1 00:00:03,319 --> 00:00:07,519 What is Kracklak and Hardland Knox. Listen, there's I M Damn Valley coming 2 00:00:07,599 --> 00:00:13,279 at you once more without my fantabulous co host Adam Fromwell. The team look 3 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:16,879 Ahead train continues to roll on though, and I'm excited to get to the 4 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:21,800 Cleveland Cavaliers with Justin Rowan. He has been on this podcast a few times 5 00:00:21,839 --> 00:00:25,760 before. He is the co host of the Chase Down Pod, which is 6 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:30,640 officially under the umbrella of the Cleveland Cavaliers Network. Very impressive. Had a 7 00:00:30,679 --> 00:00:34,719 great conversation with him. Be sure to follow him on Twitter at Cavzanada. 8 00:00:34,799 --> 00:00:39,679 That's at c A V s A n A DA. That's at c A 9 00:00:39,759 --> 00:00:44,960 V s A n A DA. Before we dive into a bunch of interesting 10 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:51,240 Cleveland Cavaliers talk, let me just deliver our usual reminders please begs, whatever 11 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:54,560 you want to call it, Remember to rate, review, and subscribe to 12 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:58,079 this podcast wherever you get your podcast. If this is the first time that 13 00:00:58,119 --> 00:01:00,960 you're listening, you stumbled on us by accident, or you just really love 14 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:06,680 the Cleveland Cavaliers. Maybe you want to love listen to Justin. Maybe you 15 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:08,280 want to hate listen to me. Whyever, you're here If this is your 16 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:12,959 first time, please consider throwing us that permanent subscription. Whether anyone here uses 17 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:15,439 iTunes or not, as long as you have access, we ask that you 18 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:19,000 head over at iTunes, throw us a five star rating, write a review. 19 00:01:19,159 --> 00:01:22,840 It can include criticisms, as long as you give us that five star 20 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:26,519 rating and submit it. It takes only a few seconds and it helps us 21 00:01:26,519 --> 00:01:30,760 out a ton in the charts. So again, rate, review, subscribe, 22 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:36,120 reviet your podcast down over every episode. If you are a first time 23 00:01:36,159 --> 00:01:41,280 listener, consider throwing us that permanent subscription. We are pleasantly sub mediocre. 24 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:44,959 Follow us on Twitter as well at Hardwood Knox. You can follow us on 25 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:49,920 Instagram at Hardwood Underscore Knox. We are also on YouTube YouTube dot com search 26 00:01:49,239 --> 00:01:55,840 Hardwood Knox. We will come up subscribe there without further delay. Let's get 27 00:01:55,879 --> 00:02:01,599 to a deep, deep, deep dive into the Cleveland Avaliers twenty two season 28 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:07,199 and beyond with Justin Rohan. Justin, welcome back to the Hardwin Knox podcast. 29 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:10,400 Thank you so much for the return. I guess we should call it. 30 00:02:12,319 --> 00:02:15,039 We are here to talk Cleveland Cavaliers, as everyone knows by now. 31 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:17,039 But first and foremost, the most important question, how the hell are you 32 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:22,280 doing. I'm doing well. I think when people think the Calves and the 33 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:24,840 Return, they are going to think of my appearance on this podcast that that's 34 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:28,240 probably going to be the thing that comes up to the top of their minds. 35 00:02:28,759 --> 00:02:30,560 It is an honor to be back. I appreciate you having me on. 36 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:35,240 It's the return and soon like that's if you think of justin whenever you're 37 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:38,319 want to hear those terms. You are the first person before we recorded to 38 00:02:38,319 --> 00:02:40,120 get yourself hands up. You smacked your face because we're both tired. I 39 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:44,240 think you're the first person to do that before the podcast. So I'm excited 40 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:46,520 to see to see where this lead is given your prerecording ritual. Yeah, 41 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:51,439 I slapped on the face. I didn't put on the war pain just yet. 42 00:02:51,479 --> 00:02:53,879 But we'll see how this podcast goes. There's still time for it. 43 00:02:54,639 --> 00:03:00,479 So the Calves, their offseason was like m I eventful. It was just 44 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:02,759 I guess I don't know what to make of their off season, and so 45 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:06,520 I'm just curious to what you're thinking about. If anything surprised you were, 46 00:03:06,599 --> 00:03:10,879 what thoughts you're really harping on about their off season heading into the regular season. 47 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:15,520 Yeah, it was certainly an interesting one. Obviously, jumping up in 48 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:19,039 the lottery and getting Evan Mobley at three kick things off, and that was 49 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:23,240 exciting Going into this off season, I think one of the biggest needs was 50 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:28,400 the clear lack of a backup point guard. Last season. They went in 51 00:03:28,439 --> 00:03:31,599 with Dante Exim and Matthew Delavadova. Delhi got a concussion in the preseason, 52 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:37,800 Exam got hurt right away, so you were left in a situation where Damian 53 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:42,879 Dotson Broderick Thomas were kind of the primary backup point guards. Jetty Osman played 54 00:03:42,919 --> 00:03:46,159 some point guard at times where Garland and Sexton were both out of the lineup, 55 00:03:46,199 --> 00:03:49,800 and you had no point guards playing at all, so you got point 56 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:53,199 Drummond and point McGee and all all these other weird variations of the lineup. 