2020 Training Camp

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Cavs Small Forwards Ready to Fight for Floor Time

by Joe Gabriele (@CavsJoeG)
12/11/20 | Cavs.com

Things in Cavalier-Land are moving fast. And they’re probably moving even faster for rookie Isaac Okoro, who didn’t even know what NBA city he’d be living in three weeks ago. On Saturday night, he’ll suit up for his first game against NBA competition.

Training Camp just tipped off to start the month of December and the Cavaliers will suit up on Saturday night. By the time Santa loads up the sled, the 72-game schedule will be on us.

On Saturday, J.B. Bickerstaff’s squad will begin carving out its identity. Will it be defined by an accomplished group of veteran big men? Will it be the young, talented group of guards that the Cavs accumulated in two previous Drafts?

Or could it be something unexpected – like Cleveland’s intriguing trio at the 3?

It’s a unique grouping – and one that could surprise a lot of people, featuring the squad’s youngest player, a first rounder who hasn’t logged an NBA minute and one of the unit’s grizzled veteran who, entering his fourth season, is one of the team’s most tenured vets.

Coach Bickerstaff now has the task of seeing how it all fits and how the minutes get distributed.

Okoro enters the equation as arguably the most recent Draft’s best overall defender – earning conference All-Defensive Team honors in his single season at Auburn. The Atlanta native, who doesn’t turn 20 until late February, last played competitively on March 7 of last year. And like the rest of his incoming class, he won’t have the luxury of Summer League to work the kinks out.

Rookie forward Isaac Okoro comes in with a real opportunity to help strengthen the Cavaliers defense.
Jimmy Longo/ Cavs.com

The 6-6, 225-pound forward is the first rookie Bickerstaff can remember who asked to go over his defensive practice film.

”It’s been a great experience since day one,” said the reserved rookie. “After practice, I get with the coaches and I get film from that practice and try to break down the offensive and defensive stuff, just to get used to it quick because it’s such a quick turnaround for us – going through camp then preseason then regular season.”

Okoro led Bruce Pearl’s squad that was rebuilding from a Final Four run the previous season to a 25-6 mark while leading the squad in scoring (12.9ppg).

Dylan Windler is on the other end of the spectrum.

After a prolific four-year career at Belmont, the lefty was selected with the 26th overall pick in 2019. He played in both Summer League sessions for Cleveland, averaging double-figure scoring in both Salt Lake City and Las Vegas while doing a majority of the ball-handling.

But Windler suffered a lower leg injury that required surgery, and after an attempted return in late January, the Cavaliers decided to shut him down for the season.

This year, he comes to Camp healthy, but in a potential dogfight for floor time.

”We’re all on the team together, but we’re all fighting for minutes,” said Windler, whose last game was a 35-point, 11-rebound effort in a 2018 Tourney loss to Maryland. “J.B. told us that from day one – nothing’s given right now, everything’s going to be earned. It’s out there for the taking.

”Obviously, we’re all teammates and we like to be friendly and have a good time, but when we step on that court, everybody’s fighting for a job – so if you always keep that in your mind and you play with that kind of mentality, it’s going to show.”

There’s no sin in getting an NBA career off the ground at that age. Hot Rod Williams didn’t get going until after his 24th birthday and it didn’t keep David Robinson out of the Hall of Fame. Dennis Rodman was 25 when he made his league debut.

"It’s a deep position for us. Minutes have to be earned. And we expect, through Training Camp and the preseason, a high level of competition at that spot."

Heading into both of their debuts on Saturday night, Windler’s already sparked a good relationship with his fellow ‘rookie.’

”Me and (Okoro) have been pretty much working out together every day – just before practice we get shots up together, and then right after,” said Windler. “He’s a really good dude. I enjoy playing with him, I enjoy working with him. He’s easy to play with, he’s a ‘defense-first’ guy and he can shoot a little bit better than people may think.

”I just continue to feed him confidence. I know it’s hard coming in as a rookie, being that young. Just feed him confidence and allow him to play the game that he plays. It’s easy to play with him because he gets to the right spots and you feed off his energy.”

One of three seniors taken in the 2019 Draft, Windler came to Camp last year looking to challenge Cedi Osman at the small forward spot. Osman is still waiting and ready to compete.

”Before (the pandemic) happened, with J.B. we were playing some really good basketball – and we beat some really tough opponents – Miami, San Antonio, Denver – and that’s why I’m really excited for this season,” said the fourth-year pro. “As for my role, I’m gonna keep doing my thing. I talked to J.B. – he believes in me; I believe in myself. So, I’m just going to go out there and do my best like I do every year.”

