3 Critical Things To Watch In Cavaliers' Season Opener

The Cleveland Cavaliers will kick off their NBA season against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night, so here are some things you should be monitoring in their first game.

Oct 18, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (0) and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) fight for the ball during the second half at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images / Matt Marton-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers will begin their 2024-25 NBA season on Wednesday night, as they will take on the Toronto Raptors in their opener.

There is a lot to like about the Cavaliers heading into the year, but there are also some considerable question marks.

Will Cleveland be a legitimate finals contender? Will the Cavs win 50 games? Will they actually be able to remain healthy?

Here are three things to watch in Cleveland's first regular-season game.

How many three-pointers will Evan Mobley shoot?

Perhaps the most important new wrinkle in the Cavs' offense will be Evan Mobley consistently shooting the 3-ball.

Mobley made 37.3 percent of his three-pointers last season, but he accomplished the feat on very low volume, attempting just 1.2 triples per game.

The Cavaliers would certainly like to see an uptick in that number this year, and evidently, it's something that Mobley has incorporated into his repertoire.

The problem is that Mobley made just three treys during the preseason, so it makes you wonder how comfortable he really is from beyond the arc right now.

Or maybe the former No. 3 overall pick was just saving it all for the regular season.

We'll probably get a decent idea of just how cozy Mobley is from downtown when he faces the Raptors in the season opener.

How many minutes will Jaylon Tyson play?

The Cavaliers badly needed to land a tough, hard-nosed defender who could guard some of the bigger wings in the Eastern Conference. Isaac Okoro is a good defensive player, but at just 6-foot-5, he doesn't have the length to bother Jayson Tatum and Paul George all that much.

Could rookie swingman Jaylon Tyson fill that role?

Tyson is 6-foot-6 and is known for being a physical, stingy defender. Of course, whether or not he will get the opportunity to display it during the regular season is anybody's guess.

The 20th overall pick in the NBA Draft, Tyson may end up going through serious growing pains in legitimate NBA action, which could result in head coach Kenny Atkinson limiting his role. Especially early on.

But considering that Cleveland did not make any free-agent additions or trades to address its conundrum on the wing, the Cavs better hope that Tyson can produce. If not, a midseason trade may be necessary.

Will the Cavaliers push the pace?

One of the biggest problems with former head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was the plodding offense that he employed.

The Cavaliers ranked just 22nd in the NBA in pace last season, and by extension, they finished 24th in possessions per game.

While a slower pace isn't exactly a death knell (the defending-champion Boston Celtics placed 15th and 27th in pace and possessions last season, for example), it doesn't really suit a Cleveland squad that has a bunch of players suited to run.

The good news is that Atkinson is the type of coach who likes to push the pace, and he has previously done it with Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert during his time in Brooklyn.

There is no reason why a team as talented as the Cavs should have ranked 20th in offensive efficiency last year. Perhaps installing a faster offense will increase the Cavaliers' effectiveness on that end of the floor.