Five Observations From Cavs Thrilling Win Over The Nets

Donovan Mitchell and Max Strus dropped 27 points a piece as the Cavaliers open up the 2023-24 season 1-0

After making some key acquisitions this off-season, there is plenty of buzz around the Cleveland Cavaliers as they begin the 2023-24 season. Loftier expectations also come with the territory after the wine and gold were bounced from the first round of the playoffs last spring.

Their journey back to the postseason began on Wednesday night in Brooklyn, with a thrilling, 114-113 win over the Nets. The effort came with plenty of notable performances for the wine and gold.

Here are five observations from game one.

1) A Debut For The Record Books

Max Strus was the Cavaliers big offseason acquisition and if his first night in wine and gold is a sign of things to come, he'll be worth every penny of that four-year, $62 million deal.

Strus set a franchise record with seven three pointers in a Cavs debut, which made up 21 of his 27 points for the night. He shot a whopping 52-percent from the floor, grabbed 12 board for a double-double and made some big plays down the stretch. It was obviously an encouraging start for one of the newest Cavaliers.

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2) He's Everywhere

The Isaac Okoro experience has been a roller coaster ride through three years, but the presence of Strus has forced the 22-year-old into a role that's more advantageous to him. Without Jarrett Allen, Okoro was thrust into the starting lineup and thrived as the three.

With Strus, Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland around him to space the floor, Okoro had a handful of open looks and made them count. He hit two of four threes and dropped 18 points in the win. The bread and butter of an Okoro performance though is his presence on the defensive end and boy did he show up there, particularly down the stretch when the Cavs needed a rally. Okoro quite literally was everyone on Wednesday night.

3) Where You At?

For all the talk of depth with this team leading up to the season, the bench scoring left much to be desired in the season opener. The Cavaliers reserves contributed just 17 points in the opening night win. 11 of that 17 came from Caris LeVert. It's one game, nothing to freak out about yet, but bench scoring was a problem for Cleveland last year and the hope is that gets sorted out.

4) Defense Down The Stretch

Head coach JB Bickerstaff has always emphasized defense as the identity of his team but for three quarters against the Nets, Cleveland looked uncharacteristically porous on that end of the floor. In the fourth and particularly down the stretch they started to clamp down though and it was the Cavs defense that led to offense – and ultimately the win. 

Whether it was Mitchell's great steal and breakaway layup, or Okoro and Evan Mobley switching to force an errant final shot from Brooklyn, the wine and gold tightened things up when it mattered most. Safe to say Bickerstaff will want to see that effort more consistently throughout games.

Okoro and Mobley shut it down to secure the W pic.twitter.com/314LdoTygb

— Tony Pesta (@Tony_Pesta) October 26, 2023

5) Ball Security

Mitchell and Garland have been excited about the potential of their second year together, but it wasn't the best of outings for Garland in particular to tip-off the season. Yes, he shot 50-percent from the floor. That said, the 23-year-old was just one-of-five from three, and had some sloppy turnovers in the second half. Garland has to be better about protecting the rock, but again, it's one game.