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There are a lot of people out there that are quite skeptical on this team's bench, or rather, the offense overall actually being able to put out a product that is going to meet the standards of the rest of the East.
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My guy Chase says, I don't think the offense is going to be very good pre-deadline.
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Can you potentially see them having to tinker with things to such a level and end up making a move at the deadline because the offense is just not where they want it to be?
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Is that even a hot take to you?
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A little bit.
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Can I see them making a move?
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It'd be a minor.
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I just don't see them blowing up the score.
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We talked about the continuity thing before.
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I don't think I'm not sure how high the ceiling is for the Cavs offense, but I know the floor is high.
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Because if worse comes to worse and guys get hurt, can't make shots.
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James Harden running the high pick and roll with Evan Mobley is still a dynamic and really difficult action to stop on a night-in-night out basis.
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Donovan Mitchell's still an elite isolation scorer if needed, and they have shooters around.
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That's assuming that Peyton Watson isn't the creator that we saw him for that short stretch in Denver.
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If Jalen Tyson isn't take that next step forward, if the bigs aren't utilized the way I think they should be utilized, their baseline is still we'll run high pick and roll at James Harden, spread the court with good shooters, and we'll let Donovan Mitchell go one-on-one.
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I don't see how you have a bad offense like that, at least in the regular season.
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When it gets that stagnant and predictable in the playoffs, we have a different discussion.
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But as far as a regular season offense goes, Mac, I think between just those two, their floor is too low to be bad.
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But I'm also not sure if James Harden isn't willing to fully buy into Kenny's system and Donovan's not willing to make some of the sacrifices to his own personal scoring to allow other guys to flourish, how high their playoff offensive ceiling may be.
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But I think part of that comes with their defensive ceiling now with this year with Peyton Watson and Hazonia and Jalen Tyson is higher than it was.
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So maybe a little step down offensively, maybe a little step up off uh defensively.
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But in the regular season, I'm not too worried about it.
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Come playoffs.
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I do have my concerns, but that goes back to the first question.
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Does the regular season matter?
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Go figure out what you can and can't do, who can and who can't run certain sets, who fits and who doesn't fit together now.
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So you're not trying to get those answers in game three in a one-one series when you're on the road and your backs are up against the wall.
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I think that's fair.
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For me, my reservations are not in the starting lineup at all.
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And I don't even know if we can really boil it down to something as simple as a starting lineup because we know that there will be a ton of staggering.
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We know that they will probably compensate for the lack of a true reliable third guard off the bench.
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As of right now, though, that could change really quickly, depending upon whether or not Craig Butter Jr., Malik Thomas, or Tyrese Proctor end up being a viable contributor in the playoff or rat rather regular season rotation early on.
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That could certainly change.
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But we know that based upon the level of talent in that starting unit, they will stagger it to such a way that maybe that isn't felt as much as fans are expecting it to be.
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A lot of moving parts here, a lot of moving components, but it's going to take some time to iron out.
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I do have another hot take for you though, and that comes from Eddie Kilroy, who says the leading score this year will be Donovan Mitchell, which isn't really all that much of a hot take.
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But the second part of this second leading score, Jared Allen.
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Is there a realm of possibility in which you could see Jared Allen being the Cavaliers' second leading score?
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Yes, but I think it would take a pretty significant lineup change.
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I think the big that plays with James Harden is just going to score more.
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Whichever big that is.
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And so far, it looks like it's going to be Evan Mobley.
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If at some reason they switch back and pair Jared Allen with James Harden, I do see a world where James Harden could be, I mean, where Jared Allen could be the team's second leading score.
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I think James Harden will have nights where he puts up 30, 30 plus points.
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But at this stage of his career, I think he's more content kind of being the facilitator, being the point guard, and reading the defense.
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And whatever the defense is going to take away, he's going to be content to take what is available,
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whether that's the kick to the corner, whether that's the drive for himself, or more importantly, in this situation, whether that's the dump-off pass where he's as good as anyone in the history of the league at making to the rolling big, Jared Allen fit into that role perfectly last year.
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I'm not sure Donovan.
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Well, I take that back.
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I know for a fact Donovan's not the same playmaker out of the pick and roll as James Harden is.
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So I don't see Jared getting as many opportunities as he would if he was playing with James Harden.
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But I think that's exactly why Kenny Atkinson made the switch to pair Evan and James because they know they need Evan to take that next step forward offensively.
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How do you do that?
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You pair him with maybe the best guard in basketball at maximizing what their big can do offensively.
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So in a certain world, I can see Jared Allen being the second leading scorer.
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In the reality we're living in right now with the current lineup pairings we expect to see in the regular season, I don't think that will happen.
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But I don't think it's crazy.
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I can see Don averaging 24, 25 points a game, Mac, and Evan, James, Jarrett, and Peyton Watson all averaging between 14 and 19.
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Wow.
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Okay, I can see it.
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I think that pairing definitely has a lot to do with it.
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Obviously, you don't need to look far for examples of what that could look like between Jared Allen and James Tartan.
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And then again, once more, with James Harden and Evan Mobley and Kenny Atkinson's decision to shift those pairings throughout the entirety of the regular season well will kind of tell us what we need to take away from that.
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But I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility.
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I just don't think it I just don't think it happens.
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I think there it relies so much to me on others really conceding the opportunities.
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And when I say others, I'm really looking at one player in particular, and that is Donovan Mitchell, which kind of brings me to my next hot take here from Dr.
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Claw, who says, same as every year, amateurs are mad at the bigs when the cards are the ones who clog the game ups, which leads me to the thought process here, right?
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How many times last season, even after the acquisition of James Harden, were we screaming for Donovan Mitchell?
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And to a lesser degree, James Harden at times when they were relying on isolation basketball to get the ball to the biggs.
