Zhaire Smith’s impressive dunk was an exclamation mark on the Cavs’ dominant victory.
The Cleveland Cavaliers thoroughly dominated the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday. This was the exact opposite of what we saw from their opening performance against the Orlando Magic.
Jaylon Tyson’s rebounding continues to stand out. Tyson grabbed seven boards in 21 minutes against the Bucks after securing eight a few days prior. He continues to display a nose for the ball that opponents need to be aware of when he’s on the floor.
It’ll be difficult for Tyson to crack the rotation next season when the team is fully healthy. If he’s going to do that, he will need to show ancillary skills that the Cavaliers could use. Rebounding is one of the areas they desperately need help in from someone who isn’t a big.
Emoni Bates’s playmaking came through Sunday afternoon. He only finished with four helpers, but his ability to push in the open floor and make quick decisions in the half-court stood out in stark contrast to Friday’s performance.
Plays like this where Bates got the hockey assist on the opening basket of the game show some of the ways he’s grown. He forcefully came to the ball and then quickly found Luke Travers streaking to the basket. This is the progress you need to see.
Jaylon Tyson (No. 20 pick) cashes the early triple for the Cavs #NBA2KSummerLeague on NBA TV pic.twitter.com/ruAW1v7Qlc
— NBA (@NBA) July 14, 2024
Shooting alone won’t get Bates onto an NBA floor. He needs to provide other positive NBA to do so. The role he showed on Sunday won’t translate one-for-one to the NBA, but continuing to improve as a passer, especially when pushing in transition off of defensive rebounds, could.
Luke Travers made an immediate effect with his defense and ability to move off-ball. It’s cliche to over-praise a role player’s effect on a game. Ten points and two steals don’t jump off the box score as to why the Cavs dominated as they did. That said, the connective tissue he provided allowed guys like Bates, Tyson, and Craig Porter Jr. to slot into roles that they could thrive in was impactful.
How much of this could potentially translate to an NBA court is an open question. He isn’t a disruptive enough defender or cutter to justify his place on the floor because of those skills. Attempting and missing just one three isn’t ideal either for someone who needs to be a reliable outside shooter to become a rotation player. However, this was a positive outing that he can build off of for the remainder of Las Vegas Summer League.
Zhaire Smith’s leaping ability was on full display. He had an impressive dunk at the beginning of the second quarter and then followed it up with a monster throwdown over Jaylin Galloway shortly thereafter.
Zhaire Smith with the BIG-TIME poster! #NBA2KSummerLeague on NBA TV pic.twitter.com/YEPe4K7dy4
— NBA (@NBA) July 14, 2024
Smith was described as one of the best athletes in the NBA when he was drafted in 2018. His career never got off the ground due to various injuries including a bone bruise that caused him to miss two entire seasons before returning to professional basketball last season with the Cleveland Charge.
This was the type of athleticism that got NBA scouts excited six years ago. He only showed flashes of that in his first season back from injury. Hopefully for him, plays like this become more commonplace again.
Craig Porter Jr. played well on Sunday. He notched 15 points and seven assists. Although, it still wasn’t as dominant as you’d expect someone who’s had his level of NBA success to be. Especially after the poor showing against Orlando. There were head-scratching moments like his four turnovers and a forced, contested step-back three-point miss at the end of the second quarter.
Porter still needs to figure out how his game best fits into an NBA context. He didn’t have success in the second half of last season after teams started going under screens. Porter is still figuring out how to play in situations where opponents are taking away his strengths.
