This crowd rises to its meaning what borrow slam it? Oh Carl left wing three ball perfect, then.
He left block the shot at the rim pow with the left head and a fowl. Welcome to the Chasetown Podcast, part of the Caves Media family. I'm your host, Doessin Rohan. The Chase Down is presented by Fubo, the official streaming partner of the Calves. Watch over three hundred and fifty channels of live sports and TV, including fan Duel Sports Network without cable. There's no cost and no commitment. Try
for free at foobotv dot com slash Calves. Well. The first half was not the prettiest, but the Cleveland Cavaliers found a way to adjust at halftime and walk away with a domin win over the New York Knicks, who they have now outscored by a combined sixty two points this season through three games. Joining me today is my co host Carter Rodriguez. Carter, how you doing, buddy, I'm doing good.
I really was grumpy in the first half. I was disappointed, and uh, you know, sometimes you have games where they don't go the way you're hoping they're going to go. As a fan, and you feel frustrated, and then the team kind of can't win you back in the second half. You know, you're just you're just grumpy, and you're like, yeah, I don't care what you do in the second half, I'm still mad at you, you know, like you're mad at your you know, significant other or something.
Uh.
And I kind of was like, I kind of in my brain was thinking that was going to be this game. I was really disappointed by, you know, another team getting handsy with the calves, getting overly physical with the calves, throwing them off their rhythm, force them, baiting them into turnovers, you know, all that all that fun stuff.
And then, uh, you know, not only do they.
Take control of the game in the second half, they took they took control of the game in the exact same way that New York took control of the game on the defensive end of the floor, which was they started holding, grabbing, pushing, shoving, beating the crap out of them in a respectful, healthy way. They stopped getting their asses kicked on the offensive class the gang rebounded even when it wasn't perfect. They were there to help each
other out. So when one of the biggest couldn't get their hands on the ball, they were able to tip it to someone else. You know, they just really answered the bell with physicality in a way that I was really encouraged by. You know, I think if they had just you know, blown the doors out off of the knicks with the offense, which they certainly did, they had a great offensive second half. They put up thirty eight and then thirty three points in the third and fourth quarters.
But I do really feel like the combined in forty five second half points was what actually told the story of that of that.
Game for New Year. Yeah. Yeah, And I think, you know, the second half story came down to how they played defensively. Right when you start getting stops, that helps generate momentum for your offense. I thought they played more decisively. I wasn't as low on the first half as you our little kind of running group chat that we have. I won't name who wasn't watching in the first half, but they said, tell me the story, what's going on is as bad as the score? And I said, no, it's
not as bad as the score. There's things that they could clean up, but I felt pretty confident that they were going to take a lead. I actually thought they were going to take a lead by halftime. I took a couple of minutes into the third quarter for that to actually come to fruition.
But there was a difference in style of play first half the second half.
No, there was a difference in style of play. There was a difference, you know, in effort. I thought the biggest difference between first half and second half was defensive connectivity, like and you know, the fifty to fifty plays and stuff like that. I thought it was already starting to tilt back towards their favor as the first half progressed.
But I really felt like the defensive continuity was a big, big difference because really after the first substitution pattern in the first quarter, like when it went to the Garland Allen lineup there, I thought that they started to find a little bit of a groove Offensively, I thought coming into this game to start the game, it felt very similar to some of the Boston games where they just did not look assertive. They looked a little out of
rhythm offensively. They got good shots, but it didn't feel like, hey, the ball was humming for twelve fifteen seconds here and then we got a good shot. It was kind of awkward dribbling around. You know, someone created a little bit of space. We got a nice clean look. It didn't go down, But you know, it never really felt like there was that rhythm when the Cats have it going. It is just so obvious, like there was so much energy with you know, the pass is the way that
they're cutting off ball. I didn't feel that energy. And it really did take about six minutes into this game for them to start to find that groove and to find that rhythm offensively.
And I do think it was another one of those times where the defense kind of, you know, it was clear the next game plan was like, hey, we're shorthanded. We don't have a lot of our offensive talent on the floor. We don't have a lot of the guys that you know, like Brunson obviously is the engine for their team. But you know, they didn't even have Duce McBride. You know, they didn't have Mitchell Robinson coming off the
bench to play back up five for them. So like I do think their game plan was, let's try to chop the game up and make it ugly. And I thought, you know, those first four minutes, the Cavs were getting, you know, taken that bait. They were throwing sloppy passes, they were not playing as crisp as they needed to.
And I think you're right that that first sub pattern was when the offense started to shift, where you know, the first five to ten seconds of the possession could be choppy, but they were patient and calm and weren't getting sped up. And you know, they had in the back half of that first quarter four or five or six wide open threes in the corners for guys they
want taking those shots. Yeah, the DeAndre Hunter in particular felt really good in that stretch, and Merrill got a couple of really really clean looks there too, So I did feel like they answered that. And then once the next realized they couldn't just junk the game up, you know, they had to drop back into their shell, and that shell defense is just very easy to beat up at the end of the day, you know, So I thought the offensive process was really really strong. I do think,
you know, it was the perfect storm. I mean, the Knicks start the game seven of nine from three, they go four of twenty seven us the way from three. They end up shooting thirty point six percent from three in a game that they started seven of nine.
