CLEVELAND, OH – After the third exhibition gave coach J.B. Bickerstaff an extended look at his non-starters, the Cavs’ preseason finale on Friday night in Indiana will function as a dress rehearsal.
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Following the Hamas terror assault, the Cavs’ preseason game against Israel’s Maccabi Ra’anana was about more than basketball.
Bickerstaff revealed less than two hours before Monday’s game that his planned Opening Night starting five of Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen will not play against Israeli team Maccabi Ra’Anana. While Allen is still battling with an achy bone bruise in his ankle, the other four were rested as part of the team’s overall preparation for the season opener in Brooklyn on Oct. 25. There are no injuries to report for Garland, Mitchell, Strus, or Mobley. They all took part in the shootaround on Monday and were hopping up and down along the bench area during the game.
The goal for Friday’s practise is for all of the regulars to play the first three quarters, with the exception of Allen, who will be evaluated this weekend. Bickerstaff will then decide on the optimal strategy for the fourth quarter based on gut instinct.
“My expectation is that we get as close to game-like as we possibly can — if all goes well,” Bickerstaff added, knocking on the table for good luck.
On Monday, Cleveland’s third exhibition versus Maccabi Ra’Anana, which was about much more than basketball considering the horrific circumstances in Israel, the on-court focus shifted to the Cavs’ others. All 15 players currently on the club (veteran Ricky Rubio has an excused leave to work on his mental health) saw action for the first time.
It was an opportunity for guys to earn minutes, secure spots, or make a mark.
Fill-in starters included Ty Jerome, Carmelo Anthony, Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade, and Damian Jones, providing insight into Bickerstaff’s opinion on the majority of the starting lineup. Georges Niang and Emoni Bates were the first two players off the bench on Monday night, forming a potent two-man combo.
