Curious why you have Okoro over LaVert in the staring lineup. I believe the pre-season showed that Bickerstaff is leaning on LaVert being the starter, and that is what I believe will happen.
As for the top 10 in the East, I believe the Cavs will be 3 or 4 with Brooklyn being a lower playoff team due to their dysfunction. However, I do not know what other team(s) I would move lower for the Cavs to move up in the rankings. Perhaps one of the expected better teams will have more struggles this year. Anyway, GO CAVS!!!
Curious why you have Okoro over LaVert in the staring lineup. I believe the pre-season showed that Bickerstaff is leaning on LaVert being the starter, and that is what I believe will happen.
You probably will be right but I made the prediction based on matchups and Okoro matching with Anunoby better than Caris. I do think it is too early for JB to start playing matchup ball at SF without solidifying his rotations, though, so there is a decent chance Caris starts tonight.
I am going to sleep on them regarding playoff contention, but they for sure have some of the best young talent in the conference. They will be upsetting a lot of good teams this season but they’re still much too young for the play-in tournament, in my opinion.
Streameast and sportsurge are my go to’s for streaming games. I had NBA League Pass last season, which was amazing, but I will be streaming games for now.
I think the Cavs will be a 4/5 seed. They have a huge amount of depth while having the ability to grab a missing piece or two. Ready to cash in my Okoro stock and see him become a real rotation piece after a nice preseason. I think there's two bonafide 6th man of the year contenders in Love and LeVert. I think LeVert doesn't start but finishes most games. They need his shot creation skill set more on the second team, especially with Rubio out, but to finish games he'll be deadly with the floor so tilted towards Mitchell/Garland.
I'm going to say 56-26, 4th seed and a first round win over the Heat. Then a loss in 7 to the 76ers in the next round.
I can definitely see a fourth seed and a second round exit, but making a lot of noise in that second round matchup. 56 wins would probably be at least the 2nd seed though
I'd be shocked if this team makes it past the second round because there are 5-6 teams with more "playoff experience" and that matters a lot in the NBA where it's a completely different game (and I don't see them having a wing stopper unless a trade). This team will be incredibly fun to watch with all their young talent though.
With regards to the seeding in the East I think there will be 4-5 teams in the 54-58 range. The tanking for Wembanyama (and to a lesser extent the consolation prize of Scoot Henderson) is real. That dude is a freak and worth all the negative publicity that comes with tanking. I think there will be a lot of easy wins for both conferences top tier teams. That's why i think the win totals at the top will be slightly higher than last year because more teams, especially in the second half of the year, will be trying to get the best lotto odds.
I've never been this excited for a NBA season. This will be the most competitive, compelling season to watch in recent memory, or maybe ever. There is so much parity in both the East and West, it's literally wide open. Kawhi Leonard is healthy. Jamal Murray is healthy. Zion Williamson is healthy. Teams made big trades and made big signings. Younger, upstart teams are looking to make noise. Cavs on paper are VERY interesting and look like they can grab a playoff spot from someone. If you like basketball or are a fan of a team, this will be a fun year.
For the Cavs, I would start Okoro at the 3 because we know what we'll get defensively from him. He can at least be a good weakside help defender. He will play within the confines of our offense. Toronto and Chicago will sag off of him early to put attention on Garland and Mitchell. The hope is that Okoro's rebuilt shooting motion and his hard work this summer will make defenses pay for leaving him open (although I'm not holding my breath on it). This has to be the year where Okoro develops into a solid 3 and D player, because that's what this team (badly) needs. LeVert's style and skillset on offense makes him a really good 6th man option. If LeVert was a better midrange and perimeter shooter, he would start at the 3. But we will be relying on him for instant offense. If the Cavs are serious about making a big splash this year, Mobley and Okoro need to make LARGE quantum leaps in their game and LeVert needs to play relatively close to the form he had before we traded for him. Hopefully Kevin Love and Dean Wade have good seasons from the perimeter. Also, this team MUST stay healthy. JB needs to do a great job finding lineups that get the highest net rating.
I'm predicting a similar total of wins that Undercoverbuck has said. They won 44 games last season with a rash of injuries, and now have added Donovan Mitchell to a team that was going to be improved even without him.
I'm also predicting that Cleveland will beat Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, Milwaukee, and Brooklyn, the 5 teams Cooper has mentioned ahead of us, at least once each. Those teams may have more experience but the Cavs are not short on talent.
I just hope that the team can be healthier than last season. They were on a better than 44 win pace when some late season injuries, especially to Jarrett Allen, slowed the win total.
Go Cavaliers!! Could be the NBA's most improved team in 2022-23.
He should be in jail. I’m not liking the legion of boom approach to defense wear they grab and hold every play because they know the refs won’t call it every play.
On a side note the Cavs haven’t had a bucket getter like Mitchell since Kyrie. Surprised how well he’s fit in so far. Think he’ll fit in juuuuuuust fiiiiiiiine. I’ll eat any crow I had about doubts with his fit. I think I’ve eaten most of it but if there’s any left serve it up hot and fresh.
Can't believe I am complaining about the refs in game 1 but Toronto was hell-bent on dickpunching every Cavs player until they crumpled to the floor. Just ridiculous.
Not having someone to handle the ball and run the offense when Mitchell was out killed them tonight. Too much to ask Of Neto. Always tough going to Toronto and getting a win, almost impossible when they poke the best player in the eye and have to play the refs as well. Super positive debut even with the loss. Heal up DG. The offense looked great until the last 5 mins, plenty to work on but a lot to build on.
Question for everyone… is Bally really this bad? The broadcast kept cutting in and out. Just wondering if it’s my TV or blame Bally. I streamed the games last year so haven’t had to deal with Bally yet. I never remembered Fox sports Net being this bad ever.
Yea like those Chinese/Russian illegal back door sites where I’m pretty sure my computer got virtual aids but it’s the Cavs and I’m a degenerate cleveland sports fan so I have to watch anyway I can.
FWIW I think it’s my tv because it’s doing the same thing watching the mavs/suns. East Cleveland cable can be so spotty sometimes.
I have Bally through cable and it’s the worst. Had it last year too and without fail every Cavs game has a period where it breaks up/gets pixilated. Sometimes it’s just a couple of minutes and other times it’s sporadic throughout the game. Never happened on Fox Sports.
I know, it's only one game. However, Donovan Mitchell appears to be everything the team envisioned.
31 points, 9 assists, and 2 steals on 12/21 shooting. The offense completely bogged down with him off of the floor in the second half and Neto is a complete liability. Didn't sound like Garland's injury is too severe (laceration on the inside of his eyelid), so hopefully, he won't miss any more time.
Encouraged by what I saw against a good Raptors team on the road.
I don’t think Neto is a complete liability, but the game last night was too fast and too athletic for him. Plus, I was not a fan of that lineup with Neto in the game. We had no scorers on the floor. Lavert was supposed to the scorer in that lineup but he was bothered by the Raptors aggressive play and length.
Neto can get this team 6-8 minutes each night until Rubio returns and be - even - but last night was not the night.
Question...I only have Youtube TV which doesn't carry Bally's...now last season, I was able to use my Spectrum Internet password to get the Bally's App to stream the games on my TV...but for some reason, that didnt' work for the Guardians games this season...does any one know if that will work for the Cavs games again or will I have to do something else?
I wish Bally's would stop being pricks and either sign w/ YoutubeTV or Hulu TV...I would switch to that...I'm never ever going back to Spectrum for cable, nor will I get Direct TV again...they need a good legit option for us cord cutters.
I’m not sure about that one. I have DIRECTV though, but it’s the basic plan. I get my movies and streaming shows from Hulu, Peacock, Prime, etc… I just know that the channel itself (Bally Great Lakes) looks like it’s filmed with a 1980’s camera and the production is generally low grade.
When telling the truth becomes a revolutionary concept, it’s wise to join the revolution
We don't lose that game if Garland plays normal minutes and doesn't get his eye messed up. That really hurt. Hopefully he won't miss a lot of time, because due to how deep the East is, we don't want to get off to a slow start. It's a very long season, though. Toronto is a playoff team and they're good. They'll be a pain in the ass for A LOT of teams.
The most important thing about last night's game is to get Darius Garland back fully healthy. First game of the season and we've already had a significant injury. Get well soon, Darius. The Cavs are definitely not the same team without him. It showed in the 2nd half, even though it ended up a one possession game.
- Spida is everything we were looking for when it comes to being a secondary ball-handler and primary scorer. It did seem like deja-vu last night, though, when Garland left the game. Felt like I was watching end of last season's team with Mitchell being the only playmaker on the court.
- Going to be 100% honest, I was not overly impressed with Mobley on the offensive end. He still turns the ball over easily because he dribbles the ball softly, is not strong down low, and his shot does not look nearly improved enough to increase his volume from last year. Don't really care about +/- but he had the lowest +/- on the team last night, for what it is worth. Work in progress. He is picking up right where he left off defensively, though.
- Caris looks more comfortable. Okoro was... well he didn't really do anything. 0/1 in 12 minutes and no other stats besides a turnover and 4 fouls. Cedi proved why he is such a streaky player, he can give you great offense and then make bonehead plays in crucial moments.
- Allen looks the same, not much of a comment on him besides his defense looks great as always.
- Neto will be fine as backup guard against most teams, but last night was not one of those games.
Cavs looked about how I expected. Impressed with some things, but I knew it was going to take a bit for them to get into a rhythm. It doesn't really help Toronto played press man coverage any time the Cavs dribbled past the three point line. I'm not really upset about the loss itself but I hope the refs and the Raptors burnt their toast this morning.
Was going to ask. Didn't get to watch last night and wondered about +/- on Mobley. Sticks out like a sore thumb on the stat sheet. Was he getting worked on defense? or did we just get really inefficient on offense with him on the court? maybe a combo of both.
Looks like after Garland went out they basically swapped him for Osman in the rotation.. so Osman, Mitchell, Allen and LeVert all + on the floor for +24 combined, but Mobley ends up -14..
While not always a good stat, it's at least something to monitor.
I watched the whole game and Mobley handled his own but Toronto has a lot of bigs to throw at him. He seemed a bit slow because he has been out injured. He didn’t quite have his explosive step to the hoop, and on the plays he drove to the hoop, he had a wide open lane, almost like the Raptors forgot about him driving.
The Garland play was bullshit. I saw it on the tv replay from the sideline view and it showed Trent Jr, going after an inbound pass intended to Garland and he specifically slapped Garland just before Trent could reach the ball. The red called the foul but otherwise, Toronto was getting away with full-on tackling out there.
When telling the truth becomes a revolutionary concept, it’s wise to join the revolution
Mobley was just kinda there most of the game. When he popped your like “that is the dude right there” but then it would be 10 minutes before he did anything else.
Good Donovan Mitchell interview on JJ Redick's podcast (my favorite NBA podcast right now). Interview starts at 24:30 for those not interested in the other NBA talk.
Saw today that Darius Garland won't need surgery, but does have a laceration under his eye. Further evaluation will be done. Looks like he will be out for a while, hopefully a short stint.
Good win for the Cavs last night. Reports Garland out again today vs Wizards and will sit again vs Magic on Wednesday, but be back on Friday vs Celtics... great news if true... Wizards and Magic should be winnable games and then DG back vs one of the best in the East..
Cavs almost blew it against the Wizards last night but managed to pull it out in overtime. Donovan Mitchell is still really damn good, although he had some really costly turnovers that caused the game to go into overtime in the first place. Robin Lopez is really great for 10-15 minutes a game. Re-signing Dean Wade for 3 years at 6 million a year is starting to look like a steal, he led the team in +/- last night.
I am not sure I understand why Kevin only played 14 minutes last night. Mobley looks so awful on offense so far, it just does not make sense to be playing him 2.5x the minutes Kevin is playing. When the offense hits those lulls like they did in the 4th quarter, Evan is always the one on the court and Kevin is on the bench. Obviously Evan has a much bigger impact short and long-term, but JB needs to find a way to re-work those minutes when the offense is stalling.
The Wade resigning was brilliant because it a) kept a decent piece around for cheap before the cap explodes and b) his deal and skill level is the in the perfect price range of add-on in a trade if the cavs go hunting this trade deadline.
I think Mobley's offensive issues are that he plays so well with Garland he's just unsure of how to play with Mitchell. I'd like to see him with Garland back and some time with Mitchell before getting too concerned.
As far as KLove goes I'd love to see him play more mins as well (especially when Mobley isn't contributing on that end) but I just don't think he's consistently a 20-25 min a game guy anymore. I think coming off a back to back 15 mins is all we're likely to expect. It sucks but that's just who is he at this point of his career. I would like to see Evan and Kevin play more mins together as that would give maximum floor spacing and really help Evan out offensively.
Glad the Cavaliers pulled out the win in OT after blowing what looked like a sure win in regulation. What I like most of all is winning without Darius Garland, our All-Star PG. When he comes back, this team could really take off. Donovan Mitchell is proving his value in gold. One thing that stands out to me is how hot Jedi Osman can get. I think he hit his first 4 or 5 threes last night.
Donovan Mitchell has been even better than advertised. He was a little fatigued at the end of the fourth against DC but he manned up and willed the team to that OT win.
On a side note, if Allen ever hits 40% of those skyhooks, he’ll be in Springfield one day lol.
Buckeye football isn’t every thing on Saturday. It’s the only thing on Saturday
Had a feeling Dean was going to be stepping into the starting lineup sooner than later with Okoro’s poor play. I want Darius back but I definitely like this starting five until he’s able to return.
Raul Neto is so fun to watch. Has given Cole Anthony fits
"The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish" - Charlie Chaplin
Damn. With by double le digits while Mitchel goes 5-19 with 14 points? Get 40 points out of the center position? Allen with 16 rebs? Going to be a fun year.
Bullets will be back to save the season, and Stroud's dignity.
Evan Mobley with 20 points, and Jarrett Allen with 16 rebounds vs. the Magic last night. Our 2 bigs took care of business. Jedi Osman was the 2nd leading scorer on the team heading into the Orlando game.
TheDizzle made a good point about Neto. He certainly was relentless on defense. Reminds of Matthew Dellavadova a few years back.
Paolo Banchero looks to be a great pick by Orlando. Can score in a number of ways.
I know it was near impossible to keep him but man I miss Lauri on the Cavs. He is absolutely balling averaging 22, 9, and 3 for a 4-1 Jazz team (Danny Ainge must be fuming lol). A hypothetical starting five of Darius, Spida, Lauri, and Frobley would have possibly been a top 3 starting 5 in the league. While he was not an elite defender, I actually think the Cavs are missing him on defense with being able to close out on the perimeter and providing another tall body on the court. I have not noticed the absence of Sexton (all praise to Donovan Mitchell), but I do actually think being able to keep Lauri would have this squad in legitimate title contention.
Was there a way to make the salaries match that Utah would've accepted? Cedi and Okoro I think would've worked, but I think Utah wouldn't have gone for that.
I think replacing Lauri with a combo of Cedi and Okoro would have worked, or just replacing Lauri with Caris, but like you said no way in hell Utah would have bitten on that compared to what the Knicks were offering. It's funny that Ainge is so hellbent on winning trades that he has accidentally put together a pretty solid roster that is legitimately 10 deep. Unless he trades away more pieces, which I am sure Adam Silver will be reviewing carefully, it does not look like they will be in the Wembanyama sweepstakes.
When the trade happened, Lauri was the only player that I was sad about losing.
We can only hope that Altman tried to throw in Caris/Osman/Okoro in an attempt to keep Lauri… but at the same time, let’s not act like Lauri is a legitimate superstar that was worth holding up the Mitchell trade for. A lot of his stats can be credited to him being the #1 option instead of being the 4th option. Yes the Jazz are winning right now, but they’re probably going to taper off around 30 wins.
Honesty wouldn’t be surprised to see Utah flip Lauri for more picks at the deadline
"The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish" - Charlie Chaplin
Would you have rather done the Atlanta deal for Murray while keeping Markannen or gone through with the Mitchell trade?
"The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish" - Charlie Chaplin
Mitchell. Much better offensive player and seeing him with this team I wouldn't want to upset the chemistry. They made the right deal. Murray wouldn't be able to buoy the team without Garland like Mitchell is.
No question, Mitchell. I think trading for Murray and keeping Lauri would have kept more continuity and maybe led to more success just for this season, but for the long-term Mitchell is the legit superstar and top-15 player the Cavs needed.
Garland is still out for tomorrow against the Celtics and apparently his eye is still swollen. No long-term damage but it is pretty annoying we can't ever seem to watch a fully healthy Cavs team together. Gary Trent Jr. is still on my shit list.
