Cleveland Cavaliers are their own worst enemy in loss to Charlotte Hornets

Cleveland Cavaliers are their own worst enemy in loss to Charlotte Hornets

On today’s show the Cleveland Cavaliers probably wished they had Brown shorts on after this loss to the Charlotte Hornets hear about this and more on today’s locked on Cavs are locked on Cavs your daily Cleveland Cavaliers podcast how you doing how you doing it’s Evan damell here co-host of lockon cash

Flying solo for the third episode in a row this week after my faithful subordinate Jackson Flickinger at right down uid uh canceled on me last second because you know shout out to the Cleveland charge getting an overtime win and Jackson was covering that for rde so

If you want to check us out we’re nonprofit news org and we are totally driven by R sport like yours but before we get started talking about this absolute turd uh the Cleveland Cavaliers laid in the bowl of the Charlotte Hornets I have to let you know today’s

Episode is brought to you by FanDuel make every moment more right now new customers get $200 in bonus dos with any winning $5 bet that’s 200 bucks if your bet wins just visit fanduel.com lockon to get started today so the Cleveland Cavaliers uh laid a bit of an egg

Against the Charlotte Hornets in this matchup um no Donovan Mitchell still uh we’ll touch on him later in the show but sham Shan of the athletic did report that the Cavs might get Mitchell back against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday but you know it might be a case of too

Little too late because the Cavaliers dropped this game 118 to 111 against the Charlotte Hornets and I have to say that there were moments in this game that the Cavaliers definitely felt and seemed like they were going to pull away win this one especially in the first half

You’re thinking like okay this is a really bad Hornets team um they are looking to win the draft lottery maybe they get uh Alexandre SAR out of France or maybe they get the French Wing that you know the man and me cannot pronounce properly but either way

Like they have a really good player in Brandon Miller they have lamelo ball who is not available for this game but the the the Cavs understandably were like 11-point favorites heading into this match up actually no 10.5 favorites heading into this matchup and so like it’s understandable especially after the

Shellacking the Cavs delivered to the Hornets and the way the Hornets played the Cavs to open this game you’re thinking okay the Hornets are trying the Zone again the Cavs are burning them from the perimeter whether it’s Max stru who went 5 10 from three-point range or

This is final stats of course Sam Merill who went 51 three-point range or George Yang who was again on aater had four or five from three-point range or even Darius Garland who I’ll talk about him in a bit but he really hamstrung the Cavs just with his turnovers but it was

At least three of 10 from three-point range like the Cavs were getting production on the perimeter from players not named um Jared Allen Caris LeVert uh Craig Porter Jr and Tristan Thompson that’s kind of to be expected at this point but it’s just it was a frustrating

Loss because the Cavs gave the Hornets the opportunity to climb back into this game to find an opportunity to just like find ways to win this game and it really fell apart in the third quarter for Cleveland when they were outscored 31- 26 and then in the fourth

Quarter like no shots fell there was a brief moment with the Caps took the lead and then I believe they had two or three turnovers in a row they missed both of their free throws and they just threw up a couple of bricks and the Hornets were

Able to convert and slightly out score Cleveland 18 to 15 in a game played not in the early 2000s or even the mid to late 90s uh 18 to 15 in 2024 the year of Our Lord like the Cavs were outscored they were beaten and they were frankly like humiliated by

The Hornets I I I cannot understate the fact that this might go up there with one of the worst losses for the Cavs this season and I think a lot of that just has to fall in the fact that the Cavs quit they gave up they were careless of the basketball I think

Darius Garland is the biggest suspect of this he continues to kind of be inconsistent for the Cavs and he just turns over the ball consistently and just is so lackluster and I think we can continue to make excuses or platitudes that like oh and do it all the time like

He is not 100% whether it’s because of his weight or his physicality or whatever but turnovers have been a consistent issue with Garland for the moment he became the starting point guard and got paid like the franchise point guard for the Cavs and it continues to hamstring them because the

The the Hornets had 27 points off of Cleveland’s T turnovers and you can’t do that especially against a bad team like the Hornets who are losing more often than not Steve Clifford just you know is completely asleep at the wheel and this is just such a frustrating loss for

The Cavaliers because they literally had everything set in place for them to win this game win this matchup feel good about themselves on a two game winning streak after up and down play all throughout this post All-Star Game stretch heading into a Friday match up against the Philadelphia 76ers where

