The Cavs continue to build a solid core around star point guard Kyrie Irving, and if this team acquires LeBron James in the offseason, the Cavs will dominate the East once again. Let's take a look at some key players.
Kyrie Irving
I can't recall a more obvious number 1 pick who was a less of a consensus pick than Kryie Irving. Due to injury, he didn't play much at Duke, and we've also seen him slowed in the NBA. However, don't let some injury trouble and his slow start in 2013 fool you: Irving is an elite point guard. He certainly showed it last night, dropping in 39 points with a career-high 12 assists.
Irving isn't a one dimensional scorer; rather, he's a quick guard who can get to the rim and finish with fantastic three point range. Irving is one of the most unguardable players in the league, so Derrick Rose will have his hands full in their first ever head-to-head match-up.
While we've seen the Bulls do a fantastic job clogging the paint, Irving is incredibly talented, so he will get his buckets. If the Bulls sufficiently clog the paint, he can display his solid passing skills by hitting one of his strong three point shooters like Jarrett Jack, Dion Waiters, or C.J. Miles. Ouch. That's dangerous.
Andrew Bynum: 2nd Bust in a Row?
Cavaliers fans were rewarded this offseason with gobs of cap room, but let's face it, the team hopes LeBron James opts out of his contract with the Heat in order to return home to Ohio. Whether or not you think there's a chance that happens (it's either Miami or Cleveland, IMO), the Cavs' front office wanted to retain maximal flexibility, hence the team took a chance on former Laker stud Andrew Bynum.
Bynum has played in just 5 of the Cavaliers' 7 games, and he has not looked good. Like many 7 footers, Bynum's knees have been horrible for the majority of his career, and he was also sidelined all of last season as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers.
If Bynum does play (doubtful since this would be a back-to-back), he will not make a meaningful impact. Bynum has looked lost offensively, shooting just 32% from the field--an impressive task consider how short his average shot is. Bynum is not the double-double machine that he was for the Lakers in 2011-12. In fact, he's hardly worth mentioning at this point, less his $12 million contract.
Tristan Thompson
Tristan Thompson had a disappointing rookie campaign, but he's become a solid and durable power forward. We can assume he'll match-up against Boozer defensively, but Boozer respond by banging the ball inside against the much lighter defender. The trio of Taj Gibson, Boozer, and Jokaim Noah should help keep Thompson off the boards on both ends of the court. Along the same line, Thompson won't be able to do much inside, so look for him to settle for some long, inefficient jump shots.
Although Kyrie Irving is a top 5 point guard, the Bulls will win tonight. However, I think it will be a struggle. The Bulls have not played well against teams with great three point shooters, and the Cavs are just that with Waiters, Irving, and Jack on the court at the same time. The Bulls should be able to get some easy buckets offensively, especially since Anderson Varejao hasn't to form after he missed considerable time last year with a blood clot.
Boozer should go off for at least 20 points tonight. Rose should have another solid game, showing some strides, though Irving will embarrass him on the defensive end a few times. The Cavs aren't a great rebounding team, so Taj and Noah should generate several second chance opportunities. With the Cavs taking the 11th most three pointers in the league, the Bulls should have several fast break opportunities that will lead to easy buckets for Jimmy Pump Fakes.
More importantly, the Cavs are not a deep team and have to play the Bulls after a double-overtime victory last night. 4 of 5 starters played 40+ minutes, while the Cavs' best bench player, Jarrett Jack, played 37 minutes. The Cavs will be tired, and the game could get ugly if the Bulls get out on the break like they did against Utah.
The score: Bulls 97 Cavs 89
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