Like the team that went 5-6 under Bickerstaff, Osman was trending upward when the regular season came to its rapid end. Over the last five games, Osman averaged an even 15.0 points per, netting double-figures in four of them and in 25 of his final 38 outings.

Osman also led all Cavaliers frontcourt players in assists last year and paced the squad in steals on 13 occasions.

”Our goal is to get everybody to play to their strengths,” explained Bickerstaff. “What Cedi does is a great job of is playing without the basketball in his hands. He moves well, he cuts well, he’s an unselfish passer, he’s good in the open court. One of the things we’re trying to do is get the ball up the floor to our guys earlier, and Cedi is really good in that area as well.”

On Saturday night, the Wine &amp; Gold venture into the NBA’s unknown – a season sure to be unlike any other. What J.B. Bickerstaff’s squad will look like when it gets rolling is equally uncertain. But the Cavs coach feels good about his groupings – including the new-and-improved small forward spot.

”It’s a deep position for us,” said Cleveland’s coach. “Minutes have to be earned. And we expect, through Training Camp and the preseason, a high level of competition at that spot. So, I’m not going to sit here and guarantee this and promise that. I’m going to give the guys an opportunity to duel it out and see who earns the spot.”

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Three's Company

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Snap Shots from Training Camp

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Sights & Sounds of Training Camp

Cavs Young Backcourt Looks to Take the Next Step

by Joe Gabriele (@CavsJoeG)
12/4/20 | Cavs.com

It’s a simple, but legitimate question: Who is the going to be the Cavaliers leader this year?

With the free agent departure of their longest-tenured player, the Wine &amp; Gold now come into the 2020-21 campaign looking for that answer.

The frontcourt is loaded with veterans boasting pelts on the wall. Kevin Love is a five-time All-Star and won a title with Cleveland. Andre Drummond is a two-time All-Star who’s already piled up massive stats. Larry Nance Jr. is the son of a local hoops legend and is working on his own legacy. JaVale McGee is a three-time NBA Champ.

Those heavy hitters along the frontline will take charge during much of the season. But for a winning NBA squad to be efficient, the backcourt – specifically at the point guard position – has to be able to run the show.

Before taking forward Isaac Okoro with the 5th overall pick last month, the Wine &amp; Gold tabbed back-to-back point guards in the previous two Drafts. And while Collin Sexton and Darius Garland, who battled each other in high school, have vastly different floor games, one thing they definitely have in common is that they’re both relatively quiet, soft-spoken young men.

That’s unlikely to change, but they both realize that as their careers develop, they’ll have to begin taking a bigger leadership role with the squad.  It’s not an easy thing, especially considering the aforementioned veterans.

Matthew Dellavedova looks to help Collin Sexton &amp; Darius Garland take the next steps in their game.
Jimmy Longo/ Cavs.com

Fortunately, both guys are backed up by another accomplished veteran – Matthew Dellavedova, now just one of two players from the 2016 Championship team. And if anyone understands what it’s like to work his way up the ladder, it’s the 30-year-old Aussie import.

”The hardest part is that it’s just a different game than college – with the spacing, defenses and the defensive schemes you play against – and that’s the biggest adjustment,” said Delly. “I don’t think that communicating with older guys is much of an issue because once you get here, everyone can play.

”Obviously, those guys have a lot of talent, they’re high draft picks. So I think there’s a level of respect there and I think communication has to go both ways – the guards have to tell the bigs what they like, the bigs have to tell the guards what they like and what they’re seeing and I think the more that can happen throughout the year on offense and defense, the better off the team is going to be – and the more accelerated their development is going to be.”

Sexton is coming off his second straight season without missing a game. After breaking rookie team records in his first season out of Alabama, the Young Bull was just as dynamic as a sophomore: leading the team in scoring with a 20.8ppg mark, topping the 25-point plateau in each of his last six outings, including a career-best 41-point outburst against Boston – averaging 28.1ppg over his last eight games before the season’s abrupt end.

Sexton has more than proven himself on the floor heading into his third season, now he wants to improve as a leader.

”Since the Corona pandemic happened and we all went away, I’ve been reaching out to the guys and becoming that leader,” said Sexton. “And also, whenever we’re in the gym, I’m also gonna lead by example. Whether it’s getting there on time and being early, I’m always going to lead by example.

”But becoming a vocal leader is something I definitely want to improve on. And I feel like that’s my role for this year.”

