Anthony Bennett

Cleveland Cavaliers' Anthony Bennett has shown up in shape at Las Vegas Summer League.

(John Locher, Associated Press)

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- The story of Anthony Bennett's rookie season last year read like a horror novel.

The joy of being the first overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft quickly turned to frustration as Bennett dealt with one issue after another. It all culminated in one of the worst rookie seasons from a top pick in NBA history.

First, surgery for a torn labrum cost him a chance to play in last year's summer league. By the time he recovered, he showed up to training camp looking nothing like the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year. Overweight and out of shape, Bennett had a hard time just getting up and down the court consistently without calling for a sub. It never got better as Bennett crumbled under the burden of being the top pick in the draft.

"I was just putting a lot of pressure on myself," Bennett said following the Cleveland Cavaliers' 82-70 win on Sunday against the San Antonio Spurs in summer league. "Things weren't going right for me. It was just everything collapsing and everything building up. Got down on myself."

During his rookie season, Bennett missed his first 16 shots from the field, and finished the year shooting a putrid 35.6 percent from the field while making just 24.5 percent from the three-point line. He finished the year averaging 4.2 points to go along with 3.0 rebounds in 52 games - hardly the production expected from the top pick in the draft, even in a class that was considered weak.

But Bennett has shown up in Las Vegas with a different mindset, trying to erase the bad memories from 2013-14.

"I just want to go out there and prove to everybody I can play," he said. "Last year was a setback for me with the shoulder stuff. Just trying to put that in the past. Just trying to come out here and have fun."

Bennett said he's lost between 15 and 20 pounds since the end of last season and is now back down around 240. He played a team-high 30 minutes during the team's second game of summer league, scoring 13 points on 5-for-8 shooting while grabbing a team-high 14 rebounds.

He's made a strong first impression on Cavs head coach David Blatt.

"AB has been good since day one since I came," Blatt said. "He's really working hard to get himself in shape. He's really, really trying to do a lot of different things on the court to help the team. It's a work in progress but he's doing a great job.

"I came in and Anthony came in with a clean slate. Physically he's really worked hard and I think that's the most important thing is for him to get into shape to be the kind of player he can be. Last year is in the past. We're looking ahead and I really believe and hope that Anthony can be a part of what is ahead."

Before the Cavs tipped off Friday night's game against the Milwaukee Bucks, the excitement surrounded this year's first overall pick, Andrew Wiggins, but the first five questions to Blatt following Sunday's game revolved around one player: Bennett.

"What is this, the Anthony Bennett show," Blatt jokingly asked reporters.

Back in the city where Bennett played his college ball for one season, the 2013 top pick has momentarily regained his form, and most importantly, his confidence.

Miami Heat not ready to throw in the towel: Miami's dreams of a fifth-straight trip to the NBA Finals went up in smoke when LeBron James, the biggest off-season prize, chose to go back home to the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, Heat president Pat Riley is looking to stay competitive in the Eastern Conference, and his first few moves could make that a reality. The first goal was getting Chris Bosh to turn down a contract, and perhaps better situation, with the upstart Houston Rockets. Bosh agreed to a max deal, staying in South Beach and welcoming the challenge of a new role.

In Miami, Bosh was known as CB1. It wasn't just a nickname it was a mindset. He knew for Miami to be a championship-level team he was going to have to change his game. That meant less shots, less post-ups, more screens and spacing the floor to make things easier for James and Dwyane Wade. This upcoming year, Bosh may have to revert back to his old moniker, CB4, which helped him become Toronto's all-time leading scorer.

But Riley didn't stop with Bosh. The smooth-talking executive got an agreement from Luol Deng on Sunday. Deng, who was said to be looking for $12M-$13M per year, will get a two-year, $20 million contract. He's not James. Nobody is. But Deng is a pro and was one of the best swingmen on the market this off-season. These moves equal good news for the Cavs as the wine and gold own Miami's first round pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, provided it doesn't fall in the top 10. With these moves and the possibility of re-upping Wade, the Cavs might be getting Miami's selection.

The new guy: Second round pick Joe Harris missed the Cavs' summer league opener with a sprained ankle suffered in practice. On Sunday, Harris made his debut. Inserted into the starting lineup, Harris finished with 4 points on 2-for-6 shooting. He played 21 minutes in the win. On draft night, a team in the midst of a rebuild selected him. Now, he's on a title contender not knowing what his role will be.

"You never know, but at the same time it's also very exciting that you're part of an organization where you're going to have an opportunity to win right away," Harris said following his debut. "Regardless of the pecking order, the fact that the team is winning and has success is the most important thing."

LeBron James' return has people flashing back to where they were upon hearing the news, and Harris has his own story to tell.

"It's pretty funny," he said. "I think (James) announced it in the morning of our shootaround. I got back to the bus and checked the phone and I had like hundreds of text messages. It's insane. Pretty cool though."

Andrew Wiggins puts on show during pregame warm-ups: Before he finished with 13 points on 3-of-11 from the field against the Spurs, Wiggins delighted the crowd, displaying the incredible athleticism that helped him soar to the top spot in this year's NBA draft. If this was Wiggins' audition for the dunk contest during All-Star weekend then my vote goes to him.

Cherry on top: Last year, Matthew Dellavedova was an afterthought when the season began, but Delly, as he is affectionately called, became much more than that by the end of the season. The Australian guard brought energy, toughness and a defensive-mentality to the Cavs' second unit. His feistiness led to him receiving more than 17 minutes per game, a number that increased even more by the time the season wrapped up.

Will Cherry could be this summer's Dellavedova. Last year in summer league, Cherry was glued to the bench, fighting through a foot injury. This year, Cherry is healthy. He led the Cavs in scoring on Sunday with 21 points in 23 minutes after scoring seven in Friday's win against the Milwaukee Bucks.

"I think being healthy there's no explanation for it," Cherry said following his breakout performance. "Being hurt for a whole year you forget how it felt to be healthy. All the moves I was out there doing I felt a little pressure on my foot. Now I have the screw in there, I'm 100 percent and I feel better than I ever have."

He also explains how his health has led to a knew attitude: "That's where a lot of the intensity and fun comes in because I know there's nothing holding me back and I can just go out and play the game."

Cherry, who played for the Canton Charge last year, knows he's fighting an uphill battle to make the roster, but he's hoping his defense will help him stand out to the coaching staff.

"Coming out I was a defensive player, Cherry explained. "That was one of my biggest strengths. Come out there and control the opposing guard and make him feel uncomfortable. All of my career I've been more of an all-around player. I've been working on my shot, but I know defense is the one consistent. That's effort, you can't teach that. I always rely on my defense and sometimes defense is the best way to get your offensive game going."

Blatt exchanging text messages with LeBron James: The 2014 World Cup wrapped up today, and LeBron James was a spectator. The new Cavs head coach is staying in touch with his new superstar any way possible.

"I did not have a conversation (with LeBron), but I have exchanged texts with him," Blatt said. "LeBron is in the middle of a Brazilian tour and I'm leaving him alone because he has been through enough the last few weeks."

It hasn't stopped Blatt from thinking about all the possibilities the team will have on offense now.

"This just happened and I'm just trying to get over the excitement knowing full well that I have a big job figuring out the best way for us to play and utilize the many, many possibilities that are at our disposal," he said. "Our set of limitations has changed and raised exponentially. There are a lot of possibilities to be considered. I'm glad that we're building the team with guys that really want to play and play right.

"David Griffin and our organization are not done. We still have some more pieces to fill. When we do I will be able to speak more intelligently about what kinds of things we're going to do."