Progress Check: Cavs turbulent Summer League continues
Cavs can’t quite put it together.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have yet to play a competitive game in Las Vegas, again falling to the wrong side of a blowout. This time against the Golden State Warriors. It’s hard to find anything worth informing your opinion on but let’s try our best.
Emoni Bates
Fans are eager to see Emoni Bates insert himself into the main rotation as a prolific sharpshooter. But while subtle progress has been made, Bates is still searching for his ideal role.
Bates has been at his best when making quick, simple decisions. Swiftly attacking a closeout or pulling a catch-and-shoot opportunity in transition are good examples of how he can thrive. Bates is attempting to reign in his bad habits and curate a healthier shot profile but the results have been mixed. He shot 4-11 in this game with a handful of errant shot attempts.
The Cavs would love to give Bates the freedom to create for himself, on occasion. But at the NBA level, he’ll primarily play without the ball as a connective piece of the offense. This means Bates should start to show signs of being a fluid off-ball scoring threat. We are still waiting for that breakthrough.
Luke Travers
The 22-year-old pro from Australia should have an easier time establishing himself in his third NBA Summer League stint. Tonight, Luke Travers finished with just 7 points and 2 rebounds — serving as a complete non-factor for 19 minutes.
Travers has appeal as a multifaceted forward who has shown a knack for heads-up plays on both ends of the floor. His vision and craft around the rim give him a scoring option even if the rest of his toolkit is limited. Yet his poor three-point shooting and lack of explosiveness have made it too difficult for Travers to make his mark in Las Vegas.
A quiet game from Travers isn’t shocking. He’s shown to be more content playing within a team system than going rogue for his own numbers. Still, you can’t help but expect more from a prospect with as much experience as Travers.
Craig Porter Jr.
The Cavs have looked disorganized offensively for most of this summer. The bulk of this can be explained by the approach Craig Porter Jr. has seemingly been instructed to take.
Porter is traditionally a pass-first point guard. His feel for running a steady offense helped him secure a standard NBA contract after going undrafted a year ago. Yet it appears the coaching staff has emphasized Porter’s scoring ability as he has been far more aggressive in seeking his shot than we have ever seen.
He shot 5-16 on Wednesday, attempting a team-high from the field. Porter was frequently searching for three-point opportunities, going 3-9 from downtown. The deep shot was Porter’s biggest weakness last season and improvement in this department might be non-negotiable.
Porter’s uncharacteristic performances have been indicative of the entire Summer League for Cleveland. It doesn’t seem many prospects are playing the roles they will ideally fill at the NBA level and that has left us with few things to takeaway.