The Cleveland Cavaliers may have experienced quite a reality check against the New York Knicks.
You typically can't read too much into a season opener, so the Cleveland Cavaliers' loss to the New York Knicks on Wednesday night absolutely should not be cause for any sort of alarm.
However, Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey wonders if the Cavaliers may end up missing a departed player who was absolutely crucial to their success last year: Ty Jerome.
Cleveland allowed Jerome to walk via free agency over the summer and instead swung a trade for Lonzo Ball, upgrading its perimeter defense and adding a savvy passer into the mix.
But Bailey feels that the Cavs' loss of Jerome could end up being a decent-sized hole.
"To casual observers of the NBA, the Cleveland Cavaliers losing Ty Jerome this offseason may not have seemed like a huge deal, especially after they picked up Lonzo Ball," Bailey wrote. "But as solid as Ball is as a defender and hit-ahead passer, it may be impossible for him to live up to the impact Jerome had as a reserve guard last season, especially for a team that's still missing Darius Garland. ... Even after one game, it's tough to imagine Ball living up to Jerome's impact from last season."
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Lonzo Ball. Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images.Ball scored just three points on 1-of-7 shooting in the Cavaliers' loss to the Knicks, which is par for the course based on his production last year with the Chicago Bulls (7.6 points per game on 36.6/34.4/81.5 shooting splits).
It's also important to remember that Ball missed two full seasons due to knee issues and only played in 35 games last year, so perhaps the former No. 2 overall pick is still getting his legs back underneath him. But Ball's lack of pure scoring ability could spell trouble for Cleveland.
Jerome, who signed with the Memphis Grizzlies, is currently sidelined with a calf injury, but last season, he posted 12.5 points per game on 51.6/43.9/87.2 shooting splits, finishing third in Sixth Man of the Year voting.
The 28-year-old played an absolutely pivotal role in Cleveland's 64-win campaign, so it is definitely going to be difficult to replace him.
That being said, the season just started, and one of the biggest issues for the Cavs last year was their perimeter defender. Now, they have a tough defender in Ball, who has been a double-digit scorer in the past.
Chances are, the Cavaliers will be just fine.