Preseason Recap: Bulls 102, Cavs 101 (The Sexland Charade)

Preseason Recap: Bulls 102, Cavs 101 (The Sexland Charade)

2021-10-11 Off By Chris Francis

The Cavs lose a close one to the Chicago Bulls, 102-101 in a relatively thrilling preseason rematch that showed what’s possible for this year’s Cavs team. Let’s get right to the highlights of the game…

1. Starting Ricky Rubio and Lauri Markkanen a smashing success.

Since Darius Garland (illness) and Collin Sexton (injury) were unavailable, it gave Coach J.B. Bickerstaff the chance to experiment with Lauri Markkanen at the small forward position, which was successful in the limited stint last game against the Indiana Pacers. How did it fare against the Bulls, who humiliated the Cavs last Tuesday? It cannot be described as anything other than successful. Markkanen posted the highest net rating among starters by far (+21.6 in 26 minutes), shooting 8-14 for a team-high 18 points, and stuffed the stat sheet with four rebounds, three assists, three blocks, and two steals. In short, he was one of the best Cavaliers on the court tonight.

But Markkanen’s night would not have been possible without the heady play of Ricky Rubio at starting guard. While Rubio missed a lot of open shots (4-13 FGs), his ability to make good decisions with the ball (nine assists in only 17 minutes) allowed the Cavs’ offense to function. Rubio’s (and Kevin Pangos’) passing allowed the whole starting frontcourt to be productive and efficient offensively. The big and tall lineup with Rubio and Markkanen resulted in elite team defense (101.0 drtg) that held the Bulls’ offense over 20 points below their preseason average (126 points per game).

What the Rubio and Markkanen show exposed tonight was the charade of Sexland as a winning basketball proposition. They’ve been a disaster to start the preseason, and they haven’t demonstrated the desire to value the basketball, make good decisions, and be unselfish. The team has gone 41-96 since Sexland has been a thing. How long with charade continue? Only Koby and J.B. know and they aren’t telling.

2. Evan Mobley is a superstar

Look at this move:

Mobley showed how he can impact every facet of the game, offensively and defensively. He turned in a tidy double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds) along with four assists, three blocks, and two steals and only one turnover. He’s going to win Defensive Player of the Year awards. He can compete for a Most Valuable Player award. The key to Evan’s continued growth is good guard play, hopefully J.B. obliges.

3. Quick shoutouts: Kevin Pangos and Lamar Stevens

The Gonzaga/EuroLeague product Kevin Pangos showed some gritty, heady play in backup point guard duty with six assists against three turnovers and a bench high +10 plus/minus. He hasn’t found his shooting stroke, but his passing really keyed Evan Mobley’s big second half of offense. Lamar Stevens deserves a shoutout for contributing to some lockdown defense this preseason. The Cavs are averaging an absurd 71.3 defensive rating while Stevens is on the court.

4. “We’ve not made our mind up… we’re evaluating all of this.”

This was said by J.B. after the game in response to cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor calling Rubio a “backup” point guard. It’s a tantalizing statement, perhaps an admission about how much better the team has looked this preseason with Rubio at the helm of the offense. It will be fascinating to see if Sexland struggles some more, how long will J.B. let it play out.

Evan Mobley and Ricky Rubio have completely changed the fortunes of the 2021-22 Cleveland Cavaliers. Their play has been so convincing that it’s no longer inconceivable, laughable that the Cavs could compete for a chance at the play-in tournament at the end of the season. Adding Lauri Markkanen and discovering his ability to play small forward allowed the Cavs to compete toe to toe tonight with a Bulls team that has substantially improved and should be expected to compete for a playoff spot. With Lauri, Mobley, and Allen, Bickerstaff has a starting front court that can sustain great defensive play and keep them in any game. Now the question remains, can J.B. do the same for the offense? The answers are coming.

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