The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the San Antonio Spurs 82-70 in their second summer league game to remain undefeated so far this summer. The Cavs came out on fire and built up a large lead early. While the lead was whittled down throughout the game, the Cavs remained in control and were able to put the Spurs away in the games closing minutes.
Anthony Bennett set the tone early for the Cavs. He hit a three pointer and an 18 footer to get things going and was all over the boards. The work he's put in since the season ended is incredibly evident as his motor and conditioning have improved dramatically. He also appears to have reduced the tunnel vision that he was afflicted with throughout his rookie season. He rotated the ball well and took his shots within the flow of the offense. Bennett also managed to get through the game without committing a single foul and finished with an impressive 13 points, 14 rebounds and 2 assists.
He also is trying to take Kyrie's starting PG spot...
Taking shots within the flow of the offense seems to be a common theme thus far in summer league. The offense appears to be in constant motion and the players seem aware of where they should be at all times. While there were obviously some points where this was not the case and a few mental lapses, it's impressive that David Blatt has got a group of players that have not been together for very long to play as a cohesive unit.
Andrew Wiggins also continued to impress. His defense is as good as advertised and on several occasions he flashed his lightning quick first step and ability to get to the free throw line. The Spurs doubled him quite frequently and tried to force him to put the ball in the floor under heavy pressure. While it resulted in a few mistakes, he did improve as the game went on and was able to read the double as it developed and passed the ball off. His efficiency isn't there yet, but if he can continue getting to the line and playing defense at a high level it'll be impossible to keep him off the court. He finished with 13 points, 3 boards and 2 blocks.
While he might be a long shot to make the Cavaliers' roster, Will Cherry has been very impressive so far in summer league. He hit some massive three pointers towards the end of the game and looked very confident handling the ball. With Matthew Dellavedova's contract status still up in the air, he's certainly making a push for a spot on the roster.
Other thoughts:
- Joe Harris made his summer league debut. He appeared to be laboring a little bit on the court with his sprained ankle and was forced to put up a few contested shots late in the shot clock. He didn't look awful, but he didn't exactly show off the floor spacing the Cavs are hoping to receive from him.
- Delly did a good job running the offense overall. But it's apparent that his handle has not improved by much so far over the summer. If his contract is going to get picked up for next season, he'll need to try and make his presence felt rather than just fade into the background.
- Jack Cooley looked pretty good Sunday afternoon. He hit a few jumpers and was decisive in the post. I just wish he was a few inches taller.