57 00:03:53,240 --> 00:04:00,360 So getting Ricky Rubio, I thought was a really really big addition. Kind 58 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:02,000 of hurts to give up one of the few wings that they had in Torrean 59 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:06,000 prints, but I do think Rubio addresses a bigger need, and with Kevin 60 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:11,639 Pangos, you got a pretty solid third string point guard. Obviously first team 61 00:04:11,919 --> 00:04:15,000 All Year League last year, good three point straight or good floor general. 62 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:20,879 I like that addition, I guess my one disappointment looking at this offseason is 63 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:27,319 just that they were not able to really bring in an experienced wing option, 64 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:31,120 like I think a three four wing when Joe Ingles was reportedly on the trade 65 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:33,600 market, like that was a guy that was at the top of my wish 66 00:04:33,639 --> 00:04:38,319 list because I think a playmaking wing, someone with size that can shoot that 67 00:04:38,399 --> 00:04:42,720 can help be a release valve for some of the younger players, especially the 68 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:46,759 guards, would have been really helpful. But overall, I think given the 69 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:50,600 lack of flexibility they had from a salary cap standpoint, they came away pretty 70 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:54,800 well with this off season. I do think that this is an improved roster. 71 00:04:55,639 --> 00:04:57,920 Yeah, I think it's easy to look at the holes, but you 72 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:00,160 also have to look at what what were they supposed to do? And I 73 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:01,319 think the Ricky Rubio audition is huge, and as you mentioned, like just 74 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:04,959 having a backup point guard who can just help me maybe give some toutledge to 75 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:09,000 Darius Garland, but also help with minutes with Sexton. I don't know enough 76 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:12,399 about Kevin Pango, but I know enough to know he's intriguing, So I 77 00:05:12,439 --> 00:05:14,720 thought that was great, and then just they weren't fun, like, what 78 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:16,279 was the playmaking wing? They were just supposed to go out and get right 79 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:20,319 to the point that you made. I the Evan Mobley pick is the one 80 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:25,959 I harp on. I would have went personally with Scottie Barnes or Jalen Suggs, 81 00:05:25,959 --> 00:05:29,040 and that wouldn't have changed for me. That being said, I saw 82 00:05:29,079 --> 00:05:32,079 Evan Mobley in Summer League, and in my quest to overreact to everything Summer 83 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:34,480 League, I fell in love with Evan Mobley. He was a lot better 84 00:05:34,519 --> 00:05:38,279 than Look, I only get shin deep into the draft, so my cake 85 00:05:38,319 --> 00:05:42,240 should be take shouldn't even be taken seriously. That being said, how do 86 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:46,319 you feel one how much should we expect him to play next to Jared Allen? 87 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:49,560 And to what do you think of that actual fit insofar as the Calves 88 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:54,319 are going to try to make that a front court staple. Yeah. I 89 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:57,879 was going through my old tweets about Evan Mobley and even as far back as 90 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:00,800 February, I was calling him one B in that draft. I felt he 91 00:06:00,879 --> 00:06:03,759 and Kaide were the one A one B in the draft and to land him 92 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:06,319 at three, For him to fall to the Cavs at three was something that 93 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:10,439 really excited me. I think he's going to be the starter. I think 94 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:15,160 he's going to be the starter at power Forward, which I mean part of 95 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:18,040 that is the investment they made picking him third. Overall, it seems that 96 00:06:18,079 --> 00:06:23,879 he's really impressed in camp. He's a very good defensive presence, which if 97 00:06:23,879 --> 00:06:28,800 you're starting two six one guards with Garland and Sexton, you're going to struggle 98 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:31,680 a little bit defensively, and the only way that you can really overcome that 99 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:35,319 is if you have a really solid defensive front court. I mean Utah is 100 00:06:35,319 --> 00:06:39,759 actually a great example of that because they start two guards six one and under. 