The Cavaliers don't have LeBron James, but they will field a roster of legitimate NBA players - some with accomplished pro careers, some with potential.
Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson played a solid game against the Bobcats in Cleveland's preseason opener.Cleveland, Ohio -- No, 1-0 does not matter in NBA preseason games. But, 1-0, with Tuesday night's 87-72 win over the Charlotte Bobcats, does at least offer some assurance that the Cleveland Cavaliers will field a representative team this season.
Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Cavaliers coverage includes Mary Schmitt Boyer's game story and her Cavaliers Insider.
On the go
Zac Jackson of FoxSportsOhio.com has several observations about the Cavaliers, including:
There's so much uncertainty surrounding this Cavaliers team, and with so much new and two pretty important players missing, it would have been understandable had the Cavaliers delivered a flat performance in their preseason opener. Though it means nothing in the big picture, they delivered the exact opposite. Ramon Sessions runs the point like he's been running this system and playing alongside these teammates for years, not a week. The team as a whole is playing fast and hungry (always a good thing) and in the second half they dominated every aspect.
Same guy
LeBron James made his preseason debut with the Miami Heat on Tuesday night. As he did with the Cavaliers, James will crave attention.
Ken Berger covered the Miami-Detroit game for CBSSports.com. He writes:
But with his actions, with his play, and with his words after the game, James left no doubt about what his stature on this team will be. First impressions are important, and James made a deafening one Tuesday night. From his inaugural tossing of the talc at the scorer's table at 7:41 p.m. ET, to his relentless attacking of the basket with and without Wade on the court, to his promise afterward -- "I will never defer," he said -- James made it quite clear that he did not come here to be a sidekick or an afterthought.
Inbound plays
Tuesday night's game story by Zac Jackson of FoxSportsOhio.com.
Game stories by Rick Bonnell for the Charlotte Observer; Bob Finnan for the News-Herald; Jason Lloyd for the Akron Beacon Journal.