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Do you think that we are in store for another season of heavily isolation-based playoff basketball?
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I hope not.
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I really hope not, Mac.
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I'm gonna raise my voice again because I'm already getting mad just thinking about it.
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But no, and I sat down with Kenny Atkinson at our Media Day one-on-one.
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I I told him, I said, hey, my one complaint I've had with you guys was I feel like Evan can be more of a falcum of the offense.
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Jarrett to a little lesser extent, but more Evan.
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And whether Kenny's just being Kenny and being friendly with the media, or whether he's actually being honest, sometimes it's hard to know with Kenny because he is so transparent, I think in good ways and bad ways.
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He's like, no, I think you're right.
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Like, I think we have to run offense through the bigs more.
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Like they're too talented not to utilize as offensive fulcrums, and it saves some wear and tear on the legs of Donovan and James so they can be at their healthiest and their freshest for a deep playoff run.
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Even Jared Allen has the capability to run offense through.
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Like, I don't think you're running 12 post-ups and having Jared Allen survey the fourth is back to the basket, but he's a good passer from the short roll.
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He's not a lead, he's not Jokic, he's not Draymond, but he's not a scrub.
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It's not like he's gonna make the wrong decision 50% of the time.
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Is he perfect?
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No.
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But there's like three perfect passers out of the short roll in the NBA, and none of them are on the calves.
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I think they have to utilize their bigs more because if nothing else, it changes up the predictability factor.
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And I said this on a podcast yesterday, I'll say it again.
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Basketball and football are two totally different sports, but there's one commonality, there's more than one, but one main commonality from a defensive standpoint.
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If you know what the offense is gonna do, you can stop it.
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And if you don't know what the offense is gonna do, it becomes 10 times more difficult to stop.
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If you know a team's gonna run on first down, you put eight in the box, nine in the box, and you dare them to throw.
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And the Cavs, the last couple of postseasons have become so predictable from an offensive standpoint
when their shooters have fallen off, when they've had injuries, and for whatever reason certain guys haven't performed, they have become so easy to defend.
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I think they need to be more versatile, I think they need to be less predictable.
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And I think running offense to the bigs gives them the ability to still get into the actions they want, but set it up in a different way.
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Do you play video games, Mac?
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I mean, it's not even a question, of course.
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I don't know.
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Do you play the new college new college football game?
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Yes.
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It's not great, but they have formation shifts.
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Like, have you ever called a play in an online game where you didn't use a formation shift?
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No, you use a formation shift every time because the defense then has to audible reset their entire defensive game plan.
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You could run the same plays if you put a little eye candy on it, and that's by giving it to the bigs and then getting it out as opposed to James Harden or Donovan Mitchell, dribbing it up the court 16 seconds into the shot clock, then setting up a pick and roll.
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It could be the same action, but window dress it a little bit, it becomes 10 times more difficult to guard.
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So, yes, please, please, please, please, please, for the sake of my sanity and my voice, let's use the bigs more and become more versatile, less predictable on the offensive end of the court.
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I could not have said that any better myself.
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I think that's my number one thing heading to into the season.
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I know that the acquisition of Peyton Watson from a dynamism standpoint uh is going to impact the flow a little bit, but I'm not expecting things to change to such a degree that getting Evan Mobley and Jared Allen involved shouldn't still be a really big portion of the Cavaliers' success.
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I think it has to be.
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I think you have seen Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, how far isolation-based offense can get you.
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And by no means am I saying there's not a place for it, because there absolutely is, especially in playoff basketball.
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You need guys who can put the ball on the floor and go out there and get you a bucket in hard times.
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There is a time and place for that.
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But I definitely think it makes it very, very difficult for teams to game plan for when you have two bigs who are capable of making plays for others.
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Inevitably, I don't know if he'll end up being the offensive hub that I'm hoping he will end up being, but I think you have to at least lean into it more this year.
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So I'm very curious to see how that looks.
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And then with Jared Allen, just simply continue to keep him involved.
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We know as much as as impactful as he can be, you don't want your guy checking out on you.
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You just don't want that happening from a mentality standpoint.
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And I think the more that you feed him, the better off you'll be in the long run.
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And we got a couple more here, so I'll kind of speed through them.
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Uh, him says Donovan Mitchell for regular season MVP.
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Do you think that is possible considering the level of talent on this roster and how things are kind of going to be spread out for the Cavs or like for the actual MBA?
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The MBA, like regular season MVP.
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Uh his best chance of the year, the Cavs won 64 regular season games.
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Uh, and that was a Jokic won the MVP that year, and obviously Jokic averages like basically a triple double led league.
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So it's gonna be like really difficult, but that's the recipe for Donovan.
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The team wins 60 plus games, he averages 28, 29 points, and it's kind of the feel-good 10th year in the league.
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This is now Donovan's prime, his peak.
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Just signed that contract, stayed in Cleveland.
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There are just so many guys who put up such stupid, ridiculous numbers, and their teams kind of need them to.
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Like the Nuggets would suck if Jokic didn't averaged 30, 20, and 16 a night.
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So it's just hard for Donovan Mitchell, who doesn't have the rebounds and doesn't have the assists and isn't an elite defender.
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But is it possible?
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Yeah.
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Like I think it wouldn't shock me this year if Donovan finished top five MVP.
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I would be pretty shocked if he finished as the number one winner just because of how talented the league is and how little his stats compare to them in rebounds, assists, blocks, deals, etc.
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But he can finish top five, and it comes down to the Cavs being a really good regular season team and him staying healthy for all 82 games.
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That's to play 82 games, but he can't miss a week here, can't miss three, four games there with a with a sprained ankle or something like that.
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He's got to stay healthy.
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And yeah, then he can be
a top five finisher.
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I don't think he wins, but he can be a top five finisher.