Ye. The ESPN Next broadcast brought up that, I think they said that they were fifteen of twenty or something on contested shots in the first half, and like that was just very due for regression. And I really thought that, you know, to start the game, it was clear that they were comfortable sagging off of Josh Hart, they were comfortable sagging off of De Lawn. Right, Let's kind of jam up the lanes and force them to beat us from the outside. And I'm somewhat okay with the approach.
I you know me, I prefer playing in you know, your base defense, play it straight up, especially with the personnel that we have. You don't really need to cheat a whole bunch. You already have tremendous backline defenders in Evan Mobley and Jared Allen, Max Drew, Sterius Garland, Donovan Mitchell. They're all going to play their part defensively. I prefer kind of playing it straight up because it felt like
we're sagging off of these guys. Now, these questionable three point shooters have hit a couple and we're now it almost seemed like they were double guessing what they were doing defensively, liked, should I really be you know, sagging off of Delon right Josh Hard or should I be staying with them all of a sudden, you know, you're almost putting yourself into rotation, you know, unnecessarily in those instances. And I felt like there just wasn't that defensive continuity.
And I thought second half it played it more straight up. All right, you know we're just going to play, you know, pretty solid man a man defense. We're gonna trust our guys to do their part. And in particular, you know, when when the Knicks had to go to their bench at times, or you know, they they had to take Karl Anthony Towns off the court, they just weren't able to generate any offense. And the Cavs were able to put athleticism in off the bench with de Andre Hunter,
Isaaca core Row and really you know, make them feel it. Defensively, Yeah, I think it was d H.
And in our discord, he was talking about about like the sagging off to gun up the Knicks offense is doesn't work if you're in rotation every single possession, because like you know, right might not be a Grade three point shooter. Heart might not be a grade three point shooter, but they're good enough that you should close out on them.
And if you're having to close out from the other side of the court because you were playing gap coverage on him, you know, that's just like you know, I just do think it was a bit of a bridge too far.
Hey, we saw that on the other end with Isaac Okoro. There there was a time where he caught the ball I think it was in the first half, where the defender came flying out at him, he drove it, he kicked it to Javonte Green for an open three. Like you know, there's an instance where someone that the Knicks are probably comfortable with him taking three point shots. We saw that going back to the playoffs. But when you're that far off, you're you're those closeouts are not going
to be on balance. You are susceptible to the driving kick game. You are susceptible to you know, overall defensive breakdowns as a result of that.
So yeah, and I do think, like you know, like Doris, I think was the one who mentioned the contested shot in the first half for New York And you know, I while I do think they would do for some regression. I do think a lot of that was, like, you know, not all contests are are are are made the same.
You know. I didn't think the first quarter contests were good. I thought they were late. I didn't feel it. I felt like, you know, we obviously don't have the tracking data yet, but I even though they weren't great shooters and even though some of those shots were nonsense, I think it was Landry Shammitt that hit like a drifting one going out of bounds. Josh Hart hit one in the second half over Sam Merril where it's like, okay, like you're throwing up a prayer. You're not a good shooter.
Sam probably felt like Sammy Osmond in that moment where you know, the Josh Hart stepped back on that end of the court, but you know, like you make your own luck to some extent. And my concern was when the offense started to get going in the first quarter, I thought we were going to take the lead. I still felt good about our ability to win it, particularly with the Knicks being on the second night of a back to back without Jalen Brunson and everything that they
had going against them. I felt confident about that, but I was also sitting there annoyed, being like they might have made it a little more difficult than it needed to be because they found a rhythm from three, they found their jump shot early. You know you're going to have tired legs. But if you see those first few shots go down in you know, the second night of a back to back, that energy and hey, we actually
do have a shot tonight. That little bit of adrenaline is going to give you a boost in those situations, particularly when it's you know, a matchup where the Knicks really want to get a win. They know that they are completely winless against the Oklahoma City thunder Calves and Celtics, so you know, they were motivated. They felt like, hey, we have a chance to steal this one here, And
I thought it really did. You know, again, show a lot that the Calves were able to start the adjustment prior to halftime in terms of effort, energy, defensive intensity, but then really go into half understand what they were starting to do better, and then cranking that up to twelve and turning this into a comfortable win. Yeah, it certainly helped that.
You know, you know, Karl Anthony Towns has just never been able to help himself with fouls. He was really really reckless yet again and always is. There's even that play where he's taken it up and just stiff armed Max as he was carrying the ball up and didn't get called for it.
Is there were like three or four that he easily could have been called.
For, you know, and Og obviously like you know, that's like that's the risk you run a little bit when you're playing a hyper physical defenses, you're gonna get just called for some some more handsy fouls. And you saw that in the second half of the Cavs all all the Cavs starters except Max had at.
Least three fouls. Web we picked up four.
