Five Thoughts On The Cavaliers 105-99 Win Over The Atlanta Hawks

Preseason game No. 3 is officially in the books, and the Cleveland Cavaliers got their first win of the preseason, a 105-99 victory over Trae Young and the Hawks.

Caris LeVert was inactive for purely maintenance purposes. Before the game Bickerstaff said LeVert had done everything right when it comes to claiming the starting Small Forward position.

Dean Wade and Evan Mobley were also unavailable as they deal with ankle injuries and Kevin Love was missing once again. Love knocked knees with a 76er in the preseason opener and hasn’t played but has been practicing.

With those lineup notes, the Cavs went with a starting five of:

Darius Garland

Donovan Mitchell

Isaac Okoro

Lamar Stevens

Jarrett Allen

For the second-straight game the starters played into the 3rd quarter, so for those in attendance at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse they got a nice, long look at Mitchell, Garland and Allen on the floor together.

The Hawks were the team that ended the Cavs season last year, and there were moments when this game didn’t exactly feel like a preseason game. Trae Young was issued a technical foul in the second quarter while lobbying for a goaltending call against Jarrett Allen.

He looked out of sorts and was just 1-11 from the field in the first half. Dejounte Murray, who was acquired in the offseason via trade and had just seven points in the first half but finished the night with 17 points.

What else stuck out from the Cavs first win of the preseason?

Tidy D

Defense was a source of frustration for J.B. Bickerstaff on Monday night against the 76ers, particularly in the first quarter. Wednesday night was much better. Atlanta shot just 27-percent through 21 minutes of the first quarter, and just 30 percent from deep.

Jarrett Allen appeared to be in midseason form, which can go a long way towards anchoring the D on the back end. Allen blocked SIX shots including FIVE blocks in the first half, one of them on Trae Young in the 1st quarter as he drove the lane to the basket.

Allen pumped in 19 points and pulled down 12 rebounds on Monday night in Philadelphia and finished Wednesday night with 8 points but was every bit the FORCE on the defensive end that we’ve come to expect from the Cavs’ big man.

He frustrated the Hawks guards all night and drew ire from Young in the 2nd quarter who thought JA was guilty of goaltending at least once. Darius Garland also caused Young fits all night and had him off-balance from the opening tip.

"All night long that was his (Garland's) matchup," Bickerstaff. "Our big guys did a great job of supporting him. I thought it was a real great team effort to try and slow him down as best as he could."

Hot Ice

The Cavs have been very explicit about what they want to see from Okoro moving forward. The organization is more than pleased with his defensive play but want to see more consistency on the offensive end.

He’s shown flashes but has yet to establish himself as a regular offensive threat. Okoro was given a shot in the starting lineup at the yet-to-be-determined-but-all-signs-point-to-Caris-LeVert small forward spot on Wednesday night.

One area where Okoro has thrived offensively is in transition and the Cavs have been working to use that to coax more offensive out of him overall. Wednesday night Okoro kicked things off with a strong driving basket early in the 1st quarter and from there knocked down a couple 3-pointers.

Okoro said that his 3-point shot has been a priority for him this offseason and throughout training camp.

Coincidentally, on the defensive side he and Lamar Stevens each had three fouls in the first quarter and four fouls each by the time the game hit halftime. Okoro fouled out after scoring 16 points and registering three assists and three steals.

While LeVert appears to be the frontrunner, Okoro took a major step Wednesday night if indeed Bickerstaff hasn't made a final decision.

Mamadi gets a shot

Mamadi Diakite got a long look on Wednesday night. He’s a good defensive rebounder and for a team that values defense that’s something they wanted to get a look at in live-game action.

The Cavs were out-rebounded 60-49 in the game and the Saint George, Virginia native had six of those boards in just 12 minutes of play. He was undrafted and arrived here via a training camp invite but has caught the coaching staff’s attention in limited time.

Most of his work in the first half came with a handful of other reserves, Diakite got some time in place of Stevens with the rest of the night’s starters in the 3rd quarter. While much is made of his work on the glass, the kid has also

He threw down a thunderous dunk in the 4th quarter and showed an explosive first-step to beat his defender through the paint to get to the rim. He scored 13 points and pulled down 11 rebounds before fouling out in the game’s final minutes.

Bickerstaff said he loves the energy Diakite brings, specifically when he was inserted into the lineup in the preseason opener in Philly. His reward for quality, consistent work in training camp came Wednesday night.

He made good on that chance and Bickerstaff had this to say about Diakite after the game:

"He was impressive on both sides of the floor," Bickerstaff said. "He's got that range. That 6-9-10 that can guard multiple positions. He makes shots that spreads the floor even more."

Do It Donovan

Donovan Mitchell got a long look with a variety of guys Wednesday night. He played 34 minutes and was on the floor with Jarrett Allen, Cedi Osman, Mamadi Diakite to start the 4th quarter. He canned a pair of triples and another 18-foot step-back jumper to open the first three minutes with 8 points.

Mitchell tallied 17 of his 24 points in the second half but was just 5-of-22 from the field through the first three quarters. Bickerstaff said it was an intent for the coaching staff to get Mitchell going in the 3rd quarter to let him know how much trust the coaching staff has in him.

A large portion of Donovan’s offense came off the high-screen and Bickerstaff spoke at length about the pick-and-roll before the game. To say it will be a large portion of the Cavs’ offense this season may be an understatement.

Streaking Cedi

Speaking of scoring coming in bunches, Cedi Osman erupted for 12 points in the first half and was 4-for-6 from deep.

Osman has said he believes this season is an important one for him in Cleveland as the Cavaliers transition from come-up to contender. He said he felt last year was his best year in a Wine and Gold uniform and wanted to build on what he felt was a clear and defined role.

He may benefit from a recent string of injuries to slip himself into a larger role in the rotation and his ability to knock down perimeter shots will only help that. When Osman is hot, he can be RED hot.

He canned all four of his triples in the second quarter and finished the night with 16 points, seven rebounds and two assists.

The Cavs now turn their attention to their final preseason tune-up in Orlando on Friday before preparations begin for the regular season opener on Wednesday the 19th in Toronto.

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