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And to his credit, he has been in the top 10 in voting in three out of his four seasons in Cleveland.
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So I think the recognition is definitely there.
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Whether or not he actually ends up winning that award or as a finalist for it remains to be seen.
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Frankly, I don't think it's possible considering the competition and the makeup of this roster and how things are probably going to be spread out as the team tries to push more of a team-friendly and team-based effort, especially in terms of the development of guys like Peyton Watson and Evan Mobley.
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But uh crazier things have happened.
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Next one, uh, Blaze Cray says Mobley is exactly who we thought he was.
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A weak player that will never ascend to what he could should be, which to me is just like it's entirely dependent upon what your opinion is of Mobley and what he should be.
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Um, do you think I'll let you go ahead.
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Go ahead.
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Is this a safe space?
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For sure.
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I have more Evan Mobley stock than anybody.
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You know, I have I don't want to say crowned him, but I see what he could be.
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This is the first offseason going to the season where I'm like, maybe I'm just totally wrong.
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And maybe he is just a good player, not a great player.
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And maybe he is exactly who he is, which is an 18, nine, three, and a really good defensive player.
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And you want that guy on your team one million out of a million.
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Like Evan Mobley's a damn good basketball player, but maybe he's not a potentially elite basketball player.
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Maybe he's not potentially a great basketball player.
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Maybe he had a great season, but that's kind of the anomaly over the course of his career.
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And I wanted to see some of that progression in the preseason, Mac, and it's three preseason games.
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I'm not taking too much stock into any of it, I promise.
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But he got to a lot of the spots I wanted to see him get to, and I was underwhelmed by his finishing ability from those spots.
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For him to take that next step and for him to become the player, the dominant force on both ends that I think he has the potential to be.
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He's got to make those shots by the rim at like a 70-75% clip.
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And I know for his career, he's been one of the better finishers around the rim, but it feels like he makes all the uncontested ones, and when it's contested, those are the only ones he ever misses.
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Like he has to start to make more of those.
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So to that hot take, it depends on what you view Evan Mobley as.
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And right now, I think Evan Mobley's a top 30 player in the league, and he's a damn good basketball player, borderline all-star.
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If he never gets any better, he's gonna have a 12, 15-year career, make a ton of money, will be on a bunch of good teams, win a ton of games, but he may never be the centerpiece in the franchise pillar that the Cavs clearly view him as, and as I thought he could be.
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It's the first time in my entire time covering the Cavs where I go into a season saying, Mobile, you have to now prove it to me as it's instead of me trying to sell you to everybody else.
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I think that that is contextualized quite well.
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And I think a lot of that is based upon what the Cavaliers did not do, right?
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They had the opportunity to acquire Jalen Brown, but they had the opportunity to potentially acquire Giannis, and that likely would have cost them Evan Mobley as the primary bargaining chip.
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And they stood pat and they placed a lot of faith in Evan Mobley becoming the player that they ultimately hoped that he can be.
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Now, obviously, none of those questions are going to be answered uh at the early portion of the season.
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It's gonna take uh a whole regular season and playoffs combined for people to begin shifting the narrative in regard to how they feel individually about Evan Moby.
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And I suppose in the context of this question, heavily depends upon what your definition of a weak player is.
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Like if we're saying he's weak, like he is physically not strong enough to move players off of their spots and he's just moved around too easily, especially in that post area.
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Okay, you know what?
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There's an argument to be made there.
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If you're saying that he is a weak player, meaning he is not a good player, that's where you lose me.
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Because I think that nine times out of 10, if you take the contract out of it, and I know that's a large part of it, I think that's where a lot of people's frustrations stem from, is the money that he is being paid.
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If you take that out of it, as you mentioned, many, many people would love to have Evan Mobley on their team.
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But we can't do that, right?
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All of this
context is important.
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So I certainly understand if you're playing devil's advocate for Mobley, maybe not necessarily being the player that many fans, including myself and you, right, that we perceive him to be does he's gotta go out there and make good on the Cavaliers leap of faith in him.
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And I think that's completely fair.
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And I'll say this what really gets me at times is when people automatically write players off before a season even begins.
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I think that's my biggest issue.
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And you can make an argument that maybe you know I'm being a homer by automatically assuming that a guy is gonna make good on the faith that a team has placed in him.
00:17:35.759 --> 00:17:52.240
But I will forever operate in a place where I would rather give the benefit of the doubt out of the gate than to immediately write a player off and then have to change tune midway through a season or at the conclusion of one that I may have been wrong.
00:17:52.400 --> 00:17:53.759
For Mobley, go ahead.
00:17:54.000 --> 00:17:54.880
No, no, no, finish.
00:17:55.039 --> 00:17:56.079
I just want to add something you done.
00:17:56.160 --> 00:17:58.799
I want to add something for Mobley in particular.
00:17:59.119 --> 00:18:00.079
He's got to prove it.
00:18:00.160 --> 00:18:01.359
That's all it boils down to.
00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:05.440
There's no amount of selling that you or I can do for him, his agent can't do it.
00:18:05.759 --> 00:18:11.680
Nobody on that organization or in that organization can sell the fans on Evan Mobley more than they already have.
00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:14.000
It is really up to him at this point in time.
00:18:14.319 --> 00:18:22.160
I think the other part of the Mobley conversation, this this gets lost more than anything when I think big picture-wise, we discuss Evan Mobley.
00:18:22.960 --> 00:18:26.000
They traded for Donovan Mitchell after his rookie season.
00:18:26.160 --> 00:18:34.079
And when they traded for Donovan Mitchell, the entire trajectory of his career changed because it no longer was let's develop Evan Mobley, it was let's win basketball games.
00:18:34.160 --> 00:18:40.480
And how does Evan fit alongside Darius Garland and Jared Allen and Donovan Mitchell and now James Harden and those three?
