Cavs vs. Warriors preview and game thread
Luke Travers looks to improve on his impressive Summer League debut.
The Cavs will look to build on Sunday’s impressive performance in their third Las Vegas Summer League outing.
Who: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors
Where: COX Pavilion - Las Vegas, NV
When: 10 p.m. EST, Wednesday July 17
TV: NBA TV, Bally Sports Ohio
What to watch for
Emoni Bates’s progression
Bates has had a good Summer League all things considered. Friday was a bit of a mixed bag as many of his baskets came out of the flow of the offense. That wasn’t the case against the Milwaukee Bucks as he did a good job of playing with force on and off-ball while displaying some much-needed playmaking.
It’s nearly impossible to make the NBA as a rotation player with just one skill. Bates still needs to round out his game in order to find playing time in the new future. Continuing to show what he did on Sunday is a step in the right direction.
Craig Porter Jr.’s resurgence
Porter had a nice bounce-back after not looking like himself against the Orlando Magic. Still, there’s reason to expect more from someone who played meaningful minutes last season for the Cavs and should be vying for a rotation when the team is healthy next season.
Luke Travers mania
Travers was the difference between Friday’s embarrassing performance and Sunday’s runaway victory. He was the connective tissue on both ends that allowed the Cavs to function like a competitive basketball team. Guys like that are incredibly important to winning.
That said, it’s easy to get out over your skis in praising Travers. Just because someone is a good role player in Summer League doesn’t mean they’ll be able to serve that function in the NBA. The same is true for every other archetype. Jordan McRae and Devin Booker averaged nearly the same point totals in the 2016 Summer League (24.3 and 26), but only one had the skills to grow into that role at the next level.
It’s fair to wonder whether Travers can ever play this role for the Cavs considering his lack of self-creation and poor shooting. This game won’t give us a definitive answer to that, but it will provide more evidence as to what side of the McRae and Booker Summer League divide he will eventually fall on.