After nine games (four in the preseason, five in the regular season) and tons of anticipation, the Cleveland Cavaliers' ideal starting lineup finally took the floor together. Jarrett Allen, being sidelined for all nine games with a nagging bone bruise in his left ankle, kept things from taking flight. But, to be fair to Allen, Garland missing 80  percent of the regular season games played by the Cavs with a strained hamstring doesn't make it easier either.

So, when Garland, Allen, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus and Evan Mobley took the floor together against the Indiana Pacers, anticipation was through the roof. Unfortunately, Cleveland's on-court performance could not meet the anticipation, as the Cavs struggled to find consistency on offense in the first half.

It wasn't like Cleveland was careless with the basketball and caved to Indiana's defense. The Cavs had less turnovers and more steals and blocks than the Pacers. Cleveland was getting pretty clean looks at the basket or around the perimeter. It's just that the Cavs were unable to get their shots to fall and when they gave up 32 points to Indiana in the second quarter, that lack of offensive flow only became more apparent.

Cavs' offense shows signs of life

Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers

Thankfully, for Cleveland's sake, there are two halves to a basketball game and when the third quarter began, the team exploded. The Cavs showed how they're more than capable of being one of the more balanced teams in the league, holding Indiana to nine points, while they kept their foot on the throat of the Pacers. There were tons of movement and speed and an emphasis on attacking from the perimeter. Cleveland let their defense set the table for their offense, leading to arguably the biggest play of the evening.

That sequence was the perfect crystallization of how head coach J.B. Bickerstaff wants the Cavs to play nightly. Sure, it didn't happen all game long, but there are sparks that Cleveland can easily fan into a flame that burns for most of the season.

Again, much of that can be attributed to Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland missing so much time. But there were still encouraging signs in just one game from both players. Allen looked like he hadn't missed a beat, connecting on four of his six field goal attempts, and finished the game with ten points and six rebounds in only seventeen minutes of action.

Allen didn't play his typical amount due to being on a heavy-minute restriction, but the stellar counting stats shouldn't be surprising. The All-Star big man is a low-maintenance offensive presence, relying on looks at the rim off of passes from his teammates.

Garland, the only true point guard available for the Cavs,, struggled to find footing in the first half against the Pacers–connecting on only one field goal attempt and scoring four points. But Garland started to get rolling in the third quarter, using his dynamism on and off the ball to get cleaner looks at the bucket and continually get his teammates involved.

Garland finished the game with 14 points and six assists and, like Allen, will need a little time to get into proper in-game shape. But even though the returns are still early and somewhat limited, everyone is getting a proper understanding of how stellar this Cavs team can be on offense.

Soon enough, Cleveland might let 'em know on either end of the floor.