00:18:40.720 --> 00:18:49.440
The priority to develop Evan and to allow Evan to make mistakes on a bad basketball team, like almost every high draft pick gets got thrown out the window after one year.
00:18:49.599 --> 00:18:53.200
How many guys entering their second season are just automatically a finished product offensively?
00:18:53.359 --> 00:18:54.480
Almost none, right?
00:18:54.720 --> 00:18:55.279
Maybe none.
00:18:55.599 --> 00:18:57.440
Maybe the answer to that question is zero.
00:18:57.599 --> 00:19:13.359
And Evan didn't have a chance or the opportunity to kind of develop and learn what he can and can't do, to make those mistakes in non-pressure situations, to figure out hey, this is the best way for me to maximize my skill sets against NBA competition.
00:19:13.440 --> 00:19:13.839
Why?
00:19:14.079 --> 00:19:21.839
Because when you push all your chips on the table and you give up three first-round picks and all those assets for Donovan Mitchell, the onus on the organization is win and win now.
00:19:22.079 --> 00:19:26.960
And Evan has done a tremendous job fitting into the win and win now mantra for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
00:19:27.039 --> 00:19:29.519
He has done everything they have asked him to do.
00:19:29.839 --> 00:19:43.920
And now the whole flip is script, the whole script has flipped because they decided to hold on to Evan Mobley as opposed to trading him for a reported one year of Giannis Tenacumbo or reportedly flipping him for Jalen Brown if that move was on the table.
00:19:44.000 --> 00:19:49.920
And if you are going to say, no, we don't want Giannis, who's an unquestioned top six player in the league, if not better.
00:19:50.079 --> 00:20:02.720
And no, we don't want Jalen Brown, who plays the most important position in basketball coming off the best season of his career, who's still under contract for three more years, because we like what Evan Mobley brings to the table and we believe in him that much, then you have to use him like a player.
00:20:02.960 --> 00:20:06.880
You can't just say you trust Evan Mobley, then use him like a fourth or fifth option.
00:20:07.119 --> 00:20:11.200
Will he ever be a more uh will he have a higher usage rate than Donovan or James?
00:20:11.279 --> 00:20:12.240
No, and he shouldn't.
00:20:12.480 --> 00:20:19.200
But he has to be a focal point of the offense and they have to utilize him to allow him to showcase what he actually can do.
00:20:19.359 --> 00:20:24.960
And Evan, right now, I feel like he's going through kind of the developmental phase that he should have gone through in years two and three.
00:20:25.119 --> 00:20:26.319
We saw at the beginning of last year.
00:20:26.400 --> 00:20:28.960
Can he put the ball in his hands or let him try to create from the high post?
00:20:29.119 --> 00:20:30.400
It didn't work, right?
00:20:30.480 --> 00:20:33.359
It didn't work, but it doesn't mean it'll never work.
00:20:33.519 --> 00:20:35.200
It didn't work, he wasn't ready to then.
00:20:35.279 --> 00:20:36.240
Will it work this year?
00:20:36.480 --> 00:20:37.200
We'll see.
00:20:37.519 --> 00:20:47.440
The Cavs have a little bit, and I say a little bit of leeway to mess around with that early in the season because I don't think they can start the year 12 and 15 and have to catch him in the Easter conference because of how loaded it is.
00:20:47.519 --> 00:20:48.400
I don't think that's possible.
00:20:48.559 --> 00:20:56.240
So the leeway's thin, but I also don't think it's fair to Evan to just pigeonhole pigeonhole him into one specific slot and say, this is what you
do, Evan.
00:20:56.400 --> 00:21:03.200
And then us as an outside fan base from the media get mad that he's not developing when they're not asking him to do anything other than what he's doing.
00:21:03.359 --> 00:21:11.119
So I think that's all worth adding to the context of the Evan Mobley discussion because that part of it gets lost almost every time I hear an Evan Moby discussion.
00:21:11.279 --> 00:21:12.960
He should be better than he is right now.
00:21:13.200 --> 00:21:13.759
He should be.
00:21:13.839 --> 00:21:16.720
His ceilings higher than the player he currently is.
00:21:16.960 --> 00:21:26.240
But he never got the opportunity to grow with the Cavs because the onus on Evan Mobley from his second year to this moment has been become a winning player and help this team win.
00:21:26.319 --> 00:21:27.759
And you know what he's done?
00:21:28.079 --> 00:21:29.359
Exactly that.
00:21:30.559 --> 00:21:31.920
I think that's fair, right?
00:21:32.079 --> 00:21:41.519
And honestly, is and people might laugh at this, but you can make a similar argument for a number of players over the Donovan Mitchell era in Cleveland, right?
00:21:41.599 --> 00:21:53.039
You can make a case that had Donovan Mitchell not been acquired, Isaacoro may have developed into a more stable version of a 3 and D wing.
00:21:53.119 --> 00:21:59.680
You can make the argument that Darius Garland's developmental window was expedited right upon the arrival.
00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:06.960
Of Donovan Mitchell in terms of expectations, and certainly Evan Mobile falls right in line with that.
00:22:07.039 --> 00:22:12.000
And I think that that is an aspect that is left out a lot of times in the discussion.
00:22:12.240 --> 00:22:14.559
So kudos to you for bringing that up.
00:22:14.640 --> 00:22:18.319
And I got a couple more here for you before we get out.
00:22:18.799 --> 00:22:20.960
This may not be a hot take at all.
00:22:21.119 --> 00:22:24.480
I'm honestly of the mindset that in the long run it's probably for the best.
00:22:24.559 --> 00:22:24.880
But Dr.
00:22:25.039 --> 00:22:28.240
Joby says it was a blessing that LeBron didn't choose us.
