Overall. the Cleveland Cavaliers looked good Wednesday night, Dec.28. Not only did they pull off a 105-89 win on the road, six different players scored in the double digits. But, just like the opening game was not clear indication of how the season will go, this game can not accurately predict the future. Despite the solid performance, they did have a bit of a headstart on this team having already faced them twice in the short and rushed preseason.

Regardless, as a fan it was great to see the team, working as a team. The bench truly stole the show from the starters, and no one minded. The depth of the team was great to see.

The bench contributed 56 points, 23 rebounds and 15 assists. While rookie, Tristan Thompson, put up 10 points and four rebounds, it was even better to see Kyrie Irving more comfortable on the court. Irving racked up 14 points, had 7 assists and four rebounds in under 20 minutes of playtime. Some fans were worried about Irving, but he proved his worth Wednesday night against the Pistons. This young recruit needs to acclimate himself to the NBA and his position and it seems he is well on his way. He certainly played more confident.

“It was definitely a different feeling,” Irving said. “Last time I wasn’t really enjoying the game. I love the game so much and the first time I wanted to be so serious, wasn’t joking around, no smile on my face. Tonight, it was about having fun.”

Although the Cavaliers had 21 turnovers, Coach Byron Scott is not complaining. They defended well, kept a handle on the easy baskets and outrebounded the Detroit Pistons, 40-26. Nothing to complain about there.

“On the defensive end, we were so much better, so much more aggressive from start to finish and that’s exactly what we talked about,” Scott said. “When you play defense like we did tonight, it seems like the offense is easy.”

More by Sylvie Branch:

Cavaliers Lose Opener 104-96 Against Toronto Raptors, Does Not Decide Season: Fan Report

Top Five Cleveland Cavaliers Moments of 2011

Cleveland State Part of the Top 25: Fan Reaction

Sylvie Branch is a die-hard Cleveland sports fan who is perpetually holding out for the day her teams do not break her heart!

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Cleveland Cavaliers’ coach Byron Scott started rookie Kyrie Irving in the teams’ first regular season game on 12/26/11 against the Toronto Raptors. This was a decision that many were on the fence about. What really seemed odd is that coach Scott not only started the rookie, but he put him back in the game in the last few minutes when the Cavs were down. Irving was not having a good shooting game.

Ramon Sessions was having a hot night with shooting, but coach Scott benched him in favor of Irving in those last critical minutes. Coach Scott says that Irving has to get used to these types of situations. This makes sense.

“It’s a developmental thing right now,” said coach Scott. “I’ve got to get this young man (Irving) used to closing out games and I have to find out what he has, what he’s made of when the games are on the line in situations like that.”

Coach Scott is in his 12^th season as a coach in the NBA so he knows what he is doing. Plus, he is in a tough spot with the Cavs. He is trying to win games, but he is also trying to mold and mentor new players at the same time. This is a difficult balance.

Kyrie Irving does need to be in those high-pressure situations in order to get used to them and to build up the confidence and skills to tackle them effectively. The NBA is a completely different world and a whole new level of competition for him. He is obviously a skilled player, but he has to get used to playing against guys of NBA caliber. So, it seems that coach Scott’s decision to put him in at such a critical time was a good one, at least from an experience-gaining standpoint.

Plus, as Ramon Sessions has said, Irving did start the game, so it only makes sense that he also close it out.

Irving is a new player in the NBA, so there are going to be bumps in the road. He was rather impressive during the preseason and he looked bumpy during the first regular season game. This is to be expected. As coach Scott provides him with more experience and opportunities to improve his craft, he is sure to become a cornerstone of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

R. Elizabeth C. Kitchen was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and still lives there. She was raised a Cavs’ fan and has remained loyal through all of the teams ups and downs. She remains confident that the Cavs will bring home a championship at some point in her life. Follow Rose on Twitter @Rose_Kitchen

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Cleveland Cavaliers point guard and top overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft Kyrie Irving started the Cavs’ season opener over veteran Ramon Sessions. Sessions started in the preseason games but this move was not a surprise. The Cavs need Irving to get all the experience he can get. Irving finished with six points (2 – 12 from the floor), three rebounds, seven assists, a steal, and a turnover in 26 minutes.

Irving was shaky for most of the game. He has a long way to go but this was his first real game since tearing a ligament in his right big toe over a year ago while playing for Duke. He played a mere 11 games in his only season there.

Playing point guard in the NBA will be a tough transition from college. It is the hardest position to play. Irving should be fine but it will take time. When he starts getting more confident in his game, we should see a big improvement.

