Cavs Camp Notes: Pace, Thomas Bryant, Darius Garland, Sam Merrill

While the Cavaliers didn’t scrimmage and Tuesday’s practice wrapped up earlier than expected, the opening day of training camp at IMG Academy in Florida still carried a clear theme.

As Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes, the message from Kenny Atkinson and his staff was obvious: play faster.

During last year’s 64-win season, the Cavs finished 10th in the NBA in pace and ranked sixth among playoff teams. That’s already plenty fast, but Atkinson wants to take it up a notch.

“We can be better,” Atkinson told reporters, per Fedor. “Efficiency-wise we were elite, no doubt. But can we get to that scoring zone quicker? There’s a conditioning element, but there’s a strategic element. Definitely a point of emphasis in this camp.”

Fedor notes that the Cavs ran drills rewarding players for pushing the ball across halfcourt within a set time window. It’s not about rushing shots — it’s about initiating earlier, so multiple actions can unfold in the same possession.

“Whoever’s there, take the ball out, get it and go,” guard Sam Merrill said. “We can be faster and quicker in certain areas.”

The Cavs are also emphasizing full-court pressure defensively, a nod to the Pacers team that knocked them out in Round 2 last spring.

Bryant Making Early Impressions

As Fedor details, much of Tuesday’s buzz centered on veteran center Thomas Bryant, who arrived late in free agency but is already turning heads with his energy.

“Every second he stepped on the floor it was go a thousand percent,” Atkinson said. “For that role, for that position we kind of signed him for, that’s what you want.”

The Cavs debated between Bryant and Larry Nance Jr. early in the offseason before ultimately signing both. Now, Bryant is viewed as someone who can push Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Nance in practice.

“I have this feeling he’s going to push Evan, J.A. and Larry,” Atkinson said, via Fedor. “This isn’t going to be a vet coming in saying, ‘Hey we’ll play it nice.’ I think he’s going to get after them.”

Bryant’s inside-out game gives the Cavs another wrinkle in the frontcourt — and provides more insurance than last year’s 14th man, Tristan Thompson, whose role was primarily off the court.

Light Work for Garland

As expected, Darius Garland was “very limited” on Day 1, Fedor reports. The All-Star guard worked out individually for about 45 minutes but didn’t take contact.

“He looked good in those 45 minutes,” Atkinson said. “He’s moving quickly in small spaces, attacking closeouts.”

Garland had toe surgery in June and, while he has a target return date in mind, he hasn’t shared it publicly. Fedor writes that Garland is expected to miss 10–15 games to start the season as the team slowly ramps up his conditioning.

In the meantime, Merrill will likely slide into the starting lineup, with Donovan Mitchell temporarily shifting over to point guard.