The Cleveland Cavaliers Are Ready For The Season

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost 96-91 to the Washington Wizards in their final preseason game, but they are more than ready for the season to begin.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have finished the preseason.

They’ll finish 2-4. Uh oh!, Time to panic! Not quite. Coach Tyronn Lue used his whole arsenal for the final game against the Washington Wizards at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus. He played the projected starters into the third quarter.

LeBron James immediately started the game with a flashback to his chase down block on Andre Iguodala in the Finals against Kelly Oubre. The stakes weren’t as high, but it was a great reminder of the biggest block in Cleveland sports history.

J.R. Smith got his first action in the preseason. He only scored four points on 1-of-4 shooting, and went 1-for-3 from three-point range, but he looked like he didn’t miss a beat with the team. It showed immediately in the floor spacing and ball movement. But the most intriguing player was Kevin Love.

Oct 18, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Washington Wizards forward Markieff Morris (5) defends against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love (0) in the first half at the Jerome Schottenstein Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

He looked the most comfortable on the floor since he joined the Cavaliers. He knew where to go to get his shot, he was aggressive inside, and most importantly, he played with confidence. Love knew he was the better player against Markieff Morris, and knew he couldn’t guard him.

It’s what most Cavalier fans have been wanting to see. If he plays that way during the regular season, this team could be unstoppable.

However, the biggest thing that interested me was the Cavs offense. It already looked like it was in midseason form. The ball movement was fluid, fast and accurate.

The passes made were passes of a veteran team that was comfortable with each other — a team that knew where it’s teammates were going to be at on the floor.

Defensively, they played as a team. It wasn’t the one-on-one defense of last season that got the team in tough situations. They were helping each other and utilizing double teams the correct way.

It’s only preseason, but the team seems whole compared to last year–and if that’s the case, it doesn’t bold well for other teams in the Eastern Conference.

The second half of the game was mainly for the player that will take the final roster spot on the team. Kay Felder has won the backup point guard role for now, so who will earn the last spot?

Some fans think DeAndre Liggins will, but after the bad decision he made towards the end of the game–which was taking a low percentage three-pointer with time left, he might have ruined his chances.

If that’s the case, it could come down to three-point shooter Jonathan Holmes, or big man Cory Jefferson. They both have been the most consistent during the preseason.

Even with the loss, the Cavaliers showed that they are ready for the season to begin, and it finally will on October 25 against the New York Knicks.

This should hopefully be another season to remember for the Cavaliers and the city of Cleveland.