10/10/22 Preseason Recap: Cavs offense staggers, Caris LeVert takes another step towards starting role

It would end up being a difficult watch for Cavs fans in the second night of the preseason.

Tonight was a slog. Plain and simple. The Cavs starters had few positives in the first half. Highlights included a nice performance from Caris LeVert and a solid performance below the rim for Jarrett Allen. It would mostly end there.

Donovan Mitchell will always be a player to watch for the Cavs. Tonight he looked largely the opposite from his performance last week in Philadelphia. Donovan was hailed for looking calm and understanding how to play in this new team from day one. Tonight Donovan looked a little off his game. Whether it be nerves, or just an off night for his jumper, it's hard to tell. But he looked off. He looked to force shots and misplayed passes.

It's very difficult to mount any sort of concern with this, especially in the preseason. And when he's not the only one struggling.

Darius Garland had a rough first quarter, but rebounded in a solid way. Despite his early struggles, Garland would go on to pour in 17 points and 7 assists.

Once Garland got moving, he looked like his usual self. He was getting into open spots and connecting with his teammates like we've come to expect.

Isaac Okoro played another encouraging game. His game awareness looks much better through two games. Another large aspect of his game that's improved is his handle. He turned a spin move off a defender late in the second quarter and kept the handle tight. Despite the miss, Okoro showing improvements like that is very fun to see.

Caris LeVert was arguably the player of the game tonight. Hailed by many within the organization as the heir to the starting three, LeVert showed very good playmaking, scoring, and defensive ability tonight. In fewer words, you could call it a very good all-around performance.

Okoro and LeVert both look like slightly different players than when we last saw them. Both improved. However, LeVert has looked a step better than Okoro in most aspects. and LeVert has been finishing. Moving forward it might be a conclusion that LeVert will start on opening night.

The Cavs have some other down-roster spots that need worked out. Isaiah Mobley recieved a bulk of the playing time amongst the rotation players. He played alright. Mobley does alot of things well, but struggles to convert on offense. Some other names up for discussion are RJ Nembhard and Mamadi Diakite. Both have recieved a solid chunk of playing time, but it's very hard to distinguish who deserves that last spot where we are right now. And while the Mobley brothers is a fun concept, in practice Mobley may have some more distance to cover.

The Cavs are back out against Atlanta on Wednesday night. The tune-up continues then.