2023-2024 Playoffs: March Toward _______?

[dms]

Oh really? Are you disputing what he said about the Magic players? Not the first time I heard that.

I'm disputing anything he says.
This is the same guy who has repeatedly stated that Jarrett Allen is the best center in basketball and that Mitchell is the MVP.

 

[Green Lantern]

I'm disputing anything he says.
This is the same guy who has repeatedly stated that Jarrett Allen is the best center in basketball and that Mitchell is the MVP.

I'm able to filter out things I know are exaggerations (evaluations)vs something I think is concrete..since it was not the first time I heard something that similar I don't dismiss it.

 

[Bob_The_Cat]

I agree with you but . . .

David Blatt took the Cavs to the Finals and was two injuries away from a championship (maybe one). Yet he was fired the next year.

LA Lakers fired their championship coach after the front office wrecked their team.

There's really no limit to human stupidity.

So we're comparing two teams with prime LeBron to this current Cavs team? Seems like a massive leap to take there.

 

[2 For The Brew]

So I'm assuming thats JBBs fault.

Yes. It’s the players’ job to design an offense to get the best shots. It’s the job of the head coach to actually make the shots.

 

[jhernjh]

We know Orlando is not a 3 pt shooting team. They were like the 23rd in league in % and 2nd to last in attempts. They have 5 rotation players who are atleast 6ft 10ish. Orlandos offense relies on going to the paint and mid-range. How is the Cavs defense going to hold up when JBB has to split the Bigs? I like Niang because he gives plays tough and plays with effort. The draw back is he is not athletic and only 6ft 7. I hope JBB is quick to adjust, if the Cavs Defense begins to fall apart when the bigs are split. It sucks TT and Morris Sr. didnt get a lot of run time towards the end of the season, but JBB might need them on the floor to rest the twin towers and not let Mo and Isaac tears the Cavs up in the paint

 

[Ohio]

Death.

(The answer to the thread title).

Been on a death march since the Knicks series last year.

 

[Sebastian]

I agree but I’d give Miami Dracula’s chance.

Dracula's chance?

Like normal Dracula?

Or Space Dracula?

 

[Pierre Pan]

Youth can’t be a crutch for Darius Garland, Evan Mobley as Cavs prepare for baby-faced Orlando Magic -- Jimmy Watkins — cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Darius Garland just turned 24, and Evan Mobley (22) could still be a senior in college. But as both Cavs stars prepare for their second playoff appearance, neither player’s birthday will count as an explanation for underperformance.

apple.news

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Darius Garland just turned 24, and Evan Mobley (22) could still be a senior in college. But as both Cavs stars prepare for their second playoff appearance, neither player’s birthday will count as an explanation for underperformance.

The kid gloves are off, as they have been since the Cavs mortgaged their future to acquire Donovan Mitchell two offseasons ago. Last year’s playoff loss should’ve forced Cleveland’s young core to grow up fast. And last offseason’s roster tweaks created a friendlier, spacier environment for both of Cleveland’s future franchise cornerstones. So ahead of their playoff matchup against the Orlando Magic, here’s to the last invocation of “inexperience” as an excuse.
Buck up, baby deer, and don’t look into the lights. It’s either time for both Garland and Mobley to show what they learned from last season’s failed postseason exam, or it’s time to examine their star potential under a harsher light.

To review, Garland averaged 3.6 turnovers and posted an effective field goal percentage (51.3%) worse than 2022-23 Jordan Poole during Cleveland’s 2023 playoff loss to the Knicks, during which he was also hunted on defense. Mobley averaged fewer than 10 points per game (9.8) on worse than 50% shooting (45.8%) and, alongside Jarrett Allen, could not stop New York’s offensive rebounding barrage.

Together, they raised big questions about Cleveland’s young core, with one caveat: The Cavs needed time to answer. Mobley couldn’t have prepared himself for playoff physicality Garland could learn from his experience Neither player could know what they’d never learned before their first playoff run.

But now that same logic applies to the Magic, who enters Saturday’s Game 1 with the NBA’s youngest playoff roster and 26 combined games of playoff experience among its top eight rotation players (all 26 come from 11-year vet Gary Harris). Most importantly, top scorers Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner have never appeared on this stage (or anything close to it), which means they don’t know how to meet the moments that playoff basketball creates.

But if last spring is any indicator, neither do Garland and Mobley, and it’s up to them to change that perception. Both players were graded on a curve for their first playoff exam, but now the guardrails are gone. The Cavs have added veteran shooters (Max Strus, Georges Niang) and enforcers (Tristan Thompson, Marcus Morris Sr.) designed to help them on test day. Mobley and Garland have five painful games’ worth of lessons from which to draw this time around. And as a result, both players have lost youth’s benefit of the doubt.

Don’t confuse that with lost confidence from the front office. In fact, heightened expectations might signal the opposite. When the Cavs traded for Mitchell in 2022 and paid Strus $64 million via sign-and-trade last summer, they telegraphed their belief in youngsters like Garland and Mobley. But in the same breath, Cleveland telegraphed its intent to leave learning curves behind, which means leaving playoff newbies like Orlando in the dust.

Wagner doesn’t turn 23 until August. Banchero (21) could still be a junior in college. And Orlando, unlike the Cavs, has no playoff failure from which to learn or draw fuel.

