The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, 82-53, in their Summer League opener on Friday night.
It was an interesting day, as some of the Cavalier hopefuls got to play their first game in front of Wine and Gold fans, coaches and audition for other teams.
Here are some of the notable takeaways from Day 1.
Edy and Kay
Edy Tavares and Kay Felder headline the team and their play on the court was reflective of that fact.
Tavares scored a team-high 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
Felder scored 10 points, but shot only 2-for-11 from the field and 0-for-6 from deep. Felder has not been known for his jump shot and while summer may be an opportunity to work on that aspect of his game, he took several ill-advised three-point attempts throughout the game.
White Lights It Up
Syracuse product Andrew White on the other hand showed off his impressive long-range shooting, knocking down 4-of-7 field goal attempts, 2-of-4 from downtown.
He only needed 12 minutes to score 11 points, the third-most of anyone on the court and second-leading scorer for the Cavs.
The 6-foot-7 guard clearly can shoot and this summer will be about seeing what else he brings to the table, aside from being an outside threat.
Brandon Paul’s Hustle
Paul was not afraid to dive for loose balls and used defense to create offense.
The 26-year-old looked more polished than some of the younger players on the court and came with an intensity and level of effort that stood out compared to the players around him.
Paul swiped three steals, grabbed five rebounds and scored eight points, shooting just 3-of-11 from the field.
Casey Prather Solid on Both Ends
The Florida product, who became a star in Australia had one of the better two-way performances of the day.
He scored eight points on 2-of-8 shooting, grabbed four rebounds, but his three blocks were what stood out most. Prather played solid defensively and stayed in front of his man most of the night.
At 6-foot-6, Prather has the type of body the Cavs could certainly use when it comes to defending versatile wings and he knocked down a wide open look for three, as well.
T.J. Williams Provides a Spark Off the Bench
We knew Williams was an explosive player and he came right in and showed that in his Summer League debut. The point guard scored eight off the bench on 4-of-5 shooting, swiping two steals and dishing out three assists.
Williams was able to push the tempo of the offense and get the Cavs into the fastbreak smoothly.
Although he’ll be playing behind Felder in these Summer League games, he is one of the more dynamic players on Cleveland’s roster and there was a lot to like about his first game.
Sam Cassell Jr. Makes Most of His Minutes
Cassell Jr. only played 12 minutes, but made a big impact, knocking down 2-of-5 three-pointers and scoring eight points.
Expect him to get more of a look in upcoming games, especially if Felder gets a game off to give Williams and Cassell Jr. more playing time.
Gill and Jones Do The Little Things
Anthony Gill looked like one of the more poised players on the court, as the Virgina standout grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds in 26 minutes. He was in the right place at the right time and played under control, while some of the other young players seemed to be out of their comfort zone.
Roosevelt Jones was another guy who seemed to find himself in the right spot more often than not.
Jones was one of the better defenders on the court and also grabbed 10 boards. His plus-minus of +29 was no coincidence and although he’s not one of the more prolific scorers, he showed off a beautiful floater in the second quarter.
What to Watch for Saturday
Gerald Beverly and Sir’Dominic Pointer are two guys who we’ll look to see more out of when the Cavs play the Houston Rockets 10 pm Saturday night.
Pointer only played five minutes Friday and Beverly shot a rough 1-for-5 from the field.
Malcolm Thomas should also get some action after not seeing the court in the Summer League opener.
White, Williams, Gill, Jones, Paul and Prather all had some impressive moments Friday night and we’ll see if they can continue to trend in the right direction in game number two.
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