Back on the Road For the First Time Since Last March, Cavs Adjust to the New Normal
by Joe Gabriele (@CavsJoeG)
12/17/20 | Cavs.com
For the cast and crew that travels with the Cavaliers – like the rest of society at the pandemic’s outset – the end of last season was disorienting.
After dramatic back-to-back home wins over the Spurs and Nuggets, the team was slated for a six-game trip – although the plan was to play Chicago, come home, and head back out for the rest of the roadie, four Eastern Conference stops and a visit to Houston on St. Patrick’s Day.
Instead, after a 108-103 loss to the Bulls, the suitcases went into the basement and we waited for the verdict from the Bubble.
Fast forward to the 2020-21 season: the NBA Draft, free agency and Training Camp have been compressed into a single month, and the Wine & Gold are one game away from wrapping up the preseason – winning two straight over Indy before falling on Wednesday in New York.
Eight Cavalier regulars were out for that contest – one which Cleveland led by 18 in the third quarter before a late Knicks rally fueled by Kevin Knox II foiled their perfect preseason. And although the Cavs have played in an almost-empty Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the experience was a little different in the World’s Most Famous Arena.
Andre Drummond has averaged 17.5 points and 12.5 boards per over his last two outings.
Nathaniel S. Butler via NBAE/Getty Images
"It was crazy,” smiled Andre Drummond, who led Cleveland with 18 points and both squads with 14 boards. “I’m used to an empty arena now. But being in the Mecca of basketball and not having anyone there was crazy. It was definitely crazy to hear myself breathe, because usually you can’t hear yourself think in the Garden.”
Coach J.B. Bickerstaff chose a different adjective.
"Strange – it was very strange,” said Bickerstaff. “But you know what was interesting – the guys still felt the mojo. I think this is a very unique place where the building itself is bigger than anybody inside of it. And whether the seats were empty or not, that mojo was here and the guys felt it. It’s still a heck of a place to play, even without fans.”
The guys will feel the mojo of the Garden again on Friday night – their final tune-up before taking on Terry Rozier, LaMelo Ball and the Hornets in the home opener on Wednesday.
For the Wine & Gold, the Young Bull is set to make his preseason debut on Friday and JaVale McGee, his debut in a Cavaliers uniform.
McGee brings three titles to Cleveland, along with a shot-blocking presence the Cavaliers haven’t had in years. He also hopes to be a strong influence on the squad’s youngsters.
"I think I can impact the team as a veteran leader,” said McGee. “On defense, blocking shots, clogging up the paint, being a vocal leader on the court when I’m in there with that group. I’m just trying to influence the young guys to be ultimate professionals -- be on time, follow all the rules coach establishes. It’s about making this a winning culture.”
While they're in the Big Apple during the NBA’s new normal, the young Cavs are getting a look at how life will be on the road for the foreseeable future. It’ll be an adjustment.
"Being in the Mecca of basketball and not having anyone there was crazy. It was definitely crazy to hear myself breathe, because usually you can’t hear yourself think in the Garden."
"Right now, we can only control what we can control and just do what it takes to get the job done,” said Drummond, who made 13 previous visits to New York with the Pistons. “I know that the rapid tests are annoying for a lot of us, but it hast to be done to make sure that we’re all safe to play the game we all know and love.
"I’m excited to see what it’s like, but it’s a big change from what we’re accustomed to in terms of how we handle our road trips and what we do on the road.”
J.B. Bickerstaff has been around the NBA his entire life and knows all the pratfalls awaiting guys on the open road, especially on a multiple-day junket in New York City. And with the litany of COVID rules and restrictions they’ll need to follow, he knows that makes things twice as tough.
"It’s gonna come down to discipline, to be honest,” said Bickerstaff. “The league has put in very strict 'do’s' and 'don’t’s', right down to restaurants that they’ve deemed to be suitable because of how they carry themselves with the COVID protocols. It’s gonna be difficult. As much as you can stay in your room, you just gotta stay in your room. And the it’s the idea of being responsible to one another, the organization and the league as a whole.”
"There’s just a bunch of small things that we’ll have to get through and what we told our guys is they have to be flexibly disciplined, because things are going to change. We are routine-based animals in the NBA, but things can change at the last moment. So, we have to be flexible and get through it the best we can.”
"again" - Google News
December 18, 2020 at 03:49AM
https://ift.tt/3gXKUIl
On the Road Again - NBA.com
"again" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2YsuQr6
https://ift.tt/2KUD1V2
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "On the Road Again - NBA.com"
Post a Comment