Final Score: Cavaliers get blown out by Hawks 133-111

The Cleveland Cavaliers were embarrassed in their home opener 133-111 by the Atlanta Hawks.

The road team set a franchise record of 21 made three pointers, lead by Trae Young’s 35 point 11 assist dismantling of the Wine and Gold. Omari Spellman, DeAndre Bembry, and Kent Bazemore also got in on the three point barrage. Systematically destroying the Cavs lackluster defense.

Despite a strong start to the game, the Cavaliers were unable to regain their rhythm after the Hawks responded to their opening run. While the team received some good individual outings from George Hill, Jordan Clarkson, and Rodney Hood, their success largely came outside of the flow of the offense.

Game Notes:

• Second quarter blues continue. After a phenomenal first half, the Cavs let the Hawks get back in the game and blew their 15 point lead. As was the case in the first two outings for the team, the stretches of great play have been paired with stretches of disjointed play. At times it appears as though the absence of a clear hierarchy offensively is leading to the players to be tentative and too unselfish.
• Rodney Hood showed some life in the third quarter scoring all 13 of his points. Both he and Jordan Clarkson had positive games offensively. However as previously mentioned they still haven’t really found a way to be productive within the flow of the offensive yet.
• The Cavs defense was once again atrocious. With Larry Nance Jr. on the floor the team seemed completely incapable of covering any of the Hawks bigs in the pick and roll and frequently conceded open looks from three. The effort is there, it just doesn’t seem to be channeled in a productive manner.
• Trae Young is the real deal. The rookie point guard was mesmerizing and a huge part of the Hawks second quarter run. His ability to read the floor and create for himself and others is going to help Hawks fans cope with what will likely be a tough season. He didn’t let up throughout the night as he torched whoever the Cavs tried putting in front of him.
• Speaking of rookie point guards, the growth Collin Sexton showed in the Minnesota game didn’t appear to stick as he had his worst game as a pro. He settled for midrange shots far too many times, made poor decisions while driving and gambled too much defensively.
• On a positive note, it appears as though Tristan Thompson is healthy and productive again. If the Cavs are going to keep having stretches of disjointed offensive play as they had tonight, his ability to generate extra possessions is going to be valuable.
• Cedi Osman came back down to earth tonight. He seemed to be pressing a little bit early on and clearly had tired legs as the game progressed. Some of his drives to the rim were a little reckless and weren’t rewarded with calls as a result. However he did seem to settle down towards the end of the fourth quarter. Hopefully he can translate that into a strong bounce-back game Wednesday night against the Brooklyn Nets.