Cavaliers pick up fifth straight win | Cleveland Cavaliers podcast

Cavaliers pick up fifth straight win | Cleveland Cavaliers podcast

On today’s show that’s one two three four five straight wins for the Cleveland Cavaliers here’s how they did it are locked on Cavs your daily Cleveland Cavaliers podcast today’s episode is brought to you by Jace medical Empower yourself when you purchase a Jace case providing you with a personal supply of five antibiotics

That treat 50 plus infections get yours today at JM medical.com and use our code locked on to get $20 off your order that’s j e medical.com all right I’m Chris Manning that is Evan damal thanks again to Jake Stevens as always for his work on production this is your team every day

We have a loaded week of shows coming up for you but we’re going to start with today’s show which is all about Cleveland’s fifth straight win a 109 to 91 win over the Chicago Bulls that guy got di in stretches But ultimately they get the win Donovan Mitchell leads the

Way with scoring Caris ver has another solid off the men Sam Merill with another solid night off the bench Jared Allen with another double double we’ll get to later in the show a couple small bits of Cavs news but Evan what’s your big takea away from Cavs Bulls um it’s

Hard to think but the Cavs are 10 and three without Darius Garland and Evan Mobley after that news Dro Before Christmas um 2023 but they just keep finding ways to win and I think a lot of it is a team Centric approach they sure do obviously lean on Donovan Mitchell

And Jared Allen quite a bit those are your All star/ Star caliber players but again this is just another instance of the have seeing certain dudes step up this time around it was Dean Wade who really kind of stood out for me in this performance but it’s just encouraging to

See the Cavs as a collective playing really well together and once they get Garland and Mobley back and they kind of have that you know adjustment period having those two back I I feel like they are about to hit that that that gear I’ve been waiting them maybe for them to

Start the season with or at least they’re going to hit that next gear that kind of shows to me okay are you guys ready to with some of the best in the East and maybe this upcoming game against Milwaukee a litus test but they at least

For now just keep finding ways to play like team Centric basketball but just find ways to win in pretty impressive Fashions the way that bicker step talked about where they’re at post game was that early in the season was choppy early in the season was guys in out of

The lineup guys here and there everything just not totally coming together as a result and I think to some degree you could just look at this recent run the 8 and3 run that you said and it’s things have been simplified in some weird way right like the style of

Play is simplified they have a very clear vision of what they want to do right now Mitchell has a very distinct all of this is just very direct and straightforward at the current moment there’s something to Simplicity I think they’re obviously better when you get Garland and Moy back

Just because you get your high-end Talent back but I and I think you’re right in that there is something to the Simplicity and that’s that Simplicity the offensive rebounding the three-point heavy looks that’s how you get this win a little sloppy at points and you let

The Bulls come back and hang around a little too much but it’s about the Simplicity in what worked I think that stands out from this game yeah absolutely and I think you can excuse some of the sloppiness and some of the just like normal bless of this game just because

You know there’s International track travel there’s going to be fatigue after the fact like they’ve been off for quite a while since playing so like there’s going to be maybe a little bit of rust with that too uh Max shu is a game time decision and he was a non-f factor round

Offense it’s clear that maybe he’s not still feeling 100% but he’s at least hustling and trying out there but um yeah uh at least the Cavs didn’t have the unfortunate moniker of joining the Detroit Pistons as the only team that has lost after playing in Paris during this recent stretch of um NBA

Paris games I don’t know how Brooklyn did if they played tonight or not but the Cavs at least don’t join the Pistons with that dishonor I think the other thing just about this game that I think if you just look at where things got a little bit

Dicing than what worked it’s just they got a little bit sloppy maybe that’s fatigue maybe that’s just lacking I think Garland’s control of times or just a little bit of the structure maybe just there is some variance built in when you take 573s which will get to with with with the

Wards and and all of that but the fourth quarter they then turn it around in a big way they lose to the third quarter by 11 and then they win the fourth quarter by 15 they held Chicago to 14 points in the fourth quarter 14 points

Is not a lot Donovan Mitchell had seven on his own in that quarter and Levert had nine on his own in the quarter those guys by themselves out score Chicago Chicago ends that quarter leading for 35 seconds after getting off the way back and making this

A game and they only they shoot 33% 31.3% from the field and their comeback just dies right there Cleveland’s defense really good in the fourth offense pretty darn good in the fourth not overall if you look at just raw percentages you know the sharpest Cavs game 41% from the field 35