Garland had a rock-solid rookie year and looked like lights were coming on just before the season ended. After a 20-point, seven-assist effort in a dramatic win over Detroit, Garland’s game began to change – and his shot began to drop. Only Chicago’s Coby White and Miami’s Kendrick Nunn canned more three-pointers last season.

And once Garland found his range, he began to assert himself as the squad’s primary playmaker – leading Cleveland at 3.9apg in in 59 starts, handing out at least four assists in 10 straight games straddling January and February – longest stretch since Kyrie Irving in 2014.

”I think I got better, as a person and as a player,” said Garland, who also converted some baby fat to muscle in the offseason. “I’ve gotten better as a leader, getting more comfortable with the guys. This is just my second year in, so I’m still trying to get comfortable with everybody, including the new guys just brought into Training Camp.

”So everything’s playing a factor with me becoming a leader on this team.”

Last year, Garland drilled 105 triples and was well on his way to eclipsing the previous Cavaliers rookie record-holder with 119 – his teammate, Collin Sexton.

Now, Garland – the team’s primary playmaker and a grizzled old vet who’ll turn 21 on January 26 – will have to help break in this year’s incoming freshman, Isaac Okoro.

”For me, just being able to communicate with the younger guys, trying to fit in with the vets, that’s probably going to be my biggest challenge,” said Garland. “Just learning how to talk to people and just learning how to talk to people and using a certain tone on and off the court, that’s one of the biggest things for a leader.”

Going into this year, both youngbloods can learn volumes on the subject from Delly – who, himself, had an outsanding finish to last season: averaging 9.2 assists per over his final five games, doubling-up with 14 points and 11 assists in a home win over the Spurs and setting the squad’s season high, handing out 14 helpers the next night in a victory over Denver.

”It’s not like you stand up and give a speech or anything like that,” said the seven-year vet and local legend. “It’s just by what you do every day. Being a leader and trying to help others improve is an everyday thing – and it starts with what you do yourself. I don’t think anybody’s going to listen to somebody who isn’t doing it themselves on the defensive end or sharing the ball. I think you need to have yourself sorted before you tell others what to do.”

”I’ve always tried to make my teammates better, and I plan on continuing to do that this season.”

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Follow the Leader

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Cavs Come to Camp with Versatile, Accomplished Frontline

by Joe Gabriele (@CavsJoeG)
12/2/20 | Cavs.com

As Training Camp tipped off on Tuesday morning at Cleveland Clinic Courts – currently focused on individual workouts until group practices begin on Friday – the initial question for this year’s team is: What is their identity?

Is it their young backcourt – pairing the top picks from two of the previous three Drafts, Collin Sexton and Darius Garland (with a dash of Kevin Porter Jr.)?

The Young Bull is a relentless offensive machine, the smooth-shooting Garland might be the most improved player coming into Camp, and the versatile Porter flashed signs of greatness late last season.

Or is it their accomplished, protean collection of big men – a veteran frontline that brings serious bona fides to the table?

With Tristan Thompson leaving for greener parquets as a free agent, the group still includes Kevin Love, Larry Nance Jr., Andre Drummond and the newly-acquired JaVale McGee.

Love – now the longest-tenured Cavalier – is a five-time All-Star and future Hall of Famer. Nance has gotten better in each of his first five seasons, averaging double-digit scoring last season with extended minutes. Drummond, a two-time All-Star and four-time rebounding champ, has almost 2,100 more boards in his career than the Wine &amp; Gold’s all-time leader, LeBron James. McGee is a three-time NBA Champ and led each of those title teams in blocks that season.

Kevin Love- now the longest tenured Cavalier- leads a deep and talented Cleveland front court.
Jimmy Longo/ Cavs.com

”I still feel like our bigs are among the best in the league,” said Nance after his morning workout in Independence. “Kevin is Kevin – he’s a walking 20-10. Same exact thing can be said of Drummond – last year he averaged what, 17 and 15, and that’s ridiculous. I consider myself a pretty integral part of this team. And then the addition of JaVale who’s got experience, he’s got three Championships and he knows how to win, he’s seen the blueprint and obviously a heck of a player at that.

”So, I still think we’re one of the best frontcourts in the league and I think we’re gonna prove that this year.”

During J.B. Bickerstaff’s successful 11-game run near (what turned out to be) the end of last season, the team was successful mixing and matching their veteran bigs. Cleveland went 5-6 over that run – knocking off some heavyweights like Denver, San Antonio and Miami.