101 00:06:40,439 --> 00:06:44,120 Mitchell's not exactly known for his defense, but in theory, Isaac o 102 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:47,160 Goro, Evan Mobile, Jared Allen, those are defensive players that can help 103 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:53,480 cover up for that. Now, what I like about starting Mobile is I 104 00:06:53,519 --> 00:06:57,240 do think it actually makes the rotation a little bit easier because you can have 105 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:00,560 Mobili and Sexton be kind of those first subs out of the game so that 106 00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:03,480 they can work more with the second unit. If you're bringing in Rubio and 107 00:07:03,519 --> 00:07:09,279 Laurie market and off the bench for those two, you have those guys playing 108 00:07:09,319 --> 00:07:14,879 with the starters, and then as you cycle out Garland o'coro and Alan. 109 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:18,399 You can bring Mobile back into play some center, kind of play that backup 110 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:24,399 five alongside with Laurie. You have Rubio playing the point guard so Sexton can 111 00:07:24,439 --> 00:07:29,240 stay in his ideal off ball role, and then at the wing you kind 112 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:32,160 of have a Ish Morgus board of options, whether it's Dylan Windler for shooting, 113 00:07:32,439 --> 00:07:38,439 Mr Stevens for defense, not Jetty Osman for whatever Jetty can bring to 114 00:07:38,439 --> 00:07:42,560 the table. There's not a lot of complete players there, but you at 115 00:07:42,639 --> 00:07:46,800 least got a few flyers that you can take. So I do expect Mobile 116 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:50,160 to play a fair amount this season. I would put it maybe like twenty 117 00:07:50,160 --> 00:07:56,360 seven minutes at night and split those minutes whether it's with Jared Allen and Laurie 118 00:07:56,399 --> 00:08:01,839 Market and I think he'll primarily be the backup five anytime Alan's off the floor. 119 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:05,000 I was just laughing before she mentioned Dylan Windler, and I'm not even 120 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:07,759 sure if he's a real person anymore, based on how a little he's played 121 00:08:07,759 --> 00:08:11,600 in centrical League. But is there any concerns you have about Mobley at the 122 00:08:11,639 --> 00:08:16,519 four? Is it more so offensively more so defensively? I would pay to 123 00:08:16,519 --> 00:08:18,319 see them run a pick and roll with Jared Allen and Evan Mobley. Just 124 00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:22,480 looking at what Evan Mobley did in Summer League, I just wonder when Jared 125 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:26,040 Allen is the center in those units and looking at what Evan Mobley can do 126 00:08:26,519 --> 00:08:31,639 on offense, if whether the spacing sort of MUCKs him up there. Yeah, 127 00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:35,279 the spacing is a concern, especially when it's alongside Isaaca Coral. Like, 128 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:39,480 I think there's a lot of basketball like you there. Obviously, Mobile 129 00:08:39,639 --> 00:08:43,279 played a lot of four in college as well alongside his brother, so he's 130 00:08:43,399 --> 00:08:46,679 used to kind of that big, big passing and I think there's opportunity for 131 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:50,720 that to work. But when you have Isaacle Coral who's not really a threat 132 00:08:50,759 --> 00:08:54,879 to hit a lot of threes, that can get a little bogged down. 133 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:56,679 I think we saw a little bit of at in the first preseason game against 134 00:08:56,720 --> 00:09:03,279 Chicago. I think Evan Mobley is a four. I think, especially early 135 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:07,200 on in his career, he's most comfortable on the perimeter. I don't think 136 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:09,840 he necessarily has the strength of bang Low on the inside or anything like that, 137 00:09:11,759 --> 00:09:13,759 So I don't have concerns with him playing the four, and I think 138 00:09:13,799 --> 00:09:18,200 it can work with Jared Allen, it's just who you have on the perimeter 139 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:22,759 is going to really define whether or not that work. So the absence of 140 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:28,320 a real kind of proven wing option at the small four position does make me 141 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:31,879 a little nervous. But you know, it's not a perfect roster. This 142 00:09:31,919 --> 00:09:35,759 isn't a team that's supposed to be contending. This is a team that probably 143 00:09:35,799 --> 00:09:39,279 will be outside the plan mix but hopes to at least be in that mix 144 00:09:39,799 --> 00:09:43,679 this season. So you're going to have a flawed roster. It's not going 145 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:48,840 to be perfect, So you're going to make some compromises, and I think 146 00:09:48,879 --> 00:09:52,840 they are going to lean heavily on trying to be a defensive team and getting 147 00:09:52,840 --> 00:09:56,279 out and running when they do get stops. What did you think of the 148 00:09:56,600 --> 00:10:01,159 lowry market in addition, especially knowing that it's not just adding him, paying 149 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:03,360 him, but also giving up Larry Dance Junior in the process. Yeah, 150 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:09,919 I think I felt a little better about it after Nance came public and had 151 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:13,799 mentioned that he had requested a trade that he had wanted to. Now that 152 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:18,600 they've invested in a number three overall pick at his position, he's not going 153 00:10:18,639 --> 00:10:20,039 to be the starter. He wasn't the starter because of Kevin Love. He 154 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:26,279 finally got a chance last season but couldn't stay healthy. So it was tough 155 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:30,440 to see Larry go. But Laurie marken In is a player that I had 156 00:10:30,480 --> 00:10:33,840 wanted to take a flyer on for some time. I was advocating for him 157 00:10:33,039 --> 00:10:35,960 at the trade deadline, as hey, let's see what you got there. 