00:22:28.400 --> 00:22:32.400
Peyton Watson gives this team a higher ceiling in a longer contention window.
00:22:32.559 --> 00:22:34.160
How are you feeling about that?
00:22:34.480 --> 00:22:38.559
Contention window, contention window agreed with higher ceiling this year.
00:22:38.640 --> 00:22:41.039
I disagree with LeBron's still a top 30 player in the league.
00:22:41.200 --> 00:22:43.279
Peyton Watson could be a top 30 player in the league.
00:22:43.359 --> 00:22:44.160
He's not there yet.
00:22:44.240 --> 00:22:47.200
So longer window, yes, right now I disagree.
00:22:47.440 --> 00:22:47.680
Okay.
00:22:47.839 --> 00:22:48.960
I think we're alignment.
00:22:49.039 --> 00:22:50.000
We're in alignment with that.
00:22:50.160 --> 00:22:52.960
Jalen Tyson will be a sixth man of the year finalist.
00:22:53.200 --> 00:22:53.920
Uh,
I love that.
00:22:54.000 --> 00:22:54.960
We talked about Tyson earlier.
00:22:55.039 --> 00:23:05.599
I'm not going to go on my whole rant again about Jalen Tyson, but he is in line to be one of those bridge players between the first unit, the second unit, and that third unit, which I think is going to be a crucial part.
00:23:05.759 --> 00:23:15.440
Luca brought up on the podcast yesterday how bad the Cavs' second unit was last year, how the starters would get a lead and then come back in for their second stint down 12, and then to fight their way back and claw their way back.
00:23:15.519 --> 00:23:17.759
And that's why they just didn't have the legs late in games.
00:23:17.839 --> 00:23:24.720
I think Tyson's going to be one of those crucial guys to not just sustaining leads, but essentially playing net neutral on those second units.
00:23:24.799 --> 00:23:37.920
And if he does that, averaging, you know, 13, 14 points, 5-6 rebounds, 3-4 assists, possibly closing games for the Cavs, he has a very, very, very good chance to be in the sixth man of the year contention and maybe one of the finalists when it's all said and done.
00:23:38.160 --> 00:23:39.599
I'm here for the campaign.
00:23:39.759 --> 00:23:49.839
Trevor Burrus says Peyton Watson is going to be a massive disappointment on the offensive side of the bowl, but his defense will be what saves his starting uh starting spot.
00:23:50.319 --> 00:23:53.039
So you're saying he's Dean Wade with a different skin tone?
00:23:53.839 --> 00:23:56.160
Yeah, I mean, that's a that is a damn.
00:23:56.480 --> 00:23:57.920
I wouldn't have said it, but you did.
00:23:58.079 --> 00:24:00.240
And I can't, that's a good description.
00:24:00.319 --> 00:24:02.480
Um that's what he said, right?
00:24:02.640 --> 00:24:03.920
Like I disagree.
00:24:04.079 --> 00:24:04.880
I mean, it's a hot take.
00:24:05.440 --> 00:24:08.400
And the whole point of this this podcast was fans' hot takes.
00:24:08.559 --> 00:24:09.680
It's certainly a hot take.
00:24:09.759 --> 00:24:12.400
I I don't agree with it whatsoever, but um, yeah.
00:24:12.480 --> 00:24:21.599
I mean, if you think he's Dean Wade 2.0, then the Cavs severely overspaid because they spent almost twice as much money on Peyton Watson as the Sixers did on uh our friend Dean.
00:24:22.240 --> 00:24:28.720
Yeah, we're gonna get a very up close and personal look at Dean Wade with the opposition here shortly, mind you.
00:24:28.799 --> 00:24:35.119
Uh Dylan says extending the two guards set this team back for actually competing for anything other than a good regular season.
00:24:35.359 --> 00:24:36.640
But what were they supposed to do, Mac?
00:24:36.880 --> 00:24:42.880
Like that it's so was Darius Garland worth the rookie max?
00:24:43.039 --> 00:24:46.400
Like the answer was probably not, but what do you do?
00:24:46.480 --> 00:24:47.440
Let him walk for nothing?
00:24:47.680 --> 00:24:50.880
Like these guys don't take rookie discounts, it doesn't happen.
00:24:51.200 --> 00:24:55.759
Look around the league at how many teams have guys on rookie max contracts that you're like, oh, he got a rookie max.
00:24:56.160 --> 00:24:58.079
You're damned if you do, damned if you don't.
00:24:58.240 --> 00:25:01.599
I don't really know what you're supposed to do in those situations if you're a front office.
00:25:01.759 --> 00:25:08.079
Because if you let him walk and you go, we just don't think Darius is worth$40 million a year, you have a revolt on your hands.
00:25:08.160 --> 00:25:10.480
Imagine the fan base after they let Colin Sexton go.
00:25:10.559 --> 00:25:12.000
And they're like, hey, Darius, you know what?
00:25:12.160 --> 00:25:13.359
We took the fifth overall.
00:25:13.519 --> 00:25:20.400
You're obviously a talented player, we don't think you're$40 million a year, uh, a$40 million a year player because of X, Y, and Z.
00:25:20.480 --> 00:25:21.839
We're gonna let you walk for nothing.
00:25:22.079 --> 00:25:24.480
Well, what do you do if you're the fan?
00:25:24.559 --> 00:25:27.119
Like, I I I agree with you.
00:25:27.200 --> 00:25:30.960
Like, I actually agree with the take because in hindsight, it was the wrong move.
00:25:31.119 --> 00:25:35.839
But I also I have no idea if you're a front officer or general manager, what you're supposed to do in those situations.
00:25:35.920 --> 00:25:37.359
I genuinely don't, Mac.
00:25:37.759 --> 00:25:42.640
And I think it's one of the reasons that the owners were so adamant about this second apron.