I was just invited to Aetna's luxury box at the Fieldhouse for this Wed's game against the Celtics...can't wait to get my first chance to watch this fun team live.
I was in downtown Wed night meeting some friends for a few adult beverages and downtown Cleveland nearly has the same buzz goin that it had on game nights when Lebron came back...it's so great to see.
This is the exact reason why you grab a guy like LeVert when you can. Looks so much better and comfortable after the offseason. Altman has had the magic touch on everything he’s don’t the last 3 seasons. So glad Gilbert kept him around and let him grow into the role.
Also I saw that the NBA is considering replacing the luxury tax with a hard cap in the next CBA. Something to keep an eye on. Way too early to speculate on any sort of implications from that but would shake up roster building.
One of the things I find most surprising so far is the nonexistent drop off on the defensive end. Part of this might be only having the spidaland backcourt for a half so far but even taking that out of consideration their defensive strategy is sound for the team the field. Good wings will be a problem with this team all season but we knew that. However they have high effort guys chasing teams off the 3 pt line and with Mobley/Allen it’s hard for them to get into the paint and forcing them into inefficient mid range jumpers. Mitchell finally is showing defensive effort for maybe the first time in his career which certainly helps but I think JBB needs more credit for minimizing the weaknesses and playing to the teams strengths. It’s fascinating to me that JBB never really got a fair shot at a head coaching gig with how well regarded he is within the league with the players/coaches. Both his shots came from an interim job he took over mid season.
Didn’t get a chance to watch the game, but what a statement win!
"The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish" - Charlie Chaplin
3pt shooting is at .417 which is probably not sustainable even with Garland. However I am encouraged we’ll have enough shooting, which was probably my biggest question mark coming in.
LaVert has had these flashes of brilliance and is always capable. Hopefully he can make it through the season uninjured. If he does it'll give the Cavs such a weapon and boost.
Even though it's early in the season, last night was a huge road win for the Cavaliers. Boston is touted by quite a few pundits to win the East, and last night Cleveland said "What about us?" Without Darius Garland for the 4th straight game, Caris LeVert and Donovan Mitchell were super, each scoring 41 points. Got to give Dean Wade props for guarding Jayson Tatum on that shot to win the game in regulation.
Our Cavs are for real.......just hope they can get Darius back soon.
Going to be interesting to see what they do at the trade deadline ( only about 90 days away) and all indications are Rubio is most likely to be ready after the deadline. Last update was hope for Jan, but more likely Feb... Most people think since everyone wants to tank for unicorn Wembanyama, that deals will start happening MUCH sooner this year after Dec 15th when based on contracts so many dudes can start to be dealt.
They've got a stretch coming up that starts Nov 11 where they go to Golden State and Milwaukee and then have Miami and Atlanta at home back to back.. That should tell us a ton..
Such a joy watching Spida have fun playing again. It's REALLY early but he's 100000% in the MVP hunt at this point...
This team is flat out explosive in the fourth quarter. Night and day difference from a few years ago under the potato head Mike Brown and his third and fourth quarter meltdowns. Will be a juggernaut when Garland gets back and Rubio as well. Neto’s minutes will be cut I’m guessing.
Buckeye football isn’t every thing on Saturday. It’s the only thing on Saturday
Mitchell 38, Love 29, Wade 22.......the Cavs stepped up their game in the 4th quarter, blitzing the Knicks on both ends of the court. For a team with a brand new addition (Mitchell) and missing their starting PG (Garland), there's already a winning chemistry with them.
Love watching this team. Sure there’s expectations this season but us/them have no idea how good they can be and already 7 games into the season are growing into a very formidable team. The expectation is to be good but the “how great” is still a fun mystery journey we all get to take as a city.
Also great to see Garland back. Guy has quickly became one of my favorite cabs of all time.
One more thing… how bad do you think the Celtics miss Udoka? They’re still great but the chemistry is off. The offense seems clunky.
I agree. I really liked Grant Williams when he was at UT in his college days, but he has become the same as Smart in my opinion. He's a dirty player who flops a lot.
That’s really the shot they want to give up though. Maybe he would’ve fouled if Brown doesn’t take that shot and makes a move to do something else or maybe he got beat again and we got lucky. Either way glad it worked out.
Cavs need more games on ESPN and TNT. Bump the Nets over to InfoWars.
— Aaron Goldhammer (@HammerNation19) November 3, 2022
"The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish" - Charlie Chaplin
I was born during the prime of the Price, Daugherty, and Nance days, so I have no problem saying this is the most organically fun Cavs team I have ever watched.
The Cavs won 5 straight without Darius Garland, including an OT win at Boston, but he showed his value last night. Came out and hit his first 4 threes and looked as if there were no ill effects from his eye injury. Once again, this team didn't back down from the more experienced Celtics. They made some big defensive stops in the OT, and ironically it was Dean Wade once again guarding the potential game winning shot, last night vs. Jaylen Brown and in Boston vs. Jayson Tatum.
Only 7 games in, but this team is for real. What we've seen so far is definitely not fools gold.
I was at that game Wed night and the Rock was electric...this team is so fun...I've never had more fun watching my hoops team. I definitely think they ought to be a top 3 seed in the Eastern conf playoffs barring any major injuries.
Chris Fedor reporting Mitchell (sprained ankle), Darius (knee), and Neto (ankle) are all questionable tomorrow for Detroit, so that’s not great. Watching Cedi and Caris run point the entire night would certainly be… something….
I’d bet 2/3 play, my guess would be Mitchell sits if anyone does to give him a night off after the torrid start he’s had. However maybe this opens up my fantasy of seeing Mobley playing minutes at the 3 alongside Love and Allen.
DG and Spida don't play and they Cavs are currently up 25 with about 5 mins left in the 4th. I know the Pistons are 2-7 coming into the game but that just shows the depth of this team. So in summary the Cavs are really good.
Kevin Love with a near 20 point triple double in only 23 minutes. Wow.
"The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish" - Charlie Chaplin
The Cavs from last year struggled Down the stretch. This team, without its dynamic backcourt still finds a way to pass the ball around and get guys open with effectiveness. Great win over the Pistons. Ohio over Michigan? This is just the beginning
Buckeye football isn’t every thing on Saturday. It’s the only thing on Saturday
Didn't get to see the game last night due to HS playoff football, but I'm glad the Cavs got another road win. Even without Mitchell and Garland, the Wine and Gold raised their record to 7-1 with a 24 point win. One of the earmarks of a good team is being able to win even when it doesn't have its full rotation. Jarrett Allen and Kevin Love stepped up and had great games. Only Milwaukee has a better record in the East.
Now comes a challenging 4 game road trip to the West Coast. Hopefully we'll be at full strength for it. GO CAVS!!
Lakers are garbage, but winning in LA another solid win.
At this point fans should take away Daniel Gilbert's phone... if the Lakers keep losing at some point Gilbert is going to get a call... that he should not take..
First game I’ve actually watched, glad to see the Cavs with a 114-100 victory against the Lakers. I have already started talking smack to some coworkers who are at big LAL fans, should make for a good Monday tomorrow!
"Football is, after all, a wonderful way to get rid of your aggressions without going to jail for it." Woody Hayes
This game is notable because I believe this is the first time the Cavs have beaten LeBron
"The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish" - Charlie Chaplin
I knew they beat one of his lakers team when he was injured. But you are correct, forgot about the Baron Davis lead Cleveland Cavaliers
"The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish" - Charlie Chaplin
So proud of this young team - the skies are the limit for this Cavs roster. IIRC - this was only the 2nd game all season that Garland and Mitchell played from the opening tip to the final buzzer. They're only gonna get better.
Always try to look for the positive ........... in the midst of a crisis !!
I smiled so widely when watching this video. It warmed my heart. The chemistry, togetherness and the mutual respect from the team and the coaching staff is palpable, and it's real. It has carried over from last year. When you have a locker room culture like this, it shows on the floor each night. You NEVER see this in professional sports, most especially in the NBA, where individuals control everything. This team reminds me of the 1995 Indians, in that they had a winning team-first mentality, the talent, genuinely enjoy playing with each other, and being around each other. There are no egos, no "me" ball, or drama on this team. They move/share the ball. They play defense. They calmly handle deficits. JB is not only a really solid coach, he's a great communicator. He knows how to push the teams' buttons. As cheesy as it sounds, this team literally behaves like a brotherhood. I was worried that Garland and Mitchell would fight over the ball, but clearly, that will not be the case. Mitchell just wants to win, and so does Garland. Luckily, they both got their extensions, so there will no distractions. Everyone is in lockstep, knows their role and is comfortable with their role. That's very rare--especially in this day and age. This team just wants to go to work and play ball. It's a very long season, but I'm very happy to see how this team has gelled and is off to a fast start. I pray that this team stays healthy.
Evan Mobley still has A LOT of development ahead of him. I like his effort and abilities on defense, blocking shots, and switching, and that will serve us well in the playoffs, should we make it. But offensively, he still looks very awkward with the ball, doesn't look comfortable, and is still easy to defend. I think teams will exploit that and trap him. If this team wants to be a contender, he needs to become a bonafide and consistent option on offense, we are relying on him to be a #3 scoring option and use his length defensively. I believe this team goes as Evan Mobley goes. If he turns into a monster offensively, we are easily a top 2-3 seed in the East. Need for him to make a quantum leap, turn into an alpha dog on offense, command the ball and hit high percentage shots. He doesn't have a Kevin Garnett personality, and isn't quite fluid and skilled like a Chris Bosh yet.
I said this will be the most exciting NBA season ever, and so far that appears to be true, as small market teams are running the league.
I appreciated LeBron when he was here but he was the antithesis to encompassing a true team concept. His stale dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble, shot clock running down, drive to the rim and hope to get fouled or dish to the perimeter was a very predictable and boring way to finish games.
this is one of the youngest teams and they definitely play with a lot of fire. They have so many ways to score and beat the opponent. Keep up the great work, Cavs
Buckeye football isn’t every thing on Saturday. It’s the only thing on Saturday
looking at the box score for the game I see that Bron shot 23 times, Davis and Brown shot 24 times combined. Either too much of the game plan is centered on James heaving up shot after shot, or he makes it centered on him to heave up shot after shot while everyone else stands around.
It feels like the NBA has been turned on it’s head with KD, Lebron, and Steph lead teams having been at the bottom of the standings for the majority of the year.
What’s most interesting is GSW who have the most expensive team in NBA history with a luxury tax that is soon to be (if not already) more expensive than their actual salary cap. It’s easy to bleed money when you’re winning, not as easy when you’re losing. It makes you wonder how much losing it’ll take before the owner forces the GM to make the team cheaper.
Could the Cavs benefit from a GSW fire sale?
"The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish" - Charlie Chaplin
The players most likely to get jettisoned are Thompson and Green. Thompson talked about cooling renegotiation talks recently and Green punched a teammate. Maybe a smaller piece like Jamychal Green but he wouldn't move the needle one way or the other. Back to Thompson and Green, both would be interesting additions in solving the vacant 3 spot. Thompson is a natural 3 at this point in his career and Green could push Mobley to the wing who could probably survive out there like Lauri did last year and creating JBB's wet dream of a defense. The cavs probably don't have the young players/draft capital to outbid anyone regardless of who gets moved unless it's a 3+ team trade. Altman is a master at sliding into a three team trade and make off with a piece.
Donovan Mitchell 33, Darius Garland 24.......the Cavs come back from a double digit deficit to record their 8th straight win overall. It was the 4th time this season that Cleveland has come back from at least 10+ points down to win........the best mark in the NBA. 8-1 with the Clippers tonight. Even with the Lakers struggling, a win over them in LA is a good win.
Cleveland pro sports is definitely looking good........the Guardians with an AL Central title and a first round playoff win, and the Cavaliers starting out 8-1 and looking every bit the part of a playoff team.........if only the Browns could get it together!
Stayed up late just to watch the Cavs blow a 12 point lead with 4 minutes left. Not very happy right now. Darius struggled to score all night yet he refused to get the ball in Mitchell's hands those last few minutes. Just a real head scratcher.
You cannot piss away that kind of lead that late in the game, regardless of opponent. It's apparent that Mitchell needs to be the #1 scoring option on this team. It was weird and frustrating to see him not touch the ball at all down the stretch, while Garland was taking ill-advised shots. Mitchell is bigger, stronger, faster, more athletic and more explosive than Garland and is more built to put a team on his back with his playoff experience. It's not an excuse, but I think this team was tired, despite how well several guys played. Pretty insane that this team should be 10-0.
This team not having a talented wing who can score AND defend at a high level continues to be the missing piece in a game like this. That is the only thing missing from this puzzle. It's a long season, back to backs on the West Coast are NOT easy. Losses will happen.
Still 8-2 after a tough loss last night. The Cavs struggled to score in the last 4 minutes, but I also think the Clippers turned up the defensive heat. I agree that Mitchell should have gotten more touches in those last few minutes. I hope the team learns from this experience. After some significant personnel changes during the offseason, I'm very happy with how the team has started.
On to Sacramento, then Golden State. I was hoping for a 2-2 split on this trip. Then they come home to play on Sunday vs. Minnesota.
Back to earth for the Cavs, losing to the lowly Kings. They have allowed 60+ points in the first half for the entire west coast trip. Not going to be winning too many games with their defense in its current state.
I agree, Cooper, about the Cavs defense on this trip. Last night, in the first half, the Kings had 11 threes. In the 2nd half, their dribble penetration resulted in a bucket or an assist leading to a bucket. Darius Garland only had 1 FG and looked out of sync all game. Malik Monk and Trey Liles off the Kings' bench killed the Cavs.
It's tough to win on the road in the NBA. Bad teams win sometimes when good teams go on the road. Last night didn't bother me as much as the game vs. the Clippers when the Cavs lost a 13 point lead with 4 minutes to play.
With an 82 game schedule, if Cleveland can break about even on the road (21-20), and go 30-11 at home, that's 51 wins which I think is very reasonable and not beyond expectations. There's going to be a hiccup now and then, and last night in Sacramento was one of them. I predicted 55 wins which is still very possible. Plenty of games to fix any issues.
They’re young but they aren’t that young. These guys all have previous game experience. I think Bickerstaff hits a wall in drawing up actual plays. How many times in these past three games do they stand around and not have an offensive plan until under ten on the shot clock? They need to get that fixed in a hurry.
Buckeye football isn’t every thing on Saturday. It’s the only thing on Saturday
Sixth youngest team in the NBA that’s had a major overhaul from last year and zero championship pedigree outside of Love. Give it time. I’ll start to worry if there’s still issues after the new year.
I don’t know what happens to Garland in the 4th compared to the first 3 quarters but he just makes awful late game decisions. He refuses to pass and takes awful shots.
Still probably deferring to old habits of last year when he needed to do everything. Need some more time to gel with Mitchell. Garland should try letting Mitchell initiate the offense more late in games and kill the opponents on a kickout pass where he’s one on one for a drive/dump off/shot. More Mitchell PnR with Allen/Mobley with kick out options to Garland or LeVert.
Outside of Mitchell at the end of the game, who has actual good ball handling skills? Garland is still not quite right. He loses the ball on the slightest slap from a defender
Buckeye football isn’t every thing on Saturday. It’s the only thing on Saturday
Another bad loss ( any other year would be a good loss but Warriors are junk to start the season). Same theme. Get a lead and can't hold and Garland can't hit the ocean.. freaking 6-28 the last two games and AWFUL the last few minutes of games where Cavs have the lead. At some point Spida just need to close these games.
They also have a Levert problem. I don't see how they can get more consistent play from his spot as a starter without moving him in a deal. In a perfect world he'd come off the bench, but he's kind of the moveable piece... but against the better teams he just stands around and it becomes Garland and Spida against 5 guys. You got to have 3 dudes who can get there's down the stretch of games, especially against better teams, and even more so if you want to make a deep run..
Garland just looks really awful and is not the same player he was last year. What the hell happened to him? His shot selection is horrific. He's not comfortable, his body language is not good, and he is struggling to co-exist with Mitchell. I thought that wasn't going to be a problem, but I think I was wrong, because it definitely is. It looks he is not comfortable playing second banana. This team shits the bed in the 4th quarter, and cannot hold onto leads.
I still think it might be more Spida deferring to Garland's "team".. I have to think at some point before too long that works itself out. If it doesn't here soon Bickerstaff needs to speak up... The ball has to go through Spida at the end of games. Garland playing pop a shot isn't good for anyone. Maybe the new guy just wants to give it a little more time before asserting himself and in the absence Garland is just chucking...