158 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:41,679 I do think it can work out. And the interesting thing I like about 159 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:45,039 it is people are split on Evan Mobile. They don't know if he is 160 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:48,279 going to be kind of that ad like four where yeah, he closes at 161 00:10:48,279 --> 00:10:52,759 the five, but probably plays the most of majority of his minutes at the 162 00:10:52,759 --> 00:10:56,759 four. So if that's the case, yeah, having a center like Jared 163 00:10:56,759 --> 00:10:58,879 Allen's going to help him out along a lot. But as he develops, 164 00:11:00,039 --> 00:11:03,039 if he ends up being a five and if that's the best way to optimize 165 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:05,960 him, having a stretch big like Laurie markin And is helpful in that situation. 166 00:11:07,039 --> 00:11:09,840 So the fact that you have invested in two bigs, two different looks 167 00:11:09,879 --> 00:11:15,759 that you can throw alongside Evan Mobili to figure out what he naturally works best 168 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:20,320 with. I think that's a really interesting dynamic to have. And ultimately you 169 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:24,919 got ninety six minutes between the four and five position, and that's more than 170 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:28,279 enough time for those three guys as they earn those minutes. I don't expect 171 00:11:28,279 --> 00:11:33,480 them to be eating up all of those minutes this early on. It's going 172 00:11:33,519 --> 00:11:37,519 to take some time with Mobile and Laurie is not exactly a proven player. 173 00:11:37,559 --> 00:11:41,200 But if things start clicking, I do think that there's a way to make 174 00:11:41,240 --> 00:11:45,559 sure that all of those guys are getting the minutes they deserve, if they 175 00:11:45,799 --> 00:11:48,840 in fact end up earning them. This podcast forced me to dig deeper into 176 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:52,039 this roster obviously, and I don't hate the addition as much as I initially 177 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:56,000 did. Part of that was Larry answering you're coming out and said that he 178 00:11:56,080 --> 00:11:58,919 might have requested a trade. I do think this team just needs guys who 179 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:01,720 can get up three points this point and marketing concertainly for that, and also 180 00:12:01,759 --> 00:12:05,600 their front court rotation is just not as crowded as you think it is unless 181 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:07,799 you're just like in love with you know, you think Kevin Jelly's gonna make 182 00:12:07,799 --> 00:12:11,039 the roster, and you're in love with him, and you know you're dead 183 00:12:11,039 --> 00:12:13,480 set on, okay, we need to give minutes up front to Kevin Love 184 00:12:13,759 --> 00:12:18,360 so it's Taco fall. Yeah, Taco fall. It's easy to see how 185 00:12:18,399 --> 00:12:22,559 they could stagger those three guys and get the plenty of playing time. My 186 00:12:22,639 --> 00:12:24,559 two, I guess my one questions do we see the three of them play 187 00:12:24,639 --> 00:12:28,200 together ever? And then have you seen anything in Marketing's game that makes you 188 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:31,480 think he has a little bit more to offer on offense other than a floor 189 00:12:31,519 --> 00:12:35,080 spacer. I do think he was given a short shrift in Chicago. The 190 00:12:35,559 --> 00:12:39,279 I think the most experimental we saw him was actually under Jim Boylan where they 191 00:12:39,320 --> 00:12:41,600 were tossing him like late shot clock grenades in the post, which has just 192 00:12:41,639 --> 00:12:46,159 never been his game. So I'm still curious about him, but they also 193 00:12:46,240 --> 00:12:50,159 invested in him like there's a lot more to see from this guy. Yeah. 194 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:52,039 I think the one area that you would look at, like I was 195 00:12:52,080 --> 00:12:56,120 looking at his profile on beball Index, shout out to those guys. And 196 00:12:56,159 --> 00:13:01,320 the one area that he really excelled is a as a cutter. As someone 197 00:13:01,360 --> 00:13:05,759 off ball, he finishes really well on cuts. And this is somebody that, 198 00:13:05,279 --> 00:13:09,399 throughout his tenure in Chicago never really played with a point guard. He 199 00:13:09,759 --> 00:13:15,840 has never really actually had a point guard. So I think having him kind 200 00:13:15,879 --> 00:13:20,039 of It's interesting because yes, he was traded for Larry Nance Junior, but 201 00:13:20,039 --> 00:13:22,919 in a lot of ways, he's replacing what Kevin Love was supposed to be 202 00:13:22,960 --> 00:13:26,399 on this roster. They needed a stretch for someone that the Guards can play 203 00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:30,000 off of, and Love was just not available for those minutes. In a 204 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:33,440 lot of ways, Evan Mobley's replacing Larry Nance, while Laurie is replacing Kevin 205 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:37,480 Love, who happens to still be on the roster. So that's a little 206 00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:39,720 awkward, but that's the way that I at least think of it. So 207 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:43,840 I think if there's anywhere for him to excel offensively where he hasn't in the 208 00:13:43,879 --> 00:13:48,799 past, it's by better utilizing him off ball as a cutter, finding ways 209 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:52,879 to get a little creative with the offense, because let's be honest, the 210 00:13:52,919 --> 00:13:56,480 Kav's offense was very vanilla last season, which we're probably going to learn now 211 00:13:56,519 --> 00:14:01,639 that they have a few more weapons. Either that is a function of coaching 212 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:05,840 or if that was a function of the personnel that was there, because you 213 00:14:05,879 --> 00:14:11,840 can't exactly run a twenty fourteen Spurs offense with Broderick