Cavaliers close preseason with another loss as stars sit out vs Magic

Cleveland Cavaliers end the preseason with another loss

The young Cleveland Cavaliers All-Stars sat out in a 114-108 loss on the road against the Orlando Magic in their last game of the preseason, finishing with a solitary win against three losses ahead of what will be the new-look team’s first season that comes with some legitimate expectations.

Isaac Okoro led all Cavaliers with 17 points off an uber-efficient 86 percent shooting clip, while Caris LeVert added 15 markers to go with four boards and four steals. Rising star Evan Mobley made his return from an ankle injury but played only 17 minutes against Orlando to score 8 points.

Second-unit forwards Cedi Osman and Lamar Stevens also tallied double-figures as they added a combined 23 points to go with 10 rebounds. Meanwhile, Orlando’s young star trio of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Cole Anthony showed out as the Magic closed out the tight contest.

Without Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, Kevin Love, and Dean Wade, Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff dug deep and allowed all the reserves to get significant minutes and much-awaited burn in an exhibition loss that means little to nothing.

The Cavs continue searching for a new identity

Finishing with a 1-3 card might seem anticlimactic for fans hyped up by the arrival of the three-time NBA All-Star guard Mitchell, but patience will pay off as the team continues to figure this out. Start worrying if this trend goes through the games that actually count.

With Mobley returning to the lineup looking healthy and ending the preseason without any significant injuries should be a win in itself. Things will get better once both Love and Wade (plus floor general Ricky Rubio in the long term) get cleared to rejoin the team’s core.

Aiming to become legitimate contenders in the increasingly-competitive Eastern Conference, the Cavs have yet to find a viable long-term scheme and identity to replace their surprisingly effective super tall-ball lineup from last season.

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ first test will come on opening night as they open their regular season campaign on the road against a potential long-term rival in the Toronto Raptors on October 20.