Cavaliers lose Tournament Opener in Indy

   The Cleveland Cavaliers offense showed up late for their first outing in the new "NBA In-Season Tournament" in Indianapolis against the Pacers, trailing by seventeen points at halftime.

The Cavaliers would make a valiant comeback in the second half and pushed the Pacers to the wire before falling short in a 121-116 loss.

Donovan Mitchell scored 38 points to lead the now 2-4 Cavaliers, who will face Golden State on Sunday evening in Cleveland.

Swashbucklings

1) Yes, this was the Cavaliers' first game in the new NBA In-Season Tournament, an idea of league commissioner Adam Silver to emulate what European soccer leagues do in their seasons.

While I don't hate the concept, I don't see anything special about it either.

2) The reason it isn't special because it's not exactly what is done in the European soccer tournaments.

Those leagues involve all the lower levels so you can have multiple times every year, a smaller league team playing a top team.

Imagine if the Hagerstown Suns drew the New York Yankees in a tournament and depending on the blind draw, the Yankees coming to Municipal Stadium?
That can happen in those tournaments and it's missing in the NBA version.

3) The only way to approach that would be to integrate the G-League teams, maybe some teams from Europe, and (although I don't think this would be possible) a few college teams.

That would be the only way to bring the underdog aspect to the tournament and give it more value than a bunch of specially tagged regular-season games with a trophy at the end.

4) While I don't love the tournament, there isn't anything to be griping about either.

Well, except for one thing- the special courts made for each team are just blinding.

Most are terrible in these super bright team colors with what looks like a runway strip down the middle of the court which the NBA states is supposed to symbolize the road to Las Vegas where the finals of the tournament will be.

Indiana's blue and yellow was very loud and hard to watch and I saw that Philadephia's red (who the Cavaliers will play in the tournament) looked really bad.

5) Jarrett Allen made his season debut against the Pacers, scoring ten points and grabbing seven rebounds.

Allen's minutes are being limited and he played just twenty-one minutes as the team gradually rounds Allen into full-time shape.

Sorry, I spent more time on the tournament than on the game but Ohio State is starting shortly and I need to wrap this up.