Still though, they need someone else in that closing lineup to add with Allen, Mobley, Spida and Garland..... that person isn't on the team imo..
You’re probably right that they don’t have that final piece but it could be that Bickerstaff is having a tough time with his rotations. I feel like I’m watching a Browns game when the Cavs are up late, just knowing it’s gonna be a loss at some point. Way too much talent on this team to give away games like the last three
Buckeye football isn’t every thing on Saturday. It’s the only thing on Saturday
The Cavaliers' 4 losses have been by a total of 17 points. I agree with the above posters that the team just can't hold leads late in games. At least last night vs. Golden State the overall defense was better, with GS scoring 106, as opposed to 127 by Sacramento, and 117 by the Clippers. Curry killed us in the last 3 minutes, but he's done that to a lot of teams.
The West Coast has always been a tough trip for Cleveland, and thank goodness it came early this year. The Cavs are on pace to still win over 50 games, and I have faith that this team can do it. But they have to keep leads late in games. With Mitchell now the key piece added to this roster, there may just be some chemistry issues in the last 3-4 minutes of games. He should be the lead and the others follow. Darius Garland has struggled of late, but he is too good to keep playing this way.
I'm not panicking yet...it's a very long season...the 8-1 start was amazing but that was not going to continue...West coast trips suck...i don't know why they have to schedule so many games...wish they'd do no more than 3 games in a row on the road.
They are back home tomorrow...I'm going for the 2nd time this season and I'm excited...should be a fun game.
Darius dropped 51 tonight but all for naught because the Cavs refuse to play defense. Seems to be a team issue whether they have everyone available or if players are injured.
I know they worked their ass off to get back into the game and Darius went bezerk, but him just completely avoiding getting the in bounds with six seconds left down three is inexcusable. Had a chance to tie and he wanted no parts of it.
Neto was -17 in 5 minutes.... Rubio can't get back soon enough..
I don't know what the fix is, but there's a reason teams win championships.. you put great players around guys who understand their roles. Too often it feels like too many cooks in the kitchen.. some of that is on the coach, I mean Osman chucking 10 shots and Mobley 4 is ridiculous..
They are going to be fun to watch... still feel like they are man short though...
The ridiculous 4 for Mobley isn’t his points it’s his fouls. He’s playing himself out of games and can’t get into any rythme. He’s got to be much smarter moving forward especially when Mitchell, Allen and Wade aren’t available.
Hard to win when 3 out of your top 7 don’t play. Nice to see Garland get some mojo back though. Need to get healthy and start rallying wins again. Unfortunately if those three are still out against the Bucks it could get ugly.
Injuries lol. Maybe wrap these guys up for 10 games and go on another 8 game winning streak. When they get back. Garland can score 60 a game but who cares if they lose?
Buckeye football isn’t every thing on Saturday. It’s the only thing on Saturday
I agree with Undercoverbuck........missing Mitchell, Allen, and Wade really hurt the Cavs last night. Even though it was a loss to the T-Wolves, at least they fought back from a 22 point deficit and actually had a chance to tie the game. Good to see Darius go off because he was out of sync for a short while.
When the Cavs have their regular rotation, we know what they're capable of.......they showed it twice against Boston. I do agree that the defense has to pick up, giving up 117 to the Clippers without Kawai, 127 to Sacramento, and 126 to Minnesota is not the recipe for contending for a top playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Up next at Milwaukee, probably playing once again without a full rotation.
A banged up Bucks squared with Giannis off an injury and the Cavs starters get run out of the joint. -57... just awful. Not to mention making freaking Brooke Lopez look like a HOF.er..
Cavs need to be healthy, and find someone else who can get easy points... they got so many good pieces...
Well... Lebron trade rumors are starting to ramp up again. For starters he fixes the hole at SF. The way the roster is constructed would actually be his ideal scenario where he could pick his spots on offense while freelancing on defense with two elite defenders behind him. That's the positives. The negative is in order to salary match you'd need to add either Love or Allen and that's a nonstarter in my opinion. LeVert and Love would be palatable but the way Love is playing and fits with this team I wouldn't want to dump him. Unless of course he agrees to a backdoor buyout and comes back... but that would be illegal. I'd imagine some combination of LeVert, Osman and Okoro will be used to upgrade the SF spot.
TL:DR Entertaining Lebron's return is fun but won't work/isn't worth serious thought.
The biggest thing LeBron would fix is the too many cooks in the kitchen junk. With LeBron you'd have to imagine people would just play their roles.
As for the trade.. I've seen picks plus LeVert, Okoro and Allen... then like LeBron and Damian Jones coming back.. math works.. can't imagine you'd bring LeBron in at the cost of Love....
The other more ideal option would be to get. 3rd team involved who's looking to dump a contract and tank..
Like I said this is Lebron's ideal situation both offensively and defensively. He gets to pick and choose when he wants to on offense while freelancing on defense. Allen and Love are nonstarters for negotiations. Ideally there's 7 people who you wouldn't want to be traded (core 4 plus Love, Wade, Rubio). Like you said only way it happens is if some team wants to dump good players onto LA while they take on picks and cap relief. Almost impossible to make it work where the cavs don't give up too much.
Losing 5 in a row is not good, but I'm still of the opinion that the Cavs are a solid playoff team. Not having their full rotation hasn't helped matters as of late. Going forward, I'd like to see the team tighten up their defense, especially on the perimeter. Case in point, Milwaukee's Brook Lopez hit 7 threes last night, and hasn't done that since 2019. His shooting spearheaded the Bucks' rally. What was also troubling was that the Cavs had a 10 point lead, then fell behind by 21. Milwaukee is good, but Cleveland shouldn't let that happen.
Maybe it's just me, but I think the Lakers play better without LeBron in the lineup. I don't think the Cavs need him, but they need to get healthy and play with confidence and have a coach who can call plays to get the ball in the right hands come 4th quarter.
Cavs are an absolute embarrassment right now. Up by double digits most of the 2nd half, up by 10 with 1:45 left and they’re going to overtime against the awful Hornets. This might be the worst 4th quarter team in the league this season during the losing streak.
I guess the nicest thing I can say about tonight is they didn’t give up in overtime. Really needed that victory and Darius helped pull it out for them.
Tonight was a good win, and I was lucky to have insane seats, but seriously, this team is average right now. Charlotte is a sorry ass team, they're trash. It's good to see Darius back to scoring with supreme confidence. Donovan continues to play at a very high level. This team is very flawed. They piss away 4th quarter leads on the regular. They are not a good 3 point shooting team. They are not very deep, the bench is severely lacking. We need someone else to step up consistently on offense. Mobley is still very raw offensively. LeVert is all over the map. Okoro is a huge disappointment with more fouls than points. The league is very tough this year, and you need to bring it night in and night out.
That's partially on JBB. He needs to put him in a role a stick him there so he can build a rhythm. I get Wade being out throws the lineups off but he's probably got to be the main creator on the second unit and going further into games playing most of his minutes with Mitchell who he's played very well next to. JBB should limit his minutes with Garland because that just doesn't seem to be working out.
Glad to see the Cavs get a win after blowing a 10 point lead in the last :45 seconds. I thought after Charlotte's late rally that Cleveland was going to find a way to lose the game. If they had guarded the 3 better in that final minute, the game would not have gone into OT. Even with the Hornets having all the mojo in OT, The Cavs responded with some fight, namely Darius Garland, who rang up 41 points including several huge buckets in the extra session, as did Donovan Mitchell. Evan Mobley made a key save which led to a Mitchell bucket.
Even with a 5 game losing streak, the win puts Cleveland at 9-6 with a 5-1 record at home. Great to see Jarrett Allen back in the starting lineup.......he definitely makes a big difference at both ends of the court.
Cavs beat up on an injured Heat team, nice to get back-to-back wins. Caris left the game with an ankle injury last night, but the swelling is minimal, per Chris Fedor.
Cavs are 10-6...when the season started I expected them to be about 12-8 at the 20 game mark...expected them to start slowly and get better as the they gelled and the season went on...
Cedi Osman stepped up last night with a 20 point game and 12 rebounds. Need more of that with Kevin Love out a while. As Cooper said, Miami was short handed and it showed. Saw some nice assists by the Cavs last night. Sharing the ball leads to baskets.
11-6 after a solid win over Atlanta......the team that eliminated them from the playoffs last season. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland combined for 55 points, and the team shot 60% from the field. Hard to lose when that happens. Good to see Kevin Love back already from his thumb injury.
12-6 after a 114-96 win over Portland.........on pace to win 55 as I predicted.......tough road stetch coming up.......Go Cavs!! Lamar Stevens has done well since being inserted into the starting lineup.
Toronto seems to be a nemesis for the Cavs.......2-0 vs. Cleveland but both at home. Cavs are really missing Jarrett Allen and Kevin Love. Definitely not the same team without them.
Donovan Mitchell with 34 points leading the Cavs to a win over the Magic. Kevin Love returns and takes his NBA-leading 12th charging foul. 15-8 overall, and 10-1 at home.
Season low in points and shooting pct. last night vs. the Knicks........still 15-9 with the Lakers and LeBron coming to The Land on Tuesday. Cavs are doing fine. Miss Jarrett Allen in the middle. He's a difference maker at both ends of the court.
The way Mitchel has played in big games is the exact reason why you give up that much to get a player his caliber. I’m happy he’s happy playing basketball again on this team. You can see the way he plays and the raw emotion pouring out onto the court.
Big time players making big time plays in big time moments.
Donovan Mitchell is proving game after game why he takes the Cavs to a higher level and a serious contender for the East title. 16-9 and Cleveland owns the NBA's best record at home at 11-1. Great to have Jarrett Allen back.
11-1 makes it all the more apparent to secure a top 4 seed and get home court at least for one round of the playoffs. I was at the Hawks play in game last year and the home court advantage is real in Cleveland. Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse is rockin.
i got too busy to post anything yesterday but I was at the Lakers game Wed night...Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse was electric...I would love to see the intensity on defense that the Cavs played with in that 4th quarter...of course the Lakers suck but still, a great game...Mitchell is so exciting to watch...and Allen back is huge.
In another universe, Donovan Mitchell is absolutely torching defenses at running back for Ohio State in the mid 2010s. Dude has some insane lower body strength and explosiveness.
December 8th: 16-9, third in the east and Rubio has been cleared for 5 on 5 play as reported today. The team won’t rush him but the season is right on track. Can’t imagine how much better they’ll look with a fully healthy Rubio coming off the bench.
Charles Barkley said on the Dan Patrick Show today that he feels the Cavs are the 3rd best team in the East, behind only Boston and Milwaukee. High praise from Charles who is well in tune with the NBA.
I couldn't watch the game but I see that the Kings scored the last 19 points in the game, holding the Cavs scoreless for nearly 5 minutes. That is really bad. The play by play showed lots of turnovers.
It was absolutely ridiculous. I think it had a lot to do with Mitchell being out with a sore knee. But he already has taken the reigns as the leader of the team. There is no debate who’s team it is.
When telling the truth becomes a revolutionary concept, it’s wise to join the revolution
Last night showed how important Donovan Mitchell is to the Cavs. 30 points out of the lineup, including clutch baskets late. Cleveland was a ship without its rudder. Still 16-10 and doing well. Only the 2nd loss at home.
Gotta keep Mitchell healthy...really excited to see how much better they get w/ a healthy Rubio...I remember w/ him healthy last season they were tearing teams apart right before his injury
Cavaliers start out the 2 game road trip with a loss to 9-18 San Antonio. Cleveland trailed by 19 in the 2nd half, closed it to 1, but Darius Garland's open jumper from the corner didn't fall and the Cavs drop to 17-11. It doesn't get any easier on Wednesday when the team goes to Dallas with Luka Doncic averaging almost 33 PPG.
Cliche as it may sound, Darius just does not have the clutch gene yet. He needs to be stronger at the rim, as well. I see a lot of good things from this Cavs team at times that lead to wins, but I just do not have a lot of confidence in consistent play. I think they may still be too young collectively, and it will probably take them until after the all-star break to really start to gel. Some of these players are going to need to learn how to help decrease the load for Mitchell.
Mitchell is the only guy being "that dude" every night. That said this team is where I thought we'd be. They're young, fun and talented. Plenty of things to figure out but I think overall everything should be viewed through a lense of positivity.
Donovan is a bonafide MVP superstar caliber player. The guy brings it every night. He's explosive and sudden, he is a bull going into the paint, he's very strong, he is shooting the shit out of the ball at a level way above than he's ever done. He is WAY above his career averages. 50% from the field, and 43% from 3 is absolutely amazing efficiency for anyone. Best season of his career by far.
I know Darius had that insane 50 piece weeks ago, but he is NOT having a good year. He has put up a lot of really bad games. He has never gotten comfortable. He is wildly inconsistent now, turns the ball over a lot and his shooting averages across the board are WAY down. I really don't know why. It's weird because he never had that issue last year.
18-11 after a good win at Dallas. Cavs jumped to an early 16-2 lead, and the Mavericks never seriously threatened Cleveland's surge.
YoungBossBuckeye: Your point is well taken about Garland.......I think IMO that Darius might be trying too hard to fit in with Donovan as his backcourt mate. Darius will get his issues straightened out. As far as Donovan, he is a bonafide MVP candidate because he makes this team 4-5 wins better at this stage of the season.
The Cavs showed an important characteristic last night in the win vs. Indiana......the ability to come back from double digits late. Down 12 points, Cleveland rallied once again with Donovan Mitchell leading the way with 41 points, amid chants of MVP from the crowd.
Cavs now 19-11, and have the biggest point differential in the 4th quarter of anybody in the Eastern Conference.
It is indeed a big homestand that could put the Cavs in a really good spot in the East standings.
Cavs once again wait until the 4th quarter to snatch a victory late after trailing most of the game. Dallas played well without Luke Doncic and had a 12 point lead early in the last 12 minutes. Slowly Cleveland began to whittle away at the lead, and it was the defense that came up with some big stops down the stretch. Wasn't one of the Cavs better shooting games from behind the arc, and their FT's almost cost them the game, but they managed to escape with a 100-99 win.
20-11 and now 2-0 on the current 6 game homestand, with Utah tonight.
The Cavs last night jumped on Utah early and hard, building as much as a 20 point lead in the first half. Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell led the way, while the 3 ball shooting at one point was 8-16 for Cleveland. The Wine and Gold shot 60% in the first half. Cedi Osman had a big 4th quarter.
21-11, 3-0 on current homestand, third in the Eastern Conference, and Milwaukee comes to The Land on Wednesday.
Huge win for the Cavs from a mental standpoint, convincing themselves that they can play with the elite of the East.......have beaten Boston twice, Philadelphia, and now Milwaukee. Cavs jumped to a huge lead and never were seriously threatened despite Giannis' big scoring night.
22-11 and 4-0 on the current 6 game homestand. The Donovan Mitchell trade is looking like a stroke of genius for GM Koby Altman.
Cavaliers have lost their last 2, to the Raptors and the Nets, to finish the 6 game homestand at 4-2. For some reason, and I don't know what it is, Toronto gives Cleveland fits. Even though they are 16-18 overall, they are 3-0 vs. the Cavs. I understand more so the Nets winning, because they are hot and have star power, but the Raptors series is a mystery. Toronto is one of the worst 3 ball shooting teams in the NBA, but not against the Cavs. Pascal Siakam always seems to have a big game, as does Gary Trent.
Still, Cleveland is 22-13 and 4th in the East, having been passed by the Nets. Darius Garland was spectacular vs. Brooklyn with 46 points.
The defensive intensity the last 2 games has been terrible...they let Toronto get open look after open look, and they they did nothing to defend the Nets...
Mobley needs to get stronger in the post as well...anytime he gets caught in a double team or just defended well by a bid down there, he is not strong enough to go up over the top and score.
The defensive intensity that JBOSUfan1 mentioned wasn't there last night vs. Indiana. The 135 points given up, with I think 19 threeballs, was probably the worst defensive performance of the season by the Cavs. Cleveland scored plenty to win the game, but the team with the #1 defensive efficiency rating didn't show up on the stop side of the court. Hope Darius Garland is okay with his wrist injury and that it won't flare up in the next few days.
Cavs have the Bulls on back to back games, and I hope they can get their defensive mojo back. 22-14, but 3 straight losses. Still on pace to win 50 games but the team needs to hit the refresh button.
Getting a little frustrating w/ the lack of focus and intensity from them defensively...giving up 135 to a terrible Indiana team after giving up 125 to Brooklyn at home and 118 to a bad Toronto team at home...doesn't bode well.