Thomas, Lamar Stevens and 214 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:16,600 whoever else was healthy last season, so it's it's a chicken or the egg 215 00:14:16,639 --> 00:14:20,200 situation. But I do think pass or fail this season that is going to 216 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:24,480 be really, really instructive when it comes to team building for the Cavs moving 217 00:14:24,519 --> 00:14:26,600 forward. I didn't throw this in the Allen at centual, but were you 218 00:14:26,679 --> 00:14:31,960 surprised that Jared Allen ended up getting five years and one hundred million? No. 219 00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:37,039 I think when he was first traded to the Calves, the asking price 220 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:41,639 that he had with Brooklyn was five ninety I believe. And he had really 221 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:48,240 good chemistry with Darius Garland last season, and I just I wasn't surprised to 222 00:14:48,279 --> 00:14:50,320 see him get the five years, Like when you can lock up a guy 223 00:14:50,399 --> 00:14:56,120 that, yeah, maybe like fringe top ten center, like he probably in 224 00:14:56,159 --> 00:14:58,039 that mix if you're looking at it, just turned twenty three years old, 225 00:14:58,039 --> 00:15:03,000 has chemistry with Garland, who they're incredibly high on it and kind of have 226 00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:09,200 been pushing as the franchise player at least at this point. I'm not surprised 227 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:13,039 to see them invest in him. Like I've been a big Jared Allen fan. 228 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:16,600 I'm a believer in his game, So I wasn't surprised to see them 229 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:20,120 lock up lock him up and get some term out of it. I think 230 00:15:20,120 --> 00:15:24,000 the fifth year got me. I was surprised that it went to a fifth 231 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:26,559 year. Just give it a big man market. I'm interesting all pans out, 232 00:15:26,639 --> 00:15:28,919 especially THO when they have mobile now and then also invested in marketing. 233 00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:31,960 They also still do have Kevin Love on this roster, who looked like, 234 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:35,360 look, we all have probably aged a decade or two over the past couple 235 00:15:35,399 --> 00:15:39,320 of years. He looks like he's aged like twenty years and didn't even look 236 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:41,399 like it was a media day interview. I didn't even know what I was 237 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:45,320 watching. What do we expect from him this season? Do you even expect 238 00:15:45,399 --> 00:15:48,639 him to finish the year on the roster? Finished the year on the roster, 239 00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:54,159 I'd probably say not. I would imagine that taking a reduced role, 240 00:15:54,159 --> 00:15:58,440 coming in off the bench, playing twelve, fifteen, maybe twenty minutes a 241 00:15:58,519 --> 00:16:03,159 night, depending on whether or not he's playing well like it may be a 242 00:16:03,159 --> 00:16:07,120 way for him to help get back in shape. He looked pretty spry in 243 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:10,639 preseason, which was nice to see because I actually really felt for Kevin Love 244 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:15,679 last year. Like the outbursts I think cause everybody to assume he just flat 245 00:16:15,679 --> 00:16:18,039 out like didn't want to be in Cleveland, didn't want to play there, 246 00:16:18,039 --> 00:16:21,840 and he's made it clear that his preference is to play somewhere else. But 247 00:16:21,879 --> 00:16:25,159 at the same time, last season was the closest thing to competitive basketball the 248 00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:27,799 Calves have had, like that first quarter of the season, they were in 249 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:30,559 the playoff picts or they were playing well, and he wasn't a part of 250 00:16:30,559 --> 00:16:34,240 that. That was his first chance to actually be a part of meaningful basketball, 251 00:16:34,279 --> 00:16:38,200 and his body betrayed him after being healthy for the majority of the previous 252 00:16:38,240 --> 00:16:42,480 season. So I really felt for him in that sense. And now you 253 00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:48,159 have the Calves investing heavily at that position with Laurie marking in and of Immobili, 254 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:53,320 so everything is trending towards Yeah, this guy isn't going to be on 255 00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:56,360 the Cavs long term. I just don't know what form that's going to take 256 00:16:56,759 --> 00:17:00,720 in the time being, Like, there is still a role for him, 257 00:17:00,759 --> 00:17:03,160 there is still a use for him while he's on the roster. It's just 258 00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:10,119 is he going to buy into the reduced role, the reduced minutes and help 259 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:11,960 out in the ways that he can. So, to me, that's a 260 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:17,319 major major question. I just if I had to guess whether it's a John 261 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:22,000 Wall situation where hey, we're going to just send you home mutually agreed, 262 00:17:22,440 --> 00:17:23,920 and if you're willing to give up money, we can discuss a buy out. 263 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:27,440 If not, we'll just play things by your and see if there's a 264 00:17:27,480 --> 00:17:30,920 market when you're an expiring contract. So I don't know how that's going to 265 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:33,279 play out, but if I had to guess he's not on the roster by 266 00:17:33,279 --> 00:17:37,079 the end of the season, I felt for him with the Olympic stuff where 267 00:17:37,119 --> 00:17:40,680 Jerry Colangelo kind of threw him under the bus, and that was tough. 