So when Garland and Mobley take the floor against the Magic, Cleveland expects to see the difference experience makes. The Cavs felt it last spring, and they gave their young players time (and grace) to learn from their failure.

Now Cleveland needs to see those lessons applied. Garland needs to score efficiently and value possessions. Mobley needs to rebound and play with force. And if they can’t, then Cleveland might need to reconsider the ceilings on both players, no matter how few birthday candles either has counted

 

[Pierre Pan]

Latest Wine and Gold podcast takeaways:

‎Wine and Gold Talk Podcast: How far will the Cavs go in this year's playoffs? Hey, Chris! on Apple Podcasts

‎Show Wine and Gold Talk Podcast, Ep How far will the Cavs go in this year's playoffs? Hey, Chris! - Apr 16, 2024

podcasts.apple.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In this episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, the hosts discuss the Cavs’ chances in the playoffs.

Takeaways:

-The majority of fans believe the Cavaliers will at least win the first round of the playoffs.

-Donovan Mitchell’s decision to sign a contract extension with the Cavaliers will depend on the team’s success in the postseason and their ability to compete for a championship.

-The Cavs have a solid foundation and potential to compete in the playoffs, but they still have room for improvement.

-Expectations should be realistic for Darius Garland, as he is not yet ready to be the franchise player

 

[Peacedog]

Two guys I'm focusing on in this series.

1. Mobley. His late season play was encouraging, near all star level. At the end of Year 3, it's time he takes that next step. No way he can let Banchero outplay him.

2. Garland. He played in a fog for most of the season. He needs to cut down on his turnovers, push the pace appropriately, try on defense, and let it fly when he's open.

 

[Thelastcavsfan]

Latest Wine and Gold podcast takeaways:

‎Wine and Gold Talk Podcast: How far will the Cavs go in this year's playoffs? Hey, Chris! on Apple Podcasts

‎Show Wine and Gold Talk Podcast, Ep How far will the Cavs go in this year's playoffs? Hey, Chris! - Apr 16, 2024

podcasts.apple.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In this episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, the hosts discuss the Cavs’ chances in the playoffs.

Takeaways:

-The majority of fans believe the Cavaliers will at least win the first round of the playoffs.

-Donovan Mitchell’s decision to sign a contract extension with the Cavaliers will depend on the team’s success in the postseason and their ability to compete for a championship.

-The Cavs have a solid foundation and potential to compete in the playoffs, but they still have room for improvement.

-Expectations should be realistic for Darius Garland, as he is not yet ready to be the franchise player

I can usually listen to this show at work, but between Chris knowing more than anyone about basketball and Ethan being unlistenable, I might have to unsubscribe from that show.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Two guys I'm focusing on in this series.

1. Mobley. His late season play was encouraging, near all star level. At the end of Year 3, it's time he takes that next step. No way he can let Banchero outplay him.

2. Garland. He played in a fog for most of the season. He needs to cut down on his turnovers, push the pace appropriately, try on defense, and let it fly when he's open.

I'll be interested to see how the true PG role would is split between DG and DM when both are on the floor.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

The Cavs get those shots because it’s what the opposition gives them. Their offense is often dictated by the opposing defense, especially when Mitchell is off the court.

Coaching is a driving factor in that.

If the Cavs routinely punished teams for giving them the shots they take, opponents would adjust. When I read that stat, it tells me that the league has the Cavs’ offense figured out.

Now that the season is over and the results are in, I'm going to take a look at all the numbers. But for now, the Cavs rank 3rd in frequency of shots taken at the rim, last in mid-range frequency, and 7th in 3-point frequency, which is why they are #1 in location shooting. They shoot from the best locations - the rim and the 3-point line and avoid the mid-range shots.

One problem is they rank 18th in accuracy on shots at the rim. So they're 3rd in frequency but 18th in accuracy. I haven't broken it down by player yet, but from observation I would say that Mobley misses a lot of shots at the rim, Garland gets layups blocked or altered, and Okoro misses a lot of layups. I'll check the numbers and see who the main culprits are.

Given that Orlando starts three players who are 6'10" and brings another 6'10 defensive monster off the bench, this could be a problem. Three-point shooting may be critical for the Cavs in this series.

 

[pinoycavsfan]

Two guys I'm focusing on in this series.

1. Mobley. His late season play was encouraging, near all star level. At the end of Year 3, it's time he takes that next step. No way he can let Banchero outplay him.

2. Garland. He played in a fog for most of the season. He needs to cut down on his turnovers, push the pace appropriately, try on defense, and let it fly when he's open.

Rewatched the NOP game which is one of the better games of Garland. He gave up the ball early, moved well without the ball and caught the ball in movement which kept the defense off balanced. He never hesitated on catch & shoots and was quick when bigs switched on him. No probing, no over dribbling. This is the Garland the cavs need against Orlando.

Mobley needs to be a high volume 3pt taker for the Allen-Mobley frontcourt to maximize it's potential. This might be the series he can get reps as a spacer with the defensive attention Mitchell and Garland will have. He just need to make his season average % with higher attempts to open the floor. Easier said than done. He also needs to be on his best game as a rebounder and defender.

 

[Peacedog]

I think the cutoff point for JBB is making it to Game 7 with the Celtics. He needs to beat Orlando and take the Celtics to the limit.