Tristan Thompson

The Cavs’ other lottery pick in the 2011 NBA Draft was Tristan Thompson. He was picked fourth overall. Thompson fared better than Irving did but he was under less pressure. He scored 13 points and hauled in five boards in the game.

Hopefully, Thompson was not taking notes as his mentor, Antawn Jamison, was jacking up 20 shots while making only six. Jamison even launched four three point attempts. He made none of those, of course. Jamison was heaving the ball at the rim like a shooting guard. It seemed like he shot the ball every time he had it. If he could play a little defense, it would be helpful.

Thompson scored one less point than Jamison on 14 less shots. His seven free throw attempts were more than any other Cav. He did that while only playing only 17 minutes. Thompson was impressive.

One game

It is hard to judge this young team by just one game. It was a game that the Cavs could have won but, like Irving said after the game, this was just one game with 65 to go.

I live in Ohio. The Cavaliers are Ohio’s NBA team. I am also a Kentucky Wildcat fan. You can follow me on Twitter here. Still want more? Go to my blog.

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As the Cleveland Cavaliers say goodbye to Manny Harris, they welcome Mychel Thompson onto their roster. Coach Byron Scott said that the decision was not made solely based on Harris’ injury, but that he truly felt that Thompson was a better fit for the team and for the direction that the Cavs’ are currently heading.

“It has been my dream since I was a little kid to play in the NBA,” said Thompson. “Just to make the team is not my goal. I want to stay in the NBA, I want to stick. I don’t want to be here for a little bit.”

Just before preseason began, coach Scott talked about how much he liked Thompson’s passion for the game. He also said that he liked Thompson’s decision-making and size. However, Scott did not really get into too many specifics on his decision in choosing Thompson over Harris.

Thompson was playing with the NBA Developmental League team, the Erie Bayhawks, prior to the Cavs inviting him to come to their training camp. In five games with the Bayhawks, he averaged 19.8 points. Obviously, the NBA is going to be more competitive than the D-League, but seeing his stats in that league does give us a glimpse at what Thompson is capable of. Coach Scott also sees great potential in him.

“He’s doing pretty good. He’s a solid basketball player. He doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. He just does what he knows he can do. He’s pretty good on the defensive end,” said coach Scott during training camp.

Seeing how the Cavs did in their home opener on 12/26/11 against the Toronto Raptors, it is clear that defense is something that the Cavs could use a lot more of. Also, Manny Harris was not the strongest defensively. We will have to see Thompson play more to see exactly how effective he will be long-term on the defensive end, but it is clear that if he is up to the challenge, the Cavs would not be losing much by allowing him to show us what he’s got.

So far, it seems like coach Scott has made the right choice in choosing Thompson over Harris, but of course, only time will tell.

R. Elizabeth C. Kitchen was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and still lives there. She was raised a Cavs’ fan and has remained loyal through all of the teams ups and downs. She remains confident that the Cavs will bring home a championship at some point in her life. Follow Rose on Twitter @Rose_Kitchen

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Rookie point guard Kyrie Irving didn’t take long to impress coach Byron Scott. Irving will be the Cleveland Cavaliers starting point guard against the Toronto Raptors in the December 26, 2011 game. In the two preseason games, Ramon Sessions has been the starting point guard and coach Scott said that Irving had to “earn” the starting spot. It seems like he has done that.

Irving has shown that he can handle the point guard position in the two preseason games. When it comes to offense, he is a rather strong player. However, defensively, he does need to strengthen his skills. This will surely be done as he gains more experience and the veteran players that surround him, like Anthony Parker, will certainly be at his side to help free him up to take the shots.

It is said that Sessions understands Irving starting tonight and that coach Scott took the time to explain his reasoning. When Irving was asked about starting in this game, Irving said, “honestly, it didn’t matter to me if I started tonight or not. Me and Ramon are two great point guards. Either way, we’re going to bring the same intensity.”

This is actually a smart move on the part of coach Scott. The Raptors are not the strongest team in the NBA, so it gives him a chance to see how Irving does as a starter in a regular season game against a team that isn’t going to put on an extreme amount of pressure. Sessions will be there to help guide him and give him pointers, as well as some breaks. Irving will also be on the floor with veterans like Antawn Jamison, Anthony Parker and Anderson Varejao, so he will definitely have a little help if he appears to be getting into any trouble.

Ultimately, this is Irving’s shot to show coach Scott, his teammates and Cavs’ fans that he has starting potential. If he can lead the team well in the point guard position, he may find himself on the starting roster regularly.

R. Elizabeth C. Kitchen was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and still lives there. She was raised a Cavs’ fan and has remained loyal through all of the teams ups and downs. She remains confident that the Cavs will bring home a championship at some point in her life. Follow Rose on Twitter @Rose_Kitchen

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