On Zach Lowe’s most recent podcast, him and Bill Simmons discussed the Cavs a little bit and how they were one of the teams you don’t want to match up against in the playoffs. [Here’s the Spotify link](https://open.spotify.com/episode/4SXvPZQ7OHJrU91he3hKuZ?si=2d7686b90d604a35), the conversation starts around the 7:25 mark.
#Transcript Below
**Simmons:** I’m very concerned with Cleveland being in the 4 spot, and that being a second round matchup. I watched the Portland game last night. I watched basically the end of the 3rd quarter and the whole 4th quarter. And I just… I just love Garland.
**Lowe:** We both do. We both love Garland.
**Simmons:** He had basically the game clinching alley-Oop. He’s so competitive. Like, there’s just certain guys. He threw it to Mitchell. Any sort of “is there an alpha dog thing?” or is he cool with how this whole Mitchell thing is going. Who knows? But you certainly don’t see it on the court. And he was just so happy and so fired up. And I just think that team, there’s a competitiveness to that team that I think is going to be a real problem in the playoffs.
You go through, and I don’t know what they’re going to do with LeVert, whatever they’re going to do with that 3 spot in crunch time. But all those dudes, even Kevin Love, like, those guys, they’re like experienced dudes who care about basketball the right way. And I don’t want to see them in a round 2.
**Lowe:** I don’t think they’re ready to beat Boston in a playoff series.
**Simmons:** I don’t think they are either, but I don’t wanna see them. I don’t wanna to have to have the 2 week, knockdown, drag out, oh my God, Mitchell just had 52 in game 4, and now we’re tied 2-2… I just don’t want to see them.
by NeonxGone
6 Comments
Interesting to hear some people around the league and what they think about the Cavs. On thing I’ve noticed, and not just these two, is that people really love Garland. He really has something special, they way he’s able to orchestrate the offense. I’m excited to see year 4 Garland, and year 5 Garland, etc. He’s not even 23 and I think he’s only going to get better.
Yeah I think Garland and Mitchell are still really new to their partnership and still getting used to playing together effectively…remember that he missed a good number of early season games because of his eye. I mainly want him to cut down on his late game turnovers
If he had seen yesterday’s game instead of the Portland one..
Yeah, it’s great that the great Bill Simmons thinks highly of the Cavs. I would not say that this is a championship or bust season for the Cavs but I have my expectations for the Cavs to get some things done for this season. Obviously, I need to see the Cavs get into the postseason. Then experience what it’s like the play in big games late in the season last year with those play-in games and the fact that they added an experienced star in Mitchell, they have to make the postseason this season. I’m very excited to see how Garland and Mobley do in the playoffs, assuming the Cavs get there. Garland and Mobley are very talented but need postseason experience. No one knows how well they will play in the playoffs because they have never been there. But this was one of the reasons why the Cavs added Mitchell, to take that next step as a team. Mitchell has been great for the Cavs this season and he knows how to win games, including big games. Mitchell is going to be very valuable in that area. Games down the stretch will be very big and he is the one guy who you can really, really trust to step up in big moments, the clutch situations. He has proven to be a terrific postseason performer before. And he has the big-time confidence because he has succeeded in those postseason games. You need guys like that to show you how to get it done in the postseason. Those wins against a tough Celtics team earlier this season were impressive, indeed. If the Cavs meet the Celtics in the postseason, that should be a very exciting series. 😁😁😁😂😂😂😎😎😎🍒🍒🍒🍨🍨🍨🎄🎄🎄✍️✍️✍️📖📖📖
All that sounds like to me is while they’re aren’t convinced we’ve proven ourselves, they’re scared of us
Wait till LeVert drops 70 at TD Garden