Luke Travers Is Ready! W/ Carter Rodriguez, Cleveland Cavaliers News, Cavs News, NBA Summer League

Luke Travers Is Ready! W/ Carter Rodriguez, Cleveland Cavaliers News, Cavs News, NBA Summer League

oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] welcome to another edition of the it’s Cavalier podcast it’s your boy Mac and joining me tonight is one half of the chase down podcast that is Carter Rodriguez how you doing man doing good man uh a much more fun uh second showing for the summer league Cavaliers as they uh they stomped the Bucks uh this afternoon which is a lot of fun absolutely see Carter I don’t know what it is about these Summer League games where people just they they get so into the score the end result and I understand you want your teams to be competitive and in that first game it just felt like we got stomped out as you said and it it took a little bit away from the the the getting to see Jaylen Tyson in company for the first time but nevertheless I’ve always been of the mindset man this is the environment that we’re in just you got to take it with the great Assa what you do want to see though is like the team that’s functional enough to like run some stuff so you can like see how guys are going to do running the stuff and like in that first game like there were a lot of possessions where it was like this is like I’m not learning anything from this possession this guy isn’t learning anything about himself the coaching staff isn’t learning anything about this guy so it’s like there is like while I am certainly not like score counting at Summer League too often like there is probably a competitiveness T Tipping Point you need to you need a like a Mendoza Line you got to be on the right side of I’m not sure the Cavs were on the right side of that for much of their game against the magic though they settle in after that you know absolutely brutal start but like uh you know obviously today uh a lot of fun as they just you know destroyed Milwaukee it felt like two completely different teams I mean everything was for them all every single shot they took it felt like it was going to drop for them uh going into the first Summer League game what were your expectations or did you really have any expectations out of uh out of Jaylen Tyson uh I mean yeah I Tyson’s an interesting kind of Summer League archetype because like he kind of fits the mold of a guy who shouldn’t you know I always say summer league is often more disqualifying than qualifying like you can kind of tell like you know I remember watching Johnny Davis for Washington last year and he comes out there and you go uhoh like this is not good this does not look like it it does not look promising and it’s not always a guarantee you know it’s never a perfect science but like a guy like Tyson who’s a little bit older who is physically developed who has on ball reps in at the college level um you kind of hope to see him looking like one of the better guys in the floor uh for for the cabs and uh and and a guy who looks like he belongs and I certainly think that’s the main box I was looking for him to check um you know it it is just that next level up in athleticism and size competitively so I wanted to see how you know he’s not the fleet fleetest of foot dude uh on on the offensive or the defensive end really you know he really relies on his strength and his craft and his handle to to to generate angle so I was kind of keeping an eye on like what’s that going to look like you know uh against you know cuz sometimes that that’s really great against college guys and then it just gets a little too hard and now they’re as big and strong as you and uh I don’t know I I’ve been really pleased with Tyson so far in in his first two games I feel like I forgot what it’s like to have a wing who really really really cares about rebounding yes and uh I’ve really loved his fight on the boards he’s I mean he really I mean he had five offensive boards today I think he had three or four yesterday and like five or six tips that just you know no cap was in the play to go collect on um I think that the finishing uh touch has been nice on some of those putbacks um and I do think you know I I think General athletic explosiveness is going to be an angst point because he’s just not a freak athlete um I have liked the vertical pop when he’s jumping off two feet uh I think if he’s off one he’s going to be more of a craft guy but luckily I also liked his touch so like overall like I wouldn’t say he’s been like he’s like flown off the page in these first two games but like he certainly looks like he belongs in the setting as one of the team’s better players what do you think yeah I mean 15 combined rebounds between games one and two that was one of the things coming out of Cal and to a latter extent Texas Tech that really stood out to me uh when you’re watching his evaluations and scouting videos and whatnot and at the size that he has that is a plus because we know we have long struggled with rebounding out of the out of the three if you want to say two for him wherever positionally that they’re they plan on lining him up at but the rebounding is such a great selling point for me uh the touch definitely around the basket something we’ve saw even today with some of the tip ends and whatnot and with the offensive rebounds getting some uh getting some putbacks with those a lot of what he has shown us I think is translatable now now the one thing that I continue to be at least a little weary of it’s the three-point shot just a little bit and he he shot at a respectable level at both Texas Tech and it doesn’t look that nice it’s not the prettiest formula you’ve ever seen no so I you know it’s not high volume right now I believe he took maybe five today two a five today and and I think that he over time given the amount of shot attempts that he is likely to see between the with the charge or with the Cavaliers and whatever minute that he is able to get I think that that can improve but I’m still a little bit weary of it and this is a player that uh that is actually rated very well as an off ball shooter at Texas Tech but due to having to do everything at Cal I mean it just it leaves you wanting to see more is there is there an area of his game that you are wary of um well you know I want to speak to the jumper first one thing I do like is he does go up pretty quick you know it’s