4th quarter)
"Gimme that ball! I want the ball, and THROW THE HAMMER DOWN!"