Cavalier superlatives: Meleek Thomas shines in an otherwise disappointing performance vs. Magic

The Cleveland Cavaliers finished their preseason with a whimper, as they fell to the Orlando Magic 132-116 in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score would indicate.

Three stars of the game

First star: Franz Wagner

20 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds

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The Magic have skilled pieces, they just don’t fit together. That changes when Wagner is able to create for others as easily as he did on Tuesday.

Orlando’s offense makes sense when Wagner is attacking downhill, getting to the line, and kicking out to shooters. This was the offensive formula new head coach Sean Sweeney wants to see from his team going forward.

Second star: Paolo Banchero

24 points, 3 assists, 8 rebounds

The Cavs didn’t have an answer for Banchero inside. He went 7-for-8 in the restricted area and 8-for-10 in the paint overall.

This was a stark contrast to what we saw Sunday. Then, Cleveland’s defense did a good job of containing Banchero by mostly making him a jump shooter as he went 1-for-10 from the field that game. That formula was lost entirely in this matchup in what was an overall awful defensive outing for the Cavs.

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Third star: Meleek Thomas

16 points, 0 assists, 3 rebounds

Thomas was the lone Cavalier standout in this game. He made the most of his opportunity in the fourth quarter by putting up 14 of his 16 points then.

It’s worth pointing out that Thomas’s scoring hasn’t exactly translated to an off-ball role. Whether or not he can show these same skills playing away from the ball could determine the rookie’s impact this season. That said, the flashes you see when you put the ball in his hands are incredibly encouraging.

Dud of the game

Evan Mobley

14 points, 5 rebounds, 0 assists

This wasn’t an objectively bad game, but it was the continuation of an underwhelming preseason for Mobley. The Cavs have talked about wanting to get him comfortable in the offense. He hasn’t looked that way, as this showing was on the heels of a 3-for-10 shooting performance on Sunday.

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You don’t want to make too much of preseason, but there hasn’t been much from these three games that would make you believe a drastic leap is coming.