not a guy who needs to set and consider like and you know I do think you know we saw a guy like Dylan Windler who has this picture perfect shot form that looks great coming off his hands every time that uh that you know didn’t shoot particularly well in the pros so like I think it’s important to remind ourselves that like you can’t be too Orthodox with how you evaluate this stuff you can’t just be like well I don’t like how it look so I’m not so sure like he’s been a pretty darn effective shooter off the dribble and off the catch and shoot with that form and it’s a you know a relatively High release and he gets it off pretty quick so like ultimately I’m feeling okay I’m actually not that worried about the jumper I’m I really am most interested in the foot speed um especially on the defensive end of the floor and unlearning some habits where and I’m talking in terms of like being a guy like things that would stop him from like fighting for a rotation spot got you know this this year um because everything else is so longtail I I you know he was by all reports a great on ball Defender at Texas Tech and then Cal was not a very good on ball Defender and all the tape I watched even the the quote unquote good defensive tape of him a lot of it was hanging two three feet off his guy and surprising them with his length to get a block or a steel yeah it’s like opportunistic stuff and I think he does have he’s one of these guys with you know I think Carris kind of fits into this where he’s it’s not like his measurables are that great from a wingspan perspective but something about the way his body kind of carries itself like he got that block on the jumper in the first game and I feel like he’s the kind of guy who just kind of catches people off guard where like he gets a lot of blocks where the guy goes oh wait you’re here you know and it’s not because he he he leapt so high it’s just like something about the way he kind of coils his body and uh and and gets deflections I I’ve been very very pleased with but I do think at the next level he needs to be kind of the a Dylan Brooks type he needs to be this rugged iny chest kind of Defender and like he obviously wasn’t gonna be able to do that at cow with the usage rate he had so but it is hard to to go back to that you know like you have to train your body to do that again so I’m interested in that but like overall really I’ve just been looking like is the athleticism going to be you know devastatingly poor you know know is he going to be too slow to hang and I haven’t seen any of that because I because of his craft because of his because of his length because of his toughness he masks it very very well from what we’ve seen against summer league caliber competition so I’m very interested to see what that would look like in maybe a preseason environment and at the pro level and whatnot but I you thought about real quick I wanted to ask you what do you know one thing that was kind of the book is like he can play make but like he also is pretty turnover prone what have you thought of the on ball reps when they’ve had him run points I thought the handle left a lot to be desired at times and I mean we’re talking about a guy like you said who had a Sky High usage rate last season with Cal three and a half assists on paper was nice for what they required of him to do but at the NBA level I just I’m not sold on him being a reliable option just yet doing that that’s at least my takea away from it looked a little bit better today it looked a little bit better today I think he looks like more of a play finisher right now at the next level than a play starter um you know I’ll be interested to see when when you know as this summer league goes on seeing more reps where he’s kind of playing as a connector uh you know he had four assists to three turnovers in his 21 minutes and you know I don’t really mind the turnovers uh with him uh I I think you know I think he had one play where he straight up got ripped uh which you know that’s you you hate to see it but uh you know I think for the most part like I would rather him try these more ambitious passes try to make reads and you know learn by failure a little bit um as a playmaker but like I I’ve been okay I was wondering if he would be a guy who jumped off the page for me as like a oh this guy can fast and it’s like hasn’t really been that um but also I don’t think it’s been terrible either no I think having Craig Porter Jr next to him is really really kind of smooth things out it’s taken a lot of pressure off of him because we know he constantly had the ball in his hands at Cal but yeah I I was kind of hoping that he would blow me away as well but it it hasn’t necessarily happened just yet but it has only been two games so there there’s more to come for him I’m sure but um one of the areas that was really really highly discussed leading into that draft and really when he was drafted I’m myself a guilty of this it’s the size right that’s the conversation that everybody was having especially with the wing group that we have He’s listed at 65 and a half without shoes but we know they don’t play without shoes where when he was drafted where did you fall in line with that because there were a number of prospects to me that I’m like man this will be a perfect fit and but it just didn’t end up panning out that way uh so where are you at in regards to the whole size discussion when it comes to uh Tyson I think he’s big enough you know I think you know 65 and a half means you’re about 67 on on on the you know that that’s just the reality and you know his measurables uh my co my esteemed co-host Justin Rowan has noted are pretty much Jaylen Brown’s measurables you know and that guy just was you know he was certainly big enough to be the starting three on the NBA champion Boston Celtics so like I’m not that worried about that and like I don’t know what I’ll say there is like I don’t think he’s undersized by any means you know it’s not like he’s 6’4 and shoes um you know he plays big and strong and tough which is really like an important factor like a big gripe I’ve had and when I’ve talked about positional size I just been like hey can we stop just getting absolutely dug out by stockier bigger stronger dudes than us uh under you know under the paint from the dunker spot and like I don’t feel like he’s the kind of guy who’s going to get dug out by anyone