Donan picked up at least two just out on the perimeter, just being overly aggressive. But I do think like that is the difference between you know, the first half contests and the second half contests is not only are you contesting the shot on release, you're contesting the process of the shot. You're contesting the pin down screen, you're contesting the catch, you're contesting the dribble, and you're contesting the shot. And that is the meaningful difference that like the tracking
data just isn't going to show you. Is that every from the second og Annobe started his action to the time he got a shot attempt up, it was annoying and hard and and like that is the difference between their second half effort. And that's why I like as much as I wanted to say, and I you know, I was seeing the same game you were. I've seen a lot of really hard shots going in. I was seeing contested shots going I was seeing threes go in.
I've seeing that Landry Shammitt drifting corner three. But like it, I didn't love all the work on the road to the attempt quite as much, even if they were guarding the attempt, Whereas I just felt like, at no point did Bridges and Anobi part any of these guys really have their two feet under them comfortably and on balance on pretty much any of their attempts the entire final, let's say, thirty minutes of the game.
Yeah, I'm always going to believe your defense prior to the shot is much more impactful than the contest itself. Like you look at the offseason drills that these guys do in training and stuff like that, the trainer is usually standing there with the broom or something like that, you know, getting an extended hand up in the face or blocking your line of sight. It's the rhythm, right,
particularly when you're talking about basketball. It's all right, this is the combination of move, this is my footwork to get into this shot. I know what to do from this distance, right. A bunch of these guys, I guarantee you you tell them where they are on the court and you put a blindfold on them, they can probably get some shots from those comfort zones for themselves. Someone like Lou Dort, who I think is one of the
best perimeter defenders in the league. It's not because he's this big, long guy right like he's he's not the tallest player. He's like six' three it probably tops maybe five six feet. Wide in terms of, strength he's built like a mini. Fridge but what he does to get up into your, space to disrupt your rhythm is what makes him such a menace. Defensively that's that's what Bothers Donovan mitchell Because Donald mitchell can score over long defenders
as well as anybody. Else but it's that ability to really get up in your. Space Tony allen at you, know six' two being one of The Best kevin durant defenders that. We've seen it's because of the defense prior to the shot. Going up and, you know, my, my honestly my annoyance with the first. HALF one i just like it when the caves, are up so that's always
going to be part. OF it i was also sitting there, being, like well this is going to give some red meat to, you know critics that are looking for reasons to pick apart the cass right.
Now there and Here's what i'll say on. That front sorry, to interrupt like this would be, Reasonable criticism like we can't site he we couldn't go through the Month of march and make all these caveats about rest and about the travel schedule and then look at our listeners and our viewers with a straight face after two days off at home with with a team coming off the on a road back to back and, be, like ah well they just didn't have.
IT tonight i, don't, know man. It's inexplicable, you know all those things that you were worried about are, you know coming to fruition and that's why. They lost, but yeah, you know just write. It off that's Not what i'm, saying.
Here right it's my first, You Weren't but i'm, just, saying, LIKE no I think i would have been really disappointed if the first half. Had continued this was THE game i thought, They needed they needed to show a.
Strong PERFORMANCE then i think that was a good clarification, by you because that's definitely NOT what i meant. By that it's my my frustration Is when i'm, sitting there my, Thought, was god we want a statement more Than the calves want to make one, right now because you know the
issues that. THEY have i think all of it is stuff, that's Correctable right like when you talk about some of the struggles that they've had with defensive, rebounding recently or and giving up second, Chance opportunities they've done it before. This year they've. Done it they have held very good offensive rebounding teams off. The glass when you, talk, about oh these you know turnovers that they're giving up To, the knicks they had a low turnover game Against The
Oklahoma city thunder on a national spotlight and won. That game they are capable of doing what they need to do to win versus any single team in. The league,
it just, you know in. Certain areas there are structural weaknesses with the team because of, the construction just like any, other team and they can overcome it when the focus, is there when the effort is in the, right places and they are executing at a. High level and it did not seem like they came out with the you know that level of focus and, you know readiness really for.
This MATCHUP and i was, Sitting there I'm, Like god and of course they're struggling in the ways that everyone that is looking for reasons to say that it's the Same old calves is going to. Jump on and you, know what they probably gave enough red meat in that first half that people who already feel that way are going to still be at. That conclusion you know it's going, to, be oh you gave up fifteen rebounds to the offense offensive rebounds To. The knicks it goes to show you
how tough they are in comparison To. The calves there's going to be no mention of the fact That the calves had fifteen offensive. Rebounds themselves, right like it's we get them, by fluke the other team gets it by hard and grit and because, We're soft right like it was frustrating from, that standpoint and it was also FRUSTRATING because i Felt Like evan mobley did not have a good.
HALF defensively i thought he got pushed off of his spot a. FEW times i thought there were other times where it was really bad perimeter defense and he was put in a. Tough spot but some of those kind of one on one situations where, you know six nine precious to chew is moving him off of. His spot that was frustrating to ME because i Think That evan Mobily Deserves defensive player Of the YEAR and i can't.
