Cavalier superlatives: Meleek Thomas shines in an otherwise disappointing performance vs. Magic

The Cleveland Cavaliers finished their preseason with a whimper, as they fell to the Orlando Magic 132-116 in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score would indicate.

Three stars of the game

First star: Franz Wagner

20 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds

The Magic have skilled pieces, they just don’t fit together. That changes when Wagner is able to create for others as easily as he did on Tuesday.

Orlando’s offense makes sense when Wagner is attacking downhill, getting to the line, and kicking out to shooters. This was the offensive formula new head coach Sean Sweeney wants to see from his team going forward.

Second star: Paolo Banchero

24 points, 3 assists, 8 rebounds

The Cavs didn’t have an answer for Banchero inside. He went 7-for-8 in the restricted area and 8-for-10 in the paint overall.

This was a stark contrast to what we saw Sunday. Then, Cleveland’s defense did a good job of containing Banchero by mostly making him a jump shooter as he went 1-for-10 from the field that game. That formula was lost entirely in this matchup in what was an overall awful defensive outing for the Cavs.

Third star: Meleek Thomas

16 points, 0 assists, 3 rebounds

Thomas was the lone Cavalier standout in this game. He made the most of his opportunity in the fourth quarter by putting up 14 of his 16 points then.

It’s worth pointing out that Thomas’s scoring hasn’t exactly translated to an off-ball role. Whether or not he can show these same skills playing away from the ball could determine the rookie’s impact this season. That said, the flashes you see when you put the ball in his hands are incredibly encouraging.

Dud of the game

Evan Mobley

14 points, 5 rebounds, 0 assists

This wasn’t an objectively bad game, but it was the continuation of an underwhelming preseason for Mobley. The Cavs have talked about wanting to get him comfortable in the offense. He hasn’t looked that way, as this showing was on the heels of a 3-for-10 shooting performance on Sunday.

You don’t want to make too much of preseason, but there hasn’t been much from these three games that would make you believe a drastic leap is coming.

Cavalier who deserves a shoutout

Jaylon Tyson

12 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist

Tyson continues to showcase the well-rounded game he teased at times last season. He seems much more comfortable creating with the ball in his hands. That pairs well with a solid three-point shot and the consistent energy he plays with.

Play of the game

Kenny Atkinson has talked about using Mario Hezonja in the post when he has a mismatch. This shows how doing so can lead to an easy basket.

Here, Hezonja gets a mismatch on him, backs his guy in the post, and then forces Goga Bitadze to step up to help. That help defense gave Jarrett Allen a runway to get into the lane and draw a foul.

Efficient scoring often comes down to whether you can create and exploit mismatches. Plays like this show how Hezonja can do that.

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Quote of the game

“We got to have a first line of attack that’s a little stronger.” – Assistant coach Mike Gerrity

Defense starts at the point of attack. You can’t protect the rim if the guards are consistently getting blown by on the perimeter. That forces you into rotation, opens up driving angles off ball, and leaves you vulnerable to three-pointers.

This was a bad game all around, but the reason this got out of hand was due to a lack of perimeter defense.

Stat of the day

The Magic put up a 109.7 half-court offensive rating (92nd percentile)

This number represents how poorly Cleveland played on that end. You don’t give up that high of a half-court offensive rating without struggling to contain the ball. When you can’t contain the ball, the offense can continually get easy looks just by making one or two passes.

It’s just preseason, but Cleveland’s defense has left a lot to be desired in three exhibition games after setting the goal of being a top-five defense.

What this game will be remembered for Meleek Thomas’s fourth-quarter breakout

You don’t want to get carried away by a garbage-time preseason performance. Yet, the Cavs have to be pleased with what they’ve seen from Thomas in these three exhibition games.

This strong on-ball scoring outing doesn’t mean that Thomas will have a place in the rotation when the season starts, but at the same time, the other guards in the depth chart haven’t exactly shown that they’re more deserving of those minutes either. If he does get a shot in the opening night rotation, we can point back to the close of this game as to why.