00:25:42.720 --> 00:25:47.279
So they did have a little bit of leverage to say, hey, we can't just be giving out these max contracts to anybody.
00:25:47.440 --> 00:25:54.400
Like you have to be a legitimate max player because outside of one or two guys on each team, we can't afford to pay three, four guys 40 million.
00:25:54.480 --> 00:26:00.480
The Celtics just traded Jalen Brown coming off a second team All NBA appearance because they didn't think he was worth the max money.
00:26:00.720 --> 00:26:01.359
Philly did.
00:26:01.440 --> 00:26:04.400
Philly traded for him, they're gonna pay him, they're gonna extend him again soon.
00:26:04.640 --> 00:26:05.359
Boston didn't.
00:26:05.440 --> 00:26:06.400
We'll see who's right.
00:26:06.559 --> 00:26:09.920
But I don't know what you're supposed to do if you're in that situation and you're a front office.
00:26:10.079 --> 00:26:12.880
Also, Detroit is putting belt to ass on Boston right now.
00:26:13.759 --> 00:26:14.400
Yeah, I'm seeing that.
00:26:14.559 --> 00:26:25.920
If anyone's looking and sees my eye, it's because I got the game on, and this is an absolute second half demoralization if you're Boston, an absolute come out of nowhere offensive performance for Detroit.
00:26:26.079 --> 00:26:29.440
And uh, if you're a Pistons fan, I know there's still three minutes to go, they're up 11.
00:26:29.599 --> 00:26:31.519
You got to be loving what you're seeing right now.
00:26:31.759 --> 00:26:33.359
I'll one
more for you.
00:26:33.759 --> 00:26:36.720
And that is courtesy of Renegade.
00:26:36.799 --> 00:26:44.079
God says, we're gonna be the first in defense this season, and we're gonna see Donovan Mitchell become a three and D player.
00:26:44.400 --> 00:26:51.279
I know that Donovan was viewed as a very good defensive prospect coming out of Louisville.
00:26:51.359 --> 00:27:02.960
And I I've always been of the mindset that if he didn't have so much on his offensive plate, that he could be a better defender than he has shown to be, because a lot of that is energy-based and effort-based, and I think just commitment to it all.
00:27:03.119 --> 00:27:16.559
And I think that if you have Evan Mobile take a leap, if Peyton Watson proves to be the player that the Cavaliers believe he is, if James Harden is able to create for others out there, maybe that frees up Donovan's uh abilities and energy defensively.
00:27:16.720 --> 00:27:18.960
But do you see that potentially occurring?
00:27:19.119 --> 00:27:22.000
Like a true 3 and D season out of Donovan Mitchell?
00:27:22.240 --> 00:27:22.559
No.
00:27:24.640 --> 00:27:25.759
Right off the bench is Donovan.
00:27:25.839 --> 00:27:30.400
Um but listen, I think I don't really, and I say that I don't mean this any disrespectful Donovan.
00:27:30.559 --> 00:27:32.160
I don't think it matters in the regular season.
00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:37.519
If Donovan can give us 22 games in the postseason of being a 3nd guy, then we're good.
00:27:37.680 --> 00:27:39.599
But I don't think he needs to do it in the regular season.
00:27:39.680 --> 00:27:42.720
Donovan's body's broken down at the end of the last two regular seasons.
00:27:42.799 --> 00:27:50.720
Like, I don't want Don over-exerting himself in December or in February in a game that at the end of the day isn't going to mean a lot.
00:27:50.880 --> 00:27:52.319
He needs to save it for the playoffs.
00:27:52.400 --> 00:27:53.920
And is that frustrating to hear?
00:27:54.079 --> 00:27:54.640
Yes.
00:27:54.880 --> 00:28:03.519
Would I love for everyone on a basketball court to be locked in for 59 possessions a game, 98 possessions a game, whatever the number is, on both ends of the court?
00:28:03.599 --> 00:28:05.759
Like, obviously, yes, but it's just not realistic.
00:28:05.920 --> 00:28:25.279
And when Donovan has to carry as big of an offensive load as he does on a night-to-night basis, I don't want him expending his energy on the defensive end of the court when it's just not beneficial in the long run for the Cavs if Donovan is at 53% max capacity for the playoffs because he put 98% effort in night in, night out during the regular season.
00:28:25.359 --> 00:28:27.759
So, yes, theoretically, we'd all love that to happen.
00:28:28.160 --> 00:28:29.519
I just I don't think it's realistic.
00:28:29.599 --> 00:28:39.200
I don't think it's realistic for anybody, even SGA, who's on the best defensive team in the NBA, plays defense for like 23% of the possessions on
a given on a given basis.
00:28:39.359 --> 00:28:44.160
But they're so good around him, and he's so you know intellectually good defensively.
00:28:44.240 --> 00:28:45.200
He's in the right spot.
00:28:45.440 --> 00:28:46.400
He doesn't have to be.
00:28:46.480 --> 00:28:49.279
They have other guys that can be the main point of attack defender.
00:28:49.359 --> 00:28:55.039
Quezon Wallace just got paid a huge contract because he's one of the best POA defenders in the entire NBA.
00:28:55.119 --> 00:28:57.839
And they had Lou Dorton, they have Jalen Williams, and they have Chet Holmer.
00:28:58.079 --> 00:29:02.240
Like that's a it's an ecosystem and an infrastructure that kind of hides what he does defensively.
00:29:02.319 --> 00:29:06.640
The Cavs' perimeter defense the last couple of years has been so porous that they can't hide Donovan.
00:29:07.119 --> 00:29:08.240
And he gets attacked.
00:29:08.319 --> 00:29:11.920
And I'm I'm standing up in the press box saying, yeah, it is what it is.
