Preseason is over, and Cavs are now on the clock

Finally, the preseason is ancient history and already forgotten. Now, the Cavaliers have exactly one week to prepare for the real thing.

It all starts under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden, where the Cavs will open the regular season with a visit to the Knicks (Wednesday, Oct. 22).

So, what did we learn about Cleveland during the preseason? Well, not much — which is sort of the way NBA coaches like it. These are truly practice games to get in some run, and little more.

In the case of the Cavs, coach Kenny Atkinson wanted to get a look at how the starters play together (particularly in the fourth game), and who might be a regular part of the rotation. Or something like that.

Anyway, ESPN came up with a column on what we learned about contenders during the preseason. Here is what the outlet’s Tim Bontemps wrote:

“The Cavaliers have a lot of depth, and they will need it. Max Strus is likely out for a few months with a Jones fracture in his left foot. Darius Garland will miss the opening weeks of the season as well after offseason turf toe surgery.

“New addition Lonzo Ball is not going to play back-to-backs, and he played 35 games last season for the Chicago Bulls after missing the prior two seasons with injuries. De’Andre Hunter has never played more than 67 games and has missed at least 25 games in three of his six seasons. And Dean Wade has eclipsed 60 games in only one of his six seasons.

“So while Cleveland feels good about where it sits after claiming the top seed in the East last season, it is already navigating injuries — and likely will be throughout this season.”

Bontemps is right to point out the injury history. It could be a big reason why the Cavs failed to advance to the East finals after finishing 64-18. After all, Garland was clearly compromised against the Pacers, attempting to play in the second round with that broken big toe.

So, no, the Cavs may not start 15-0 again. Their goal, as usual, is to be better at the finish than the start. And that start is right around the corner. The finish? That’s a long, long way away. But entering the year, you have to like the Cavaliers’ chances as much as anyone.

Health, again, could be the deciding factor.