so I really wasn’t worried about the size it all and then when you look at the other prospects on the board like even a guy like Tristan DVA who’s looked really good for the magic so far like I just saw more glaring weaknesses in terms of self-creation uh physical uh explosion um you know like all these things where I’m like I this guy just you know and D Silva’s what two and a half years older than Tyson and Tyson’s not like a young Prospect like every other Prospect in that range I just I could kind of find something I really really didn’t like about them like and that didn’t mean I was out on them but I could find like one big war where be like oh man what were you out on what were you out on donon Holmes I I got I was a big Don Holmes fan and I am uh and he probably would have been I a pick I would be maybe have been more excited for um but obviously poor guy you know popped his Achilles in his first professional game but like you know the one thing that I’ll remain throughout this offseason thirsty for is I really am pretty interested in the idea of a stretch five um it’s the one archetype who the Cavs have not tried in their too big era um you know and I I’ve been very interested in a stretch five to pair with Evan because you know I think that what that does is it gives you good actionable data on is the two bigs a problem because of spacing or is it a ball handling and self-creation problem you know like and because like I’m not I have my suspicions on that on where those limitations lie but like we just don’t know for sure you know like if you have a guy if you have like a a window Carter Jr level shooter at the five who is not like a sniper by any means but a guy who has to be guarded who changes the geometry of the floor a little bit and let Evan play the five on you know as a rim roller and a in a in a screen Setter like that gives you a different look and I thought donon Holmes kind of felt like a guy who Maybe could be that archetype um but you know I didn’t love him so much that I was I didn’t really have almost anyone I love so much that I was going to be bummed if they didn’t go I had a few that I absolutely did not want um but like you know I I I don’t feel like this was a draft where I felt it was very reasonable to fall in love at 20 I think that’s see that’s reasonable that’s realistic I was in love with the idea of draw and I understand why that did not happen one out for your boy I get why it happened felt felt just as disgusting as seeing EJ Liddell go down uh when that happened I forgot about that two two very unfortunate injury timings man yes just sucks I I think he would have fit a uh not Liddell but Holmes would have been an immediate contri uh contributor I believe uh for for that Denver team this this upcoming season but yeah let’s let’s get back to the Cavs here one of the guys and we referenced self- creation one of the players that I was very very curious to see just how much they had develop between the end of the g-league season and now is ammani Bates guy who put on what was it 26 pounds 26 pounds I believe reportedly so from the man himself uh he looks noticeably bigger to me uh but I think the there are definitely concerns within this game that still leave a lot of people wondering whether or not his where his ceiling lies in watching him these past two games what have you seen that would give you the belief that Amman has made a an improvement um I think you know I think going from like catastrophically skinny to like normal NBA skinny you know is really does matter you know he his frame last year was just so limited that I felt like he couldn’t be on an NBA court like was it from a contact absorbing type of thing just like you can’t get you get knocked off your spots on offense and you get knocked off any spot you are even considering being on on defense like I remember that game where the heat just absolutely blew the brakes off the Cavs it was like one of those short rest games and the Cavs had like I think it was the Denver like like ass kicking and they were coming off riding really high and I remember Hae who was also a rookie did a straight line drive ammani was squared up in position and just got knocked into the third row you know it was just a normal drive it wasn’t like haime was like I’m gonna really drop my shoulder into this guy and destroy him it was just a very like orth you know very standard NBA Drive and ammani went flying it was like you can’t be that you know your center of gravity can’t be that high with that lack of sturdiness in guard at the NBA level like in any game that matters you’re going to be a Target so getting to like Brandon Ingram level skinny like is Meaningful because now you can take a little bit more of those hits and absorb a little contact and let your length get you the rest of the way um you know I will say on the offensive end haven’t really felt any extra Force out of him with that extra weight and like that’s kind of where I think the rub with him is continue to lie for me in terms of like if you were going to say Carter what’s the number one reason why you’re not sure Amman is going to work it’s because I just think I’m not sure he’s an NBA athlete you know very little vertical Pop I mean even on a couple leak outs in transition he had to lay them up uh today where he’s like anyone who is 69 610 should be able to dunk that will dunk that and he is laying it up because he didn’t get the right you know footwork on the way to the rim you know I mean and his combine measurements show that I mean he had you know a very very substandard vert measurement things like that and just not a big vertical pop guy and I’ve always felt like his road is just to become an Uber duuber Elite high volume three-point shooter you know skinny Michael Porter Jr has been the joke we’ve kind of made uh on uh over on the chase down and I do think that that stuff could be there um so like those are like the wide macro limitations in terms of what I’ve seen so far the summer league I’ve been uh impress I was really impressed today and I tend to feel this way about ammani when he decides to play with his head up I don’t think he’s a bad playmaker like he sees passes and he makes passes and I’ve always said passing is a two- skill uh thing that people kind of turn into one skill cuz like you can see them and not be able to make them and you can you can be