Maybe gets out of a Mitchell back but people may think Donovan Mitchell is going to be the end all Beall solution I agree like to an extent that like he is the MVP for the Cavs but this team has just been so overwhelmingly underwhelming as a squad this year and

They’re just too talented to like continue to fail against Bad teams like this like we Chris and I when we were both on the air talked about this when they lost to the Blazers like this is just one of those games that sticks in your craw for a while and

It’s it’s unfortunate because the Cavs have the playoffs looming at this one like they are going to have to deal with the fact that there were clear and apparent issues that really exposed their issues the limitations and just their flaws and I I harped on Garland but like Evan moley deserves some

Criticism as well like he came out of the Gat super hot and then just completely fell off a cliff like Charlotte struggles with defending big men they they have not have a good big man since Big Al when back when they were the Charlotte Bobcats for God’s

Sake and Evan Moy comes out red hot exploits that match up the the Hornets wall off of the zone defense the Cavs exploit that matchup they hit a lot of Threes And they stretch out Charlotte on the perimeter and like you know keep them honest defensively so they have to

Switch back to man defense but the Cavs don’t exploit that and Evan Moy doesn’t exploit that and he becomes kind of a one note player like across the Rubicon like you’re hoping for these guys to take a step forward instead they’re taking several steps back and I mean goodness gracious there’s

Nine games to go until the playoffs begin and like there are so many questions about this Cavs team that whomever they draw in the first round like Chris and I have talked about the Indiana Pacers or the Orlando Magic being like a preferable matchup

But I I I just don’t know at this point because the Cavs are more than comfortable with playing down to the opposition they are not willing to as they put it themselves put their foot on the throat of an opposition an opposing pent an put their foot on the throat of the

Opposition and never relent but they can do that but they can’t do it for four full quarters yet and with 90 games to go in the regular season I don’t know where the answer is coming from at this juncture like that is just so incredibly frustrating and I I cannot just say

Enough like how disappointing that is just someone has covers this team and also like has like a personal stake in this team just because like we interact with our fans listen to them all the time but it’s just it’s just a disappointment but okay let’s take a

Quick breather get a quick word in from our sponsors and we’ll be back more to talk more about you know Max TRS look pretty good that’s a silver lining I think Sam mer did too we’ll talk about the good from this win against Charlotte but first got to get a quick word in

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Amazon Fire TV channels at part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day but other than Fire TV and also the locked on Sports Network 24/7 stream Max truce made his return for the Cavs and I have to say despite the limitations he played 2

24 minutes 25 seconds he finished 7 to 13 from the floor 5 of 10 from three-point range it overall had nice 19 points four rebounds three fouls two steals three turnovers and you know minus one in terms of plus minus but plus minus is kind of misleading because

The Cavs just like took a dant giant dookie in the floor overall but I think stru all things considered the fact that like he missed so much time with that knee injury the fact that his first shot was a shot from the perimeter that like went right in even though it wasn’t

Smooth like some mouthpieces may say like it bounced in out and went right back in but like it felt reassuring um just to see Max dreu back out there I think he can be a catalyst he continues to be a catalyst for this team and when the Cavs were riding High against

Charlotte like Max Ru was kind of centrifugal at that like there was a possession where Isaac aoro missed a shot at dump in um max troops this was early into the game where he grabbed the offensive rebound and then proceeded to put it back and get a quick Buck bucket

Like you just have guys like Shu I think in the same vein to Donovan Mitchell where they are active as players I don’t know how else to describe it but like they are active in the sense that they try their darnest to get those Second Chance opportunities or they try to grab

Defensive rebounds that initiated on The Fast Break where they will try to look for easy buckets or easy opportunities to score and they’re just guys that play hard frankly like other than like dudes that just hustle like you know you could like make all the white gu stereotypes

One about backu um I I married a poock so it’s okay I I can talk about backu in this vein but um I I think like obviously the most attractive thing that comes with maxre the one the C signed him is he went five of 10 from three you

Want him just shooting as many attempts he can get as he can get um one because he’s always just been Cleveland’s minute leader as just a player and also is one of their most volatile players because when he’s hot and he’s locked in like like we we all know it

