COLUMBUS -- Random dribbles from the Cavaliers' 107-98 preseason win over the Chicago Bulls at Ohio State on Monday:
1. This was about as close to a regular-season game as you'll see at this time of year. Kyrie Irving played 39 minutes. LeBron James played 32. Kevin Love played 35. Those are serious minutes.
2. For the Bulls, Derrick Rose played 24 -- and coach Tom Thibodeau was hoping to keep Rose somewhere closer to 20. But like the Cavs' main men, Rose (30 points) looked really good. So it was probably tough for Thibodeau to keep him off the floor.
3. The Cavs' No. 1 guy on this night was Anderson Varejao (22 points, 10-of-13 shooting, 8 rebounds). He got the start at center, and while the Bulls' frontcourt placed most of its defensive focus on Love, it was Varejao who made the Bulls pay. He has become really good at facing the basket, calmly eyeing his target, and softly nestling the ball through.
4. I honestly don't know whom Cavs coach David Blatt should pick as his starting center. Varejao and Tristan Thompson (10 points and an underrated 8 rebounds) offer different things, but both offer plenty of positives. And both look good off the bench. But as Varejao has said, it doesn't really matter. Basketball is a game of constant substitutions.
5. Or how about this stat: Varejao started and played 23 minutes, 27 seconds. Thompson came off the bench and played 23:37. That's right. Thompson played 10 more seconds. So regardless of who starts, Blatt may split their time right down the middle.
6. Irving struggled to defend Rose (who didn't?), but put on a real clinic of his own in the second half. He not only finished with a team-high 28 points on 10-of-19 shooting, but he also passed for a game-high seven assists. That's compared to three assists for Rose.
7. Yes, I realize Rose played 15 minutes less than Irving. And I'll be the first to tell you Rose doesn't have as many weapons around him. The Bulls are a defensive team that finished dead last in the league in offense last season. But for all the buzz about Rose, Kyrie definitely put on a show of his own.
8. Fun fact: Irving has played in three preseason games and led the Cavs in scoring each time.
9. Meanwhile, LeBron (18 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists) admittedly is pacing himself in the preseason, and you really can tell on offense. He finished 6-of-11 shooting. But at one point in the fourth quarter, he really turned it up defensively. For Cavs fans, it must have been a sight to behold.
10. Love shot just 2-of-10 and never really got into much of a flow offensively. It looks like he may have the toughest time adjusting of any of the Big Three. But man, that cat can rebound. He just has a nose for the ball and seems to be able to get it whenever he wants. Young big men should watch how active and how smart Love is under the basket. He's never been known as an athletic freak, but he's strong and utilizes proper positioning.
11. For the record, Love finished with 13 rebounds -- or two fewer than Pau Gasol (eight) and Joakim Noah (seven) combined. Overall, the Cavs out-boarded the Bulls by a 47-40 count.
12. Also for the Cavs, I thought Shawn Marion played an underrated role off the bench. He showed his value by defending multiple spots and just staying active.
13. As for Dion Waiters, you can't complain too much. He's struggling a little shooting, but he is playing with confidence (even an edge), and that's what you need from a guy who's a scorer. Waiters scored 10 points but I was more impressed with how he drove and dished, feeding both Thompson and Marion for two-handed slams in traffic.
14. The Cavs departed for Memphis immediately after the game. They play the Grizzlies in their preseason finale Wednesday. LeBron said he won't play. It sounds like it will be a final chance for the end-of-bench guys to get serious minutes before the regular-season opener.
15. Blatt used just nine guys in the rotation Monday (well, 10 if you include Lou Amundson's seven seconds). That's probably what you'll see in the regular season. Brendan Haywood, Joe Harris and A.J. Price were among those who didn't play Monday. The Cavs still have to make one more cut before the Oct. 30 opener.
16. As for the Bulls, man, they're gonna be good. If Rose is anything close to what he was Monday, he alone will keep them in contention. As LeBron said both before and after the game, they're a team that's been together for a while and has some chemistry. Along with Rose, Noah and Gasol, I was impressed with Taj Gibson (12 points) and Tony Snell (seven points, six rebounds, tons of hustle). The Bulls also were without starting guard Jimmy Butler, who sat with a minor thumb injury.