Cavs need to make some deals. They have no depth in the paint. Every time they play someone with post players ( like Toronto or even the lowly Pacers) they run Mobley and Allen mid to upper 30s and they look gassed. When they swap one of them for Kevin Love, it just gets worse.
They've got no bench so they have to run Stevens or Okora with the starters ( and then get nothing from those dudes) so they can have LeVert off the bench.. And at this point it seems safe to say LeVert is never going to be pre-injury LeVert..
They need a big who can play defense ( and isn't a stiff on offense) that can spell both Mobley and Allen, and they need someone else who can score..
Do you think they are truly missing Markannen? I mean, I make that trade every day regardless but Lauri gave you 3 bigs last year and they all defended much better.
But still, in the East, you are going to have to deal with Embed and Giannis, even KD.. and Bam at Miami.. there are just teams with legit big who can score in the paint...
Lauri would help for sure... but they have to get a serviceable big or two in a trade... watching Lopez or Love trying to cover bigs, is just a recipe for an early exit..
Donovan Mitchell last night vs. Chicago became the 1st player in NBA history to score at least 70 points (71) with 10 assists. To say he put the team on his back is a severe understatement. He probably won't win the MVP, but he certainly should be in the running for it.
24-14 and on pace to win at least 50 games. Need stay healthy though as the halfway mark approaches. Hopefully we'll get Darius and Evan back soon.
First things first… Mitchell’s game was an all time performance. If he wasn’t in the MVP conversation before he certainly is now. He has his “MVP” moment and this team would be .500 or below without him.
Now that the new year started it’s time to address the glaring hole on the wing. Wade being out doesn’t help but LeVert is a 2, Osman is just ok and Okoro sucks (officially standing up and waiting by the exit on his hype train). I know a lot of you guys love Bogdonvic and for good reason. Great shooter/scorer and would be deadly with the plethora of options on the Cavs. However I don’t think he’s the best option because he’s old and will get eaten alive by Durant, Tatum/Brown, and Giannis/Middleton. The two names I will throw out though might be better fits.
Kyle Kuzma and Harrison Barnes.
Kuzma: athletic combo forward who has found his rhythm on offense as of late and a long/alert defender who can create a bit from the wing. I think he’s probably the best fit because the Cavs need that type of player at the three. Plus he can play the 4. He’s young and would fit their timeline of wanting to resign him. Trade packages:
LeVert for Kuzma & kispert (or salary filler to meet the requirements and potentially 1 or 2 second round picks heading to Washington)
Osman, Okoro, and a protected 1 rounder (maybe an additional second) for Kuzma
Barnes: not as dynamic offensively but still a good spot up shooter, good long defender and a high IQ guy that will do the dirty work on both ends of the floor. This one is easier in that LeVert for Barnes straight up would help fix needs for both teams.
Both options are good and if the Cavs a serious about a title run something needs to happen to bolster the roster at that position. While I like Kuzma slightly more I don’t think Altman could go wrong with adding either player.
Cavs are reportedly interested in trading for Bojan, which would be nice because offensively he is one of the more efficient scorers in the league this season. You are correct, though, and my main complaint of wanting to trade for him this past offseason was that he would get absolutely ran through by Tatum, Durant, Middleton, etc. in the playoffs.
Cedi, Okoro, and whatever picks the Cavs could throw together would work financially for Kuzma, but honestly the Wizards could get much better offers due to his stellar play this season. I am not sure the Cavs have the pieces to trade for him unless the Wizards went full tank mode, which I don't see happening this season.
Barnes is an intriguing option, but he is getting up there in age and is a lower tier defender.
For Kuzma I really think LeVert and pick(s) would be the better option for them. If they can't get the draft capital they want because he can opt out after this year having someone they can let go after this year to open up cap space and still get picks might be enticing for the Wizards. Any team trading for Kuzma has to think they can re-sign him which drives his value down. With our core I'd say we have an excellent shot at doing that.
Barnes isn't a great on ball defender but he's long, smart, knows where to be and can hit open threes. He's only 29/30 years old so you expect him to still have some good years left. The more I think about it he's probably the best option.
I wouldn't say no to Bogdonovic if that's all they could trade for but I wouldn't prioritize him.
Secondary players I've mentioned in the past that could be options are Robert Covington or Johnathan Isaac but they're not starting caliber players.
Something needs to be done, might as well swing for the fences because this team could be legitimate contenders with a consistent starting caliber 3.
The Cavaliers for 3 quarters last night vs. Phoenix struggled mightily to put the ball in the basket, then in the 4th quarter came to life with some key buckets by Caris LeVert and of course Donovan Mitchell. The NBA's #1 defense (106 PPG) also picked up, getting some key stops while Cleveland kept battling back from a double digit deficit.
25-14 and 4th in the East.......Tim Legler of ESPN this morning gave the Cavs big props. He thinks the team will be in the East race for the remainder of the season. He said that Donovan Mitchell is one of the main reasons, and we've seen how important he is so far. We need to get Darius back, and last night the offensive malaise showed without him.
If the Cavs do make a trade, I just hope it won't upset the chemistry that has developed with this roster.
I would be SO happy if we were able to get Bogie from Detroit. Don and him played in Utah, and they were really good together. Wouldn't affect the chemistry at all. Doesn't need the ball in his hands to score. He is exactly what this team needs. A floor spacer and knockdown shooter. Wouldn't be able to key in on anyone. You double Don or Darius, a shooter like Bogie will make you PAY.
Cavaliers now 25-15 after a road loss to Denver. Donovan Mitchell was out, and it showed how much he means to the team. Caris LeVert and Darius Garland led the Cavs in scoring. 4 more road games coming up, so hopefully Cleveland can manage at least a couple of wins before they come home again.
Cavaliers pick up a good road win over Phoenix with a strong 4th quarter. Devin Booker and Chris Paul were out for the Suns, but it was still important to get another win out West. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland had 22 points, while Jarrett Allen had a double double. Cavs now 26-15 at the halfway mark, on pace to win 52 games.
Refs just handed Utah the game by giving them a 7 point possession when the Cavs were up 5 with a minute left. They can eat ten bags of shit, that was a Tim Donaghy special.
Tough loss for the Cavs and especially Caris LeVert, who was called for 2 fouls on Jordan Clarkson's 3 point shots late in the 4th quarter. I'm not the most knowledgeable fan on NBA rules, but those 2 fouls to me seemed shaky at best. How else is someone supposed to guard a 3 point shot? You have to get close enough to close out on the shooter, but you have to give him space to land? Evidently that means you can't really get that close to him. Again, I'm not a rules expert, but that rule seems contradictory. And to call it a flagrant on top of that.
You're right, they were both pretty weak calls. Clarkson initiates the contact on one and swings his legs on another. Those types of plays were supposedly legislated out over the past few years because people were manipulating that call. A defender can't crowd a shooter and the shooter gets a reasonable amount of space to land safely so as not to potentially roll his ankle on the defenders foot. Shooters were taking advantage of this rule by wildly swinging their legs. It's not as egregious as it once was but it still gets called like that every once and a while. What's puzzling is Steph Curry usually gets that kind of call... not Jordan Clarkson.
Despite 50 points by Damian Lilliard, the Cavs won at Portland 119-113. Ricky Rubio made his debut after over a year off and scored 9 points and looked like the player before his injury. Him being back is HUGE for Cleveland. Jarrett Allen had a double double, and as usual Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland had good offensive games. Mitchell especially came up big late with some clutch buckets.
Cavs 27-16 and have one road game remaining on this trip at Minnesota.
Cavaliers now 28-17 after a loss at Minnesota and a win yesterday vs. New Orleans. Hopefully Donovan Mitchell's groin injury won't keep him out long. Darius Garland's 30 points vs. NO led the Cavs, while Jarrett Allen had 24. Great to see Ricky Rubio doing what he does.....fun to watch, and gets everyone around him involved in the offense.
Agreed...to think we should have beaten the best team in the West on their court and we didn't have Mitchell...JB definitely needed to take a T/O....set something up and get a good shot to win that game...don't we get it side out at half court when we take a T/O?
I, too, was surprised by no TO by Bickerstaff but some coaches don't like to call a TO because it gives the opposing coach time to set his defense. Still, a great effort by the Cavs without Mitchell but it was maybe the toughest loss of the season, considering how good Memphis is and playing on their court. Isaac Okoro I believe was a perfect 6 for 6 from the field, including 3-4 trifectas. Best shooting night I've seen him have.
28-18, with Golden State and Milwaukee back to back Friday and Saturday at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
Going to the Milwaukee game...part of me worries about it being the 2nd game of a back to back, but over the last couple seasons they've played very well against the Bucks...can't wait to go
And they're at home where they play much better. I went to the play in game last season and if you haven't been in awhile the atmosphere is phenomenal and the renovations look great. Great game to pick to go to, should be a playoff type environment.
Interesting choices. Obviously Bogdonavich would work. Size, shooting and position flexibility are the positive while defense and age are major negatives. Plus he’s having a career year and would cost the most to get.
Heild is an interesting choice. Elite volume shooting and not much else. He’s 6’4 so while slightly undersized for SG he plays mostly SF and is severely undersized. But he shoots 42% at 9 attempts a games. Again elite volumn shooting. His contract is in that range of “flippable” but it would prove hard with having a small amount of picks. He also offers little off the dribble.
The most interesting guy to me is Malik Beasley. Another great volume shooter that can create/shoot off the dribble while also attempting over 7 threes a game. Offensively he pairs with the backcourt better than LeVert. Better contract, younger and can get his shot better than the others.
JBB did a lot for the development of this group, and he should be commended for that.
But he’s not ready to coach a contender. Cavs are too 3 in the NBA in a lot of metrics but are struggling to be top 4 in the East. The late game execution is just obviously bad.
He needs to be replaced this off-season. I know it’s a bad look to get rid of a a guy at this stage, but I don’t want to waste this core on a guy figuring it out.
If Gilbert could get Udoka to promise not to have sex with everyone’s wives (or maybe let him and make the job more attractive) that would be awesome. I love JBB but the roster outgrew him. A title window needs a title contending level coach. JBB is best suited for a frisky fringe playoff team and making them a 6th seed. There’s plenty of jobs out there for that type of team, serious title contention is a level too far for him.
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Curious why you have Okoro over LaVert in the staring lineup. I believe the pre-season showed that Bickerstaff is leaning on LaVert being the starter, and that is what I believe will happen.
As for the top 10 in the East, I believe the Cavs will be 3 or 4 with Brooklyn being a lower playoff team due to their dysfunction. However, I do not know what other team(s) I would move lower for the Cavs to move up in the rankings. Perhaps one of the expected better teams will have more struggles this year. Anyway, GO CAVS!!!
In Urban We Trust
You probably will be right but I made the prediction based on matchups and Okoro matching with Anunoby better than Caris. I do think it is too early for JB to start playing matchup ball at SF without solidifying his rotations, though, so there is a decent chance Caris starts tonight.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
What's the best way to watch without Bally? Also I wouldn't sleep on the Pistons, they have some good young talent.
I am going to sleep on them regarding playoff contention, but they for sure have some of the best young talent in the conference. They will be upsetting a lot of good teams this season but they’re still much too young for the play-in tournament, in my opinion.
Streameast and sportsurge are my go to’s for streaming games. I had NBA League Pass last season, which was amazing, but I will be streaming games for now.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
The pistons will be a sneaky fun League pass watch. They're probably a year or two away but they have some nice young pieces.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
I think the Cavs will be a 4/5 seed. They have a huge amount of depth while having the ability to grab a missing piece or two. Ready to cash in my Okoro stock and see him become a real rotation piece after a nice preseason. I think there's two bonafide 6th man of the year contenders in Love and LeVert. I think LeVert doesn't start but finishes most games. They need his shot creation skill set more on the second team, especially with Rubio out, but to finish games he'll be deadly with the floor so tilted towards Mitchell/Garland.
I'm going to say 56-26, 4th seed and a first round win over the Heat. Then a loss in 7 to the 76ers in the next round.
... '23-'24 NBA CHAMPS THOUGH!!!
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
I can definitely see a fourth seed and a second round exit, but making a lot of noise in that second round matchup. 56 wins would probably be at least the 2nd seed though
I'd be shocked if this team makes it past the second round because there are 5-6 teams with more "playoff experience" and that matters a lot in the NBA where it's a completely different game (and I don't see them having a wing stopper unless a trade). This team will be incredibly fun to watch with all their young talent though.
With regards to the seeding in the East I think there will be 4-5 teams in the 54-58 range. The tanking for Wembanyama (and to a lesser extent the consolation prize of Scoot Henderson) is real. That dude is a freak and worth all the negative publicity that comes with tanking. I think there will be a lot of easy wins for both conferences top tier teams. That's why i think the win totals at the top will be slightly higher than last year because more teams, especially in the second half of the year, will be trying to get the best lotto odds.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
I've never been this excited for a NBA season. This will be the most competitive, compelling season to watch in recent memory, or maybe ever. There is so much parity in both the East and West, it's literally wide open. Kawhi Leonard is healthy. Jamal Murray is healthy. Zion Williamson is healthy. Teams made big trades and made big signings. Younger, upstart teams are looking to make noise. Cavs on paper are VERY interesting and look like they can grab a playoff spot from someone. If you like basketball or are a fan of a team, this will be a fun year.
For the Cavs, I would start Okoro at the 3 because we know what we'll get defensively from him. He can at least be a good weakside help defender. He will play within the confines of our offense. Toronto and Chicago will sag off of him early to put attention on Garland and Mitchell. The hope is that Okoro's rebuilt shooting motion and his hard work this summer will make defenses pay for leaving him open (although I'm not holding my breath on it). This has to be the year where Okoro develops into a solid 3 and D player, because that's what this team (badly) needs. LeVert's style and skillset on offense makes him a really good 6th man option. If LeVert was a better midrange and perimeter shooter, he would start at the 3. But we will be relying on him for instant offense. If the Cavs are serious about making a big splash this year, Mobley and Okoro need to make LARGE quantum leaps in their game and LeVert needs to play relatively close to the form he had before we traded for him. Hopefully Kevin Love and Dean Wade have good seasons from the perimeter. Also, this team MUST stay healthy. JB needs to do a great job finding lineups that get the highest net rating.
BOATS and HOES.
I'm predicting a similar total of wins that Undercoverbuck has said. They won 44 games last season with a rash of injuries, and now have added Donovan Mitchell to a team that was going to be improved even without him.
I'm also predicting that Cleveland will beat Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, Milwaukee, and Brooklyn, the 5 teams Cooper has mentioned ahead of us, at least once each. Those teams may have more experience but the Cavs are not short on talent.
I just hope that the team can be healthier than last season. They were on a better than 44 win pace when some late season injuries, especially to Jarrett Allen, slowed the win total.
Go Cavaliers!! Could be the NBA's most improved team in 2022-23.
I can't wait to see Mitchell make his debut (biggest acquisition the Cavs have made since LeBron's return in 2014).
11 Strong.
Great first half of basketball, Mitchell, Osman and LeVert especially. Hope Garland is alright. Looked like a nasty eye poke.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Gary Trent Jr. is now public enemy #1. Don’t injure my point guard.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
He should be in jail. I’m not liking the legion of boom approach to defense wear they grab and hold every play because they know the refs won’t call it every play.
On a side note the Cavs haven’t had a bucket getter like Mitchell since Kyrie. Surprised how well he’s fit in so far. Think he’ll fit in juuuuuuust fiiiiiiiine. I’ll eat any crow I had about doubts with his fit. I think I’ve eaten most of it but if there’s any left serve it up hot and fresh.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
I wouldn’t have known the Raptors were playing basketball if you didn’t tell me. I thought I was watching a rugby match.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
They’ve certainly evolved (or de-volved) a long way since the ‘19 championship.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
The Raptors fans are completely obnoxious. The team fouls every possession. These aren’t even close.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Don’t know I ever seen a team have such a positive free throw disparity and still bitch as much as the raptors.
Can't believe I am complaining about the refs in game 1 but Toronto was hell-bent on dickpunching every Cavs player until they crumpled to the floor. Just ridiculous.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
No garland, got outshot from 3, big ft disparity, and lose to one of the best team in the east by 1 possession.
Neto was -8 in 6 minutes. If Rubio or garland is healthy this is an easy win.