00:29:12.000 --> 00:29:21.279
Like I'm not gonna throw a fit over it because I know if Donovan's putting in all that effort defensively, then they have no chance to go bucket for bucket late in games because I didn't like Darius Garland's chances of creating offense.
00:29:21.359 --> 00:29:25.039
I don't love Evan Mobley and Jared Allen's uh ability to create offense late in games.
00:29:25.119 --> 00:29:32.240
A lot of it falls on Don's shoulders, and now if they have James Harden, maybe that's a little lesson on Donovan's toll when it comes to comes to that issue.
00:29:32.400 --> 00:29:35.359
But no, like he's not gonna be a 3D player all season.
00:29:35.440 --> 00:29:37.839
Kenny Atkinson doesn't want him to be a three and D player all season.
00:29:37.920 --> 00:29:40.400
Donovan Mitchell won't be a three and D player all season.
00:29:40.559 --> 00:29:42.640
Like, let's just be realistic.
00:29:43.039 --> 00:29:44.240
You don't want him breaking down.
00:29:44.319 --> 00:29:45.680
That's what I'm taking away from this.
00:29:45.759 --> 00:29:47.599
Like, you really don't want him breaking down.
00:29:47.680 --> 00:29:53.519
Uh but before we get out of here, I have a hot take, and I'm going to ask whether or not you have one.
00:29:53.759 --> 00:29:55.359
Mine is what's yours?
00:29:55.680 --> 00:30:01.200
Mine is that Malik Thomas will end the season with over 20 minutes per game average.
00:30:01.440 --> 00:30:02.559
Oh, I like that.
00:30:02.720 --> 00:30:03.279
I like that.
00:30:03.359 --> 00:30:06.480
I think he's got to find his way into the he's gonna be the third one to get a crack.
00:30:06.559 --> 00:30:08.400
I think he's gonna start as Craig Porter Jr.
00:30:08.640 --> 00:30:12.640
I think we're gonna see Tyrese Proctor, and then it'll be Malik Thomas who gets that crack.
00:30:12.720 --> 00:30:20.079
But everything I've seen from Malik Thomas, including being up close and personal at the wine and gold scrimmage on Saturday, where I got to
sit on the court with the team, which was awesome.
00:30:20.160 --> 00:30:24.160
Shout out to the Cavs for being so generous for the media who showed up and kind of being in the huddle.
00:30:24.400 --> 00:30:27.680
Malik Thomas does not look like he doesn't belong.
00:30:27.839 --> 00:30:35.359
The one thing Malik Thomas has to figure out is how do I play alongside other guys who are better scorers than me?
00:30:35.519 --> 00:30:37.200
Because his mindset is wired.
00:30:37.359 --> 00:30:38.880
Get the ball, score the ball.
00:30:39.119 --> 00:30:44.000
And that's not what the role, that's not the role the Cavs need him to play when he's alongside Donovan and some of the other guys.
00:30:44.079 --> 00:30:55.200
Like it's fine when he's in with a bench unit and he is the primary scorer, but I don't think in the regular season, most times when he's on the court, it's going to be in that situation if he's playing up to 20 minutes a game.
00:30:55.279 --> 00:31:05.759
He has to find a way to rewire his brain to be able to think the game quickly and make the right decisions quickly when that decision isn't immediately get ball, see rim, go.
00:31:07.119 --> 00:31:19.200
Yeah, I mean, um, I posted a stat in reference to Malik the other day about him being the uh he was third in unassisted field goal percentage during the preseason for the Cavaliers behind James and Donovan.
00:31:19.359 --> 00:31:31.519
And that was expected considering that his abilities as a on-ball shot creator are better than I feel like we're salt to us coming out in terms of the scouting report out of Arkansas.
00:31:31.599 --> 00:31:45.599
But I definitely think that in order for him to secure a larger role than uh was would probably be predicted at the start of the season, he's gonna have to be a viable off-ball option considering who he's going to be sharing the court with.
00:31:45.680 --> 00:31:50.000
But I certainly think that playing alongside Darius Acuff probably will help in that regard.
00:31:50.079 --> 00:31:52.319
But what is your hot take on the season?
00:31:52.559 --> 00:31:57.359
Jared Allen averages more than one three-point attempt per game this season.
00:31:59.039 --> 00:32:01.599
It's something I know, it's something I know he's been working on, Mac.
00:32:02.400 --> 00:32:05.279
We saw him take an in-rhythm three in the preseason.
00:32:05.599 --> 00:32:10.079
He's going to be paired up with Donovan Mitchell, which means the pick and pop possibility will be there.
00:32:10.160 --> 00:32:14.000
Donovan, I think, is a better pick and pop passer than he is a pick and roll passer.
00:32:14.319 --> 00:32:17.599
And I think the Cavs are prioritizing spacing over everything.
00:32:18.000 --> 00:32:30.480
I think we're going to see more lineups that focus on spacing and ways to create space, even with the two bigs via cutting, via screening, where Jared Allen's going to find himself open on the perimeter, in a position to crash for an offensive rebound.
00:32:30.640 --> 00:32:36.960
They're going to get the ball kicked and swung to him with more than three on the shot clock where he actually has a decision to make.
00:32:37.039 --> 00:32:38.480
And I think he's going to let it fly.
00:32:38.640 --> 00:32:40.240
I'm not sure I'm going to be happy with all these.
00:32:40.319 --> 00:32:45.200
Like I'm already telling you, I'm preemptively, I'm preemptively mad that I think this is actually going to happen.
00:32:45.279 --> 00:32:48.559
But my hot take is that Jared Allen averages over one three-point attempt.
00:32:48.880 --> 00:32:49.839
And barely over.
00:32:49.920 --> 00:32:51.680
I think he takes like 88 on the season.
00:32:51.759 --> 00:32:52.640
So, like, okay.