Believe that, you know if he has a bad game in a, national spotlight or if there is a week that isn't, as strong that's going to be outweighing an entire season of. His portfolio so that was driving. ME nuts i was, sitting here, you know fighting narratives in my head in the. First HALF but i did feel comfortable that they were going to come out. AND win i was just impressed that they came out and won as comfortably as. They.
Did, yeah again it was a total answer to the physicality A literal, i mean you could just literally hold up a mirror from half to half and show the difference in terms of who was dictating, the physicality terms who was reaching and grabbing and bumping and annoying and like all the, Stuff THAT like, i think Like the calves aren't natural jerks to, play against, you KNOW like i think they BUT like i do think it was a nice statement, of, like no we can do, this
too and we are better, than you so like we, we can, we can we can muck up the game for you, and uh and we don't think you can sustain that effort. Against US so i JUST thought i was really impressed. BY THAT i i Feel like i've seen this team answer that kind of hyper physicality in the past with cold precision yeap or fun. OFFENSIVE explosions i don't Know if i've seen them as MUCH as
i saw tonight Actively, decide no we're gonna we're gonna rough. You, Up yep and, YOU know I want i think we have to start the credit, at it, you know when talking about individuals in, this Game With, isaac okora who had maybe My favorite okoro game of, The, season.
Yeah, you know. YOU'RE right i do think that in a lot of times, this Season the cavs have answered with precision sometimes you need. That energy sometimes you need to, dig deep you need to, you know give that extra bit of effort and have, some PHYSICALITY and i Thought isaacle coro absolutely brought that to the. Table, tonight honestly it's one of my favorite of. Kor games he's had ones where he shot better. From three he was only
one of six tonight five to ten from. The field but this is textbook example of how we have been saying we want To see isaac o cor use how he can make an impact on the game against. A team, you know you talk about the debens of the past and how people are going to put extra weight on this matchup Against the Knicks isaacle coro and how he performed it Against the knicks coming off of that injury two. Years ago you know that drew a lot. Of criticism there was a lot of focus on, you know how
much attention they were giving. To him people were breaking out the rulers to see how much space they were sagging off. Of him this is exactly How isaacle corel can make an impact on. A game he gainst a good team even when the shot. Isn't FALLING and, i thought, you know generating the, offensive rebounds, the steels the playmaking out of the. Short role this this is the. Hustle
stats this is the, you know filling the. Box score this is the activity that we need to See From isaacle corel and that's ultimately going to buy in more minutes because if he's playing, like this if the motor is running, like this that's, you know That's That josh hart type impact coming in off the bench that can swing a.
Playoff game one of my absolute favorite plays of the game for him was when he caught the long rebound at like the free throw line or like near the top of the arc and he turns and he realizes in the immediate moment that all four knicks are at his level or below the free, throw line and the and the only person uh in his Way As Carl. Anthony towns and it was one of those interesting PLAYS because i Feel like isaac always has been a really strong.
Transition.
Player uh he's always been willing to push, an attack but normally it's like he catches the ball on the move and attacks or or, you know gets an outlet and is moving the the the fact that he kind of he kind of rebounded with the facing the rim facing his, own rim, you know pivoted, was like, OH wait i, got, daylight baby and just attacks and and gets the layup and, You know towns immediately knew he was in, huge trouble uh with and started backpedaling as
Fast As Carl anthony towns, can backpedal which ain't that fast And Uh, AND like i just really loved, that assertiveness, that vision that feel for like the moment, of like, Oh wait i've Got a i've got. A runway He and i'm not in a perfect sprinting, rhythm Already but i'm going, To attack i'm going to get the defense, back Pedaling and i'm gonna get us a clean look. Right now it just felt like another one of those
moments Where the calves were taking It To. New york and, YOU know i Felt like okora was the most emblematic.
Of, that yeah and that finished in transition was one of my favorite finishes that. He's, had obviously my favorite is the one Against The houston rockets where he just
dunked on the. Entire team but like, the touch, The CONTROL like I just i love seeing that, from HIM and i love seeing him be, this active not only, because hey he, you know tipping ball to generate second, chance opportunities and, you know doing those kind of impact plays and the fifty to fifty stuff that makes such a. Big difference BUT what i love about him being on the MOVE is i feel like he is such an
intelligent player and makes such smart reads on. The move he just doesn't have an advanced enough dribble to generate those opportunities for himself a lot. Of time so when he's catching it and, All right i've caught the ball on, THE cut i can, you know take two strides and go up for, a dunk or if the health defense is, Coming here i'm going to make the. Right read i'm going to dump it Off To jared Allen Or, evan
Mobley or i'm going to kick it out. To three he can, make reads not, just okay well there's who's in the. Dunker spot he'll make some like, cross court really really nice passes in. Those situations so getting him on, the move, finding him, you know on, the cut with how many intelligent Passers the cavs have up and down, the lineup it's just a perfect use. Of HIM so i was really really excited to see him come out
and have the type of game that he. Has had i've really liked his, minutes recently and and, you know So.