268 00:17:40,839 --> 00:17:42,680 That was a tough look. And as Wanda Sykes said on the Shop, 269 00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:45,000 I don't know if you saw that, she stared into the camera and said 270 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:48,519 fuck Jerry, and I couldn't stop laughing. I thought that was hysterical. 271 00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:52,880 It's pretty good. It's pretty damn good. Darius Garland. First of all, 272 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:56,480 the Darius Garland Collins Sexton backcorch would not be as divisive as it is 273 00:17:56,519 --> 00:17:59,920 because there's, if you want a question like the long term viability of the 274 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:03,680 Too Fine together in Cleveland. But they're both really good players, and Darius 275 00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:06,880 Garland hit some I was going back, like hit some ridiculous shots or the 276 00:18:06,920 --> 00:18:11,119 final thirty games or so of the season for him, it feels like the 277 00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:15,000 next step for him is becoming like I don't to best describe it, like 278 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:18,519 the real offensive quarterback where if the defenses are set, like he's just making 279 00:18:18,880 --> 00:18:22,400 so many plays for others, making all these different reads and you've seen flashes 280 00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:26,279 of it. I'm just curious, as I'm curious to know whether you see 281 00:18:26,319 --> 00:18:29,920 that player in him. Does having Ricky Rubio there maybe help him elevate his 282 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:33,319 game there at all? What can we expect from him in year three? 283 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:37,480 I'm incredibly high on Darius Garland like that. That has been the guy that 284 00:18:37,599 --> 00:18:41,880 I have the most invested in emotionally. You look at how he closed out 285 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:45,440 the season, that April stretch fifteen games of averaging twenty and seven. That 286 00:18:45,480 --> 00:18:48,400 needs to be his new baseline. This season does not work if he's not 287 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:52,039 assertive in that way. And the biggest thing for him has been confidence. 288 00:18:52,119 --> 00:18:56,880 It's okay, are you going to take those pull up threes in transition when 289 00:18:56,119 --> 00:18:59,480 guys are playing off you and you have a little bit of space, are 290 00:18:59,480 --> 00:19:02,960 you taking three? Now? He's a past first player in a lot of 291 00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:07,599 ways. So it's figuring out that balance of Hey, if I'm aggressive in 292 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:11,599 when I'm taking shots, it's going to create opportunities for other players. And 293 00:19:11,759 --> 00:19:15,160 if he recognizes that and internalizes that, which everything coming out of camp kind 294 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:19,799 of indicates that he's at another level of his confidence and they expect a breakout 295 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:26,039 from him. If that's the case, yeah, this team could potentially compete 296 00:19:26,039 --> 00:19:29,400 for a plan or at least be in that mix where you get to the 297 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:32,920 trade deadline and you say, hey, we're a little better than we expect. 298 00:19:32,920 --> 00:19:37,400 That this young group is playing well enough that we're close to the plan 299 00:19:37,519 --> 00:19:40,960 and maybe we can evaluate being buyers. We can consolidate some of this talent, 300 00:19:41,039 --> 00:19:45,640 get some established players in here. So to me, the biggest X 301 00:19:45,680 --> 00:19:48,519 factor for the season is how good Darius Garland is. If that twenty and 302 00:19:48,599 --> 00:19:52,160 seven becomes his new baseline, they're going to be good. If not, 303 00:19:53,279 --> 00:19:56,680 you're going to have to answer a lot of tough questions, both from a 304 00:19:56,759 --> 00:20:03,440 coaching and personnel standpoint. What makes Colin Sexton such a divisive player. Colin 305 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:08,960 Sexton is a divisive player because at his age, he is putting up numbers 306 00:20:10,039 --> 00:20:15,359 offensively that are very comparable to like a Donovan Mitchell. They are more points 307 00:20:15,359 --> 00:20:19,680 more efficiently than Jamal Murray, but the team's success isn't there. The impact 308 00:20:19,759 --> 00:20:23,240 isn't there. Early in his tenure, when he first got drafted, like 309 00:20:23,279 --> 00:20:29,000 as a rookie, he was objectively terrible and the veterans couldn't stand him. 310 00:20:29,039 --> 00:20:32,920 He has improved every season since then, but I think there was some emotional 311 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:37,200 baggage there, like whether it's with Larry Love or what other veterans were still 312 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:44,079 there. There was frustration from those early days. So I think it's funny 313 00:20:44,119 --> 00:20:48,599 because people I hate this term. I really hate this term because it's been 314 00:20:49,319 --> 00:20:55,519 used in so many bad faith arguments. But the push to make him come 315 00:20:55,519 --> 00:20:59,599 off the bench without somebody earning that spot over him, Like nobody thinks he 316 00:20:59,599 --> 00:21:02,799 should be playing thirty two minutes a night on this team. This team isn't 317 00:21:03,119 --> 00:21:06,119 counted enough to have him playing twenty minutes a night, So if you're going 318 00:21:06,119 --> 00:21:10,720 to start a lesser player than him to come off the bench, like it's 319 00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:15,200 almost like virtue signaling, Hey, we know that this team needs to have 320 00:21:15,440 --> 00:21:18,640 a big shooting guard. We need to have someone else that at least in 321 