What To Expect In Cleveland Cavaliers’ 2023 Preseason Finale

Tomorrow night, the Cleveland Cavaliers will play their final 2023 preseason game on the road against the Indiana Pacers.

Cleveland is 1-2 this preseason, falling to the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic, and defeating Maccabi Ra’anana of the Israeli National League on Monday night.

While the Cavaliers’ bench and reserves have played considerably so far this preseason, tomorrow’s matchup will likely feel like a regular season game.

Before Monday’s contest, Cleveland head coach J.B. Bickerstaff addressed the idea of his team’s last preseason game serving as a regular season “dress rehearsal.”

“We will play the three quarters for sure [and] see where we stand in the fourth quarter,” Bickerstaff said. “But my expectation is we get as close to game-like as we can, if all goes well.”

On Thursday afternoon during his media availability, Bickerstaff was asked if his thoughts have changed since Monday night.

“We’ll see how some things kind of shake out tonight and tomorrow morning, and then we’ll kind of go from there,” Bickerstaff said.

While Jarrett Allen has not played at all this preseason due to a bone bruise in his left ankle, the Cavaliers’ other four projected starters (Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, and Evan Mobley) rested on Monday.

The latter four should likely see the floor plenty in Indiana, which will help with their conditioning and chemistry in preparation for Wednesday night’s regular season-opener against the Brooklyn Nets.

In terms of what’s in store for tomorrow, Bickerstaff said:

“We’re looking for the guys to play Cavaliers basketball. We’re also looking for guys to get reps together. There are new pieces that are significant to what we’re trying to do. So those pieces need to get reps against an opponent who has a defensive system or schemes that are different than ours.”