able to make them and not see and like I do feel like you know he threw some like Advanced Reed passes in this game today and even in the first game he had a nice uh alleyoop with Pete Nance that looked nice so I think being able if you’re not going to be a plus athlete you’re not GNA just turn the corner on dudes you need to have a horrifyingly good three-point shot that guys are freaking out that you’re open so they’re closing out hard on you and then when you’re in that middle space you either got to can the m midi which I have a lot of faith in him to be able to do or attack that destabilized defense as a passer and uh and I think he’s shown some strides there and yeah he’s four of 16 from three um but I don’t really care about that I’m pretty sure I pretty I’m pretty sure I know ammani Bates is’s a good three-point shooter um so like has he shown enough where I go I think he’s ready for a roster spot no I do not I would rather him stay on a two-way that was going to be my next question how far do you think is he another year do you need to see in another step forward in terms of the facilitation or just some other skill outside of the three-point shot I just think he just needs to keep getting better at basketball you know he’s still very very young is he’s still growing into his frame uh he’s still learning how to be a professional um and this team is too good for him like you know like their their goals are you know like I you know here’s here like and I I’m gonna make you talk about this guy so uh you know you look at a guy like Luke Travers and ammani most people would probably say ammani Bas has a higher ceiling than Luke Travers but like if you were like if you were gonna roster one of the two guys next year I’m probably picking a guy like Luke all day bro the things that ammani brings are while special and interesting are more likely not to be able to happen if I need to give him three spot minut minutes in a playoff game because someone got in foul trouble or someone turned an ankle you know think about the Dante Jones minutes in game seven of the NBA Finals like I you’re not looking for someone who’s gonna dribble 10 15 times and hit a pull-up three in in that setting it’s so like the the what the team needs and what ammani is really really good at right the second I just don’t think they’re super aligned and that’s why I think he’s still a two-way I and I think that’s fair for him now I if I am looking realistically at where he could fit in on this team there just isn’t a fit just yet for him and he’s still young enough to develop and I think I’m just trying to be patient with him and I urge other people and I get the sense from that from his some of his practice availability that he’s he know he really is dreaming of not doing the two-way thing because that’s hard on your that’s a hard job man it’s hard to be on a two-way you’re constantly bouncing back and forth back and forth hard to get into into any rhythm you’re trying to plug into two different teams with two different Vibes all the time you’re like you’re like like a military brat moving schools every year but sometimes you gota you know when you’re when you’re where ammani isn’t the NBA hierarchy you gotta just hold the L and I think that I think he’s got at least another year of doing that before he goes and you know and and then at that point it’ll be a matter of are the Cavs ready to accommodate Amani and zamani ready for the Cavs to accommodate him you know and then if not might go sew his wild outat somewhere else yeah uh one of the guys who I have been very very curious and you already mentioned Him Luke Travers there there was a lot of talk I love him so much I I’m very high on him too there was a lot of talk before he joined Melbourne United about him not accepting a two-way contract because he felt like the g-league and the you know the NBL are basically on par are you do you think that they will actually entertain or should I say do you think Luke will actually entertain a 2A if that is offer to him I mean I’m no reporter I have no freaking clue if he will or won’t do I think it would be really really good for him to do so absolutely dude this is a team that has not minded carrying open roster spots into the Year this is a team that has uh what three former two-way guys mhm that have earned their way onto the main roster into full-time contracts can’t remember if Merill was ever on a two-way but he was at least with the g-league team yeah I don’t believe uh so I guess maybe it’s two and and cpj and Dean uh and Lamar Lamar was too like so like what I would say if I were Luke Travers representation if I and if the Cavs even are offering a two-way which we have no clue right um but if that were the I’d be like hey let’s look at the data this team you know constantly you know every time you look at depth every time we do the oh there’s so many guys that are going to need to play eventually some two-way guy is playing because half the roster hurt and that’s just how the NBA season works these days for every team like this is a team that has consistently rewarded the guys who are on those two-way deals that have shown that they can be ready to come in and help um and boy would I love to see Travers in a Cavs Jersey this upcoming regular season Mac I’m just so fond of his game I mean he has just such a he looks like a GL guy out there right he can Rebound with the best of him at his size as you mentioned earlier in regards to the facilitation there are guys that can see passes and guys that can make passes Luke can do both legitimately he he can facilitate high level he throws some crazy stuff dude we had a couple of good ones today I mean yeah one to Tyson I believe that they hit him right on the money right where he needed to be he seems like he is always in a position to rebound or box out it’s just perfectly positioned stuff he’s an underrated athlete he can do things on the defensive end and when you say glue guy you know it’s funny a lot of glue guys are if I may pull out an Arrested Development reference Milford men neither seen nor heard a lot of glue guys are guys that you like like at the NBA role player level like are considered guys like you can park in the corner they won’t mess up MH and then you have glue guys who are not on ball creators but are in constant motion who are creating advantages not with the threat of an