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The Cavs Are Back: 3 Reasons We’re Pumped
The Cleveland basketball team might not be a lock to win the title this year, but we’re still ready for tip off Oct. 23 in Orlando.
by Jason Brill | Oct. 22, 2019 | 12:00 PM
Nick Falzerano
As much as we miss starting every basketball season under the assumption the Cleveland Cavaliers will be in the NBA Finals, there’s something comforting about not living and dying by every missed free throw or questionable foul call. And while the stakes may be low, there’s still a lot to look forward to in the 2019-2020 season.
The ’90s Are Back, Y’all!
When the team opened Gund Arena (later the Q and now Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse) in 1994, they also debuted a killer take on the orange and blue jersey colors they donned during the 1980s. The ‘80s addition added a lot of black, and some edgy waves. Twenty-five years later, the team is bringing these classic jerseys back for seven games this season, starting with the Nov. 23 home game against the Portland Trailblazers. A retro court design to accompany the special occasions is sure to have visions of Mark Price dimes and Shawn Kemp jams dancing in Cleveland fans’ heads.
Youth Movement
After being snubbed by the Mountain Dew Ice Rising Stars game, Collin Sexton came alive in the second half of the season last year. The point guard selected No. 8 overall in 2017 finished the year shooting above 40% from the 3-point line, earning him All-Rookie Second Team honors. This year, three new rookies join the Cavs’ core, which is coached up by new head coach John Beilein and assistant coach Lindsay Gottlieb, who both have experience working with young players. With point guard Darius Garland’s handles and limitless range (not to mention draft night fashion), shooting guard Kevin Porter Jr.’s highlight-reel slam-dunks and Dylan Windler’s ability to space the floor with his shooting, the 2019 rookie class has the future looking bright.
Someone to Love
For the first time in his career, NBA champion Kevin Love is the oldest player on his team. After ups and downs during the Finals runs, Cavs fans have a chance to watch one of the decade’s best power forwards do his thing as the nucleus of the team’s offense. And while he’s taken the leadership mantle (and had an Instagram summer so GOAT-worthy the New York Times wrote a feature about it), we most appreciate what he’s done to raise awareness on mental health. Even if he’s traded later this season (a definite possibility), we’ll always have that — and his lockdown D on Steph Curry in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals.
The ’90s Are Back, Y’all!
When the team opened Gund Arena (later the Q and now Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse) in 1994, they also debuted a killer take on the orange and blue jersey colors they donned during the 1980s. The ‘80s addition added a lot of black, and some edgy waves. Twenty-five years later, the team is bringing these classic jerseys back for seven games this season, starting with the Nov. 23 home game against the Portland Trailblazers. A retro court design to accompany the special occasions is sure to have visions of Mark Price dimes and Shawn Kemp jams dancing in Cleveland fans’ heads.
Youth Movement
After being snubbed by the Mountain Dew Ice Rising Stars game, Collin Sexton came alive in the second half of the season last year. The point guard selected No. 8 overall in 2017 finished the year shooting above 40% from the 3-point line, earning him All-Rookie Second Team honors. This year, three new rookies join the Cavs’ core, which is coached up by new head coach John Beilein and assistant coach Lindsay Gottlieb, who both have experience working with young players. With point guard Darius Garland’s handles and limitless range (not to mention draft night fashion), shooting guard Kevin Porter Jr.’s highlight-reel slam-dunks and Dylan Windler’s ability to space the floor with his shooting, the 2019 rookie class has the future looking bright.
Someone to Love
For the first time in his career, NBA champion Kevin Love is the oldest player on his team. After ups and downs during the Finals runs, Cavs fans have a chance to watch one of the decade’s best power forwards do his thing as the nucleus of the team’s offense. And while he’s taken the leadership mantle (and had an Instagram summer so GOAT-worthy the New York Times wrote a feature about it), we most appreciate what he’s done to raise awareness on mental health. Even if he’s traded later this season (a definite possibility), we’ll always have that — and his lockdown D on Steph Curry in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals.
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