Was kenny he got asked in, postgame about, you know who's really impressing you with their form heading into, the Postseason and kenny's first ANSWER Was, o quorra, and uh, you know talked about kind of the lull, he, had uh, you know just about a month ago where, you Know and kenny didn't, say this BUT Where o coral was coming back from that shoulder injury and the jumper wasn't right and the impact was really really not where it needed, to be and he wasn't getting a lot of run
and it just kind of feels like he's been, chipping away chip and away at getting more and more minutes and earning his way into into more of these lineups where in kind of, proving, that, LIKE hey i don't need to, you know hit my two threes to justify my existence. Out here i'm, Helpful anyway, and.
Uh yeah.
IT was i thought it was very NOTEWORTHY That o coral was the, first, guy Uh that kenny mentioned when he was asked about who's, you know showing you that they're in, good form, right now especially since, YOU know i think both me and you have wondered if he was going to be the tenth guy in that, playoff rotation and.
You know he very well may still be heading into, the playoffs and, You know kenny's talked about how he still anticipates going ten deep going into. The playoffs but that can, get trimmed that can who who is whearing the rotation can change based on matchups and based. On performance the most, important thing, you know if you're a reserve IN the nba is reliability in terms of what you're bringing to. The table and if isicle, core like,
you know we Know a dean can bring to. The table we Know What DeAndre hunter is going to bring. The table you Know What sam merrill's going. To bring if, isiccle corel can, you know really, Solidify, that hey when you put, me in you're. Getting effort you're you're getting blunt forced basketball. Out here you're you're getting someone that's going to do all the dirty work and really kind of give that that. Maximum effort he's going to give
himself opportunities to play. Man like sometimes that's exactly, what's required but sometimes, you know maximum effort isn't, what's required and you can use tools Like Zoom aa companion to help. You out because only you can do your, Best Work zumia companion can help you do, the rest like automatically, taking notes answered, meeting questions and helping you respond to. Your coworker available no, additional cost but the eligible paid plans were happy With Zuomey.
I Companion oh, isaac okoro what A what a what a? Cool run, YOU know i feel like in years past it's been one of those, things, where, Oh no isaac's going the. Wrong way we're getting near. The postseason are we going to be able to count? On him and, YOU know i do feel like he's really really showing his, value ESPECIALLY and i think both me and you really really feel.
THIS way i don't want to speak for you, too much.
But like, YOU know i feel like of the two, of us you've always been the higher One. On isaac i've always been a little bit more skeptical or had. More QUESTIONS but i think both of us agree that After The DeAndre, Hunter trade isaac's role became much more clear and his value became much more important to. The team, you know not just because they did a, consolidation trade but just because of the things that at His best isaac does really really well and how that plugs in
with the rest of. The TEAM so i, DON'T know I just i would love to see him earn that eighth ninth man in the rotation in the postseason by having more games. Like THIS and i think this is one of the things that we've learned through this, regular Season, right like Ultimately the cavs goals are going to be, you know whether or not this is a successful season is going to be defined by.
The postseason but there are things that you learn along the way in the. Regular SEASON and i think one of the questions that we've Had For isaaca corral the last couple of YEARS that i think we've learned now during this regular, season, is hey he's had stretches where he's not, you know he looks out, of rhythm and then he usually ends up in the starting lineup and he usually ends up playing a whole bunch and he usually ends up playing really well in, those minutes and
those lineups work. Really well and our question, has, been well is this someone that can't kind of make that transition to being a role guy and have the same kind. Of impact is this a situation where he really needs to have enough minutes to get, himself comfortable which we
might not be able to get him. Or right or is it about having a defined role where he understands exactly what's being asked of him when he's in the starting lineup and if you were to give him eighteen minutes a night coming in off, the bench but he knows exactly where he's supposed, To be he's used. More creatively he's not just sat in the corner as a spot up guy and it's about whether or not he hits one or two shots in a game in terms of.
Offensive impact if he's used in a more, creative way if he's given that structure and there is clarity, of role can he be someone that makes. An IMPACT and i think that we have learned in this regular season, that yes that is in fact. The case he seems to not only be comfortable in, this role he seems to be growing. WITHIN it i really think that he is becoming stronger and stronger as a short. ROLE passer
i think his cuts have. LOOKED better i think, he understands, you know the spacing of the team and where he's able to take advantage of. THOSE opportunities i think he's always had a good sense of where those passing. Lanes ARE and i just feel really really, good about, you know his trajectory at, this Point because i've continued to hammer. THIS point i think sometimes it gets overlooked because he came out a, year earlier but he is in fact the same Age As, Evan MOBLEY like i don't think
He Has evan. Mobley, upside obviously, you know people might might still hold his draft slot. AGAINST him i will continue to say we did not do That With. Tristan thompson and in a lot, Of Ways isaac ocor reminds me of A Wing tristan thompson in terms of his ability to, complete lineups to do the, dirty work to be an impactful defender that can defend. Multiple POSITIONS and i think for a team that is as deep and talented as this cast, team is where, we have, you
know three guys probably in contention FOR. All nba we have four guys That Are all. Star caliber we have two guys that are two of the top Three six men Of the. Year candidates We Have, max struce who's a. Terrific starter that is Seven guys i've. Named already most teams don't have seven guys that they, feel really really. Confident in and we still have Guys Like, dean wade who has made a consistent impact when. He's Available sam
merril has had a very. Good Season, isaac ocoro is you know a twenty four year old glue guy that's still? Getting Better i'm i'm very excited about the fact that we still have him locked up for the next few years and what he can do growing alongside. These.