elite skill but with pure basketball understanding and Travers I think is a guy that fits into that mold he’s a guy who leaks out and transition at the right time without blowing up uh without blowing up the defense he’s the guy who who cuts from the from the left wing uh as as the point guard is cutting in driving in from the right wing for a quick dump off into a layup he’s the guy who flashes up to the top of the arc catches and immediately makes a hit to the cutter going back door like he just makes good basketball decisions um and again it’s not just mental because he’s got this big frame so he has good angles to pass from uh he can finish Above the Rim and with touch when he does get that angle cuz like how many plays in the postseason did we see a you know a Cav’s Wing just get wrecked at The Rim because they’re just a little little too small didn’t have enough pop so even when they had a little Advantage they just had to finish at too difficult of an angle he can find clean angles to finish at uh he he attacks these close outs at at at a really really high level I don’t know man I just I’m I’m trying not to be stupid because I get it he’s a he’s a draft and stash guy um he is a guy where you know all the reporting is like he might make it to the NBA someday but like it’s one it’s just one of these guys where I watch him I go what am I missing why is he not definitely an NBA player because even without the swing skill of shooting you can’t you you cannot tell me this guy can’t be a backup three four hybrid that just makes helpful plays when he’s on the floor and hits enough threes to to stay out there well that’s I’m going to do something that I hate to do to you that is find me a reason why this this young man could not make it to the NBA H I don’t know man this is where like it’s you know I know a lot of folks in in my in our space can be kind of takman and really really strong and and this is one of those spots where I’m like what am I missing you know I’d love to like if I could just pull like a scout and be like why won’t this happen because I’m not quite sure dude uh maybe it’s that the finishing just kind of it gets a little you know it gets that 15 to 20% harder once you get up to the big league and then he’s not a good finisher he’s just like a a you know like a a C+ finisher and then being a c minus D+ shooter is like devastating you know maybe his defense uh you know some of these steals he’s getting just turn into whiffs and at once the level of competition goes up a notch and instead of getting a deflection he’s getting beaten on back door you know I’m not I I didn’t play you know highlevel basketball so like I’m not ruling out that I’m just wrong here like I’m not an you know I’m not so cocky that I could just I couldn’t just be wrong but like when I watch a guy like that I just see a guy who speaks my back basketball language you know in terms of like the stuff I value seems like he’s pretty darn good at the player that I think you know in that first game left a lot to be desired to me there was a number of second-year prospects for this Cavs team that didn’t necessarily perform up to par but in today’s game I feel like it was a it was a turn around and that was Craig Porter Jr talk to me a little bit about what you’ve seen from him so far that leads you to believe that maybe he’s taking a step forward uh you know frankly I’m not sure he has taken a step forward um but I also don’t think that’s like a disaster because I think he’s pretty helpful player as currently constituted you know um and in that first game I think it’s really it is actually really important to say I Pro in a weird way I actually like the first game for Craig’s development as a prospect more than the second game the second game was you know Craig we we all know and love you know just getting to the rim at will drawing fouls dishing uh getting boards you know all the stuff I already know he’s good at I liked in game one where you know know he said going into summer league that a big thing he’s trying to work on is his off the dribble three-point shooting so when guys go way under he punishes it and he took four off the dribble pullup threes in that first game and he didn’t make a single one of them um but like I think when you’re a player who has some job security which Craig does uh I think summer league is exactly where you should be stretching your game out a little bit you should be trying some stuff like he doesn’t have to play perfect to have a job on the Cleveland Cavaliers next year which you know he’s lucky he’s like he’s got this crazy privilege compared to almost every one of his peers on that roster right now only Jaylen Tyson can say the same so um like I think I think like he should just keep trying to do that stuff because that is the swing skill for him where it’s like because he’s small he has to be such a killer on offense that it’s really really hard um to you know to to to lose the minutes that you have with him so I think that I think that three-point jumper form and consistency is really really important for him I just want to see him keep trying those those kinds of shots because I’m fond of him as a player I really really think he’s going to be I mean what he is right this second is super valuable which is a guy who if your death takes a hit for 20 games he will come in and he will be crazy competent for those 20 games he will not hurt you there will be some games where he actually really helps you and like what a luxury for your for your backup or third point guard that was going to be my next question here because uh the the state of the backup guard or the you know the next men up it could go in a number of directions we Carris Levert Jaylen Tyson Craig Porter Jr there are a number of Nam Jerome yes Ty jome we got to saw we saw video evidence that he still exists out there the other day and that was a guy that I was really high on at the time of signing him and watching him in that the first two games of the Season that that’s all we really got but here’s here’s what I’ll say about Ty Jerome because I actually have thoughts about this backup point guard battle first off I’ll say this every time uh everyone who wants the Cavs have a top end backup point guard or a top end backup center you’re fooling yourself because they’re backup they’re they’re starting shooting guard is their backup point