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Why the Cleveland Cavaliers' NBA Summer League run is worth watching

The Cleveland Cavaliers will face the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Summer League semifinals in Las Vegas on Monday night.
Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers are on the verge of playing for a championship.

And in order to do so, they'll first have to go through LeBron James' new team.

OK, so James won't be on the court -- and likely won't even be in the arena -- when the Cavs face the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Summer League semifinals in Las Vegas on Monday night. In fact, the Lakers' Summer League squad is hardly a reflection of what its revamped roster will look at the start of training camp.

For the Cavs, however, the past week in Sin City has provided perhaps a more accurate glimpse of what Cleveland could be in store for in the coming year. And while it may not necessarily be a team that wins a lot of games -- as the Cavs have in Vegas -- it could be one with a renewed sense of energy compared to previous seasons.

Although Cleveland's Summer League roster lacks several key players still under contract with the team, it also features more than most. Rookie point guard Collin Sexton and second-year players Cedi Osman and Ante Zizic are all likely shoo-ins to be a part of the Cavs' rotation -- if not start -- in the 2018-19 campaign, while rookie forward Billy Preston recently agreed to a two-way contract with the team.

Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Thus far, the results on all four players have been promising -- particularly when it's come to Sexton, the No. 8 pick in last month's NBA Draft. Appearing in all six of Cleveland's Summer League games, the Alabama product has averaged 18.3 points on 43.3 percent shooting, to go along with 3.7 assists and 3.7 rebounds.

The more experienced Osman (20.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists) and Zizic (20.5 points, 12.5 rebounds), meanwhile, have each played in just two Summer League games, but showed enough in their limited action to warrant optimism moving forward in their sophomore seasons.

As for Preston, the former 5-star prospect has averaged 10.6 points and 5.8 rebounds while appearing in 20.6 minutes in five games. Forward John Holland -- who spent last season on a two-way contract with the Cavs -- has also shown promise, scoring 23 points in Cleveland's victory over the Toronto Raptors in the Summer League quarterfinals on Sunday.

Obviously, roles and roster spots will change between now and the start of training camp -- particularly with the Cavs seemingly intent on contending for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Over the weekend, Cleveland reportedly agreed to a one-year deal to bring back big man Channing Frye, which only bolsters the idea the Cavs aren't ready to solely rely on youth just yet.

Credit: Mike Lawrie/Getty Images

Nevertheless, Sexton's promising start and the steps forward Osman has taken in not only the Summer League, but the FIBA World Cup European Qualifiers proves that there may be life in Cleveland post-James, after all.

It may not result in a championship -- although ironically enough, this new era of Cavs basketball could very well start with one.

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