10 Important Lessons We Learned from the Cavs-Warriors Christmas Day Game

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ 89-83 loss on Friday to the Golden State Warriors gave Cavs fans a possible look at what they hope will be a rematch in the NBA Finals. In watching the game, however, it’s clear that some issues remain for the Cavaliers to get back.

Here are 10 takeaways from the game.

1. Kyrie Irving Is Still Rusty

As one of the top point guards in the league, Cleveland’s championship hopes rest on having Kyrie Irving healthy during the postseason. That fact was painfully driven home last season, with the fractured kneecap suffered by Irving spilling into the first few months of this season.

While his presence in the starting lineup is a welcome sight, it’s clear that there’s still plenty of rust from not having played competitively in the past six months. The clearest sign can be seen in checking out his shooting percentage for the three games he’s played.

Entering this year, Irving has connected on 45 percent of his field goal attempts and 39 percent of his three-pointers. However, he’s currently at 29 percent and 22 percent, respectively, including a 4-for-15 effort (missing all six attempts from long range) against Golden State, numbers that should return to normal in the weeks and months ahead.

Next: Depth at Point Guard Is a Necessity