BOSTON — The new-look Cavaliers with George Hill, Rodney Hood, Jordan Clarkson, and Larry Nance dismantled the Celtics in their debut Sunday. Fortified by their new acquisitions, the Cavs looked younger, sharper, and much tougher on defense.
Most importantly, LeBron James looked immediately comfortable with his new supporting cast. It was only one game, but since we already declared the Cavaliers the favorites in the East again after their trade deadline moves, this space is open for overreactions.
George Hill is going to be really good for Cleveland
Finally, the Cavs have someone who can defend at the point of attack. Hill is big enough to switch on to most wings, but he’s also strong enough to fight through screens. That will be a must in the playoffs, considering they may have to deal with the likes of Kyrie Irving, John Wall, and Kyle Lowry, who eat switches for lunch.
“It’s hard to switch with Kyrie because he’s so good one-on-one,” Cavs coach Ty Lue said. “So you want to keep the right matchup on him.”
Hill isn’t a star playmaker, but he’s solid and steady with the ball and the Cavs could use a bit of both right now. There’s a reason he’s one of Gregg Popovich’s favorite players. Hill is just a really good basketball player.
“The guy’s been in so many big games,” James said. “You can tell he knows how to play the game. Smart. Big. Physical.”
Hill’s addition alone makes this a much better defensive team.
The Cavs have excellent depth now
Hill was the only newcomer to start, but it might not be long before Hood and/or Clarkson join him in the first five. Hood, in particular, could be a devastating weapon as a knockdown shooting threat. He got a handful of wide open looks playing with LeBron, and should see many more over the next few months.
Big man Nance isn’t likely to start ahead of Tristan Thompson or Kevin Love when Love comes back from injury, but he’s a perfect fit as an active backup big. He can be to this team what Chris Andersen was to LeBron’s Heat squads.
As for Clarkson, he’s a terrific option to bring off the bench and he can play with the first group, as well. He might be the Cavs’ second-best playmaker right now. He’ll have to learn how to play off the ball with LeBron, but the Cavs will try to play to his strengths.
“I told him, don’t try to change, don’t try to fit in,” Lue said. “Be who you are and we’ll adjust to you.”
If nothing else, Hood and Clarkson provide insurance if J.R. Smith’s game goes missing during crucial moments.
Not to be overlooked, Cedi Osman looked really good as a starter. The Cavs now have a number of rangy, athletic wing options.
Their ‘spirit’ is also better
That was the operative word around the Cavs. They were clearly not in a good place before the trades, which was obvious to everyone.
It was also obvious to everyone that LeBron had an extra bounce in his step on Sunday. He didn’t even play in the fourth quarter and still had 24 points and 10 assists. The Cavs appear to now have a four or five guys who can get out and run in transition when they get stops, and they had seven players score in double figures.
“The way we played tonight is the way we’re going to continue to play the game,” LeBron said.
That’s bad news for everyone else in the East.
The Celtics are scuffling right now
It’s an odd thing to say about a team that recently won five out of six and pushed the Warriors to the limit in Oakland, but the Cs are really struggling. They were blown out by the Raptors earlier this week and had to rally from 20 down to beat the John Wall-less Wizards in overtime.
On Friday, they played arguably their worst half of the season against the Pacers. That led to yet another furious rally, only this one came up short. They’ve developed a dangerous habit of falling behind early, and it finally caught up with them against Indy.
The Celtics were better in the first quarter against Cleveland, but they had little counter once the Cavs kicked into gear. If ever a team could use the All-Star break, it’s this one. The Celtics are beat up and tired and have been running on fumes since their trip to London last month.
Fortunately for them, there was another important matter of franchise business to conduct after the game:
The first time I tried to interview Paul Pierce, he told me he was done talking
The last time I talked to him as an NBA player I shook his hand and told him, thank you. Without the 2008 Celtics, I never would have returned to the NBA, and without Pierce’s Celtics teams, I doubt I’d be in the position I am today.
Pierce and those Cs could be brilliant, frustrating, inspiring, or maddening, and sometimes all of the above in the same week. They played their best ball when everyone counted them out and they never made things easy on themselves. They were never, ever dull.
My all-time favorite stretch of Pierce games came during his final season with the team. After losing Rajon Rondo to a knee injury in late January, the Celtics were 20-23 and going nowhere. Pierce, at age 35, took control of the whole operation. He averaged 19-10-7 over the next seven games, and the Celtics won all seven to get back in the playoff race.
Pierce was no longer an all-star at that point, and that hot streak eventually faded into a brutal first-round playoff series loss against the Knicks. It was over for them, but the man could still play.
I wasn’t around for the first 10 years of his career, and for a younger generation of Celtics fans, Pierce will always be their guy. In his prime, he was magnificent. In his later days, he was a complete player, capable of beating you with his body and his mind. Always, he was taking you to his sweet spot — the foul line extended — where he was in total control.
Pierce’s Celtics career became immortal on Sunday when his jersey was added to the rafters along with all the other franchise greats. It was a privilege and a pleasure to chronicle the latter part of his career. He was, and always will be, the Truth.