From three that’s a little B that’s in overall from the field and about average from three but that’s enough and the way they’re playing like the way they are playing right now that kind of performance against a lesser team is I I don’t think this is the kind of look

That will they’ll need to give more than this I think overall against Milwaukee on Wednesday and then when they see them later in the month depending on what their health is at by then but it’s this is the kind of performance that is more than good enough to beat the Bulls even

If there’s some things on the edges You’ like to kind of get rid of out of the portfolio yeah of course I think this game was far from perfect um like you said there’s just some some stuff that the the Cavs can correct when they break down the film

And just kind of figure out okay this is what worked for us this is what didn’t work we adjust course correct and kind of maybe start fine-tuning these things that um didn’t work in this game but maybe we have evidence of in the past or we want to start making it work just

Because of our personnel and what we have available but yeah like this Bulls team isn’t very good I think they made it interesting especially former Cavs big man Andre Drummond made things interesting for hot second but um I I think it’s also encouraging at least just given the circumstances this Cavs

Team continues to show that they can bend but they don’t totally break in some matchups like they can find ways to just kind of maintain composure like you said the lack of Darius Garland in moments was certainly palpable in this game just in terms of not having some composure times

In offense but the Cavs are able to continue benef fitting from maybe a softer patch in their schedule is things start to heat up with like the the Bucks and then the Clippers soon after on the horizon um and so just being able to string together wins against these

Lesser opponents and also just maintain composure against these lesser opponents and things get tight is encouraging especially just because like this team did not handle adversity well at least to start the year and they especially didn’t handle adversity well when last season ended in the playoffs also hope say you had had the

Best player on the floor Donovan Mitchell the best player in this game big knight from 34 11 of 21 from the field eight of eight from the line 4 10 from three seven assists through turnovers he’ll come up again for me at least in segment two but that that at

The very least I think Evan is is probably the to me if you want to simplify what has worked over this five-game winning streak the play style as much as is about the accessory pieces and how you’ve gotten good minutes from SIM marrell and Carris L and whatnot

None of that I think is possible without Mitchell providing you some kind of structure to lean back on at the end of the day no no I mean that it’s it’s a formula that’s simple as we’ve said several times but it makes sense lean on your stars and then let the role players

Accentuate those Stars you’re not asking the Stars to do 100% of everything for All 48 minutes of a game but I think for me it’s clear that Mitchell after dealing with some of that hamstring stuff at the start of the Season just kind of the random aches and pains and

Bumps and bruises he was dealing with he’s healthy and I think he’s finding his Groove and his gear on offense for the Cavs and as you had noted like the Cavs lean on him quite a bit I think they lean on Jared Allen quite a bit too

But Mitchell was exemplary in this game against the Bulls and he definitely deserves a shout out like you said he was the best player on the floor for either team tonight or in this game after this we’re going to do our game awards that’s MVP that’s stat of the

Night that’s play then that’s coming up after this today’s episode is brought to you by Jace Medical I know we come to sports we come to the show to escape from some of the crazy realities of real life but can we talk for just a minute about

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Than today so go to jasonm medical.com and use our offer code locked on to get $20 off your order let’s do Awards Evan I mine’s Mitchell uh for MVP he is the best player on this team everything emanated from him he had 34 no one else comes

Close to him in terms of points Jared Allen beats him in terms of single game plus minus although you know obviously that’s there’s a limiting kind of limiting stat in some of that but Mitchell was great in this game he had moments where he needed to step up and

Tied some gaps and he was also off the floor when this game got out of hand he goes to the bench in the third quarter they’re up 11 mhm it’s a by the time he comes back it is eight points lower and the Bulls are within three and then

Ultim take lead with Mitchell on the floor but that initial comeback run comes with Mitchell off Mitchell’s not there to stop and score and response so for me this this game is about Donovan Mitchell being the best darn player on the floor for other team yeah he was awesome this game

And my MVP pick’s a little different just because of his individual performance kind of standing out for just in the grand scope of how he’s looked this season but Mitchell time and again has been the best player for the Cavs as even when Darius Garland was healthy there was moments when Mitchell

Just even before this season as well where he stood out as the best player on the floor but like yeah great shout he was phenomenal in this game on either end and I think the the best Note is the fact that like things got out of hand

For the Cavs when he wasn’t on the floor which you want to try and maybe ride those waves and afford those opportunities allow Mitchell to rest but I think that really justes crystallize how significant his play on either end of the floor was for the Cavs