Like he can he it from 60 fet and hit a gamewinner inexplicably or like he can just be a guy that is consistently bringing you the edge whether it’s through his just extra hustle and he didn’t have an assist in this game but like he also is capable as a playmaker

And passer too so I think that’s just really helpful and I think just getting Shu back sooner than expected I was surprised to see him on the injury report listed as questionable which in my eyes is a game time decision and seeing him back out there is just

Encouraging because he wanted to shake off a little bit of this rust and I think this game despite the loss was a game where he could shake off that rust because he got 13 shot attempts 10 from the perimeter they’re all within the flow of Cleveland’s offensive system

Where this constant movement on streu’s part where he’s getting a look that’s either wide open or pretty darn close to wide open and he’s just taking it and 50% of the time he was making in this game against Charlotte and that’s what you want for a guy who’s missed quite a

Bit of time after the All-Star break and he want him to kind of get re acclimated and Rec comfortable back into this overall rotation as you just kind of look ahead of the playoffs and speaking of the playoff rotation let’s talk about one Sam Merill because um

This is where I wish Jackson Flickinger didn’t dip on me because Merl was kind of an X Factor in this game against Charlotte I think his play against the Hornets is just another indication of the fact that he has more or less crystallized his spot in Cleveland’s playoff rotation like

Merill I noticed this in the first half or the second half as well like he would get the ball maybe he doesn’t get a look he lik he would dump it off to somebody who is at the at the on the nail or somebody who’s just like at the

Top of the perimeter and just would just start moving moving moving moving to break apart Charlotte’s defense to find a more opportunity wide open three-point attempt or just take advantage of the fact that like the Hornet had the course correct and overreact to the fact that

The Cavs have other players in the four whether it’s Max Tru Darius Garland Evan Moy Jared Allen George Nang like the isaaco the list goes on so Merill can kind of benefit from the fact that like there are just too many threats on the floor and he can be that fourth or fifth

Option that I don’t want to say it’s similar to Steph but like or Garland or Mitchell but like can Bend opposing defenses certain ways where Merill gets like opportune shots on his behalf or on the other side of things as I do hand moves on the video

Feed of this show can also do things to unlock things for the guys in the interior whether that’s like Moy or Allen or Thompson or Damen Jones if he happens to play or guys in the perimeter like Mitchell Garland Yang Shu aoro Levert Etc like the the the Cavs are a

Better team when Sam Merill is finding his shot and finding a flow within the offense and I think he was a bit of an X Factor in this game against the Hornets I think he there were moments where he kind of kep the Cavs in this game when it got

Out of hand when the Cavs just kind of gave up defensively but looking ahead of the playoffs like Sam Merill could remain an X Factor for the Cavs and I think like looking at this final rotation you have to find minutes for him as a player because he will only

Make life easier for the Cavs overall and with how hard this season has been that’s that’s all you really can do but speaking of late making life easier ladies and gentlemen Donovan Mitchell may be back in the building well he’s been in the building but he may be back on the floor

When the Cleveland Cavaliers host the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday and I’ll talk about that more with Jordan Christmas on for Friday show when the Cavs F the Sixers and we really go in deep on that but let’s talk about thought eventual coming back because that’s pretty big news but first got to

Give more words from today’s sponsors today’s episode of lot on cast is brought to you by better help sometimes we all need the opportunity to get something off of our chest big or small certain things can really start to get to here it’s important to let that out especially to someone who’s unbiased

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Uid I work really hard on that um my co-host doesn’t subscribe but Donovan Mitchell according to the athletic Shams tan is targeting his return to the floor against when the cabs face the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday at home and based on my limited media interaction JB bigger staff this kind of

Tracks with the fact that bigger staff was optimistic in the fact that the Cavs could get back Mitchell stru Dean Wade in the last 10 or so games in the regular season just to get them re acclimated onto the floor and get them Rec comfortable back into what the Cavs

Are doing and also just you know help the guys that have been there so long at this point to find a little bit more footing and comfort and familiarity with what the Cavs are trying to do as a team if you get Mitchell back I think it

Makes your life a hell of a lot easier for you’re the Cavs because he is just such a dynamic player on other end of the floor like defensively sure Quinn Snider is probably punching a at this point because Mitchell’s actually trying on defense for the Cavs but more so the

