The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Cavs newest point guard leads the way
Team still searching for chemistry, still staggering against the Bulls
LeBron James scored 34 points in a rare start at point guard as the Cavaliers knocked off the Bulls.
Takeaways from the Cavaliers’ 119-112 victory over the Bulls on Oct. 24:
The Cavaliers are designed to be deeper this season, and coach Tyronn Lue isn’t wasting any time showing his bench is going to be a big part of his plan this season.
Even with point guards Isaiah Thomas (hip) and Derrick Rose (ankle) on the bench with injuries, Lue used 10 players in the first quarter of the Cavs’ 119-112 victory over the Bulls on Oct. 24 at Quicken Loans Arena. Lue shuffled Jeff Green in for Kevin Love at 5:48, Channing Frye for Tristan Thompson at 3:56, Iman Shumpert for J.R. Smith at 3:34 and Kyle Korver for Jae Crowder. plus Dwyane Wade for James with 1:23 left in the period.
“Our whole bench was great — Channing, D-Wade, Shump, Jeff,” Lue said. “They bailed us out.”
The bench crew scored nine of the Cavs’ 28 firstquarter points and 46 for the game. Jeff Green scored 16. Wade and Korver each scored 11.
LeBron’s got this
The way the Cavaliers have played the first four games
of the season, it will be at least December before they figure out how to play together.
Meanwhile, as everyone learns to work well with others, as kindergarten teachers try to encourage, James was a oneman show early in the first quarter. He scored 12 of the Cavaliers’ first 19 points and assisted on three other baskets to keep the Cavs in the game after a slow start that left Lue bristling.
“Defensively, we have to get better,” Lue said. “We play teams like this that move around a lot, playing hard, younger guys, we have to do a better job respecting these guys. Until we do, we’re going to be in dogfights every single night.”
The Cavs trailed, 38-28, after the first quarter.
James finished the night with 34 points and 13 assists.
Faster pace
The Cavs came out of the locker room for the second half with renewed energy. They defended better, rebounded better, moved the ball around the perimeter better and played at the fast pace Lue likes for the first half of the period, but they didn’t sustain it.
The surge started with defense, as it always does. The Cavaliers trailed, 6865, at halftime, took their first lead with 8:50 to play in the third on a layup by Thompson and built an 86-78 lead on a jumper by Wade with 5:28 left in the period.
The mojo started to slip about the time Crowder was given a breather, and by the end of the third quarter, the Bulls were back on top, 92-91. Still, the numbers from the third quarter reflected the Cavaliers were taking control; they had 10 of their 26 rebounds to that point in the third, and after having no steals in the first half, they had three in the third quarter.
“We flew around a lot better in the third quarter,” Lue said. “After seeing the film at halftime how slow we were moving, how we didn’t pay attention to detail. We came out in the third quarter locked in and then let our foot off the gas again.”
The Bulls made 17 of 33 3-point shots.
Feeling Felder
Kay Felder played in 42 games as a rookie with the Cavaliers last season, averaging 9.2 minutes and four points a game. He was traded to Atlanta just before the season began and waived by the Hawks.
Felder, 5-foot-9, now plays for the Bulls, and if the early season is an indication of what is to come the spunky guard will have a bigger role with his new team.
Felder scored 15 points in 13 minutes for Chicago in his return to The Q. He averaged 15 minutes and six points. At one point late in the first half he found himself in the precarious position of guarding James out around the top of the arc. James is 11 inches taller. Felder can jump, but not high enough to affect a shot by James. James gave Felder a shoulder fake, got Felder to leave his feet, and as Felder was descending, James easily made a 3 to finish the first half with 23 points.