Against and who’s your MVP uh Dean Wade um we saw him rip quite a few three-pointers in this game I’m going to double check how many he took but it was very encouraging to see Dean way kind of stand out for the first time in a while

Just because he has had a lot of just blle performances or Nosh sure performances you as you and I are talking about how like when this team is fully healthy he took all of his attempts for three-pointers took 10 of them against Chicago made four of them but we talked

About how like when this team’s fully healthy like he’s maybe fighting with Craig Porter Jr and Sam Marl for minutes well if he wants to get a leg up on either those two one because he has the trust JB biger staff but two he’s a four that shoots threes if he has Knights

Like these like that it makes it an easier decision for bicker staff to lean on Wade versus some of these other guys and this is kind of just what you want from Gan Wade you get the rebounding you get some of the switch ability on on

Defense but just most of all he’s a big who can take and make three-pointers or make and take three-pointers rather and this is a really good example of it I think he benefited from just the open looks he was getting and just the playmaking the Cavs were doing and

Having in general and he wasn’t passing up those shots which is just really nice to see and he hoped to see more of it down the uh or not down but at least in these upcoming games he got to let loose when this game was a little closer to

Out of hand cuz he took two shots early and then he doesn’t take a shot for a while he does the weight thing where he doesn’t do a bunch yeah and then he gets to take a couple shots L it’s three threes in the fourth quarter and the

First one was it was funny cuz like it’s late in the shock clock and he just like had to hoist it and then almost unlock something for him you want him to like if he’s going to play seven minutes and shoot three threes that’s obviously like

A high end of what he’s likely going to do on on most nights but that’s the attitude you need him to play with more than not so shout out to Dean Wade for that let’s go to to rip it go ahead need him to just not just let it fly whether

It’s going to go in or not taking threes like Max Tru is an example of take threes and make at least average number of them which I think Dean Wade can and teams will respect you and you’ll you’ll add be additive as far as value on the

Court all right stat of the night for me the Cavs took 57 threes it’s a new season high it’s a lot of three-pointers that gets them I mean in some of the higher end how many threes teams have taken overall in terms of league history but 57 threes for Cleveland a new high

Didn’t even need to make a ton of them but you this is the extreme of this identity they’ve really put together last several weeks well yeah it is the extreme of it they lost this game I I wonder if they’d run an audit just because of the volume of the threes they

Made versus the refs called but no this is a good pick um I think it’s impressive that a lot of their assists on tonight’s game were on these three-pointers that they made and I mean they took quite a bit of them but like you wonder like if they made even more

Threes like holy cow what would the assist numbers be but yeah like you said this is like an extreme version of what we saw in the preseason and what we what this team really is now just because of the existing personnel and just what is working for them offensively and it’s

It’s nice you hope to maybe see a heavier dose of three-pointers when Mo and Garland are back of course these numbers aren’t going to be the same way every single night but this is that modern approach you’re kind of hoping for like the defense is more than solid

Enough to keep a team arm opposing teams arms length away but the three-point attack really conceal that deal to ensure like a team will be playing catchup the entire night with what’s your stat my stat that is that Gazza one five in a row they are 10

And three without Garland and Moy and this weird stretch and most impressively to me is they’re only two and a half back of Philadelphia for the third seed in the East right now I know Philly won tonight but then the Cavs one soon after so it remains neck and neck but um it’s

Just a weird thought or weight thing to say out loud just considering how dire um the circumstances felt when Garland and Moy were ruled out just because they were on a bit of a slide they just got embarrassed in Boston but I think that really just is Testament to like JB

Baker staff has his finger on the PSE of this team this team is responding very well and not really letting the adversity or the situation kind of weigh them down and they’re playing really good basketball and they could have a realistic shot to have a top three

Record in the East if they keep this style of play and just this level play up what’s your play theight um I think we’re going to have the same one at least a similar one um Donovan Mitchell like 8 20ish left in the fourth quarter show a lot of athleticism and control at

The same time with an N1 attempt where he had a you want call it a floater layup whatever but it was attacking the basket it was an and one play but like a lot of control in that situation it just continues to impress impress me how poised he is despite like running so

RedHot and like just being so quick and Twitchy and athletic but like in that moment like you saw like all of what Don Mitchell’s really good at scoring wise when it comes to attacking the basket and just that like one little vignette I’m like yeah that’s fun that was a fun