00:21:18,759 --> 00:21:22,599 theory, fits when in reality, like he is already staggered with Garland as 322 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:26,480 much as possible, Like if they're playing thirty two minutes a night, that 323 00:21:26,559 --> 00:21:30,200 gives sixteen minutes with Garland sixteen minutes without Garland. He is playing all of 324 00:21:30,240 --> 00:21:34,480 those second unit minutes. So I don't understand why people get so caught up 325 00:21:34,799 --> 00:21:38,720 with who's starting. If someone else comes along and takes that spot from him, 326 00:21:38,799 --> 00:21:42,720 yeah, absolutely, you can evaluate it. Then maybe he'll be isaacle 327 00:21:42,799 --> 00:21:48,279 Koro. I happen to think that he's a little more comfortable offensively at the 328 00:21:48,279 --> 00:21:53,039 shooting guard position. But the fact that he puts up such great numbers like 329 00:21:53,119 --> 00:21:59,839 twenty four four and a half a phasis last year, like the average efficiency 330 00:22:00,039 --> 00:22:04,160 and in a really really terrible spacing situation, like unless people think it's harder 331 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:08,319 to score when you're playing with Nikola Yokich or more talented teams, I don't 332 00:22:08,359 --> 00:22:14,680 see why people are kind of scoffing at the efficiency and the point he's putting 333 00:22:14,759 --> 00:22:19,400 up. But it's the typical thing of shooting guard that puts up scoring numbers 334 00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:23,480 on a bad team. People just to see him l it's empty stats. 335 00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:26,920 Anyone can do that. Every team in the league has someone scoring twenty five 336 00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:33,599 points at night on league average efficiency. Yeah, I think I am a 337 00:22:33,599 --> 00:22:37,079 big advanced analytics person, but I do think we get to a point where, 338 00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:41,880 let's not overthink twenty four plus points while hitting fifty plus percent of your 339 00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:45,200 two's and thirty seven plus percent of your threes. That's just those numbers are 340 00:22:45,200 --> 00:22:49,160 absurd. And the type of offense he plays is not like this ball needs 341 00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:53,039 to be in his hands for eight seconds every single time. So if the 342 00:22:53,079 --> 00:22:56,680 team gets better, if the spacing gets better, you can envision his offense 343 00:22:57,119 --> 00:23:03,359 holding if not being more efficient or more amplified on a better version of the 344 00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:06,400 team. And so I get if you want of him as your best player, 345 00:23:06,599 --> 00:23:08,240 then yeah, there's there's there's some issues there. That's not what he's 346 00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:11,119 supposed to be. And you mentioned we do get caught up. I understand 347 00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:14,680 like the cachet of the starting fives, but I'm with you that we get 348 00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:17,680 too caught up and who's actually starting, and especially on this team, it's 349 00:23:17,720 --> 00:23:21,640 like, are you gonna start Kevin Pangos or Ricky Rubio? And said like 350 00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:23,599 who is the Jetty osman? Like who are you starting instead of Colin Sexton 351 00:23:23,680 --> 00:23:27,880 on this team, right, Yeah, Damian Dotson last season like it. 352 00:23:29,519 --> 00:23:33,480 I just don't understand it. And I obviously the on off numbers aren't going 353 00:23:33,519 --> 00:23:36,960 to be great for him because he is being staggered as I said, and 354 00:23:37,039 --> 00:23:40,000 in the past, like they didn't have a backup point guard. I think 355 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:42,839 having Ricky Rubio is going to really help him in that second unit because now 356 00:23:42,839 --> 00:23:47,079 he doesn't have to try to be a point guard and he can play in 357 00:23:47,119 --> 00:23:51,440 that secondary off ball role, which he plays better in. Like Garland and 358 00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:55,480 Sexton, they play better when they are together, and I think that's a 359 00:23:55,559 --> 00:23:59,039 really important thing. Like when Garland was having his best games in April, 360 00:23:59,279 --> 00:24:02,960 Sexton was also playing really well. Every time Garland scored thirty, Sexton would 361 00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:06,720 also score thirty. Like these guys play well off of each other. So 362 00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:11,680 I do understand long term fit concerns. But if you look at Portland as 363 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:15,680 an example, where they went wrong was cashing in on the wrong players. 364 00:24:15,680 --> 00:24:21,160 They didn't consolidate talent in at the right times. They traded first round picks 365 00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:26,319 for the wrong players. The issue they made wasn't trading away CJ. McCollum 366 00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:29,839 while he was still on his rookie deal because you're concerned about the long term 367 00:24:29,839 --> 00:24:33,160 fit. It was not that trading CJ. McCollum after he had kind of 368 00:24:33,200 --> 00:24:37,559 established himself, after you've brushed up against the ceiling and you've seen the limitations 369 00:24:37,839 --> 00:24:41,759 and basically doing what Toronto did. They tried Larry and de Rosen for a 370 00:24:41,759 --> 00:24:45,200 long time. Once that hit a ceiling, you moved a Rosen and other 371 00:24:45,279 --> 00:24:49,720 pieces to get an established start to get a better fit. That's, in 372 00:24:49,759 --> 00:24:52,160 my eyes, that's what you do right now with if you're the Calves, 373 00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:56,839 you try this combination to see how well it works, and if you hit 374 00:24:56,880 --> 00:25:00,599 a ceiling, or if you find another