Cleveland Cavaliers Defeat Milwaukee Bucks 112-81

The Cleveland Cavaliers have defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 112-81 in their second game of the 2024 NBA Summer League. It may not have major big-league implications, but there are a lot of young Cavaliers looking to make their way into the NBA roster. Who looked good in this game? What does this mean for the main roster? Here’s a look at the standout Cavaliers, and the takeaways from this runaway victory. 

Starting lineup 

Cleveland went with a starting lineup of Craig Porter Jr, Jaylon Tyson, Luke Travers, Emoni Bates and Pete Nance. 

Standout Cavaliers 

Bates had a team high 18 points with six rebounds and four assists. He’s looking like a more developed player, and has been a quality scorer so far this summer. 

Porter Jr put up 15 points, six rebounds and seven assists. This kind of play proves that, when given real playing time, he can be an extremely versatile player. 

Tyson and Nance each had 14 points. But, whereas Nance added only three rebounds to his stat line, Tyson also had seven boards, four assists and two steals. Tyson still has his moments where his inexperience pokes through, but for the most part has looked like he could be a solid addition to the roster. 

Travers chipped in a solid 10 points with seven boards, three assists and two steals. Zhaire Smith also put up a solid performance with nine points, three assists, a rebound and four steals. Neither of these stat lines stand out, but both come from players who have stated a strong belief in their ability to be on an NBA roster. If this kind of play can persist, they can absolutely find a role with the Cavaliers. 

Takeaways 

Cleveland clearly looked like the more talented group of players overall. With more points including points in the paint, second chance points and fastbreak points, they dominated the court and proved why they could easily be on their way to their second consecutive summer league championship. They also had more rebounds, assists, steals and blocks with less turnovers with higher field goal and three point percentages. 

While it was a blowout, and a summer league game, there is still a lot of promise here. The young Cavs are looking like they could be better than expected, and could fit well with the current NBA roster. 

Particularly the guards and wings are playing well, both of which are needed on the Cavaliers. The summer is about evaluating young talent and assembling the best possible roster for the season. The Cavaliers have yet to make any trades or signings this offseason, leaving fans wondering where the path of the franchise may lay. As far as the talent goes, however, Cleveland could be in a better situation than originally projected. 

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Featured photo courtesy of NBA.com

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