Play that’s one of the ones you could go with I think his core shines in moments like that he has superpowers as a player that are based on his balance his footwork and his ability with his really long arms to kind of use his core to maintain balance

And whip over the ball and kind of unlock angles that I think otherwise just would not be open to him I have two other ones Tru had a block in this game uh late in this game that was really big there’s a Sam Merill lob to Tristan Thompson in the second quarter that

Stood out but was a really nice pass from Mar and a good finish from Thompson my answer is just going to ultimately be Caris L hits a three with 927 to go that felt like it stopped the bleeding it puts them back up for good ultimately up

By two in that moment shout out to Caris L I think in that moment for just holding down the fort and kind of stepping into this role you kind of needed him to do do played really well lately and just really well in general I

Think the 16 s and seven should not be understated either like he’s been highly impactful as Cleveland the six man and I do think a lot that he like says that I I’m you can tell he’s maybe has like a sense of relief that he has more defined

Role at this team and I think credit Rec credits do JB picker staff is sticking to that were like Common Sense would say start L at this point but no just with the injuries they’re dealing with it’s certain positions but nope bakera keeps him at the six-man spot and he’s really

Thriving in that position he also I think is just there is just something to the idea again that his role is now simplified with there’s no Garland there’s one less ball handler they’re not playing Craig Porter Jr therefore I think you get a version of

Lver who I think is just a little more organically fit into exactly what he’s best at and most comfortable at and I think that is that is helped and what that means going forward is a whole other question but right now you you ride with it you enjoyed are coming up

After this two bits of news one on Darius Garland and his possible return of this month and then Tristan Thompson back in an old jersey number that if and that just feels right we’ll talk about those bits of news after this today’s episode is brought to you

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And again go to fanduel.com backlock on for that awesome welcome offer all right we are back here let’s finish up with some news Evan let’s start with Darius Garland who according to JB bicker staff was going around Paris with a blender and cuz he’s on a liquid diet

With his jaw injury and as his teammates and the team was eating at really nice restaurants in Paris France he was drinking out of he was drinking Blended meals to get himself through it that’s really tough I feel for Darius in that specific way but team uh seems to expect

Him back by the end of the month he is now working out pregame this is the second game in Cleveland in a row he has worked out pregame with some people on the team and it seems like he might have have gotten his jaw wire taken out it was reported by cleveland.com scris

Fedor that that was going to happen Monday JB did not confirm that one where the other pregame but he had a tweet up the Garland put a tweet up that makes you think that the wire is out and it seems like we are inching towards a Darius Garland return so to your point

About the Tweet um I did ask about it I’m like does that mean his wires taken on cuz it was kind of cryptic you don’t know what it meant but yeah the wire got taken out I’m curious to see or learn rather um what his first meal was like post

Wire removal because yeah that that that is unfortunate you’re in one of the food capitals of the world and you me probably eating at like Michelin star restaurants and things like that as a team and you’re kind of like you said forced or JB said forced to carry

Blended meals around with you or have like Blended meal served to you instead whether it’s smoothies or like a combination of smoothies broth and like actually blended food like baby food quality stuff but um yeah uh now you just got to make sure he’s in good enough basketball shape to play on the

Floor and I think like bicker staff told me the biggest concern is his playing weight because you’re going to drop weight no matter what because of this cuz you’re not able to eat conventional food and maybe get all the nutrients or just like what matters most when you’re

Eating like more of like a um chewed diet versus a liquid diet but um yeah we’ll see when he comes back I doubt it’s against Milwaukee on Wednesday obviously or this upcoming for game chip they have but who knows maybe there’s an opportunity at some point for him to get

Back to the floor but hopefully it’s soon rather than later and then hopefully EV M’s in fairly decent shape cuz we’re creeping up on uh re-evaluation Slash like end of timeline the Cavs put out there and they are teen their on the side of kha but if you can

Get those two back like either like right after or right like at least in Mo’s case like right after the allar break like that’s not a bad place to be um considering this Cav scene like I said in the first segment feels like they’re starting to hit that next gear

And kind of take a bit of a stride um just as they are like playwise we we are right now at four and a half weeks since Darius Garland and Evan Moy were ruled out again the Cs are 10 and three over that stretch Garland is was initially expected to miss about

A month and so we’re about there with him we’ll see what that looks like if it’s five weeks six weeks whatever Moy was initially 6 to 8 weeks so you’re another week and a half away so early February right around the tread deadline is the earliest you would perhaps see