Guys, Yeah absolutely and again you're still seeing the little bits and pieces. Of growth i'll bet he didn't have twenty possessions in his career before this season as the roleman in the pick. And roll, and yeah. It's funny you know Those v ball index matrics you never really know goes. Into him some of them are a little, black boxy but you know they, you know they they posted a, you know screening talent ranking and was like second or third, and Like and i'm NOT such i.
Don't know how you measure, Screening, talent like you, KNOW what i understand what you're doing as a, role man but, you know just quality. OF screens i feel like he's a very, good screener so it matches my. High.
Test, YEAH well i also would imagine part of it is like it's just a very, small sample and they've been very successful in that, small sample, You know but like you really do see like that empty side pick and roll where he can kind of just see, you know it's kind of between a screen and a slip where he seals the other defender kind of on his, back hip and, you know he's just so big, and strong and he's always been a good finisher at the rim by percentage that you know with an with an
with an empty week side or a or A rumbling evan or j either in the dunker spot or coming in from the elbow extended for a. Dump OFF like i just feel like his reads get really. Really easy the, you know the the size and the touch are there. For him he doesn't really have to rely on his handle because it's just two, three dribble, you know a dribble or two, at most and then step step past or step, step layup and the reds are just right
there in front. Of HIM and i think it's really hard for teams to deal with because of how well the calves are constructed in terms of. Their shooting on the other side of, the floor the cheat options just aren't.
As, Obvious YEAH and i think too often we make the assumption that someone is a. Finished product like, You Know donovan mitchell is a. Great example he was a hell of a player when he Came. To cleveland he has gone consistently better these last. Three YEARS like i thought he was tremendous, again tonight it really feels like
he's ROUNDING into i feel great about how. He's playing but he has continued to grow his understanding of, the game, you know, the nuances his vision as, a passer what he's done as a. Defensive, player like he has continuously. Gotten BETTER and i was, just thinking, next year when we go into, Next Season carter darius is going to be the Same age donovan was when he spent his
first Year. In cleveland like, you know we Think of darius as a, finished product but in, all likelihood as he enters his physical prime over the next three, four years he's going to. Get better look how much you
know there's an Opportunity For isaacle coro to. Get better there is an opportunity Obviously For evan mobley to get better who, you know when he's putting it together and you see, These stretches, i'm, like yeah there's that path to be a, top ten top five player IN the nba without a shadow, Of DOUBT like i feel confident.
About it, and then, YOU know i think the poster child for this conversation is Someone Like, jared, allen who, you know when he Came to clear even seem like as finished of a product as it comes for a. Big man but it's, the nuances it's everything else he's added to. His game he is just, a smarter better
player than he's. Ever been and, YOU know i think it's important when we do when we talk about, our concerns when we say things that we're, nervous about and, we, say oh, you know we got to Give the cavs the benefit of the doubt that they know what's best physically and things. LIKE that i think we got to do That with JARED because, i was, YOU know i
was worried with him playing with that. Hand wrap it's been off for the last, few games, you, Know, wondering, okay well could he benefit from some time off or is this something that it could? Get worse. With playing it does not look like it got worse. Through playing he's not playing with the. Rap anymore and when you look, at, it man twenty one of his last twenty three shots have. Gone In jared allen has. Been awesome he has. Been awesome.
You know in a Matchup, against zubach he's. Been awesome now a Matchup Against Karl. Anthony towns he put him down into the, front row which. Was Tremendous jared allen has been bawling his butt off and it's been a lot of fun. To watch i'll do you, one.
Better brother he's thirty one of thirty four from the field in his last three. Home games oh. My god Because that spurs game he also went in ten of eleven from.
The field seems. Pretty good this is getting back to that you know stretch where he had more blocks. Than, misshots oh that was a lot.
Of fun, you know he don't need too many blocks honestly in that stretch to. Get, there yeah he's just. Been unbelievable another really really GREAT game. I loved, you know another guy who really answered the bell from a. Physicality perspective, you Know Every Carl anthony towns catch, was contested and he really made him square up, and fight, you know fight to, catch it fight to get, squared up fight. To Attack and towns had a really ugly. Second,
half honestly he had seven turnovers in. This game, you know he certainly made a, few buckets but, like overall was not the level of impactful he was in the. First half didn't, you know got most of his buckets were, tipping buckets, you know wasn't able to get they didn't have to, send help so he wasn't able to really create,
for others which is really important for them without runs. In, there yeah, JUST overall i JUST thought I thought jared Handily outplayed towns in, this one and you know in, That, CONSTRUCT yeah i.
