Late next month, the Cleveland Cavaliers will be opening their training camp in preparation for the 2019-20 regular season.
They will also engage in a few preseason friendlies to shake the rust off.
On Thursday, the Cavs announced their preseason game schedule, which will consist of four games against NBA competition. They will also participate in a game against a non-NBA squad as part of their preseason preparations.
Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com broke down the schedule in detail.
“The Cavaliers begin the exhibition season at home against San Lorenzo de Almagro of Argentina’s Liga Nacional de Básquet,” he wrote. “The matchup against the reigning Argentinian championship team will mark the sixth time the Cavs have faced an international opponent in preseason play, with the last time coming in 2014 versus Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv.
“The Cavs will also play two games on the road. The first is set for Oct. 11 in Detroit before heading to Boston on Oct. 13 — the first of two matchups against the revamped Celtics who no longer roster former Cavalier Kyrie Irving. It’s the second consecutive preseason with the Cavs and Celtics playing a home-and-home. The final tune-up will be held on Oct. 15 against the Celtics at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.”
During the past five training camps, the team was focused on either challenging for an NBA title or making a concerted effort for a playoff berth. In the latter case, that was the Cavs’ mindset last year as they looked to move on after LeBron James left the team in free agency.
That approach changed once the regular season began, however, after the team got off to a dismal start. What then took place was a wholesale rebuilding effort that included a coaching dismissal, and subsequent trades for younger players or future draft picks.
The training camp and preseason contests that will take place this summer will have new head coach John Beilein and his staff at the helm.
The few veterans on the team, such as Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson, may see limited time in order to give playing time to or get better assessments of the younger players in camp.
