Not A Recap: Thoughts On The Wine & Gold Scrimmage

Tonight, the Schreiner family took a trip downtown for a special occasion. The Cleveland Cavaliers unofficially kicked off the 2017-2018 NBA season with their annual Wine & Gold Scrimmage. With a bunch of new faces, and just as many questions surrounding the roster and potential lineups, there were a lot of things to watch for tonight, even if they may not end up mattering much at all.

With LeBron James, Isaiah Thomas, and Cedi Osman all missing the scrimmage due to various injuries, the starting lineup for the Wine Team included Derrick Rose, J.R. Smith, Dwyane Wade, Jae Crowder, and Kevin Love. Meanwhile, the Gold (gray) Team featured Jose Calderon, Iman Shumpert, Kyle Korver, Jeff Green, and Tristan Thompson. Considering several players switched sides halfway through the scrimmage, the final score wasn’t nearly as eye-catching as the performances of the individual players.

While Calderon started for the Gold Team, it’s unlikely he’s part of the rotation when the season starts. Rose seems likely to start at point guard, and Wade will seemingly back him up. At this point in his career, it’s hard to say Calderon has the necessary athleticism to be a consistent contributor at the highest level, but you can still see that combination of terrific court vision and elite shooting that made him one of the most underrated offensive players in the game during his prime. He did a good job of getting the Gold Team into it’s sets when given the chance.

Unfortunately, Iman Shumpert didn’t always let Calderon have that chance. Shumpert started the game on a bit of a hot streak, scoring seven of the Gold Team’s first 17 points. That run proved to be fool’s gold, as Shumpert followed that up by turning the ball over several times, running a disastrous pick-and-roll with Jeff Green, and blowing several finishes at the rim.

Green had his moments, but like Shumpert continued to play too much isolation basketball considering his role and the talent level on this team. The optimist in me hopes that Green can prove to be useful as a smallball four off the bench who exploits mismatches, but there’s a pretty long track record that makes me skeptical.

Earlier today, Jason Lloyd of The Athletic reported that Jefferson seems to be the odd man out as the Cavaliers look to finalize the 15-man roster. It seemed like Jefferson had heard the news and wanted to show what a bad idea that would be. Suiting up for the Wine Team, he was relentless in attacking the basket in transition, with several impressive finishes that belied his 37 years. He also had a nice corner three, and guarded several positions. While Jefferson’s relatively small contract and the fact that he is currently eligible to be traded point to him being on his way out, his solid play against the Warriors these last two seasons, along with his tremendous impact in the locker room make me hope that the Cavaliers are able to make a deal for Shumpert, who simply doesn’t bring as much to the table, or decide to part ways with Calderon, who may no longer be necessary with the addition of Wade as yet another playmaker.

Wade switched to the Gold Team in the second quarter and did a great job of setting up the offense, racking up five assists in the quarter. He had some nice chemistry with Korver, and seems open to the role of playmaker off the bench. I still think he should start at point guard over Rose. This isn’t hockey. There are no line changes, and Tyronn Lue could still make sure that Wade and Korver share plenty of court time if he sets up the rotation that way. At the same time, Wade could be what the Cavs have been looking for as a player who can keep the offense afloat when James is off the floor. It may simply be easier to work out the rotation with him coming off the bench.

Rose had some athletic finishes, but couldn’t get his outside shot to fall, and didn’t really make an impact with his passing. In short, he looked like Derrick Rose.

Among the younger players, Kay Felder and Edy Tavares didn’t do much, and seem to be on their way out of Cleveland. Tavares used his size well on defense around the basket, but he was noticeably slower than any of the other players, and seemed to be limping a bit at times. The fact that he didn’t get into the game until the fourth quarter says a lot about his future with the team. Felder couldn’t finish around the basket, and did a poor job of setting up his teammates. At this point, it’d be surprising to see him stick in the NBA at all, let alone with a contender like the Cavaliers.

On the other hand, newcomers John Holland and Ante Zizic impressed. Holland moved well without the ball, finishing several catch-and-shoot opportunities and cuts to the rim. He should be able to provided competent wing depth when needed. Zizic looks like he could be a real asset for the Cavaliers. He did a great job finishing as a roll man, and showed a soft touch from mid-range. Zizic’s battles with Kendrick Perkins down low were some of the best moments of the scrimmage. Perk may not have a place in the NBA anymore, but he’s still a solid post defender who’s as tough as they come, and Zizic was able to get the best of him. You could see how frustrated Perkins was, which made you both appreciate what Zizic was doing, and the competitive fire that still burns in Perk to make him take this scrimmage so seriously.

The Cavs are back in action Wednesday night as the Atlanta Hawks come to Quicken Loans Arena for the first preseason game of the year. James will still be out with a sprained ankle, but the game should give us more information on how this new roster will fit together. There’s work to be done, but this team has the potential to be a lot of fun.