Live Thread: Cavs vs. Sixers

Just six games into the regular season (thanks to injury and opportunity) the Cavs have apparently decided to “release the Ninja” on the Philadelphia 76ers in tonight’s matchup at the Q. According to Jason Lloyd at the Akron Beacon Journal, Jared Cunningham (aka Much Danger Ninja) reportedly appears to be in line for his first NBA start. Cunningham was wearing a red starter’s jersey during the team’s morning shoot-around, while Richard Jefferson was back in a bench player’s white jersey. Although, technically, as a ninja… MDN probably should have dressed in all black…

Jefferson started in Wednesday’s win against the Knicks, but he seemed a little out of sorts, getting off to a rough start on his way to nine points on 2-6 shooting (1-5 from three), with four boards and three assists. Most of this might be attributed to the fact that he was tasked with guarding Carmelo Anthony on the other end of the floor (which he did with some degree of success), yet it’s understandable why Coach Blatt would prefer to keep him in his usual role, given how well that’s gone so far this season.

Cunningham is averaging just 4.2 points, and shooting 50 percent from the floor, in about 10 minutes of play per game. He’s been an early sub off of the bench for Blatt, mainly because of his athleticism and his ability to defend well. Clearly, his assertiveness in limited opportunities has already paid dividends.

“I feel comfortable (in the Cavs’ system), it’s just a little bit different,” Cunningham said. “This is the first time I’ve gotten consistent minutes.”

Before finding a home with the Cavs, MDN was the very definition of an NBA journeyman. He’s been with five teams in his four years as a pro, playing in a total of 58 games with the Mavericks, Clippers, Hawks, Kings and now Cavs.

Lloyd got this quote from Cunningham fan and Mavs coach, Rick Carlisle, last month when the Cavs played Dallas in the preseason.

“He has NBA ability, there’s no doubt about it,” Carlisle said. “He has NBA skill, he just needs to find a niche. This is one of those situations where it could work out for him because he’s a terrific shooter, he’s got dynamic athleticism, he can defend and he’s playing with some great players here. He’s playing with the greatest player and oftentimes a situation like that helps guys like him stick around.”

We’ll see if MDN can help the Cavs get off to a faster start than they have in their two previous games. One thing that won’t be slowing them down are the now infamous sleeved jerseys from Wednesday’s game, as the Cavs will return to their sleeveless white uniforms for tonight’s tilt.

The Cavs will also look to continue their run on assists (they’ve averaged 25.8 per game), and of holding their opponents under 45% shooting. The Cavaliers are also limiting teams to 92.4 points per 100 possessions after allowing 104.1 in 2014-15 to rank 20th. That doesn’t bode well for the still winless Sixers squad which is averaging only 88.3 points on 39.9 percent shooting. The Cavs also finished them off on Monday, despite digging themselves a large hole to start. However, Philly has been the only team to hit the century mark against Cleveland, and with a promising front line, they can still be dangerous.

Other things to look for tonight:

• LeBron needs three made field goals to each 9,000 for his career. That would make him just 20th player in league history to reach that number.
• Tristan Thompson leads all NBA reserves in rebounds at 10.2 per game. He’s five offense rebounds shy of passing Phil Hubbard for seventh on the Cavs’ all-time list.
• Mo Williams is averaging 21.5 points on 55 percent shooting over the last two games. He should continue his hot streak against the likes of Isaiah Canaan and T.J. McConnell.
• LeBron hit just his second triple in 18 attempts on Wednesday. Will he keep firing away from deep, or work the ball inside with his post-game?
• The Cavs unleashed “The KRAKEN” against the Knicks… could we see it again tonight?

Game time is 7:30pm (EST), and the game can be seen on Fox Sports Ohio, and heard on 1100 WTAM. So, get your katanas out, Cavs fans… and get ready to flip the switch…