And screw the raptors bitching. They fouled way more than the Cavs and somehow show 9 more fts.
refs saw Manfred screw over the Guardians and said “hold my beer”
Not having someone to handle the ball and run the offense when Mitchell was out killed them tonight. Too much to ask Of Neto. Always tough going to Toronto and getting a win, almost impossible when they poke the best player in the eye and have to play the refs as well. Super positive debut even with the loss. Heal up DG. The offense looked great until the last 5 mins, plenty to work on but a lot to build on.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Fun game. Tough road environment.
Allen got fouled on 3 consecutive plays in the 4th quarter.
FIFY
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Question for everyone… is Bally really this bad? The broadcast kept cutting in and out. Just wondering if it’s my TV or blame Bally. I streamed the games last year so haven’t had to deal with Bally yet. I never remembered Fox sports Net being this bad ever.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Stream?
On satellite it was fine. But occasionally I’ve had trouble streaming Ballys.
Yea like those Chinese/Russian illegal back door sites where I’m pretty sure my computer got virtual aids but it’s the Cavs and I’m a degenerate cleveland sports fan so I have to watch anyway I can.
FWIW I think it’s my tv because it’s doing the same thing watching the mavs/suns. East Cleveland cable can be so spotty sometimes.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
I feel vindicated now that I saw Mayor Bibb tweeting about how bad Bally is. FREE THE CAVS!
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
I have Bally through cable and it’s the worst. Had it last year too and without fail every Cavs game has a period where it breaks up/gets pixilated. Sometimes it’s just a couple of minutes and other times it’s sporadic throughout the game. Never happened on Fox Sports.
I know, it's only one game. However, Donovan Mitchell appears to be everything the team envisioned.
31 points, 9 assists, and 2 steals on 12/21 shooting. The offense completely bogged down with him off of the floor in the second half and Neto is a complete liability. Didn't sound like Garland's injury is too severe (laceration on the inside of his eyelid), so hopefully, he won't miss any more time.
Encouraged by what I saw against a good Raptors team on the road.
I don’t think Neto is a complete liability, but the game last night was too fast and too athletic for him. Plus, I was not a fan of that lineup with Neto in the game. We had no scorers on the floor. Lavert was supposed to the scorer in that lineup but he was bothered by the Raptors aggressive play and length.
Neto can get this team 6-8 minutes each night until Rubio returns and be - even - but last night was not the night.
Well said. Once Garland went down LeVert, Osman and Neto's role was over extended and that was the most noticeable in the fourth.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Fuck the raptors and their douchey fans that is all
When telling the truth becomes a revolutionary concept, it’s wise to join the revolution
Question...I only have Youtube TV which doesn't carry Bally's...now last season, I was able to use my Spectrum Internet password to get the Bally's App to stream the games on my TV...but for some reason, that didnt' work for the Guardians games this season...does any one know if that will work for the Cavs games again or will I have to do something else?
I wish Bally's would stop being pricks and either sign w/ YoutubeTV or Hulu TV...I would switch to that...I'm never ever going back to Spectrum for cable, nor will I get Direct TV again...they need a good legit option for us cord cutters.
Let's Go Bucks
They launched Ballys+, they have no intention of signing on with anyone else... and it's a crap app imo.. shame..
Go Bucks!!!
Can you at least subscribe to it w/out having to have Spectrum cable or Direct TV?
Let's Go Bucks
I’m not sure about that one. I have DIRECTV though, but it’s the basic plan. I get my movies and streaming shows from Hulu, Peacock, Prime, etc… I just know that the channel itself (Bally Great Lakes) looks like it’s filmed with a 1980’s camera and the production is generally low grade.
When telling the truth becomes a revolutionary concept, it’s wise to join the revolution
We don't lose that game if Garland plays normal minutes and doesn't get his eye messed up. That really hurt. Hopefully he won't miss a lot of time, because due to how deep the East is, we don't want to get off to a slow start. It's a very long season, though. Toronto is a playoff team and they're good. They'll be a pain in the ass for A LOT of teams.
BOATS and HOES.
Fire the coaches, bench the players and blame the refs.
You never lose to those pricks. Ever. Ever.
The most important thing about last night's game is to get Darius Garland back fully healthy. First game of the season and we've already had a significant injury. Get well soon, Darius. The Cavs are definitely not the same team without him. It showed in the 2nd half, even though it ended up a one possession game.
First impressions last night:
- Spida is everything we were looking for when it comes to being a secondary ball-handler and primary scorer. It did seem like deja-vu last night, though, when Garland left the game. Felt like I was watching end of last season's team with Mitchell being the only playmaker on the court.
- Going to be 100% honest, I was not overly impressed with Mobley on the offensive end. He still turns the ball over easily because he dribbles the ball softly, is not strong down low, and his shot does not look nearly improved enough to increase his volume from last year. Don't really care about +/- but he had the lowest +/- on the team last night, for what it is worth. Work in progress. He is picking up right where he left off defensively, though.
- Caris looks more comfortable. Okoro was... well he didn't really do anything. 0/1 in 12 minutes and no other stats besides a turnover and 4 fouls. Cedi proved why he is such a streaky player, he can give you great offense and then make bonehead plays in crucial moments.
- Allen looks the same, not much of a comment on him besides his defense looks great as always.
- Neto will be fine as backup guard against most teams, but last night was not one of those games.
Cavs looked about how I expected. Impressed with some things, but I knew it was going to take a bit for them to get into a rhythm. It doesn't really help Toronto played press man coverage any time the Cavs dribbled past the three point line. I'm not really upset about the loss itself but I hope the refs and the Raptors burnt their toast this morning.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
Was going to ask. Didn't get to watch last night and wondered about +/- on Mobley. Sticks out like a sore thumb on the stat sheet. Was he getting worked on defense? or did we just get really inefficient on offense with him on the court? maybe a combo of both.
Looks like after Garland went out they basically swapped him for Osman in the rotation.. so Osman, Mitchell, Allen and LeVert all + on the floor for +24 combined, but Mobley ends up -14..
While not always a good stat, it's at least something to monitor.
Go Bucks!!!
I watched the whole game and Mobley handled his own but Toronto has a lot of bigs to throw at him. He seemed a bit slow because he has been out injured. He didn’t quite have his explosive step to the hoop, and on the plays he drove to the hoop, he had a wide open lane, almost like the Raptors forgot about him driving.
The Garland play was bullshit. I saw it on the tv replay from the sideline view and it showed Trent Jr, going after an inbound pass intended to Garland and he specifically slapped Garland just before Trent could reach the ball. The red called the foul but otherwise, Toronto was getting away with full-on tackling out there.
When telling the truth becomes a revolutionary concept, it’s wise to join the revolution
Mobley was just kinda there most of the game. When he popped your like “that is the dude right there” but then it would be 10 minutes before he did anything else.
Good Donovan Mitchell interview on JJ Redick's podcast (my favorite NBA podcast right now). Interview starts at 24:30 for those not interested in the other NBA talk.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
Saw today that Darius Garland won't need surgery, but does have a laceration under his eye. Further evaluation will be done. Looks like he will be out for a while, hopefully a short stint.
Good win for the Cavs last night. Reports Garland out again today vs Wizards and will sit again vs Magic on Wednesday, but be back on Friday vs Celtics... great news if true... Wizards and Magic should be winnable games and then DG back vs one of the best in the East..
Go Bucks!!!
Cavs almost blew it against the Wizards last night but managed to pull it out in overtime. Donovan Mitchell is still really damn good, although he had some really costly turnovers that caused the game to go into overtime in the first place. Robin Lopez is really great for 10-15 minutes a game. Re-signing Dean Wade for 3 years at 6 million a year is starting to look like a steal, he led the team in +/- last night.
I am not sure I understand why Kevin only played 14 minutes last night. Mobley looks so awful on offense so far, it just does not make sense to be playing him 2.5x the minutes Kevin is playing. When the offense hits those lulls like they did in the 4th quarter, Evan is always the one on the court and Kevin is on the bench. Obviously Evan has a much bigger impact short and long-term, but JB needs to find a way to re-work those minutes when the offense is stalling.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
The Wade resigning was brilliant because it a) kept a decent piece around for cheap before the cap explodes and b) his deal and skill level is the in the perfect price range of add-on in a trade if the cavs go hunting this trade deadline.
I think Mobley's offensive issues are that he plays so well with Garland he's just unsure of how to play with Mitchell. I'd like to see him with Garland back and some time with Mitchell before getting too concerned.
As far as KLove goes I'd love to see him play more mins as well (especially when Mobley isn't contributing on that end) but I just don't think he's consistently a 20-25 min a game guy anymore. I think coming off a back to back 15 mins is all we're likely to expect. It sucks but that's just who is he at this point of his career. I would like to see Evan and Kevin play more mins together as that would give maximum floor spacing and really help Evan out offensively.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Glad the Cavaliers pulled out the win in OT after blowing what looked like a sure win in regulation. What I like most of all is winning without Darius Garland, our All-Star PG. When he comes back, this team could really take off. Donovan Mitchell is proving his value in gold. One thing that stands out to me is how hot Jedi Osman can get. I think he hit his first 4 or 5 threes last night.
Donovan Mitchell has been even better than advertised. He was a little fatigued at the end of the fourth against DC but he manned up and willed the team to that OT win.
On a side note, if Allen ever hits 40% of those skyhooks, he’ll be in Springfield one day lol.
Buckeye football isn’t every thing on Saturday. It’s the only thing on Saturday
Had a feeling Dean was going to be stepping into the starting lineup sooner than later with Okoro’s poor play. I want Darius back but I definitely like this starting five until he’s able to return.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
Raul Neto is so fun to watch. Has given Cole Anthony fits
"The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish" - Charlie Chaplin
Damn. With by double le digits while Mitchel goes 5-19 with 14 points? Get 40 points out of the center position? Allen with 16 rebs? Going to be a fun year.
Bullets will be back to save the season, and Stroud's dignity.
Evan Mobley with 20 points, and Jarrett Allen with 16 rebounds vs. the Magic last night. Our 2 bigs took care of business. Jedi Osman was the 2nd leading scorer on the team heading into the Orlando game.
TheDizzle made a good point about Neto. He certainly was relentless on defense. Reminds of Matthew Dellavadova a few years back.
Paolo Banchero looks to be a great pick by Orlando. Can score in a number of ways.
I know it was near impossible to keep him but man I miss Lauri on the Cavs. He is absolutely balling averaging 22, 9, and 3 for a 4-1 Jazz team (Danny Ainge must be fuming lol). A hypothetical starting five of Darius, Spida, Lauri, and Frobley would have possibly been a top 3 starting 5 in the league. While he was not an elite defender, I actually think the Cavs are missing him on defense with being able to close out on the perimeter and providing another tall body on the court. I have not noticed the absence of Sexton (all praise to Donovan Mitchell), but I do actually think being able to keep Lauri would have this squad in legitimate title contention.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
Was there a way to make the salaries match that Utah would've accepted? Cedi and Okoro I think would've worked, but I think Utah wouldn't have gone for that.
I think replacing Lauri with a combo of Cedi and Okoro would have worked, or just replacing Lauri with Caris, but like you said no way in hell Utah would have bitten on that compared to what the Knicks were offering. It's funny that Ainge is so hellbent on winning trades that he has accidentally put together a pretty solid roster that is legitimately 10 deep. Unless he trades away more pieces, which I am sure Adam Silver will be reviewing carefully, it does not look like they will be in the Wembanyama sweepstakes.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
I think he knew he'd get more for Markkannen when he went to flip him at the trade deadline.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
When the trade happened, Lauri was the only player that I was sad about losing.
We can only hope that Altman tried to throw in Caris/Osman/Okoro in an attempt to keep Lauri… but at the same time, let’s not act like Lauri is a legitimate superstar that was worth holding up the Mitchell trade for. A lot of his stats can be credited to him being the #1 option instead of being the 4th option. Yes the Jazz are winning right now, but they’re probably going to taper off around 30 wins.
Honesty wouldn’t be surprised to see Utah flip Lauri for more picks at the deadline
"The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish" - Charlie Chaplin
Interesting hypothetical:
Would you have rather done the Atlanta deal for Murray while keeping Markannen or gone through with the Mitchell trade?
"The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish" - Charlie Chaplin
Mitchell. Much better offensive player and seeing him with this team I wouldn't want to upset the chemistry. They made the right deal. Murray wouldn't be able to buoy the team without Garland like Mitchell is.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
No question, Mitchell. I think trading for Murray and keeping Lauri would have kept more continuity and maybe led to more success just for this season, but for the long-term Mitchell is the legit superstar and top-15 player the Cavs needed.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
Garland is still out for tomorrow against the Celtics and apparently his eye is still swollen. No long-term damage but it is pretty annoying we can't ever seem to watch a fully healthy Cavs team together. Gary Trent Jr. is still on my shit list.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
He should be in jail
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Straight to jail.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
He might not be back for two weeks if his eye is still swollen
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
I was just invited to Aetna's luxury box at the Fieldhouse for this Wed's game against the Celtics...can't wait to get my first chance to watch this fun team live.
I was in downtown Wed night meeting some friends for a few adult beverages and downtown Cleveland nearly has the same buzz goin that it had on game nights when Lebron came back...it's so great to see.
Let's Go Bucks
Wow! Now that was a game!
OSUtopia
Both Mitchell and Levert score 41 a piece? Holy crap man. Just secured a top road victory. 4-1
Bullets will be back to save the season, and Stroud's dignity.
LET’S GO WHAT A GAME!!!
This is definitely where I parked my car.
Fantastic game. Loving how this team looks right now. Can’t wait to get Garland back on the court. Fun times.
Get on the bandwagon now, folks.
This team is young and scary good.
Cavs are finishing with a top 2 seed in the East. Only the Bucks are a better team right now than the Cavs
This is the exact reason why you grab a guy like LeVert when you can. Looks so much better and comfortable after the offseason. Altman has had the magic touch on everything he’s don’t the last 3 seasons. So glad Gilbert kept him around and let him grow into the role.
Also I saw that the NBA is considering replacing the luxury tax with a hard cap in the next CBA. Something to keep an eye on. Way too early to speculate on any sort of implications from that but would shake up roster building.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
One of the things I find most surprising so far is the nonexistent drop off on the defensive end. Part of this might be only having the spidaland backcourt for a half so far but even taking that out of consideration their defensive strategy is sound for the team the field. Good wings will be a problem with this team all season but we knew that. However they have high effort guys chasing teams off the 3 pt line and with Mobley/Allen it’s hard for them to get into the paint and forcing them into inefficient mid range jumpers. Mitchell finally is showing defensive effort for maybe the first time in his career which certainly helps but I think JBB needs more credit for minimizing the weaknesses and playing to the teams strengths. It’s fascinating to me that JBB never really got a fair shot at a head coaching gig with how well regarded he is within the league with the players/coaches. Both his shots came from an interim job he took over mid season.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Didn’t get a chance to watch the game, but what a statement win!
"The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish" - Charlie Chaplin
3pt shooting is at .417 which is probably not sustainable even with Garland. However I am encouraged we’ll have enough shooting, which was probably my biggest question mark coming in.
LaVert has had these flashes of brilliance and is always capable. Hopefully he can make it through the season uninjured. If he does it'll give the Cavs such a weapon and boost.
JWilly3
Even though it's early in the season, last night was a huge road win for the Cavaliers. Boston is touted by quite a few pundits to win the East, and last night Cleveland said "What about us?" Without Darius Garland for the 4th straight game, Caris LeVert and Donovan Mitchell were super, each scoring 41 points. Got to give Dean Wade props for guarding Jayson Tatum on that shot to win the game in regulation.
Our Cavs are for real.......just hope they can get Darius back soon.
I have been down on Levert as a scorer, but man, he player great last night.
When will Garland be back?
Tonight. Killing it.
I hope Michigan never wins another game.
Cavs beat the Knicks after a cavalanche in the 4th quarter. Love and Dean played great tonight.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
Dean Wade! KLove!
I have to ask. Is it an NBA first for a player to score 40+ points one night and in the next game score 1 (no FG's)?
OSUtopia
Going to be interesting to see what they do at the trade deadline ( only about 90 days away) and all indications are Rubio is most likely to be ready after the deadline. Last update was hope for Jan, but more likely Feb... Most people think since everyone wants to tank for unicorn Wembanyama, that deals will start happening MUCH sooner this year after Dec 15th when based on contracts so many dudes can start to be dealt.
They've got a stretch coming up that starts Nov 11 where they go to Golden State and Milwaukee and then have Miami and Atlanta at home back to back.. That should tell us a ton..
Such a joy watching Spida have fun playing again. It's REALLY early but he's 100000% in the MVP hunt at this point...
Go Bucks!!!