guard and they’re starting power forward as their backup center you know and and that’s really important for this team’s roster construction is because you’re going to have two small guards it really is helpful that when you can stagger them one of them can be your backup point guard uh same with the two bigs so like it’s really going to be a Perpetual challenge unless you just completely want to change the way you play entirely to have a an elite backup one you know a guy with pedigree that comes in so that’s caveat number one that is that Donovan Mitchell will almost certainly Remain the backup point card next year yes um however Kenny likes to go 10 Deep which JB never liked to do and even when JB was going 10 Deep you could tell he was like it was kind of a fish out of water type of thing for him where it never felt very Co you know comfortable from a rotational perspective Kenny likes to go a lot deeper and has said as much so some of our perspectives might including my own in that take I just fired off might have to start adjusting a little bit now in terms of that backup point guard spot I think it’s important to note Kenny was an assistant on that Golden State team where that the Cavs signed Ty Jerome from he has coached Ty Jerome before and wal Jerome had an absolute nightmare year with the you know the the season ending ankle sprain um you know if he’s healthy I kind of expect Tai Jerome to win that job okay all right I think that’s fair again I say I was pretty high on him I liked what I saw at a preseason last year and in the limited time that we did get to see them I actually posted a highlight reel of them and I didn’t I did not expect to see so many little things packed into such a small frame of time but I think that if he’s healthy there’s a legitimate case to be made that he can make an impact he just makes more sense with the roster too and like when you’re a bench player fit matters a lot like if you’re going to play Craig Porter Jr let’s say 15 minutes a game you’re playing all 15 of those minutes probably with Darius or Donovan and you’re just and now you’re just small All 48 minutes of the game you know because you got to imagine Darius and Donan are going to be playing at least 20 minutes a game together now you’re up to 35 minutes a game with two 61 guards like or you know however T Donovan is I’m sure Justin’s you know yelling at me behind the scenes for for shorting their height um but you know like that you’re just really limiting your style and like stylistic versatility is really really important in the modern League where Ty Jerome 65 you know it just kind of feels a little different with him out there with either of those guards so if Tai is healthy and playing as the level of player I thought he would be I think it’s going to be a tough battle um and I kind of expect it to be a battle now if you were to ask me right now again I do think it would be Tai that will win that job but like I I I really do think you know whoever out performers in Camp is probably going to win the job okay that’s fair that is totally fair it’s one of those battles that I feel like could go down to the wire one of the names that you just mentioned I just want to get your thoughts on real quick before we head out of here and that is Darius Garland who recently appears to have squashed any and all rumors consisting of possible trades how are you feeling about that and did you did you really even buy into this clutch stuff in the first place um I was interested by the reporting you know like anytime like a real reporter reports something like that you got to go uh oh what’s going on here and then you know I think it’s one of those things where you just kind of I don’t know man I as as I am getting older as I as as I’ve been watching this league for a long time on one hand you can’t just trust what everyone says because you know uh like you know guys lie all the time you know front offices lie all the time so it’s like you have to kind of take a look at their actions and their words and the context and like the way I see it guys like Darius at their you know at their curve coming off a rough year very rarely are these guys asking out and very rarely are the franchises that draft them and give them this first rookie Max looking to trade them there’s like almost no precedent for it so like there’s not a lot of contextual evidence that suggests that he’ll leave on record he says he doesn’t want to go and then you know you look at the actions you look the the at you know the the bond the team kind of has said that they have with each other like you know every you know Nang all last season was like these guys all love each other this is such a tight locker room and it’s like I’m not saying there can’t be Strife there can’t be any doubts but like I just it just the pieces never made that much sense to me uh and you know nor do I kind of felt like it was going to Darius was in a spot where he probably felt like he had much leverage you know so even if he isn’t like crazy sold on here being here forever it just didn’t really make a lot of the timing didn’t feel good for any of this for anyone involved so like that’s why I’m so whether or not I’m never going to you know know what’s going on and what these people’s brains but like no matter what it does feel like everyone is acting pretty logically here you know the Cavs aren’t looking to sell someone at the ner of their value Darius Garland isn’t trying to force his way out coming off a off you know other than his rookie year probably a career worse year like it’s just it just didn’t make any sense and I’m and I’m glad that uh I’m glad that uh in an NBA landscape that often decides not to make any sense some sense was made and it looks like Darius will be back I mean I’m I’m happy to hear it man I know a lot of people are not they want the man move they’ve made it very very clear a lot of our fan base in in particular a lot of reporting going on want to go to the archetype store and buy a big Wing doesn’t everybody well but the one question I wanted to ask you is how how does the hiring of Kenny ainson and the coaching staff he’s brought in he’s put together a pretty pretty respectable crew here how much do you think that will play into the the back Court tandem do you think it’ll run a little bit more smoothly now well I felt like it ran smoothly in year one and everyone