Him and we’ll see the other bit of news is much less ultimately impactful to the broader scope of the season but Ian I got to tell you it feels right that Tristan Thompson is back in wearing number 13 I get why he wasn’t wearing it I get how

That all happens it’s you know Ricky ruo is wearing three he gets traded for car car takes three Ruba comes back he takes 13 Tristan Thompson comes back he gets 12 you’re not going to take the guy who’s away from the team due to mental health you’re not just going to rip his

Number away and give it to someone else even if it’s trist times but now that Rubio’s officially gone this just feels right and it it just like looks right that he’s wearing number 13 again yeah I mean it wasn’t surprising that they were going to make this switch eventually um

I was kind of wondering like when it would happen rather not if it would happen but yeah I I it just makes sense it feels more right it feels more appropriate just because like that’s he started his career at the Cav as 13 He Wore 13 in Texas I’m pretty sure he Wass

At the Canadian national team as well like it’s a number that stuck with him his entire life like I know he said uh well he joked 13 wasn’t available when I asked why he picked 12 and then he said he wore 12 in like I don’t know like

High school high school okay so he did wear it at some point but like at least for like the Cleveland like aesthetic quote unquote um this is this is nicer at least to look at um and enjoy and yeah maybe it could have impacts on the uh season maybe it makes Thompson turn

Back the clock even further than he has already this year yeah he’s the eighth guy in the rotation he’s clearly the backup center this has been such a fun random storyline out of nowhere to have him back and believe it’s real that he is the backup center for this team I it

And I’m surprised that like the like Damen Jones not working out didn’t surprise me that much just because like he flamed out with the Warriors and Lakers already and like wasn’t doing great with the Jazz either but um Thompson just like stepping in and stepping up and being the backup guy for

Cleveland like yeah that that’s always going to be like a thing they you can be an NBA team or any organization I think and you can plan and say like okay we ident identify this guy within our budget and it makes sense and it’s the younger guy and all this

Stuff and you plan and it’s just not sometimes just not going to work for whatever reason it just doesn’t work and your coach doesn’t trust the guy and you signed Tristan Thompson a week before the season started and he’s your backup center and if you told me right now that

They brought him back next year to do something very similar and be a locker room guy who plays here and there and is decent enough and probably is in your playoff rotation but is something for you the the chaining fry this but it’s even like gave you fun at least like he was

At least the locker room guy like for that team like he was able to give you stuff during the regular season but like in the postseason like even in the LeBron hey days like Channing was phased out of the rotation almost entirely when the playoffs started but like he was

That locker room guy who was able to give you some meaningful minutes in the regular season but he’s a dude that can hold everyone together obviously different styles of leadership I think Tristan’s a lot more in your face I think they’re both loud and kind of you know obnoxious in the nicest way

Possible but like Tristan’s a little bit more grittier and iny yourf face about it and I think is more comfortable yelling at guys and holding them accountable or rather like Channing was kind of better just being the guy who’s like fine with being like the butt of

Jokes and stuff but because he knows like laughter is going to bring everybody together at the end of at to the to the same seat at the table at the end of the day we’re going to end there Cavs beat the Bulls 109 to 91 winners of

Five straight five 10 and three without garle deobi in the lineup we’ll see if Garland’s back soon we’ll see if Mo is back a little bit after that but another good for Cleveland they are next up against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday before that we’ll have a show up looking

At Darius Garland’s return think of this conversation we just had about Darius as a teaser for a bigger episode where he’s at in the recovery what he needs to be when he comes back and where he was when he left all of that and more on the next

Episode of lockdown Cavs then back at you obviously to recap Cavs bucks late Wednesday early Thursday until then I’m Chris that’s EV thanks s to Jake Stevens be well everybody

On a new episode of Locked on Cavs (Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024) hosts Chris Manning (@cwmwrites, The Just Basketball Show, SB Nation’s Fear the Sword, Forbes Sports) and Evan Dammarell (@AmNotEvan, Right Down Euclid) discuss the Cavs’ win over the Bulls (the team’s fifth straight) give out game awards (MVP, stat of the night, play of the night) and look at the latest on Darius Garland’s injury recovery and Tristan Thompson getting back to No. 13 after wearing No. 12 to start this season.

This episode was produced by Jake Stephens. The intro music is from our friends at Astral Radio.

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