Hello, Cavalier fans! It’s A.C. – checking in (finally!) for the first time this season. It’s good to be back! On Friday night, Cavs fans will get their first chance to see the No. 1 pick, Kyrie Irving, in action. I’ve had a chance to watch him in practice – and I’m impressed.
I like the way he handles himself. He always goes at his speed – he’s never rushed. He’s not fast, but he’s very deceptive. He handles the ball exceptionally well and he goes to where he wants on the floor. And that, to me, is the key to any point guard at any level – the ability to get to where you want to get when you want to go there. And he can do that.
He’s a pass-first type of point guard, but he can score. And so, when the offense breaks down, if he’s got the ball in his hands, he’s the guy to keep things flowing. He’s just a solid player.
Of course, like most rookies, he’s got a lot to learn. He’s making a HUGE jump. Now, he won’t be playing against high school stars, he’ll be going against the best in the world – guys like Chris Paul. So, it’ll be a different world for him.
Kyrie won’t have the huge pressure of being the top overall pick. It’s not like it used to be.
When I was No. 1, they gave me the ball and said, “Go do it NOW.” It was a different mindset. I think the mindset now is: “Work him into it. Let him get his feet wet.” But I think he’s ready for the challenge.
I’ll also be very curious to watch Tristan Thompson – the Cavs second first rounder – in action, as well.
I love the kid. He’s a very physical player, he runs the floor really well. The kid has a lot of energy. He’s got to work on his jumpshot a little bit. But every other part of the game, he plays well. He’s got a very quick jumper and he covers a lot of ground laterally.
I’m anxious to see Tristan and Andy on the floor together. There’s not going to be much room out there with those two guys. They can both cover a lot of space.
The rookies aren’t the only ones who’ll have an adjustment period. With the short training camp after months off, guys may not have their “game-legs” right away. That’s going to be the biggest thing.
Once training camp is over, it’s much different from when the lights come on for real. When the bright lights come on, your adrenaline is pumping, your nervous system is at work. Everything is working – and that takes energy from you. So it’s going to take the league a while.
The established teams will get off to a better start than young teams or teams making a transition.
The way the vets and young guys mesh is going to interesting. We have enough guys that understand the system from last year. And that’ll help. But our leaders are young, and that’s where Jamison and Andy need to step up. Because the one thing about a quick season like this – if you get going on a negative roll, it’s hard to come out of it, because you don’t have the practice time to straighten it out. The games just keep coming. As best you can, you need to stay out of those long negative periods.
The guys I’m curious to see are, naturally, Alonzo Gee, Samardo, Ryan Hollins. All the guys who were here last year – I want to see who’s going to step up and who worked to take their game to another level. Those are going to be your keepers.
Byron Scott will see if these guys fit his system and have the mindset. You can see Coach Scott’s footprint on the team.
First of all, there’s an up-tempo pace with an emphasis on defense. They want to use their defense to run more. So you have to get guys understanding that if you execute on the defensive end, you can have fun on the offensive end.
A perfect example is Detroit, where they’re trying to establish that mentality right now. They’re trying to make their guys understand that they must play defense first. It’s hard to change that culture with a short training camp and a short season. Our guys have already had a year under their belt with Coach Scott. They understand what he’s looking for and they can bring along the young guys – explain it to them.
I’m expecting this team to make strides. Maybe not big strides, but we should make some strides early in the season. And getting guys like Andy back will be huge. Because our last year our interior defense was a big problem. Andy and Jamison being healthy is going to make a huge difference.
If we get our interior defense together, we get more rebounding and shot-blocking and we get more breaks, more chances to run. Everything improves with improved interior defense.
What this team needs to avoid in the early-going is a negative trend, like last season. In other words, develop the mentality that if you lose two in a row, that third game you’re going to fight, scratch and claw to get that third game. Never drop three straight. That’s the mentality you have to have as you climb the ladder towards a championship contender. After two games, you should be ready to kill the world.
With only two preseason games, I’d like to see that the guys are getting used to the system and getting their feet wet – understanding each other.
When the bright lights come on, guys play different. And so everybody has to understand that, especially the point guard and the guys who run stuff. They need to understand that when the lights come on, guys slip into their comfort zone.
Come out and establish yourself early. Don’t be gun shy. And let’s see where the preseason takes us.