just kind of acted like that never happened nobody ever wants to talk about darus scarland basically having another All-Star caliber season in 2022 23 yeah and like smart people are acting like that never happened I I I was pretty disappointed you know I just feel like it was a bad vibes year and like you know I think the big challenge for this front office here and this is a roundabout way of answering your question so please forgive me but I feel like this front office has to figure out how much of it being a weird year was injuries how much was it a coach who had kind of run his course with with the players and how much is it was the quality of the players you know and like depending on where you fall on that probably defines how optimistic you are about this season if you’re someone who just like I just think the coach lost the team and and and it never felt good from the jump with the coach if you if you’re in that camp then you’re probably like oh man like we got the perfect fit Nang is gonna bounce back Carris is gonna you know have his best year ever Darius and Donovan are gonna are gonna like find new love for the game of basketball and all this stuff if if you are of the opinion that the core just doesn’t fit then you’re probably not feeling that optimistic about Kenny Atkinson coming in because you’re like you can’t make something work that doesn’t work and if you’re somewhere in the middle which is kind of where I am where it’s like I I am a little I’m pretty disappointed by how the depth pieces around the caves performed uh for most of the season to be frank and especially into the postseason when you know I spent all year talking about how I felt like the Cavs finally had gotten themselves some pumpkin Insurance you know guys if a guy turns into a pumpkin you can go to someone else and see what happens and we had a lot of pumpkins in that postseason a lot of guys who just couldn’t hit the broadside of the barn um and like you know you again you never know if that’s Health you never know if it’s if if it’s situation but like I think what’ll be interesting to see is what the front office thinks because if they run back literally the exact same roster if they you know they find a way to extend uh or sign a new contract the cororo who’s in restricted free AG you know it’s pretty unprecedented to run back a whole roster unless you like won the title or were like very close to winning the title um so I feel like if they do that it’ll either mean that they just couldn’t find good value because they had a bad weird Vibes year and are looking to kick some of that back up uh before they you know so they’re not dealing from a positional weakness or they just think hey we had a weird coaching year and we were really banged up and we still made it further than we did last year and I’m not quite sure where I lie on it Mac like I I would like a little activity but then part of me wonders like do you want activity because it’s fun or because you think it’s better like and I think those are Challen those are questions we all should be asking ourselves and I think that’s fair and I think everybody sees the moves that you know some of these Eastern Conference teams really the NBA landscape in particular have made some of these big moves like bringing Paul George to Philly and whatnot and even a move like Casey P to Orlando that could potentially pay off with having so many ly Defenders and you’re like well what the are the Cavs going to do but I I try and remind myself that you know a lot of things happened last year from an injury perspective some of that felt fluky some of it didn’t but at the end of the day I truly in my heart and I know that uh you you sound like you’re on the fence a little bit and that’s okay I I feel like I’m kind of a cist here I just don’t want them to make a deal that’s not helpful yeah and like if you like and and I’m sorry I I know you were like in the middle of making a point but I like do we really want to trade the 2031 first round pick for cam Johnson or DeAndre Hunter guys who I’m not even 100% sure are really good like like you only have so many bullets in the chamber man you can’t miss so here’s the thing like before the draft I was like okay I was gung-ho go ahead and try and get DeAndre go ahead and try and get Cam Johnson with the 20th pick and attach whatever you have to whether that be Carris and some additional Capital uh but after that selection has been made I’m just like no man if that’s what it’s going to cost because we clearly don’t have the assess just to throw at teams the way that other teams can make competitive offers I’d rather not and I know that that sounds sacrilege uh to many C to many Cavs fans out there that want to see a move be made for a traditional sized Wing in that starting spot but at the end of the day I mean there’s only so much that we can offer and you don’t want to just bleed it dry well here’s what I’ll say and I’ve said this a lot and it’s a very reductive sentence but Kobe has to win transactions he has to win you can’t just trade like for like at this stage where the Cavs are trying to get to because they’re not a title Contender right now so you have to you have to hit a you have to hit a couple doubles and triples and like Dean Wade Carris Levert in a pick seven years from now like for a a role player that might be good as a fifth starter that might be better than Max stru as a fifth starter like that doesn’t feel like it has a high probability of a double or a triple to me and like you know you just you you you got to take some big swings so like as long what I’m interested in is how aggressive are the Cavs being in looking and exploring these options because I don’t want them to kick their feet up to be clear I don’t want GOI in the front office just to be like well you know we uh you know we had injuries and whatever and you know we’re pretty good so we’ll just hang like I want them to be aggressive and exploring but like I don’t want them to be so thirsty to make a move that they just do something to to to you know Sate us as fans that want to see some some some moves like I want to see them win you know you look at you look at the the two teams that made the finals you look at Boston who trade basically a box of scraps for Drew holiday and christs porzingis and like how did they do that did did they did they trade pick Capital into