”We feel like we can be versatile in how we play those guys,” said Bickerstaff. “We obviously played the big lineup last year, and we think we can do more of that. We’re fortunate to have that versatility at those positions, and the talent as well.”

”We’re very versatile at the big man position, to the point that you could play us all at the same time if it really came down to it,” added Drummond, opening Camp with a team other than Detroit for the first time since being drafted 2012. “I think Larry, being so versatile – being able to play 1 through 5 – myself, being able to play that 1-through-5 pick-and-roll, and JaVale being able to play that role, too.

”We just have a lot of versatile bigs on our team that can really help our team and boost our defensive rating.”

McGee isn’t the only seven-footer making his Cavaliers Camp debut. The Wine &amp; Gold also acquired four-year vet Thon Maker – the 10th overall pick of the 2016 Draft and a teammate of Dante Exum and Matthew Dellavedova with the Australian National Team.

”Thon is an incredible teammate – he plays hard every possession and really gets after it defensively,” praised Dellavedova. “And I think he’s really versatile on offense – (he can) obviously roll to the rim and dunk and things like that, but he also spaces the floor out to the three-point line. I think it’s a great opportunity for him to come here where defense is going to be the focus and bringing that intensity, and I’m excited to get back on the floor with him and Dante and hopefully start preparing for Tokyo 2021 – get a little head start.

”He’s a great competitor, an awesome teammate and an even better person.”

The Wine &amp; Gold can use all the rim-protection they can get.

The Cavaliers have struggled on the defensive end over the past couple years, and they’ve been the least-effective shot-blocking squad in the league over that time – finishing dead last in blocks for the second straight season in 2019-20, with three teams actually doubling Cleveland’s swat totals.

With McGee and Maker in the fold, along with an improved Nance and a full season with Drummond, Bickerstaff expects to see those numbers improve this year.

Regardless of the shot-blocking stats, the Cavaliers still boast one of the most impressive collections of big men in the East.

”We’re excited about it,” said Bickerstaff. “I mean, you’ve got guys there that were multiple time All-Stars. How many teams can say that? We’ve got guys who’ve led the league in statistical categories, who’ve put up record numbers. Now, how do we use that strength to benefit the group?

”And there’s depth there. Larry has helped us tremendously. JaVale McGee is a guy who’s helped teams win titles and he protects the paint. I think he benefits our young guys in a major way – his ability to protect them on the defensive end of the floor and roll to the rim and take pressure off them in pick-and-rolls. And then obviously Dre can do those things as well.”

On Friday, when the Cavaliers are able to practice as a team, their identity will begin to take shape. And they’ll discover how that group of veteran big men fits in with the young backcourt moving forward.

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Big Man Camp

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CLEVELAND – The Cleveland Cavaliers have added center Thon Maker, center Marques Bolden and guard Charles Matthews to their 2020 training camp roster, Cavaliers General Manager Koby Altman announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Maker (7-0, 221) played in 60 games (14 starts) for Detroit last season, averaging 4.7 points and 2.8 rebounds in 12.9 minutes. He posted two double-doubles and scored in double figures on 11 occasions in 2019-20. Maker was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 10th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft and owns career averages of 4.7 points and 2.8 rebounds in 13.9 minutes over 255 games (65 starts) with Milwaukee and Detroit. He also has three years of playoff experience with averages of 5.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 19.7 minutes through 16 postseason contests (10 starts) with Milwaukee (2017 and 2018) and Detroit (2019).

Bolden (6-11, 250) appeared in one game for the Cavaliers last season after signing a 10-day contract on Jan. 30. He was also a member of the Cavaliers’ 2019 training camp roster and played in 38 games (27 starts) in 2019-20 with the Canton Charge, the Cavaliers’ exclusively owned and operated NBA G League affiliate, averaging 9.7 points on .596 shooting, 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 18.9 minutes. Bolden played three years collegiately at Duke from 2016-19, appearing in 88 games (24 starts) with averages of 3.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 13.6 minutes.

Matthews (6-6, 205) began his collegiate career at Kentucky (2015-16) before transferring to Michigan, where he played two seasons from 2017-19. As a senior in 2018-19, he appeared in 34 games (all starts) and averaged 12.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 31.5 minutes, earning an All-Big Ten honorable mention nod. Matthews played in 111 games (78 starts) over this three collegiate seasons, averaging 9.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 24.1 minutes.

The Cavaliers’ 2020 training camp roster is below. Camp officially opens on Tuesday, December 1st.

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Cavaliers Add Three to 2020 Training Camp Roster

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