This team is flat out explosive in the fourth quarter. Night and day difference from a few years ago under the potato head Mike Brown and his third and fourth quarter meltdowns. Will be a juggernaut when Garland gets back and Rubio as well. Neto’s minutes will be cut I’m guessing.
Buckeye football isn’t every thing on Saturday. It’s the only thing on Saturday
Mitchell 38, Love 29, Wade 22.......the Cavs stepped up their game in the 4th quarter, blitzing the Knicks on both ends of the court. For a team with a brand new addition (Mitchell) and missing their starting PG (Garland), there's already a winning chemistry with them.
Cavs looking good. Bring on LeBum and the Fakers.
I hope Michigan never wins another game.
I feel like Al Horford has been in the NBA for 70 years.
I hope Michigan never wins another game.
Love watching this team. Sure there’s expectations this season but us/them have no idea how good they can be and already 7 games into the season are growing into a very formidable team. The expectation is to be good but the “how great” is still a fun mystery journey we all get to take as a city.
Also great to see Garland back. Guy has quickly became one of my favorite cabs of all time.
One more thing… how bad do you think the Celtics miss Udoka? They’re still great but the chemistry is off. The offense seems clunky.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Refs calling some bullsht late
I hope Michigan never wins another game.
Mitchell is dominating down the stretch here.
I hope Michigan never wins another game.
Mitchell is a bad man
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
There goes that man
10.3 Seconds left. Celtics ball. Cavs 2 point lead.
I hope Michigan never wins another game.
Dean Wade on Tatum... seems NOT ideal...... hopefully they can win at the buzzer.
Go Bucks!!!
That was a sick dunk. Probably should've been a foul. 6.7 left. Tie game. Cavs ball. Setup for a buzzer beater.
I hope Michigan never wins another game.
Mighta been a make up call for us getting elbowed in the nuggin earlier
Always try to look for the positive ........... in the midst of a crisis !!
Mitchell blocked by Tatum on last shot. Going to OT. Damn. Cavs had this one. Missed free-throw by Garland was huge.
I hope Michigan never wins another game.
Awful execution on both ends.... yikes, got to attack there with a bigger defender on you...
OT.
Go Bucks!!
I hate how the step back jumper has become the go to late game move for most players. Especially when tied, attack the basket and make a play.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
If there’s one thing this cavs team does is come out hot in OT
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Early in the season but this Cavs team plays unselfish basketball and they play with fire.
I hope Michigan never wins another game.
Smart is a douche. Flops constantly, plays like a smaller Draymond.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
I agree. I really liked Grant Williams when he was at UT in his college days, but he has become the same as Smart in my opinion. He's a dirty player who flops a lot.
I never really liked him at UT so he's a douche too.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Great win!
I am here for the same reason you are.
Great win.... but with a foul to give have to think Wade was supposed to foul there.. worked out..
I will go to my grave thinking the single most dumb rule in all of sports is that a timeout in the NBA allows you to advance the ball..
At Detroit on Friday... very winnable..
Go Bucks!!!
That’s really the shot they want to give up though. Maybe he would’ve fouled if Brown doesn’t take that shot and makes a move to do something else or maybe he got beat again and we got lucky. Either way glad it worked out.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Nice win, do we own the Celtics now? Great to see Garland back and his 29 and 12. Did all that with 1.5 eyes, simply incredible.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
His eye definitely looked below average but his play was outstanding
Buckeye football isn’t every thing on Saturday. It’s the only thing on Saturday
Felt like we got a rough whistle down the stretch.
Great to say Garland have such a good return.
Bring on the west coast?
Great game. 2-0 vs Boston, both OT thrillers. Garland played great. Glad they found Allen in some back door cutters to the hoop.
Buckeye football isn’t every thing on Saturday. It’s the only thing on Saturday
Just remember this team is so young and only gonna get better with time.
Always try to look for the positive ........... in the midst of a crisis !!
Kind of remind me of the Raptors the year the Cavs beat them on the way to finals.
I hope Michigan never wins another game.
Good Call War - plus this team plays so determined on both ends of the court.
Always try to look for the positive ........... in the midst of a crisis !!
I lol’d
"The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish" - Charlie Chaplin
As annoying as he is Peanut has his moments.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Yeah I’m not a fan of Goldhammer but that is a very logical take there.
Buckeye football isn’t every thing on Saturday. It’s the only thing on Saturday
Looking at the box score, Garland/Mitchell/Levert with 2 turnovers total between the three of them, each playing 40+ minutes.
OSUtopia
That's exceptional.
I was born during the prime of the Price, Daugherty, and Nance days, so I have no problem saying this is the most organically fun Cavs team I have ever watched.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
The Cavs won 5 straight without Darius Garland, including an OT win at Boston, but he showed his value last night. Came out and hit his first 4 threes and looked as if there were no ill effects from his eye injury. Once again, this team didn't back down from the more experienced Celtics. They made some big defensive stops in the OT, and ironically it was Dean Wade once again guarding the potential game winning shot, last night vs. Jaylen Brown and in Boston vs. Jayson Tatum.
Only 7 games in, but this team is for real. What we've seen so far is definitely not fools gold.
I was at that game Wed night and the Rock was electric...this team is so fun...I've never had more fun watching my hoops team. I definitely think they ought to be a top 3 seed in the Eastern conf playoffs barring any major injuries.
Really fun team
Let's Go Bucks
Chris Fedor reporting Mitchell (sprained ankle), Darius (knee), and Neto (ankle) are all questionable tomorrow for Detroit, so that’s not great. Watching Cedi and Caris run point the entire night would certainly be… something….
This is definitely where I parked my car.
I’d bet 2/3 play, my guess would be Mitchell sits if anyone does to give him a night off after the torrid start he’s had. However maybe this opens up my fantasy of seeing Mobley playing minutes at the 3 alongside Love and Allen.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
DG and Spida don't play and they Cavs are currently up 25 with about 5 mins left in the 4th. I know the Pistons are 2-7 coming into the game but that just shows the depth of this team. So in summary the Cavs are really good.
DG doesn't get hurt early into game 1, I feel very confident in says the Cavs are 8 - 0 right now.
Kevin Love with a near 20 point triple double in only 23 minutes. Wow.
"The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish" - Charlie Chaplin
The K Love who’s having a blast hitting threes and throwing jo look behind the back passes in the lane is probably my favorite version of K Love.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Cleveland with a 24 point win at Detroit and had 5 players in double figures.
This also includes Mitchell and Garland had the night off.
Always try to look for the positive ........... in the midst of a crisis !!
The Cavs from last year struggled Down the stretch. This team, without its dynamic backcourt still finds a way to pass the ball around and get guys open with effectiveness. Great win over the Pistons. Ohio over Michigan? This is just the beginning
Buckeye football isn’t every thing on Saturday. It’s the only thing on Saturday
Didn't get to see the game last night due to HS playoff football, but I'm glad the Cavs got another road win. Even without Mitchell and Garland, the Wine and Gold raised their record to 7-1 with a 24 point win. One of the earmarks of a good team is being able to win even when it doesn't have its full rotation. Jarrett Allen and Kevin Love stepped up and had great games. Only Milwaukee has a better record in the East.
Now comes a challenging 4 game road trip to the West Coast. Hopefully we'll be at full strength for it. GO CAVS!!
Lakers are garbage, but winning in LA another solid win.
At this point fans should take away Daniel Gilbert's phone... if the Lakers keep losing at some point Gilbert is going to get a call... that he should not take..
Go Bucks!!!
First game I’ve actually watched, glad to see the Cavs with a 114-100 victory against the Lakers. I have already started talking smack to some coworkers who are at big LAL fans, should make for a good Monday tomorrow!
"Football is, after all, a wonderful way to get rid of your aggressions without going to jail for it." Woody Hayes
This game is notable because I believe this is the first time the Cavs have beaten LeBron
"The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish" - Charlie Chaplin
They beat him when he was with Miami. Might have beat him last year once as well but too lazy to look it up.
I knew they beat one of his lakers team when he was injured. But you are correct, forgot about the Baron Davis lead Cleveland Cavaliers
"The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish" - Charlie Chaplin
So proud of this young team - the skies are the limit for this Cavs roster. IIRC - this was only the 2nd game all season that Garland and Mitchell played from the opening tip to the final buzzer. They're only gonna get better.
Always try to look for the positive ........... in the midst of a crisis !!
This is definitely where I parked my car.
I smiled so widely when watching this video. It warmed my heart. The chemistry, togetherness and the mutual respect from the team and the coaching staff is palpable, and it's real. It has carried over from last year. When you have a locker room culture like this, it shows on the floor each night. You NEVER see this in professional sports, most especially in the NBA, where individuals control everything. This team reminds me of the 1995 Indians, in that they had a winning team-first mentality, the talent, genuinely enjoy playing with each other, and being around each other. There are no egos, no "me" ball, or drama on this team. They move/share the ball. They play defense. They calmly handle deficits. JB is not only a really solid coach, he's a great communicator. He knows how to push the teams' buttons. As cheesy as it sounds, this team literally behaves like a brotherhood. I was worried that Garland and Mitchell would fight over the ball, but clearly, that will not be the case. Mitchell just wants to win, and so does Garland. Luckily, they both got their extensions, so there will no distractions. Everyone is in lockstep, knows their role and is comfortable with their role. That's very rare--especially in this day and age. This team just wants to go to work and play ball. It's a very long season, but I'm very happy to see how this team has gelled and is off to a fast start. I pray that this team stays healthy.
Evan Mobley still has A LOT of development ahead of him. I like his effort and abilities on defense, blocking shots, and switching, and that will serve us well in the playoffs, should we make it. But offensively, he still looks very awkward with the ball, doesn't look comfortable, and is still easy to defend. I think teams will exploit that and trap him. If this team wants to be a contender, he needs to become a bonafide and consistent option on offense, we are relying on him to be a #3 scoring option and use his length defensively. I believe this team goes as Evan Mobley goes. If he turns into a monster offensively, we are easily a top 2-3 seed in the East. Need for him to make a quantum leap, turn into an alpha dog on offense, command the ball and hit high percentage shots. He doesn't have a Kevin Garnett personality, and isn't quite fluid and skilled like a Chris Bosh yet.
I said this will be the most exciting NBA season ever, and so far that appears to be true, as small market teams are running the league.
BOATS and HOES.
Cavs win
LeBron loses
win/win in my book.
I appreciated LeBron when he was here but he was the antithesis to encompassing a true team concept. His stale dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble, shot clock running down, drive to the rim and hope to get fouled or dish to the perimeter was a very predictable and boring way to finish games.
this is one of the youngest teams and they definitely play with a lot of fire. They have so many ways to score and beat the opponent. Keep up the great work, Cavs
Buckeye football isn’t every thing on Saturday. It’s the only thing on Saturday
looking at the box score for the game I see that Bron shot 23 times, Davis and Brown shot 24 times combined. Either too much of the game plan is centered on James heaving up shot after shot, or he makes it centered on him to heave up shot after shot while everyone else stands around.
It feels like the NBA has been turned on it’s head with KD, Lebron, and Steph lead teams having been at the bottom of the standings for the majority of the year.
What’s most interesting is GSW who have the most expensive team in NBA history with a luxury tax that is soon to be (if not already) more expensive than their actual salary cap. It’s easy to bleed money when you’re winning, not as easy when you’re losing. It makes you wonder how much losing it’ll take before the owner forces the GM to make the team cheaper.
Could the Cavs benefit from a GSW fire sale?
"The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish" - Charlie Chaplin
The players most likely to get jettisoned are Thompson and Green. Thompson talked about cooling renegotiation talks recently and Green punched a teammate. Maybe a smaller piece like Jamychal Green but he wouldn't move the needle one way or the other. Back to Thompson and Green, both would be interesting additions in solving the vacant 3 spot. Thompson is a natural 3 at this point in his career and Green could push Mobley to the wing who could probably survive out there like Lauri did last year and creating JBB's wet dream of a defense. The cavs probably don't have the young players/draft capital to outbid anyone regardless of who gets moved unless it's a 3+ team trade. Altman is a master at sliding into a three team trade and make off with a piece.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Donovan Mitchell 33, Darius Garland 24.......the Cavs come back from a double digit deficit to record their 8th straight win overall. It was the 4th time this season that Cleveland has come back from at least 10+ points down to win........the best mark in the NBA. 8-1 with the Clippers tonight. Even with the Lakers struggling, a win over them in LA is a good win.
Cleveland pro sports is definitely looking good........the Guardians with an AL Central title and a first round playoff win, and the Cavaliers starting out 8-1 and looking every bit the part of a playoff team.........if only the Browns could get it together!
Stayed up late just to watch the Cavs blow a 12 point lead with 4 minutes left. Not very happy right now. Darius struggled to score all night yet he refused to get the ball in Mitchell's hands those last few minutes. Just a real head scratcher.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
Looks like Mitchell had the hot hand, have to get it to him in crunch time.
You cannot piss away that kind of lead that late in the game, regardless of opponent. It's apparent that Mitchell needs to be the #1 scoring option on this team. It was weird and frustrating to see him not touch the ball at all down the stretch, while Garland was taking ill-advised shots. Mitchell is bigger, stronger, faster, more athletic and more explosive than Garland and is more built to put a team on his back with his playoff experience. It's not an excuse, but I think this team was tired, despite how well several guys played. Pretty insane that this team should be 10-0.
This team not having a talented wing who can score AND defend at a high level continues to be the missing piece in a game like this. That is the only thing missing from this puzzle. It's a long season, back to backs on the West Coast are NOT easy. Losses will happen.
BOATS and HOES.
Still 8-2 after a tough loss last night. The Cavs struggled to score in the last 4 minutes, but I also think the Clippers turned up the defensive heat. I agree that Mitchell should have gotten more touches in those last few minutes. I hope the team learns from this experience. After some significant personnel changes during the offseason, I'm very happy with how the team has started.
On to Sacramento, then Golden State. I was hoping for a 2-2 split on this trip. Then they come home to play on Sunday vs. Minnesota.
Back to earth for the Cavs, losing to the lowly Kings. They have allowed 60+ points in the first half for the entire west coast trip. Not going to be winning too many games with their defense in its current state.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
I agree, Cooper, about the Cavs defense on this trip. Last night, in the first half, the Kings had 11 threes. In the 2nd half, their dribble penetration resulted in a bucket or an assist leading to a bucket. Darius Garland only had 1 FG and looked out of sync all game. Malik Monk and Trey Liles off the Kings' bench killed the Cavs.
It's tough to win on the road in the NBA. Bad teams win sometimes when good teams go on the road. Last night didn't bother me as much as the game vs. the Clippers when the Cavs lost a 13 point lead with 4 minutes to play.
With an 82 game schedule, if Cleveland can break about even on the road (21-20), and go 30-11 at home, that's 51 wins which I think is very reasonable and not beyond expectations. There's going to be a hiccup now and then, and last night in Sacramento was one of them. I predicted 55 wins which is still very possible. Plenty of games to fix any issues.
Another blown lead, another loss. Team is playing soft in the 4th quarter. Get us out of the West Coast.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
this team is completely lost in the last two minutes of a game.
Buckeye football isn’t every thing on Saturday. It’s the only thing on Saturday
Give them time. They’ll come around. Just some young team growing pains playing.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
They’re young but they aren’t that young. These guys all have previous game experience. I think Bickerstaff hits a wall in drawing up actual plays. How many times in these past three games do they stand around and not have an offensive plan until under ten on the shot clock? They need to get that fixed in a hurry.
Buckeye football isn’t every thing on Saturday. It’s the only thing on Saturday
Sixth youngest team in the NBA that’s had a major overhaul from last year and zero championship pedigree outside of Love. Give it time. I’ll start to worry if there’s still issues after the new year.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
I don’t know what happens to Garland in the 4th compared to the first 3 quarters but he just makes awful late game decisions. He refuses to pass and takes awful shots.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
Still probably deferring to old habits of last year when he needed to do everything. Need some more time to gel with Mitchell. Garland should try letting Mitchell initiate the offense more late in games and kill the opponents on a kickout pass where he’s one on one for a drive/dump off/shot. More Mitchell PnR with Allen/Mobley with kick out options to Garland or LeVert.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Outside of Mitchell at the end of the game, who has actual good ball handling skills? Garland is still not quite right. He loses the ball on the slightest slap from a defender
Buckeye football isn’t every thing on Saturday. It’s the only thing on Saturday
Another bad loss ( any other year would be a good loss but Warriors are junk to start the season). Same theme. Get a lead and can't hold and Garland can't hit the ocean.. freaking 6-28 the last two games and AWFUL the last few minutes of games where Cavs have the lead. At some point Spida just need to close these games.