Fact that Mitchell is engaged enough to be a bit of a pest he’s a bit of annoying to kind of funnel guys and switches with like Isaac aoro or maybe Max Shu but even if he doesn’t have those switches like he is more than comfortable with being annoying and then

Funneling them towards Jared Allen and EV Mo which is the Cavs sprad and like they want to be a defensive first team Mitchell is more than comfortable with acclimating to that and playing within what Cleveland works for as a strong defensive team and he’s not a liability in that

Capacity on offense though like Mitchell is heliocentric to everything the Cavs do he provides them so much spacing in terms of three-point shooting he provides them so much just every like scoring in just so many different ways but I I really want to go back to the

Defense real quick like when Allan and Mo on the floor like it’s like you know Nang and Moy or Nang and Allen or Wade and Allen like any combination Cleveland’s bigs they’re boxing out the opposition they are finding ways to prevent Second Chance opportunities and guys like Donovan Mitchell who are

Athletic freaks in h are able to crash the glass and get the ball out on Fast Break and like unlock that level of the Cavs that has been kind of lacking lately where they aren’t able to get the ball out and transition they aren’t able to score quick easy buckets and just

Kind of keep either bill building a lead or finding ways just to keep momentum in their corner and you really look at like this game against Charlotte recently like you wish the Cavs had Mitchell because Mitchell would have put the Hornets away pretty quickly whether it’s from the second chance opportunities the

Way he’s able to score or just how he’s able to impact the game with his intangibles but the Cavs will be obviously a better team with Donovan Mitchell on the floor I think it’s just more opportune for the fact that even though he’s on M restriction like you need him to get

More comfortable with Garland you need him to get comfortable with everybody else on the floor um and just kind of like on top of him it’s Moy who’s still dealing with a minute restriction Shu who’s dealing with a minute restriction you’d assume Wade is going to have one

Too but like these are all guys that are going to be vying for playoff minutes come playoff time and like minutes in the rotation and you want them all to be comfortable and you know shake off that rust with like the less than 10 games remaining in the regular season so

That they can then shift their focus during the playing tournament when they are actually allowed to practice for the first time in forever to zero in on who their playoff opponent could be like if it’s the Pacers the magic or the Knicks or the heat or who knows like the the

Cavs could catch up to the buck and maybe retake the two seed but again who knows what will happen but having Mitchell back will just be a big big benefactor for all that it’ll be big different Difference Maker for all that and I think this upcoming Western Conference trip after this game against

Philly it’ll be a bit of a gut check and test to see like okay how much gas did the C do the Cavs have left in the tank because I I I don’t think you can question their toughness they are a tough team when dealt a very bad hand

Like just look back to how they handled the situation when Garland and Moy are out for almost two months they handled that very well and they’ve done okay without Mitchell Moy stru Wade and so many others in their rotation and they’re slowly getting those guys back

And getting better but now it’s just a test of the guys who have been asked to play a lot more play a lot more beyond their means like how much more gas do they have in the tank to carry them through the last 10 or so

Regular season games and then a best of seven in the first round and the best of seven in the second round and then if God willing best of seven in the Eastern Conference Finals but we’ll learn more about that because the Cleveland Cavaliers do face a

Possible playoff opponent and a guy or a team rather who’s been a thorn of their side and a guy who’s I’ve been in the thorn of the side of and you guys have heard from him before but friend of the program Jordan Christ will be joining me tomorrow to talk more about the

Cleveland Cavaliers Friday evening match up against the Philadelphia 76ers so be sure to stay tuned for that but on our way out I wanted to remind everyone that lockon has launched the first ever National Sports 247 streaming Channel on YouTube and now it’s available to Amazon

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Jake note: Video / audio sync still not working, I have a new solution for next episode that should fix it, it’s a rendering issue. We do these non stop so I have to experiment with the episodes to find a solution

On a new episode of Locked on Cavs (Thursday, March 28, 2024) host Evan Dammarell (@AmNotEvan, Right Down Euclid) breaks down the Cleveland Cavaliers’ latest loss to the Charlotte Hornets, Max Strus’ return to the floor and the possible return of Donovan Mitchell.

Jake Stephens produced this episode. Check out his latest EP “If We Fall Asleep Too Early” on Spotify or wherever you listen to music.

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