00:32:52.799 --> 00:32:57.279
I'm not saying he's letting it fly, but I think it's going to be like 1.1 threes per game this season.
00:32:57.359 --> 00:32:59.359
That's my hot take for the upcoming year for Cleveland.
00:32:59.920 --> 00:33:24.880
The one player that I've consistently linked to Jared Allen in terms of these discussions, purely has uh beyond the arc has been Andre Drummond, who had you know had quite a turn in terms of spacing, if you can really even consider it that with Philadelphia this past season, where he actually made 32 triples on 90 attempts, which is by far more than.
00:33:25.359 --> 00:33:26.960
Can you imagine if Jared Allen made 32?
00:33:27.279 --> 00:33:30.799
How much does that change if Jared Allen was just just confident?
00:33:31.200 --> 00:33:34.640
Like just enough that you couldn't leave him bare ass open, Mac.
00:33:34.880 --> 00:33:37.119
Do you know how much that changes for everything?
00:33:37.440 --> 00:33:40.160
Like, I think the Cavs are gonna tell Jared early.
00:33:40.640 --> 00:33:42.319
If you're open in the corner, shoot it.
00:33:42.480 --> 00:33:44.480
Like just shoot it, but we'll live with the results.
00:33:44.559 --> 00:33:50.160
And if he can make a couple of those early, Mikey, I think it's possible, man.
00:33:50.240 --> 00:33:51.119
I draw him in the trick.
00:33:51.359 --> 00:33:52.319
It's a real hot take, I believe.
00:33:52.400 --> 00:33:52.960
I'm being serious.
00:33:53.039 --> 00:33:54.640
I genuinely believe this hot take.
00:33:54.880 --> 00:33:58.160
He he attempted 1.4 triples per game for Philly last year.
00:33:58.319 --> 00:33:59.279
Like it's possible.
00:33:59.759 --> 00:34:02.720
It just depends upon whether or not Jared has that mentality.
00:34:02.799 --> 00:34:08.400
Because I think genuinely speaking, and if there's anybody who has seen Jared do this, it's Kenny Atkinson.
00:34:08.559 --> 00:34:12.239
Like, I think it's gonna be up to Jared Allen specifically.
00:34:12.400 --> 00:34:15.039
He will have the space, teams will not defend him.
00:34:15.199 --> 00:34:27.199
I do believe that James Harden and Donovan Mitchell can get him in proper sets, whether that be pick and pop, or if you're literally just stacing uh stationing Jared in the corners, he
will have the opportunities to do so.
00:34:27.280 --> 00:34:29.920
It's gonna be up to him whether or not he's actually gonna pull that trigger.
00:34:30.079 --> 00:34:33.440
But I mean, he attempted 45.
00:34:33.519 --> 00:34:34.480
That's his career high.
00:34:34.639 --> 00:34:36.400
I think that came in year two with Brooklyn.
00:34:36.480 --> 00:34:41.840
And he's never attempted more than 10, I think, in any season that he has been with the Cavaliers so far.
00:34:42.079 --> 00:34:43.840
Who is his coach that year in Brooklyn, by the way?
00:34:44.079 --> 00:34:45.280
Kenny Atkinson.
00:34:45.599 --> 00:34:49.119
Who was the coach in Brooklyn when Brooke Lopez started shooting threes?
00:34:49.360 --> 00:34:50.480
Kenny Atkinson.
00:34:50.559 --> 00:34:54.480
Who was the coach in Brooklyn when Quincy Acey went from never shooting threes to be a five or three point?
00:34:55.599 --> 00:34:56.880
Kenny Atkinson is a couple of things.
00:34:57.039 --> 00:35:08.480
I'm just saying it wouldn't be the first time that Kenny, in the in the the big picture and the big benefit of spacing, yeah, has asked a big to learn how to stand in the corner and make open threes.
00:35:08.639 --> 00:35:18.880
I'm telling you, I'm not saying I like it, and I'm probably gonna get mad at it when Jared airballs a three with 21 on the shot clock at some point, and I will tweet about it, and I'm already apologizing in advance, Jared.
00:35:19.119 --> 00:35:22.480
But I do think he ends the season with close to 100 threes.
00:35:22.880 --> 00:35:25.440
I'm with you, but tempted.
00:35:25.599 --> 00:35:25.840
Yeah.
00:35:26.079 --> 00:35:30.639
I mean, if if Jared Allen made 100 threes, we're having an entirely different discussion here.
00:35:30.960 --> 00:35:33.280
But yeah, I mean, I hope that's the case.
00:35:33.360 --> 00:35:35.039
It improves lineup versatility.
00:35:35.199 --> 00:35:44.320
I think it allows you to play uh Jared Allen a lot more in closing lineups, to be honest, if he's able to become a viable spacer at any level.
00:35:44.480 --> 00:35:47.679
But Mikey, as always, man, I appreciate you for coming on.
00:35:47.760 --> 00:35:59.679
And you know, whether or not we agree with somebody's tastes or not, it's always fun to see where the general mindset is across the fan base and how high people are on the Cavaliers, juxtaposed to how low they are.
00:35:59.920 --> 00:36:02.079
So thanks again for coming on, man.
00:36:02.320 --> 00:36:05.599
Anytime, Mac, we are so close, I can taste it.
00:36:05.760 --> 00:36:15.760
And I hope we are back here in like two months doing a reactionary pod to where everything you and I said today was right and everything that we said was wrong, uh, also ended up we were right and on the right side of history.
00:36:15.840 --> 00:36:17.280
Because we're never wrong, we're just early.
00:36:17.360 --> 00:36:18.320
Just remember that we're never wrong.
00:36:18.719 --> 00:36:20.000
There you go, just early.
00:36:20.400 --> 00:36:21.840
That's a good way to look at things.
00:36:22.000 --> 00:36:22.880
Go, Cavs.