They also have a Levert problem. I don't see how they can get more consistent play from his spot as a starter without moving him in a deal. In a perfect world he'd come off the bench, but he's kind of the moveable piece... but against the better teams he just stands around and it becomes Garland and Spida against 5 guys. You got to have 3 dudes who can get there's down the stretch of games, especially against better teams, and even more so if you want to make a deep run..
Frustrating.... no reason they aren't 10-0...
Go Bucks!!!
Doesn’t help when Allen gets fouled late and it’s a crap shoot to hit one out of two.
And I agree about LeVert. Way too inconsistent.
Buckeye football isn’t every thing on Saturday. It’s the only thing on Saturday
Garland just looks really awful and is not the same player he was last year. What the hell happened to him? His shot selection is horrific. He's not comfortable, his body language is not good, and he is struggling to co-exist with Mitchell. I thought that wasn't going to be a problem, but I think I was wrong, because it definitely is. It looks he is not comfortable playing second banana. This team shits the bed in the 4th quarter, and cannot hold onto leads.
BOATS and HOES.
I still think it might be more Spida deferring to Garland's "team".. I have to think at some point before too long that works itself out. If it doesn't here soon Bickerstaff needs to speak up... The ball has to go through Spida at the end of games. Garland playing pop a shot isn't good for anyone. Maybe the new guy just wants to give it a little more time before asserting himself and in the absence Garland is just chucking...
Still though, they need someone else in that closing lineup to add with Allen, Mobley, Spida and Garland..... that person isn't on the team imo..
Go Bucks!!!
You’re probably right that they don’t have that final piece but it could be that Bickerstaff is having a tough time with his rotations. I feel like I’m watching a Browns game when the Cavs are up late, just knowing it’s gonna be a loss at some point. Way too much talent on this team to give away games like the last three
Buckeye football isn’t every thing on Saturday. It’s the only thing on Saturday
What’s wrong? He got poked in the eye and he’s working himself back. Give it time for his to heal and everyone gel.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
The Cavaliers' 4 losses have been by a total of 17 points. I agree with the above posters that the team just can't hold leads late in games. At least last night vs. Golden State the overall defense was better, with GS scoring 106, as opposed to 127 by Sacramento, and 117 by the Clippers. Curry killed us in the last 3 minutes, but he's done that to a lot of teams.
The West Coast has always been a tough trip for Cleveland, and thank goodness it came early this year. The Cavs are on pace to still win over 50 games, and I have faith that this team can do it. But they have to keep leads late in games. With Mitchell now the key piece added to this roster, there may just be some chemistry issues in the last 3-4 minutes of games. He should be the lead and the others follow. Darius Garland has struggled of late, but he is too good to keep playing this way.
Go Cavs!
I'm not panicking yet...it's a very long season...the 8-1 start was amazing but that was not going to continue...West coast trips suck...i don't know why they have to schedule so many games...wish they'd do no more than 3 games in a row on the road.
They are back home tomorrow...I'm going for the 2nd time this season and I'm excited...should be a fun game.
Let's Go Bucks
Darius dropped 51 tonight but all for naught because the Cavs refuse to play defense. Seems to be a team issue whether they have everyone available or if players are injured.
I know they worked their ass off to get back into the game and Darius went bezerk, but him just completely avoiding getting the in bounds with six seconds left down three is inexcusable. Had a chance to tie and he wanted no parts of it.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
Neto was -17 in 5 minutes.... Rubio can't get back soon enough..
I don't know what the fix is, but there's a reason teams win championships.. you put great players around guys who understand their roles. Too often it feels like too many cooks in the kitchen.. some of that is on the coach, I mean Osman chucking 10 shots and Mobley 4 is ridiculous..
They are going to be fun to watch... still feel like they are man short though...
Go Bucks!!!
The ridiculous 4 for Mobley isn’t his points it’s his fouls. He’s playing himself out of games and can’t get into any rythme. He’s got to be much smarter moving forward especially when Mitchell, Allen and Wade aren’t available.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Bickerstaff maybe isn’t the genius some of the fans thought he was
When telling the truth becomes a revolutionary concept, it’s wise to join the revolution
Hard to win when 3 out of your top 7 don’t play. Nice to see Garland get some mojo back though. Need to get healthy and start rallying wins again. Unfortunately if those three are still out against the Bucks it could get ugly.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Injuries lol. Maybe wrap these guys up for 10 games and go on another 8 game winning streak. When they get back. Garland can score 60 a game but who cares if they lose?
Buckeye football isn’t every thing on Saturday. It’s the only thing on Saturday
What?
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
I agree with Undercoverbuck........missing Mitchell, Allen, and Wade really hurt the Cavs last night. Even though it was a loss to the T-Wolves, at least they fought back from a 22 point deficit and actually had a chance to tie the game. Good to see Darius go off because he was out of sync for a short while.
When the Cavs have their regular rotation, we know what they're capable of.......they showed it twice against Boston. I do agree that the defense has to pick up, giving up 117 to the Clippers without Kawai, 127 to Sacramento, and 126 to Minnesota is not the recipe for contending for a top playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Up next at Milwaukee, probably playing once again without a full rotation.
Couldn’t embed the YouTube clip from my phone, so if someone can please do, but OH MY GOD THAT DUNK MOBLEY HAD ON GIANNIS.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Go Bucks!!!!!
Thanks!
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
A banged up Bucks squared with Giannis off an injury and the Cavs starters get run out of the joint. -57... just awful. Not to mention making freaking Brooke Lopez look like a HOF.er..
Cavs need to be healthy, and find someone else who can get easy points... they got so many good pieces...
Go Bucks!!!
Cleveland has now lost 5 in a row after previously winning 8 in a row. They need to limit the losing streaks and they will be alright.
I guess we jumped the gun and spoke way too soon.....
Fuck
BOATS and HOES.
Yeah these past couple of weeks have not been fun lol
This is definitely where I parked my car.
Well... Lebron trade rumors are starting to ramp up again. For starters he fixes the hole at SF. The way the roster is constructed would actually be his ideal scenario where he could pick his spots on offense while freelancing on defense with two elite defenders behind him. That's the positives. The negative is in order to salary match you'd need to add either Love or Allen and that's a nonstarter in my opinion. LeVert and Love would be palatable but the way Love is playing and fits with this team I wouldn't want to dump him. Unless of course he agrees to a backdoor buyout and comes back... but that would be illegal. I'd imagine some combination of LeVert, Osman and Okoro will be used to upgrade the SF spot.
TL:DR Entertaining Lebron's return is fun but won't work/isn't worth serious thought.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
The biggest thing LeBron would fix is the too many cooks in the kitchen junk. With LeBron you'd have to imagine people would just play their roles.
As for the trade.. I've seen picks plus LeVert, Okoro and Allen... then like LeBron and Damian Jones coming back.. math works.. can't imagine you'd bring LeBron in at the cost of Love....
The other more ideal option would be to get. 3rd team involved who's looking to dump a contract and tank..
Go Bucks!!
Like I said this is Lebron's ideal situation both offensively and defensively. He gets to pick and choose when he wants to on offense while freelancing on defense. Allen and Love are nonstarters for negotiations. Ideally there's 7 people who you wouldn't want to be traded (core 4 plus Love, Wade, Rubio). Like you said only way it happens is if some team wants to dump good players onto LA while they take on picks and cap relief. Almost impossible to make it work where the cavs don't give up too much.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Losing 5 in a row is not good, but I'm still of the opinion that the Cavs are a solid playoff team. Not having their full rotation hasn't helped matters as of late. Going forward, I'd like to see the team tighten up their defense, especially on the perimeter. Case in point, Milwaukee's Brook Lopez hit 7 threes last night, and hasn't done that since 2019. His shooting spearheaded the Bucks' rally. What was also troubling was that the Cavs had a 10 point lead, then fell behind by 21. Milwaukee is good, but Cleveland shouldn't let that happen.
Maybe it's just me, but I think the Lakers play better without LeBron in the lineup. I don't think the Cavs need him, but they need to get healthy and play with confidence and have a coach who can call plays to get the ball in the right hands come 4th quarter.
Cavs are an absolute embarrassment right now. Up by double digits most of the 2nd half, up by 10 with 1:45 left and they’re going to overtime against the awful Hornets. This might be the worst 4th quarter team in the league this season during the losing streak.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
I guess the nicest thing I can say about tonight is they didn’t give up in overtime. Really needed that victory and Darius helped pull it out for them.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
Fun game, but very concerning to give up 120+ to this depleted Hornets roster.
Good toughness and composure to ride out the win.
Well it was double OT. If Okoro gets his damn hands up and contests Roziers shot they likely only give up 102.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Tonight was a good win, and I was lucky to have insane seats, but seriously, this team is average right now. Charlotte is a sorry ass team, they're trash. It's good to see Darius back to scoring with supreme confidence. Donovan continues to play at a very high level. This team is very flawed. They piss away 4th quarter leads on the regular. They are not a good 3 point shooting team. They are not very deep, the bench is severely lacking. We need someone else to step up consistently on offense. Mobley is still very raw offensively. LeVert is all over the map. Okoro is a huge disappointment with more fouls than points. The league is very tough this year, and you need to bring it night in and night out.
BOATS and HOES.
Hey i think we're fine. we went on a losing streak and now got back to winning again. Just need to be a little better but i think we're fine.
RECE MESSMER
Man, it’s so hard to watch Caris have a revolving role on this team while Lauri continues to hoop his ass off in Utah.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
That's partially on JBB. He needs to put him in a role a stick him there so he can build a rhythm. I get Wade being out throws the lineups off but he's probably got to be the main creator on the second unit and going further into games playing most of his minutes with Mitchell who he's played very well next to. JBB should limit his minutes with Garland because that just doesn't seem to be working out.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Good thing about ending a losing streak is that you start a winning streak!
Glad to see the Cavs get a win after blowing a 10 point lead in the last :45 seconds. I thought after Charlotte's late rally that Cleveland was going to find a way to lose the game. If they had guarded the 3 better in that final minute, the game would not have gone into OT. Even with the Hornets having all the mojo in OT, The Cavs responded with some fight, namely Darius Garland, who rang up 41 points including several huge buckets in the extra session, as did Donovan Mitchell. Evan Mobley made a key save which led to a Mitchell bucket.
Even with a 5 game losing streak, the win puts Cleveland at 9-6 with a 5-1 record at home. Great to see Jarrett Allen back in the starting lineup.......he definitely makes a big difference at both ends of the court.
Cavs beat up on an injured Heat team, nice to get back-to-back wins. Caris left the game with an ankle injury last night, but the swelling is minimal, per Chris Fedor.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
Cavs are 10-6...when the season started I expected them to be about 12-8 at the 20 game mark...expected them to start slowly and get better as the they gelled and the season went on...
Let's Go Bucks
Cedi Osman stepped up last night with a 20 point game and 12 rebounds. Need more of that with Kevin Love out a while. As Cooper said, Miami was short handed and it showed. Saw some nice assists by the Cavs last night. Sharing the ball leads to baskets.
11-6 after a solid win over Atlanta......the team that eliminated them from the playoffs last season. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland combined for 55 points, and the team shot 60% from the field. Hard to lose when that happens. Good to see Kevin Love back already from his thumb injury.
More importantly Dave they combined for 18 assists, so not looking at the 2s to 3s breakdown they created another at minimum 30 points.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
12-6 after a 114-96 win over Portland.........on pace to win 55 as I predicted.......tough road stetch coming up.......Go Cavs!! Lamar Stevens has done well since being inserted into the starting lineup.
Complete collapse in the 2nd half vs. Milwaukee.......oh well, that happens........Go Cavs!!
Good win by the Cavs over the Pistons last night, missing so many players. 13-7, with Toronto tonight. Go Cavs!!
Toronto seems to be a nemesis for the Cavs.......2-0 vs. Cleveland but both at home. Cavs are really missing Jarrett Allen and Kevin Love. Definitely not the same team without them.
44 points in the 2nd quarter, making 16 of 17 FG's, and the Cavs go on to rout the Sixers. 14-8 without our full rotation.
An up and down first 20ish or so games, kind of what I figured. Most teams don't start hitting their stride until 25-30 games. Season is on track.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Donovan Mitchell with 34 points leading the Cavs to a win over the Magic. Kevin Love returns and takes his NBA-leading 12th charging foul. 15-8 overall, and 10-1 at home.
81 points in an NBA game.. I'm going to guess they hit the clubs HARD last night... thanks NYC... hope the tipped..
Go Bucks!!
Season low in points and shooting pct. last night vs. the Knicks........still 15-9 with the Lakers and LeBron coming to The Land on Tuesday. Cavs are doing fine. Miss Jarrett Allen in the middle. He's a difference maker at both ends of the court.
The way Mitchel has played in big games is the exact reason why you give up that much to get a player his caliber. I’m happy he’s happy playing basketball again on this team. You can see the way he plays and the raw emotion pouring out onto the court.
Big time players making big time plays in big time moments.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
He’s a monster. This team is so fun to watch.
He’s been better than I could have ever imagined. The fit is perfect.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Donovan Mitchell is killing the Lakers. Haha Let's Go Cavs! Suck it Lebron.
I hope Michigan never wins another game.
Cavs win means the Lakers lose, I love it!
116-102 Final.
Donovan Mitchell is proving game after game why he takes the Cavs to a higher level and a serious contender for the East title. 16-9 and Cleveland owns the NBA's best record at home at 11-1. Great to have Jarrett Allen back.
11-1 makes it all the more apparent to secure a top 4 seed and get home court at least for one round of the playoffs. I was at the Hawks play in game last year and the home court advantage is real in Cleveland. Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse is rockin.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
i got too busy to post anything yesterday but I was at the Lakers game Wed night...Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse was electric...I would love to see the intensity on defense that the Cavs played with in that 4th quarter...of course the Lakers suck but still, a great game...Mitchell is so exciting to watch...and Allen back is huge.
Let's Go Bucks
In another universe, Donovan Mitchell is absolutely torching defenses at running back for Ohio State in the mid 2010s. Dude has some insane lower body strength and explosiveness.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
Or an AJ Brown/Deebo Samuel type WR with his almost 7 foot wingspan
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
December 8th: 16-9, third in the east and Rubio has been cleared for 5 on 5 play as reported today. The team won’t rush him but the season is right on track. Can’t imagine how much better they’ll look with a fully healthy Rubio coming off the bench.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Charles Barkley said on the Dan Patrick Show today that he feels the Cavs are the 3rd best team in the East, behind only Boston and Milwaukee. High praise from Charles who is well in tune with the NBA.
Garland is just bad with the ball late in games. No other way to put it
When telling the truth becomes a revolutionary concept, it’s wise to join the revolution
I couldn't watch the game but I see that the Kings scored the last 19 points in the game, holding the Cavs scoreless for nearly 5 minutes. That is really bad. The play by play showed lots of turnovers.
Let's Go Bucks
It was absolutely ridiculous. I think it had a lot to do with Mitchell being out with a sore knee. But he already has taken the reigns as the leader of the team. There is no debate who’s team it is.
When telling the truth becomes a revolutionary concept, it’s wise to join the revolution
Felt like watching the Cavs at the end of last season. Everyone stands around waiting for Garland to do his thing, and then he can't close... at all..
I'm still at the same place most of the NBA folks are at... Cavs have a solid starting 5, but the bench needs help.
Go Bucks!!!
Last night showed how important Donovan Mitchell is to the Cavs. 30 points out of the lineup, including clutch baskets late. Cleveland was a ship without its rudder. Still 16-10 and doing well. Only the 2nd loss at home.
Gotta keep Mitchell healthy...really excited to see how much better they get w/ a healthy Rubio...I remember w/ him healthy last season they were tearing teams apart right before his injury
Let's Go Bucks
Good to see the Cavs rebound on Saturday with a win over OKC. 17-10 overall, 12-2 at home, 13-5 in Eastern Conference play.
Cavaliers start out the 2 game road trip with a loss to 9-18 San Antonio. Cleveland trailed by 19 in the 2nd half, closed it to 1, but Darius Garland's open jumper from the corner didn't fall and the Cavs drop to 17-11. It doesn't get any easier on Wednesday when the team goes to Dallas with Luka Doncic averaging almost 33 PPG.