Totally agree it's just. A shot I thought jared. WAS terrific i. Thought mobiley, YOU know i MENTIONED that i didn't love his. FIRST half i thought his second half was a. LOT better i still would have liked to have seen a more assertive game. FROM him i thought he was floating a, little bit but he made some really great, plays DEFENSIVELY and i felt his impact more in the. Second half great stat from the broadcast Where the knicks had won seventy one straight games when they
went up. By fifteen not only Did the knicks not win, this game they lost. By twenty so that was. Pretty fun that's a pretty fun way to kill, a very very. IMPRESSIVE streak i should have said this at, the top But the calves have won sixty. One games their magic number to clinch the number one seed In The eastern conference is now down. To two Is The boston celtics
lost at home To The. Miami heat it's probably worth noting they only have to win one more game Against the East because boston got another loss Against The eastern conference While the calves got. To win they do play two teams From the West In san antonio And The, sacramento kings so it's very possible that the magic number kicks in Before that east. Number does but they have pretty much locked up that number. One seed carter sixty
one wins ties the second highest marke in caz. Franchise history, Pop quiz do you know who was starting for the Sixty?
ONE cavaliers i DO because I. Watched twitter you just want to? Tell, everyone, Okay Sorry.
Mo WILLIAMS who, i loved Absolutely. Loved Williams, anthony PARKER who i really, you know came just a couple of years. TOO late i loved him as a three and. D wing i thought he did a lot of good Things. In toronto wasn't as Great, in cleveland but you know he had. His Moments, lebron james, OF Course jj Hickson and.
Shaquille O'Neal i'll tell, You What lebron james was really good.
Back then that would be, my takeaway, you know that's part. OF it i, will ARGUE like, I think i think the pieces fit really well in those sixty six sixty one. WIN teams i think sometimes when we look back, at it we forget about how good certain role. PLAYERS were i think it also, matters that, you know teams overall
just weren't. As, good, LIKE yeah i think the overall standard for what a role player needs to do in today's game is so much higher than it was back then, that sometimes, you know we discredit those teams a little. Too much, but yeah that's that's that's quite a trip now. Memory.
LANE yeah, i mean you look at some of these teams that are like playing, quality TEAMS and i just Today and, i'm, like man that team would be a. Five seed, you know think About Those Gilbert arenas. Wizards teams those feel like they would be, like, eleven twelve thirteen seed teams in THE, modern nba just because everyone is so freaking good up and down.
The.
Roster yeah that team also Had a, Calvs Legend. LEON poe I loved LEON.
Po i was that was My first that was my first, sports Autograph Reallys darnel jackson that that season was the first TIME that i ever got to See the cavs. Play live that early season Game. Against, Minnesota unfortunately delante was suspended. FOR it i really wanted To, see Delante But leon poe, wasn't active but he was walking out of. The TUNNEL so i got him to Sign My minnesota timberwolves game ticket because that was the ONLY thing i had on me. To sign, oh, Yeah brother yeah that.
Was fun, but man it, felt great, you know to get this win Against the. Knicks again it does still feel Like the cavs just kind of want to get to. The playoffs. YOU know i think there's been issues getting up for some of these games and giving a full forty. EIGHT minutes i thought they gave a full forty eight Against the, Clippers tonight i'd, probably say, you know maybe around,
thirty Six the cavs were really looking. Like themselves but, it really it hasn't shaken my confidence in what this team. CAN be i think that what they are and what they are capable of accomplishing is right there ON the i think it's. REALLY clear i love the fact that the Both the guards have been playing. Better lately jared's been looking, Really good evans looked, Really Good.
Matt darius WAS really, I mean darius had a, quiet game but he was. THE reason, i, MEAN obviously i don't want to take credit Away, from jared who did all, the SCORING but i Felt like darius was the engine for why the game got out of hand in the, Fourth quarter like it was. Just clean look every single possession down, the floor and it was, him orchestrating just Torturing Poor Karl anthony towns in the pick. And roll,
and yeah he got. Found everywhere button was available to them whenever, they wanted and.
He got anywhere he wanted the. Entire NIGHT like, i thought, you know whether It was delon right, on him whether It Was, mikhail bridges, you know no matter who the, MATCHUP was i thought he did a really good job getting into, the paint generating good looks for himself. And others nice, to see, you know the finishing, was there the floaters. WERE dropping i thought there was a lot of passes that led to, you know the the the pass that got. THE assist i just thought it was
a really really good game. From Him and donovan. Was phenomenal like, you know we we probably should have talked about him earlier in. The podcast maybe this is one of those instances where we take how great he is, For GRANTED but i really Thought that donovan was. Terrific, tonight yeah HE just i thought his control of the game was just really. Really, strong yeah it Was a i'm going to walk to my spots kind of night. For him and understanding the, moment too like he you
could tell like he felt when that momentum. Was going he's playing to the crowd like he he understood the moment the, entire night and, you know those big kind of momentum, swing shots he seemed to hit all.
