ON THE THIRD day of training camp, the Cleveland Cavaliers took a break from the basketball court. It was Oct. 2, a humid, 87-degree afternoon in Bradenton, Florida, where the Cavs were hosting camp at IMG Academy, a multisport facility that coach Kenny Atkinson compared to an Olympic village. Atkinson aimed to create a training camp that focused on more than basketball, breaking up the monotony that can form during a long season.
He doesn't need to complicate the game or think he always has to pass or make a play. He just needs to play the game. He owns a good shot. He has shown us that he can fire a puck; he needs to shoot it and play the game. He doesn't have to overanalyze it or overpass. He just has to go and play.
It's a great feeling because you feel all this energy in the gym here and we've been playing against each other, and now, you get to play somebody new. I think that's very exciting. Guys are trying to position themselves and competing against each other for who starts, who's in the rotation, minutes, and so on. I think that's the healthy competition we want. Now, we get to take it to the next step, which is like a real game.
The decision to sign Nikola Jovic to a contract extension may have only taken one week of training camp to make the Miami Heat seem like absolute geniuses. Of course, that's if you take the word of those in attendance. According to Heat beat writer Brady Hawk, Jovic has looked "extremely good" in camp through the first couple of scrimmages.
Throughout media day and through early training camp the team is making it clear that Ingram is extremely focused this season. After missing 64 games last season which includes every game after he was traded to Toronto, it is encouraging to hear how much work Ingram is putting in on the court. "Brandon and I compete a lot, obviously we're all playing together but it's still competition" said Barrett
You saw it in the skate test - he blew away his group. For a guy his size at his age to be able to be that efficient as a skater is really impressive. For someone that big, that you think is only going to grow into being a big power forward that can skate like that, is very unique.
Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland will participate in limited basketball activities during training camp, and is still expected to miss at least the first month of the regular season. Garland had surgery on his injured big toe that hampered him during the playoffs in early June. Cleveland had the best record in the Eastern Conference last season but was eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in five games in the conference semifinals.
Dru Smith has taken another step on his road back from an Achilles injury. He's begun five-on-five work on the eve of the start of Miami Heat training camp, which gets him closer to returning to the floor on a full-time basis. There's still hope that Smith will be ready and cleared for the start of the season. At the very least, the idea is that Smith will be back in the rotation at some point during the early portion of the season.
Live From the Blue Seats is recording tonight as Dave and Producer JL will be in the booth tonight discussing training camp lines, expectations, and what the coaching staff may be thinking. We will also talk the centennial jerseys. As always we will be answering your questions. It's honestly our favorite part of the pod. The questions are great and they help keep us on our toes.
Henry Thrun falls under the category of newly acquired players, and also will be fighting for a spot on a blueline that already has many bodies. The Leafs traded for the 24 year-old defender in exchange for forward Ryan Reaves. Thrun is in the final year of his contract, and will be expiring as a restricted free agent at the end of the year.