Cliche as it may sound, Darius just does not have the clutch gene yet. He needs to be stronger at the rim, as well. I see a lot of good things from this Cavs team at times that lead to wins, but I just do not have a lot of confidence in consistent play. I think they may still be too young collectively, and it will probably take them until after the all-star break to really start to gel. Some of these players are going to need to learn how to help decrease the load for Mitchell.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
Mitchell is the only guy being "that dude" every night. That said this team is where I thought we'd be. They're young, fun and talented. Plenty of things to figure out but I think overall everything should be viewed through a lense of positivity.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Donovan is a bonafide MVP superstar caliber player. The guy brings it every night. He's explosive and sudden, he is a bull going into the paint, he's very strong, he is shooting the shit out of the ball at a level way above than he's ever done. He is WAY above his career averages. 50% from the field, and 43% from 3 is absolutely amazing efficiency for anyone. Best season of his career by far.
I know Darius had that insane 50 piece weeks ago, but he is NOT having a good year. He has put up a lot of really bad games. He has never gotten comfortable. He is wildly inconsistent now, turns the ball over a lot and his shooting averages across the board are WAY down. I really don't know why. It's weird because he never had that issue last year.
BOATS and HOES.
his home/away splits are horrendous this year. Plays like an all star at home and looks like he barely belongs on the court away from Cleveland.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
18-11 after a good win at Dallas. Cavs jumped to an early 16-2 lead, and the Mavericks never seriously threatened Cleveland's surge.
YoungBossBuckeye: Your point is well taken about Garland.......I think IMO that Darius might be trying too hard to fit in with Donovan as his backcourt mate. Darius will get his issues straightened out. As far as Donovan, he is a bonafide MVP candidate because he makes this team 4-5 wins better at this stage of the season.
Dave I can think off the top of my head 5 games hes already won this team. MVP caliber for sure.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Key 6 game stand starting tonight...11-2 at home I believe...so if we can go 5-1...that puts them at 24-12. ;
I'll be at the game next Fri night against Toronto.
Let's Go Bucks
The Cavs showed an important characteristic last night in the win vs. Indiana......the ability to come back from double digits late. Down 12 points, Cleveland rallied once again with Donovan Mitchell leading the way with 41 points, amid chants of MVP from the crowd.
Cavs now 19-11, and have the biggest point differential in the 4th quarter of anybody in the Eastern Conference.
It is indeed a big homestand that could put the Cavs in a really good spot in the East standings.
Cavs once again wait until the 4th quarter to snatch a victory late after trailing most of the game. Dallas played well without Luke Doncic and had a 12 point lead early in the last 12 minutes. Slowly Cleveland began to whittle away at the lead, and it was the defense that came up with some big stops down the stretch. Wasn't one of the Cavs better shooting games from behind the arc, and their FT's almost cost them the game, but they managed to escape with a 100-99 win.
20-11 and now 2-0 on the current 6 game homestand, with Utah tonight.
The Cavs last night jumped on Utah early and hard, building as much as a 20 point lead in the first half. Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell led the way, while the 3 ball shooting at one point was 8-16 for Cleveland. The Wine and Gold shot 60% in the first half. Cedi Osman had a big 4th quarter.
21-11, 3-0 on current homestand, third in the Eastern Conference, and Milwaukee comes to The Land on Wednesday.
Big game tonight...we're 0-2 against Milwaukee...last season we swept them in 4 games...so need to step up and bet them.
Let's Go Bucks
That game had no business being that close... but will take the win...
Go Bucks!!!!
Giannis is unreal and single handedly kept Milwaukee in the game, but great win! CAVS are 22-11 now!!
I am the danger
Huge win for the Cavs from a mental standpoint, convincing themselves that they can play with the elite of the East.......have beaten Boston twice, Philadelphia, and now Milwaukee. Cavs jumped to a huge lead and never were seriously threatened despite Giannis' big scoring night.
22-11 and 4-0 on the current 6 game homestand. The Donovan Mitchell trade is looking like a stroke of genius for GM Koby Altman.
Cavs right now are #2 in ESPN's BPI including #1 in defense. Really fun team.
@Raptors
I freaking hate the Raptors, man.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
Cavaliers have lost their last 2, to the Raptors and the Nets, to finish the 6 game homestand at 4-2. For some reason, and I don't know what it is, Toronto gives Cleveland fits. Even though they are 16-18 overall, they are 3-0 vs. the Cavs. I understand more so the Nets winning, because they are hot and have star power, but the Raptors series is a mystery. Toronto is one of the worst 3 ball shooting teams in the NBA, but not against the Cavs. Pascal Siakam always seems to have a big game, as does Gary Trent.
Still, Cleveland is 22-13 and 4th in the East, having been passed by the Nets. Darius Garland was spectacular vs. Brooklyn with 46 points.
The defensive intensity the last 2 games has been terrible...they let Toronto get open look after open look, and they they did nothing to defend the Nets...
Mobley needs to get stronger in the post as well...anytime he gets caught in a double team or just defended well by a bid down there, he is not strong enough to go up over the top and score.
Let's Go Bucks
The defensive intensity that JBOSUfan1 mentioned wasn't there last night vs. Indiana. The 135 points given up, with I think 19 threeballs, was probably the worst defensive performance of the season by the Cavs. Cleveland scored plenty to win the game, but the team with the #1 defensive efficiency rating didn't show up on the stop side of the court. Hope Darius Garland is okay with his wrist injury and that it won't flare up in the next few days.
Cavs have the Bulls on back to back games, and I hope they can get their defensive mojo back. 22-14, but 3 straight losses. Still on pace to win 50 games but the team needs to hit the refresh button.
Getting a little frustrating w/ the lack of focus and intensity from them defensively...giving up 135 to a terrible Indiana team after giving up 125 to Brooklyn at home and 118 to a bad Toronto team at home...doesn't bode well.
Need to regain their focus...and quickly.
Let's Go Bucks
Cavs need to make some deals. They have no depth in the paint. Every time they play someone with post players ( like Toronto or even the lowly Pacers) they run Mobley and Allen mid to upper 30s and they look gassed. When they swap one of them for Kevin Love, it just gets worse.
They've got no bench so they have to run Stevens or Okora with the starters ( and then get nothing from those dudes) so they can have LeVert off the bench.. And at this point it seems safe to say LeVert is never going to be pre-injury LeVert..
They need a big who can play defense ( and isn't a stiff on offense) that can spell both Mobley and Allen, and they need someone else who can score..
Rubio will help, but that's still big what if....
Go Bucks!!!
Do you think they are truly missing Markannen? I mean, I make that trade every day regardless but Lauri gave you 3 bigs last year and they all defended much better.
Let's Go Bucks
Absolutely they miss Lauri and lauri misses being here. Markkanen at the 3 balances the roster allowing people playing up and down the lineup.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
100%, wish it would have been LeVert.....
But still, in the East, you are going to have to deal with Embed and Giannis, even KD.. and Bam at Miami.. there are just teams with legit big who can score in the paint...
Lauri would help for sure... but they have to get a serviceable big or two in a trade... watching Lopez or Love trying to cover bigs, is just a recipe for an early exit..
Go Bucks!!!
So, Spida is pretty good :)
This is definitely where I parked my car.
The dude is simply amazing.
Donovan Mitchell last night vs. Chicago became the 1st player in NBA history to score at least 70 points (71) with 10 assists. To say he put the team on his back is a severe understatement. He probably won't win the MVP, but he certainly should be in the running for it.
24-14 and on pace to win at least 50 games. Need stay healthy though as the halfway mark approaches. Hopefully we'll get Darius and Evan back soon.
First things first… Mitchell’s game was an all time performance. If he wasn’t in the MVP conversation before he certainly is now. He has his “MVP” moment and this team would be .500 or below without him.
Now that the new year started it’s time to address the glaring hole on the wing. Wade being out doesn’t help but LeVert is a 2, Osman is just ok and Okoro sucks (officially standing up and waiting by the exit on his hype train). I know a lot of you guys love Bogdonvic and for good reason. Great shooter/scorer and would be deadly with the plethora of options on the Cavs. However I don’t think he’s the best option because he’s old and will get eaten alive by Durant, Tatum/Brown, and Giannis/Middleton. The two names I will throw out though might be better fits.
Kyle Kuzma and Harrison Barnes.
Kuzma: athletic combo forward who has found his rhythm on offense as of late and a long/alert defender who can create a bit from the wing. I think he’s probably the best fit because the Cavs need that type of player at the three. Plus he can play the 4. He’s young and would fit their timeline of wanting to resign him. Trade packages:
Barnes: not as dynamic offensively but still a good spot up shooter, good long defender and a high IQ guy that will do the dirty work on both ends of the floor. This one is easier in that LeVert for Barnes straight up would help fix needs for both teams.
Both options are good and if the Cavs a serious about a title run something needs to happen to bolster the roster at that position. While I like Kuzma slightly more I don’t think Altman could go wrong with adding either player.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Cavs are reportedly interested in trading for Bojan, which would be nice because offensively he is one of the more efficient scorers in the league this season. You are correct, though, and my main complaint of wanting to trade for him this past offseason was that he would get absolutely ran through by Tatum, Durant, Middleton, etc. in the playoffs.
Cedi, Okoro, and whatever picks the Cavs could throw together would work financially for Kuzma, but honestly the Wizards could get much better offers due to his stellar play this season. I am not sure the Cavs have the pieces to trade for him unless the Wizards went full tank mode, which I don't see happening this season.
Barnes is an intriguing option, but he is getting up there in age and is a lower tier defender.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
For Kuzma I really think LeVert and pick(s) would be the better option for them. If they can't get the draft capital they want because he can opt out after this year having someone they can let go after this year to open up cap space and still get picks might be enticing for the Wizards. Any team trading for Kuzma has to think they can re-sign him which drives his value down. With our core I'd say we have an excellent shot at doing that.
Barnes isn't a great on ball defender but he's long, smart, knows where to be and can hit open threes. He's only 29/30 years old so you expect him to still have some good years left. The more I think about it he's probably the best option.
I wouldn't say no to Bogdonovic if that's all they could trade for but I wouldn't prioritize him.
Secondary players I've mentioned in the past that could be options are Robert Covington or Johnathan Isaac but they're not starting caliber players.
Something needs to be done, might as well swing for the fences because this team could be legitimate contenders with a consistent starting caliber 3.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
The Cavaliers for 3 quarters last night vs. Phoenix struggled mightily to put the ball in the basket, then in the 4th quarter came to life with some key buckets by Caris LeVert and of course Donovan Mitchell. The NBA's #1 defense (106 PPG) also picked up, getting some key stops while Cleveland kept battling back from a double digit deficit.
25-14 and 4th in the East.......Tim Legler of ESPN this morning gave the Cavs big props. He thinks the team will be in the East race for the remainder of the season. He said that Donovan Mitchell is one of the main reasons, and we've seen how important he is so far. We need to get Darius back, and last night the offensive malaise showed without him.
If the Cavs do make a trade, I just hope it won't upset the chemistry that has developed with this roster.
I would be SO happy if we were able to get Bogie from Detroit. Don and him played in Utah, and they were really good together. Wouldn't affect the chemistry at all. Doesn't need the ball in his hands to score. He is exactly what this team needs. A floor spacer and knockdown shooter. Wouldn't be able to key in on anyone. You double Don or Darius, a shooter like Bogie will make you PAY.
BOATS and HOES.
Cavaliers now 25-15 after a road loss to Denver. Donovan Mitchell was out, and it showed how much he means to the team. Caris LeVert and Darius Garland led the Cavs in scoring. 4 more road games coming up, so hopefully Cleveland can manage at least a couple of wins before they come home again.
Cavaliers pick up a good road win over Phoenix with a strong 4th quarter. Devin Booker and Chris Paul were out for the Suns, but it was still important to get another win out West. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland had 22 points, while Jarrett Allen had a double double. Cavs now 26-15 at the halfway mark, on pace to win 52 games.
Refs just handed Utah the game by giving them a 7 point possession when the Cavs were up 5 with a minute left. They can eat ten bags of shit, that was a Tim Donaghy special.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
Cavs -3.5 and o/u 226... checks out
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Tough loss for the Cavs and especially Caris LeVert, who was called for 2 fouls on Jordan Clarkson's 3 point shots late in the 4th quarter. I'm not the most knowledgeable fan on NBA rules, but those 2 fouls to me seemed shaky at best. How else is someone supposed to guard a 3 point shot? You have to get close enough to close out on the shooter, but you have to give him space to land? Evidently that means you can't really get that close to him. Again, I'm not a rules expert, but that rule seems contradictory. And to call it a flagrant on top of that.
Cavs are now 26-16 with a trip to Portland next.
You're right, they were both pretty weak calls. Clarkson initiates the contact on one and swings his legs on another. Those types of plays were supposedly legislated out over the past few years because people were manipulating that call. A defender can't crowd a shooter and the shooter gets a reasonable amount of space to land safely so as not to potentially roll his ankle on the defenders foot. Shooters were taking advantage of this rule by wildly swinging their legs. It's not as egregious as it once was but it still gets called like that every once and a while. What's puzzling is Steph Curry usually gets that kind of call... not Jordan Clarkson.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Big news from Wojo: Rubio is planning his return in Portland. Bienvenido de nuevo Ricky.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
Should help, especially with the second unit...
But they still need to make a deal or two..
Go Bucks!!!!
Despite 50 points by Damian Lilliard, the Cavs won at Portland 119-113. Ricky Rubio made his debut after over a year off and scored 9 points and looked like the player before his injury. Him being back is HUGE for Cleveland. Jarrett Allen had a double double, and as usual Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland had good offensive games. Mitchell especially came up big late with some clutch buckets.
Cavs 27-16 and have one road game remaining on this trip at Minnesota.
Cavaliers now 28-17 after a loss at Minnesota and a win yesterday vs. New Orleans. Hopefully Donovan Mitchell's groin injury won't keep him out long. Darius Garland's 30 points vs. NO led the Cavs, while Jarrett Allen had 24. Great to see Ricky Rubio doing what he does.....fun to watch, and gets everyone around him involved in the offense.
JB leaves a lot to be desired in late game situations. That 5 second call and lack of a timeout at the end of the game were really bad.
This is definitely where I parked my car.
Agreed...to think we should have beaten the best team in the West on their court and we didn't have Mitchell...JB definitely needed to take a T/O....set something up and get a good shot to win that game...don't we get it side out at half court when we take a T/O?
Let's Go Bucks
I, too, was surprised by no TO by Bickerstaff but some coaches don't like to call a TO because it gives the opposing coach time to set his defense. Still, a great effort by the Cavs without Mitchell but it was maybe the toughest loss of the season, considering how good Memphis is and playing on their court. Isaac Okoro I believe was a perfect 6 for 6 from the field, including 3-4 trifectas. Best shooting night I've seen him have.
28-18, with Golden State and Milwaukee back to back Friday and Saturday at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
Going to the Milwaukee game...part of me worries about it being the 2nd game of a back to back, but over the last couple seasons they've played very well against the Bucks...can't wait to go
Let's Go Bucks
And they're at home where they play much better. I went to the play in game last season and if you haven't been in awhile the atmosphere is phenomenal and the renovations look great. Great game to pick to go to, should be a playoff type environment.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
https://kingjamesgospel.com/2023/01/20/cavs-3-potential-trade-targets-upgrade-shooting/
Interesting choices. Obviously Bogdonavich would work. Size, shooting and position flexibility are the positive while defense and age are major negatives. Plus he’s having a career year and would cost the most to get.
Heild is an interesting choice. Elite volume shooting and not much else. He’s 6’4 so while slightly undersized for SG he plays mostly SF and is severely undersized. But he shoots 42% at 9 attempts a games. Again elite volumn shooting. His contract is in that range of “flippable” but it would prove hard with having a small amount of picks. He also offers little off the dribble.
The most interesting guy to me is Malik Beasley. Another great volume shooter that can create/shoot off the dribble while also attempting over 7 threes a game. Offensively he pairs with the backcourt better than LeVert. Better contract, younger and can get his shot better than the others.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way
JBB did a lot for the development of this group, and he should be commended for that.
But he’s not ready to coach a contender. Cavs are too 3 in the NBA in a lot of metrics but are struggling to be top 4 in the East. The late game execution is just obviously bad.
He needs to be replaced this off-season. I know it’s a bad look to get rid of a a guy at this stage, but I don’t want to waste this core on a guy figuring it out.
If Gilbert could get Udoka to promise not to have sex with everyone’s wives (or maybe let him and make the job more attractive) that would be awesome. I love JBB but the roster outgrew him. A title window needs a title contending level coach. JBB is best suited for a frisky fringe playoff team and making them a 6th seed. There’s plenty of jobs out there for that type of team, serious title contention is a level too far for him.
A little bit of objectivity can go a long way