Brooklyn Nets vs. Cleveland Cavaliers preview: Home opener!

SB Nation

If you were like me yesterday in watching the game against the Hornets, you became well aware of two things. First, Brooklyn (as of now) can’t play a lick of defense, and second, that this is going to

be a long season in which your patience will be tested, perhaps every game.

En route to a 136-117 loss last night, Lamelo Ball and Brandon Miller’s chemistry seemed to be sky high as they connected on what seemed to be several alley oops every time on a fast break. To put into perspective how much of a joke yesterday was, all but one Hornets player on the entire roster went for double figures in scoring.

Not to spoil anything for you guys reading this article, but tonight has a chance to be even worse. For the Nets’ home opener, Brooklyn will be taking on the Cleveland Cavaliers. With a 64-18 record last season, which was the second best record in the NBA, the Cavs are looking for a year of resurgence after their disappointing postseason. They made a few rallies on Wednesday night, but ultimately fell short against the New York Knicks. With these two Eastern conference teams on two opposite sides of the spectrum, time will determine what type of action we will get.

Where To Watch

Catch the action at 7:30 p.m. ET on the YES Network.

Injury Report

Drake Powell (right ankle sprain), Danny Wolf (left ankle sprain), and Haywood Highsmith (right knee surgery) will be out tonight.

For the Cavs, Max Strus (foot), Darius Garland (toe) are out. DeAndre Hunter (knee) is questionable.

The Game

Now aside from watching the Nets and Hornets game a couple of nights ago, I also watched the Knicks defeat the Cavs at the Garden. A big takeaway I got out of the game was the fact that the Mike Brown Knicks had their superstars Jalen Brunson and KAT play around the system while Donovan Mitchell pretty much carried the Cavs back within reaching distance due to his 21-point third quarter.

Despite the Nets being clearly outmatched, there is a chance that they can take advantage of weakened Cavs as well. But like the Knicks, they will have to play in a cohesive manner with efficiency being their main goal. Our main guy Cam Thomas will be at the forefront of this as he shot just 2-9 from the field two nights ago.

Egor Demin could get some more minutes as he was one of the few bright spots in his 22 minutes of action. While notching 14 points, Denim made the most threes by a Nets rookie in franchise history with three.

If the Nets can find a spark early in the game, the game can come down to the wire. If not, just sit back and watch the Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley show. That will start with better, more consistent effort in transition defense.

Something else to look for (or at) tonight. Barclays Center will look different. The west end of the arena, just above the main entrance has been transformed into another high end restaurant, Gallagher’s Terrace, and there will be a new fan gathering spot, featuring a 67-foot long bar. Here’s some pics:

As they say, Enjoy!

Player To Watch: Lonzo Ball

During the offseason, I thought that the Cavs made one of the best moves in acquiring Lonzo Ball from the Chicago Bulls. Even though he has battled with injuries for his entire career, Ball’s playmaking and defensive abilities still make him a valuable weapon in this league, and those abilities will definitely be needed with Garland out of the entire lineup.

Now with that being said, Ball struggled against the Knicks as he shot just 1-of-7 from the field. The Cavs shouldn’t be that worried, of course it being the first game of the season. As the season goes along, I expect Ball to be a dark horse for this team.

Ben Saraf will try to put another good outing together. He got the start on opening night and was one of the few Nets to put forth a good effort. As the Nets go through an especially long season, the rookies will be a big part of providing some hope and optimism.