With Cavs training camp set to open in just under a week, the competition for spots and roles is starting to come into focus. There are plenty of names worth watching, but a few players enter preseason with far more to gain than the rest.
The biggest buzz right now surrounds Thomas, and for good reason. His run at the NBA’s summer league turned heads, and the numbers backed it up: 27.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.0 steals per game, while hitting better than 50.0% of his shots and a blistering 43.8% from deep.
The Arkansas product showed the whole package - shot creation with the ball, shooting without it, disruptive defense and plenty of edge. If that carries into camp and then preseason, he could force his way into an early look in Kenny Atkinson’s rotation.
Nae’Qwan Tomlin is in a different kind of proving ground. He needs live reps, plain and simple, and he needs them because his perimeter shooting has to move in a hurry.
He’s a career 23.2% from three and hasn’t done much to establish himself as a reliable spacer from the frontcourt. With so much room opening up around him because of the attention drawn by others, he has to start cashing in, especially as a catch-and-shoot option.
He’s just 27/112, or 24.1%, on those looks. That has to improve fast if he wants any real shot at rotation minutes.
Proctor is another player who can’t afford a quiet preseason. He sometimes gets left out of the backup point guard conversation, but there’s a real case for him.
He has the handle, some playmaking feel, off-ball shooting ability and the ability to attack off the dribble. The issue is consistency.
What he’s shown so far at the pro level hasn’t been steady enough to make him an obvious answer for that job. A strong camp and preseason may be the clearest path for him to prove he belongs in the rotation at all.
Porter Jr. feels like the steady hand in the mix, and he’s easy to keep circling back to. He’s the most experienced option on the roster for this role, and he has played no less than 71% of his minutes at point guard in each of his last three seasons.
That part of his profile is already established. He’s a useful rebounder, a capable passer, a solid defender and can chip in with the midrange shot.
Still, his place in the rotation will come down mostly to two things: whether his three-point shooting takes a step and how the other contenders perform.
Watson rounds out the group, and his situation comes down to health and chemistry. He missed a significant chunk of last season because of a tricky hamstring injury, so getting back into game action matters here.
Just as important is how he fits with his new teammates, especially the starters. Even if it’s in a limited role, preseason gives him a chance to start building that connection.
The breakout was impressive, but he hasn’t done enough yet to be taken out of these conversations.
In Other News...
Cavs Just Opened A Door For A Familiar Camp Longshot
Rashaun Agee has gone from Cavaliers Summer League participant to a training camp contract, giving Cleveland another big body to evaluate as camp approaches. Agee brought the kind of traits that can keep a front office interested even without a polished offensive rsum, using his size, rebounding and defense to stand out during his time with the team this summer.
The catch is the roster math still matters, and the Cavs do not have any two-way spots open right now. So Agee is heading into camp with a chance to keep climbing, likely by carving out a path through a G-League deal and then working his way toward a two-way opportunity later if he can keep impressing. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Get Their First Real Test With A Reshaped Camp Roster
The Cavaliers have put together a training camp roster that gives this fall a different feel, with four new invitees joining the mix as the team heads overseas to start work in Andalusia, Spain. Guards Kadary Richmond and Curtis Jones, along with forwards Zack Austin and Rashaun Agee, are among the fresh faces in a group that still centers on Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
Camp begins Sept. 29 and includes practices and a scrimmage before the team returns to the United States for preseason games, so this trip should offer Cleveland its first real chance to sort out rotations and chemistry in a live setting. With a reshaped group and a handful of newcomers in the building, the early weeks of camp figure to matter for both evaluation and fit as the Cavaliers start laying the groundwork for the season. [Read more 🡒]
One Overlooked Cavs Number Connects To A Strange Team Pattern
The number 28 has barely had a footprint in Cavaliers history, which is part of what makes it stand out now. Alfonzo McKinnie is the only player to wear it for Cleveland, and his brief place in the franchise record book sits alongside a broader look at how the Cavs have navigated different eras, from playoff seeding trends since 1998 to the season records that have shaped their postseason paths.
It also turns out 28 has popped up in another memorable Cavs moment, thanks to Timofey Mozgovs 28-point night in the 2016 NBA Finals. Put together, those scattered references give the number a strange kind of relevance in Cleveland lore, even if it has never belonged to one of the teams defining stars. [Read more 🡒]