A new coach, a new offense, a new season without LeBron James ... things are definitely different for the 2010-11 Cavaliers.
View full sizeCavaliers coach Byron Scott knows there are plenty of things he has to change in the post-LeBron James era.CLEVELAND, Ohio — It was 11:30 Thursday morning. The Cavaliers had been practicing for more than two hours.
Yes, a practice on gameday . . . not a shootaround, as new coach Byron Scott reminded me.
"It's still training camp," he said. "We may have a game, but in the morning, we're still practicing."
For about an hour, I couldn't watch practice. But I could hear it -- lots squeaks from basketball shoes and screams from coaches and players. Not angry yells, but persistent, decisive orders being delivered.
This is the world of Byron Scott, and a whole new basketball universe for the Cavaliers.
There's the Princeton offense, which isn't biochemistry -- but new and complicated for some of these Cavs. For too long, the team was used to standing on the perimeter, waiting for a pass from LeBron James.
"It's not that hard," insisted Scott. "If your man overplays you -- you make a backdoor cut to the rim. If he plays behind you, you cut away from him. But you have to keep moving."
Moving without the ball is not natural to most modern players, who grew up idolizing stars who usually dominated the ball. Much of the current NBA is one of two things: A) Driving to the basket. B) Taking a stationary shot from behind or near the 3-point line.
The Cavs can't play that way, as Scott wisely knew had he to change a lot in this post-LeBron season.
He knows some of the grueling morning practices will produce heavy-legged games such as the Cavs' 97-83 loss Thursday evening to Washington at The Q.
Lots of jumpers banged off the front of the rim as they shot 35 percent. The team often looked ragged, especially without Antawn Jamison (resting), Mo Williams (groin injury) or Anderson Varejao (just back from his grandfather's funeral in Brazil) seeing any playing time. As Scott said, it's the younger guys -- who played the most Thursday -- who will face the major adjustments.
A second-round pick in 2009, Danny Green appears overwhelmed in almost every facet of the game. Rookie Samardo Samuels has been bullish and active inside, but you can see the coaches working with him to find the right spots on the court.
The Cavs made 26 turnovers. . . . Yikes!
But what did look good was Ramon Sessions. His legs were a bit weary as he missed some easy shots, but the guard can dribble to the rim at will. In 25 energetic minutes, he had 10 rebounds, six assists and only one turnover. Had some of his teammates converted on a few layups, he could have finished with 10 assists.
Like Sessions, Daniel Gibson was 4-of-12 shooting. But also like Sessions, he is very comfortable with this offense. Add Williams to this guard mixture, and the Cavs could have some fun combinations.
Something to watch is J.J. Hickson. In one series, he fired up a silly airball. But he ran down the court, blocking a shot from behind . . . then sprinted down the court, catching a pass from Sessions and being fouled on a layup attempt.
Hickson had 16 points and eight rebounds in 24 minutes. He could easily average 15 points this season as Scott is challenging the 22-year-old forward to expand his game.
Veteran Cavs broadcaster Joe Tait said he's "never seen a Cavs team in this good of shape this early in the season." Scott knows physical conditioning can give his players an edge, especially over the course of six months and 82 games.
But right now, when you run "out of oxygen, it can go to the brain," Scott said.
Scott is giving most of the players a day off today. He knows that he has pushed most of them harder than perhaps any coach . . . ever . . . and they do need a break.
To reach Terry Pluto: terrypluto2003@yahoo.com, 216-999-4674