East Notes: Cavs, Lonzo Ball, Bucks, Myles Turner, Pacers

Cavaliers

Veteran point guard Lonzo Ball is already looking like a wise offseason maneuver for the Cavaliers.

In a preseason win over the Pistons, Ball went for nine points, nine assists, four rebounds, three blocks and two steals in just 20 minutes. Exactly what Cleveland had in mind when trading for him, wrote Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

“He hasn’t disappointed,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “Everything that we thought we were getting, we’re getting. He’s just got a great, great feel. I’m excited to coach any NBA player, but this is a guy I’ve watched for a long time. He’s kind of the ultimate system fit.”

Ball does indeed the Cavs’ pace-and-space system well. The only question left is health, not talent.

Bucks

The Bucks finally got a look at the Giannis Antetokounmpo and Myles Turner frontcourt, and even in just five minutes together, it looked promising, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic.

Antetokounmpo didn’t light up the box score, but his presence opened the floor for everyone else. Turner’s instincts as a cutter and spacer stood out right away.

“The most important thing about him is that he sacrifices,” Antetokounmpo said. “At times, he knows that he’s not going to get the ball and he’s going to create the open shot for his teammate.”

Antetokounmpo added that the fit already feels natural.

“It’s fun playing with him. Makes the game easier for me,” he said. “I think I’ll try to make the game easier for him. When I draw a lot of attention, he’s gonna be able to create a lot of open shots. So he just makes the game easier not just for me, for the whole team.”

The Bucks still have some things to clean up before opening night, but this pairing could potentially take them places.

Pacers

With Tyrese Haliburton out with an Achilles injury, Bennedict Mathurin is getting his shot to take on a leading role. And he’s wasting no time.

In Monday’s preseason game against the Spurs, Mathurin exploded for 31 points on 11-of-12 shooting, showing both shot creation and poise within the offense, wrote Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star.

The Pacers’ center rotation was another story. Isaiah Jackson, Jay Huff, James Wiseman and Tony Bradley combined for three points on 0-for-10 shooting.

With Myles Turner gone, Indiana still has scoring power. But it needs answers in the paint if it wants to keep pace in the East.