After an eventful offseason and a week of training camp, the Cleveland Cavaliers are all set to host their annual Wine and Gold Scrimmage. The event, which is set for a 6:00 p.m. tipoff, will be streamed live on Cavs.com, as well as the team’s official app.
The Wine and Gold scrimmage gives Cavs fans a first look at the team’s new faces. Beyond that, the game also gives head coach Tyronn Lue a chance to pit his players against one another in friendly competition.
According to a report from Jason Lloyd of The Athletic, coach Lue has decided to insert Jae Crowder, who was acquired in Cleveland’s deal with the Boston Celtics earlier this year, into the starting lineup for tonight’s intrasquad meeting.
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Crowder, now 27 years of age, is one of the better defenders on the Cavs’ roster. In his 72 games played for the Celtics last season, the former Marquette Golden Eagle posted some of the best statistical figures of his career, averaging 13.9 points on a career-high 46 percent shooting from the field, 5.8 rebounds (career-high), 2.2 assists (career-high), and 1.0 steal in 32.4 minutes per game (career-high).
Whether or not coach Lue will use Crowder in the starting lineup moving forward can only be speculated on at this point. However, one source told The Athletic that the Cavs are planning to slide Kevin Love to the center position this season.
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“Tristan Thompson is expected to come off the bench this year, and Jae Crowder will start at power forward, one source with knowledge of the team’s plans told The Athletic. Kevin Love will slide to center in the new-look lineup.
“Love’s range will pose matchup problems for a number of centers across the league, while moving Crowder into a starting role will improve the defense and allow the Cavs to switch most pick-and-rolls defensively. Thompson, himself a Swiss army knife defender, has been made aware of the plans and is accepting of returning to a reserve role.”
Quicken Loans Arena will open their doors at 5:00 p.m. today. Concessions will include $2 popcorn, $2 sodas, and $3 beers. Face painting, hair painting, temporary tattoo, and sign making stations will be available for patrons in attendance.