The Spin: Sharing Is Caring As Cavs' Backups Blitz Maccabi Ra'anana

Spencer Davies highlights five observations from the Cleveland Cavaliers' win over Maccabi Ra'anana in their third preseason game.

The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated Maccabi Ra'anana in blowout fashion 120-89 on Monday night in their first preseason win.

Rookies’ Confidence Continues To Grow

Craig Porter Jr. may be 23 years old, but he plays like he’s 32. It’s hard to describe his poise. You kind of just have to see it in person. There’s such a calmness about his game. When he’s handling the ball, Porter dictates things on his terms. He also tried to hammer home a slam pretty much as soon as he checked into the game — something we'll see a lot of when he gets on the floor.

"Yeah, I'mma try to," Porter laughed when asked if he's going to try to make a poster every time he sees minutes. "They just see me and then they don't realize that sneaky athleticism's there. So it definitely catches people off guard."

Porter produced 12 points, dished out six assists, grabbed two rebounds and blocked a shot.

"He's played a lot of basketball. He knows who he is," Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after the win. "He doesn't get sped up, he plays at his tempo. It's at a pace, but then there's an explosiveness at the end of it. He's got a strange knack at that size for blocking shots. It's something that he's accustomed to, but I think it catches offensive players off guard."

"Just realizing the game's gonna be fast," Porter said of playing under control. "There's times when it's fast, there's times when it's slow. Just really staying at my own pace over the years has helped me be able to make plays and it kinda confuses a lot of people 'cause it looks like I'm going really slow. And then, when you're guarding it, I might change speeds and just get out of places in quick bursts. It's just a difficult thing to guard, so I've tried to mimic that into my game over a few years."

What hasn’t been said about Emoni Bates at this point? The Eastern Michigan alum continues to carry himself like a pro and has produced like one early in his career. Aside from a cutting layup off the catch, Bates lived in the corners in the first half and knocked down four triples. In the second half, he didn't shy away from pull-ups and swinging the ball to his teammates. 

"We are extremely fortunate that Emoni was there at [No. 49]," Bickerstaff said. "I believe that Emoni is fortunate to be here also, because I think the pairing works. Also for his development and his advancement for his career. 

"I believe if Emoni had gone in the lottery he'd have been the type of player who'd have been in the Rookie of the Year conversation. We are extremely fortunate that he's here with us and we look forward to working with him."

Pouring in 16 points, Bates recorded his third straight game with a double-digit scoring effort.

Cavs One-Two Backcourt Bench Punch

Caris LeVert and Ty Jerome have not gotten too much in-game floor time together yet this preseason. The two are expected to play a significant part in pacing the second unit this season. On Monday, both looked extremely comfortable working off one another and getting others involved.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Caris LeVert saves the basketball from going out of bounds in the first half, October 16, 2023, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse / John Kuntz, cleveland.com

LeVert got off to a quick start with eight first-quarter points to go with three rebounds and assists each, and Jerome heated up in the second period with nine points. The former did his damage with a couple catch-shoot treys while the latter drove inside and made a few tough, contested floaters over the top. That threat of penetration should serve well for Cleveland’s shooters this season.

"I thought they did a really good job. They worked well together," Bickerstaff said. "Both were aggressive, they know how to get in the paint. Again, both of those guys can share and create. They had 11 assists between them in limited minutes. They were finding their teammates but putting pressure on the defense, forcing them to help and then making the easy play."

Combined, the duo produced 28 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds and nabbed two steals.

A Coach’s Dream

The Cavs distributed the ball naturally and trusted each other the way a team should. They had 30 assists on 41 made field goals. When those numbers align, aside from 22 turnovers committed, it is a successful night on the offensive end.

"That's the way we want to play," Bickerstaff said. "We want to try to create as much ball movement as we can, share the game offensively. We've got a lot of guys that can play offense. So the more you make teams chase — there are so many guys out there that can make a play and finish it. Just trying to get everybody involved offensively and that starts with the ball movement."

Elite Ball Movement! pic.twitter.com/pkEAtXqLNW

— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) October 17, 2023

"We got out of it exactly what we wanted" Bickerstaff added. "It was an opportunity to go out and compete for one. And then we played Cavalier basketball, which I think we did. We got after it on the defensive end. We shared the ball offensively and that's what we were looking for. You need the reps, and I think guys who may not have gotten a ton of reps got their opportunities tonight."

Bigs Look Overpowering

Damian Jones took former first-round pick Bruno Caboclo's lunch from the opening tip. There’s no if's and's or but's about it. He blocked three shots, not allowing an inch in the paint on one end while using his broad shoulders to punish Maccabi underneath. 

Jones was 7-for-7 from the free-throw stripe in his first 14 minutes. He ended up finishing with 11 points and four rebounds.

Even after three seasons away from Cleveland, Tristan Thompson is still Tristan Thompson. He’s relentless on both sides of the glass, sets effective screens for his teammates and brings a grit that can’t be understated.

What a solid veteran backup to have in your pocket.

Hello Old Friend

Basketball family is the best kind of family. Before Monday’s game, former Cleveland big man Mamadi Diakite was welcomed back with open arms. 

He was hugging security guards, dapping up old teammates and joking around with a smile like always. On the court, Diakite scored 17 points and pulled down three boards for Ra'anana.

"Mamadi's awesome. It's nonstop chatter, laughing" Bickerstaff quipped. "It was great to see him. I think [he's still got a shot in the NBA] for sure. His skill set, his ability to shoot the ball. He's got an uncanny knack of protecting the rim, can switch and guard multiple positions. He's that Swiss Army knife that teams are looking for."