forever to do it no they they worked to build up the reputation of their role players around the league and cashed in at the right times on the right somewhat distressed assets like KP coming off a weird you know he’s been hurt all the time came off of a weird year with a terrible Washington team Drew holiday kind of feels like he’s on the back Arc of his career they made the right bets then you look so those are star Acquisitions maybe those aren’t the guys the Cavs are going to get but they they made the right bets then you look at Dallas they do the opposite they they kind of look and they’re like we have very limited draft Capital to move who are the right kind of role players we need that are available to us at a reasonable price where we don’t really have to sacrifice the shape of our current roster that much to add and they go get Dan Gafford and PJ Washington again both kind of distressed assets Gafford languishing away in Washington PJ Washington was like you kind of been a career loser you know yeah uh but they found a guy they’re like we believe in him he’s worth draft Capital the little draft Capital we have we think these two guys are going to meaningfully change our roster so let’s take a swing that’s what I want the Cavs to be doing I want them to be finding those distressed assets that when at the end of the year we go oh wow they got that guy for that what a win you know they Kobe needs another Jared Allen um because you look at Caris LeVert at best I think that’s an even Money Trade Fair Value kind of deal at best if you don’t think they lost it you look at Max stru you know fairly compensated like they have a lot they have helpful players they’ve added like it’s been singles you know and they need to hit some doubles and triples if we want to see them take that next step and maybe that double is Jaylen Tyson you know we just don’t know and uh I’m not going to be angry at them for not going uh not trading for DeAndre Hunter at all costs is there a name out there that you think is is attainable because to me I just I I don’t really see the name that’s the thing dude like if you don’t want to move move on from 2031 I mean the one guy who’s interesting to me that like I would really think about moving 2031 for is kma um just because he kind of fits in a way that also allows you to because like the reality is you also have to explore what a post Jared Allen uh timeline looks like you at least have to be thinking about that if you do ever want to move AB into the five full time and what you got to do is you got to have a really good power forward there to to to you know if you’re because you’re not just losing your starting five if you move on from Jarrett you’re losing your starting four because he’s your new starting five Carter that’s the one thing that people always leave out when they’re doing these hypothetical traits like you are creating another problem and people don’t answer that whenever they’re creating these hypothetical trades it’s crazy so I’m always interested if you’re going if you do want if you’re not 10,000% sure about the core 4 which I’m more on the sh side than everyone else but I’m I’m really trying to be intellectually honest like I want to at least figure out what different archetypes look like next to the Evan moies of the world so like a big tough small ball four makes a in Kyle kusma makes a lot of sense um but you know again I haven’t found a trade where I’m like call it in it’s a winner you know and until I do uh you know I’m I’m not gonna I’m not GNA beat up the the team too hard plus Justin made a very very Salient point which is the last two monster trades this team has pulled off has been the end of August and the beginning of September for d for Donovan and Lowry still a lot of time we have so much time left in this off season and this is not trade season guys all right so one last question for you then you can answer this with a yes or a no however you feel doesn’t have to be long do you think heading into the 20242 season Isaac Aura will still be Dawning wh and gold oh man um yeah I just think the odds play out that way you know he’s a restricted free agent we don’t see teams make tenders for restricted free agents that are role players very often it’s just pretty rare and like I don’t think OK coro’s Market will be so hot that even if a tender gets made it will be like for Fu money where the Cavs have to go like I don’t know about this one Chief like it’s probably gonna you know if someone really likes him they’ll probably offer him 13 to 16 million a year and I think if they do that the cows will likely match because it’s better to match than lose an asset for nothing lose trade fle trade flexibility for nothing um and they’re not going to be a tax team anyway um or or not certainly not a first apron team anyway so you look at that you look at how hard it is to pull off sign and trades with like a third of the league going like no more transactions aprons are scary so like I think with with that it’s it just feels like all the mechanics that would have him playing somewhere else to start the season it just feels like a pretty narrow window to hit whereas like you know just looking at the odds it feels like a 9010 kind of thing where it’s like he’s probably gonna be here next year whether now if he signs the qualifying offer probably means his time with in the white and gold is is limited long term because very rarely do guys sign the qo and then stay forever though we just s them Bridge do it uh in uh in Charlotte um but yeah we’ll see we’ll see I I would be sad to see him go but I also understand if uh if the team’s starting to look in other directions that’s precisely where I am with it like after watching him because I I I would do legitimately believe that he has made strided in certain areas but just not enough and he’s not doing the things that we need him to do when we need him to do them so it it just sucks like I would like to see him with a new coaching staff that is my that is my I I would be sad to not get to see that same I and I do believe in a Kenny ainson motion-based offense that there there’s a lot there that I think that Isaac can can can be tapped into in regards to his game but I just want to thank you for coming on man such short notice absolutely brother appreciate you go caps go Cavs

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