Of THEM and i love that he picked up those two thousand in the third Quarter Of like, I'm working i'm gonna be too rough at the point. Of attack i'm gonna be too rough riding, you know Bridges or ananobe. Going around also really liked the Play where anonobe was trying to post him and he kind of just stonewalled him right on, the block, you know used, that length used his core strength to not move and forced up an ugly Miss. FOR antonobe i JUST thought i thought
he was really really. Tough, tonight yeah and and was one of the GUYS who i. Thought most, YOU know i thought Him and max were the guys who really jumped out at me as like like we're going to rough them up in the. Second, half yeah, You know max's first HALF shift i thought was, Really rough but the SECOND half, i thought, you know he came out and really showed some of that toughness, and physicality And alongside donnie and they both answered.
The. Bell. Yeah yeah for, first half the starters were outscored by eight minus eighty net rating according To. Pivot faate second half the Outscore the knicks by ten with a plus ninety one, net rating so a lot better for that. Starting lineup we also got five minutes Of the core four Along With, DeAndre hunter which was really nice. To see they Outscored the knicks by eight in, those minutes so, you know it's nice to get a little
bit of. Run there coming into, THIS game i was looking at the cleaning the glass possession stats And the core Four With sam merrill had played one possession fewer Than the core Floor With. DeAndre Hunter As kenny atkinson said Recently To, jackson flickinger, you know that's that Grouping With DeAndre hunter is something that he wanted to see a little bit more of down, the stretch even though
there isn't. Many games so it's nice, to see, you know another five minutes of that group not only playing, well together but, you know getting some run and getting it done against a. Good, team yeah they, played very. Very well they got into the paint.
REALLY well i, JUST yeah i know we're kind of doing a little bit of a box score recap, right now, but, LIKE yeah i Also thought hunter.
Ties into our macro thoughts we've been.
TALKING about i Thought the hunter had an excellent game and he didn't have like an eye popping. Box score sixteen points on six of eleven from, the field two of five. From three he hit those two important threes just to keep. Us connected in the, first half only, two boards no assists, one steal so, you, go wow was it just kind of an empty? Calories GAME and i don't.
THINK so.
I thought i thought he was, generally very very helpful in the defensive end of. THE ball i thought. HIS drives i really liked his commitment to getting all the way to the cup on his, DRIVES tonight a couple. Really nice you're closing out on Me and i'm going to go all the way and either, you, know uh there was that one wack where were precious fouled the hell out of.
Him and he didn't get to the LINE that i couldn't believe.
That, one YEAH but i just liked his process attacking the hoop a. LOT tonight i think sometimes he goes to that floater, a little, you know he leans on that floater when he just really should take that one extra step and use all that length at a cleaner angle. To FINISH and i thought he really did a nice job of.
That. TONIGHT yeah i thought those two threes that he hit it in the first quarter were. Incredibly important, right like early game scoring often feels more significant than, It Is, right like when you're down twelve to, to four it feels like it's an insurmountable mount and at times when it's really just an eight, point game but hitting those shots on the other end and cutting into that deficit can make a. Big DIFFERENCE and, i, think no it's one of the reasons why it was so important that
they went out And Got DeAndre hunter because having someone that can hit those shots that isn't, You Know darius Garland Or donovan mitchell or, you Know even maxtius who can be a bit of a. STREAKY shooter i think it's so important to have another guy like that that's going to be able to hit shots even when the offense isn't clicking at the. Highest level when, you know we didn't really get the defense in. A rotation it's a bit of a, lake contest but, you know you've
got to. High release you're a confidence shooter in, these spots and we trust you to knock. It down having another guy like that is just. So important that's one of those elements that they just did not have in previous.
Playoff, series yeah you just, gotta say sometimes you just got to hang on for, dear life and Guys Like DeAndre hunter will help you do.
That absolutely and, you know sometimes teams are going to punch you in. The mouth that doesn't mean you can't come back and punch them. Right BACK as i said at, the top fifteen offensive rebounds For, the knicks fifteen For. The calves they won the turnover battle fourteen to thirteen despite their, early turnovers and they won the points in the paint battle sixty four to. Fifty two they Outwork the knicks in the, second half and in, my opinion outwork.
Them overall really really nice to see them Answer the bell in.
That, way yeah and, YOU know i don't want to over Index again nix on the second half of back, To Back, no brownson, et cetera, et cetera.
Et cetera THAT'S why.
I think like the vibe and the energy is what matters to me a lot more than. The result proud of their the intentionality with which they Answered.
That bell, totally agree and, you know winning in multiple ways. Is important last time that we played Them With, jalen brunson we smoked them with execution, right like we picked them. Apart offensively it. Was methodical we beat them. By forty it felt, great winning, you know through physicality in. This matchup that feels pretty good, as well especially for a cast team that hasn't been playing their best basketball as.
Of late but, you know magic number down to two calves on the verge of locking up the number one seed In The. Eastern conference really excited to see what they do Against the Spurs. And kings we will be podcasting After that kings Game. On sunday big thanks to everyone that tuned in live. On YouTube make sure you guys like. And subscribe click that notification bells you know
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