combination that works better, go to 375 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:06,000 it. Use that. But for the time being, you play your most 376 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:08,240 talented players the most minutes. That's just the way you do this when you 377 00:25:08,359 --> 00:25:12,440 are a team that's been in the lottery the last few years and there has 378 00:25:12,480 --> 00:25:15,960 to be the market to get that upgrade too. Where Portland probably had a 379 00:25:17,039 --> 00:25:18,359 chance, like it should they have rolled the dice when Paul George and Kawhi 380 00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:22,880 Leonard were way back when, even though they were flight risk. Yeah, 381 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:27,039 yes, but very much one Cleveland isn't good enough to make that decision a 382 00:25:27,079 --> 00:25:30,039 no brainer in my opinion. But that opportunity, unless you think it's Ben 383 00:25:30,079 --> 00:25:33,359 Simmons, hasn't exactly come along, And it's also easier to make that movement 384 00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:37,359 Colin Sexton's on his next deal. I guess my main question is, though, 385 00:25:37,359 --> 00:25:38,960 with all that said, what would be like the path to these two 386 00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:42,559 guys being the future in the back court. Is it's something one or both 387 00:25:42,559 --> 00:25:45,559 of them have to prove, or is it more about how Cleveland is flushing 388 00:25:45,559 --> 00:25:48,759 out the roster around them. I think it's the roster around them. Like 389 00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:53,480 in theory, if Evan Mobiley develops a reliable three point shot, and if 390 00:25:53,559 --> 00:25:59,359 Isaaca Coral can be a reliable three point shooter as well, like that should 391 00:25:59,359 --> 00:26:03,480 be enough def around them. Because Garland's actually a pretty decent positional defender. 392 00:26:03,559 --> 00:26:07,119 It's the combination of those two defensively that leads to a lot of issues. 393 00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:11,519 But if you have the right pieces around them and the right supplemental talent, 394 00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:15,000 it can work. Like we do have examples of short guards working, whether 395 00:26:15,119 --> 00:26:22,599 it's Lowry and Van Vleet, whether it's Conley and Mitchell, like the Portland 396 00:26:22,799 --> 00:26:26,759 even Portland's a good example, like if you had better players around those two, 397 00:26:26,759 --> 00:26:30,480 I think you could have had more success than they've had. But I 398 00:26:30,759 --> 00:26:36,519 really do think long term it's okay. Do you put the right pieces around 399 00:26:36,559 --> 00:26:41,279 them? If not, is moving one of them your best path to get 400 00:26:41,319 --> 00:26:45,920 better pieces? Like if Brandon Ingram hit the market this past summer and you 401 00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:49,519 could move Sexton Nance, maybe picks for Ingram and all of a sudden you're 402 00:26:49,559 --> 00:26:55,599 starting Garland or Coro Ingram Mobilian Alan, this team makes more sense. Like 403 00:26:56,440 --> 00:26:59,799 if something like that is available, yeah, absolutely, you have to look 404 00:26:59,839 --> 00:27:03,680 at all options, But for now, nothing like that seems to be available. 405 00:27:03,720 --> 00:27:07,039 And I mean, Ben Simmons is the biggest name on the market, 406 00:27:07,039 --> 00:27:12,279 but I can't see a viable path to the Calves getting him, And it 407 00:27:12,279 --> 00:27:17,400 creates even more concerns, Like there would be a lot of fit issues if 408 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:21,559 you've got Mobily out and Ben Simmons. I don't know how that works out. 409 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:25,559 Simmons has played with two centers and a power forward before and it wasn't 410 00:27:25,599 --> 00:27:29,160 exactly the best experience. Yeah, if they caves end up with a Ben 411 00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:32,759 Simmons, there will be a third, fourth, fifth team involved, I 412 00:27:32,759 --> 00:27:36,759 feel like, And I'll also just be flabbergasted if it happens. I would 413 00:27:36,759 --> 00:27:40,480 still peg Colin Sexon is the most underrated player on this team because of the 414 00:27:40,519 --> 00:27:44,119 scale at which he's doing things. I just don't it shouldn't incite that much 415 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:48,279 doubt that we've seen. I think isaacal Coro is second, though I don't 416 00:27:48,279 --> 00:27:51,599 know why people seem so down on him. I automatically believe, though this 417 00:27:51,599 --> 00:27:53,240 would be my guest. We see someone with a shaky jumper and we're just 418 00:27:53,279 --> 00:27:56,359 like Foo, not as valuable as he needs to be. What do he 419 00:27:56,359 --> 00:28:00,119 did defensively as a rookie, which is absolutely monstrous, And then just looking 420 00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:03,759 at him on offense, the flashes he showed of being able to get to 421 00:28:03,759 --> 00:28:06,599 the basket, it seems like he moves pretty well off the ball. I'm 422 00:28:06,599 --> 00:28:08,839 officially intrigued by what is going to become offensively long term. And I saw 423 00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:12,559 that JB. Bickerstaff mentioned putting him on the ball even more. Do you 424 00:28:12,599 --> 00:28:18,119 think that that's the path to actually optimizing him on offense? I do think 425 00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:19,920 so he looks at a little more comfortable with the ball in his hands, 426 00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:25,640 which kind of blends into why I said earlier, I think long term he's 427 00:28:25,759 --> 00:28:30,119 probably most comfortable offensively as a shooting guard. But yeah, like he's someone 428 00:28:30,200 --> 00:28:33,519 that works so damn hard too. Like that that was one kind of consistent 429 00:28:33,559 --> 00:28:37,000 thread with who these Cats have drafted the last couple of years. It's all 430 00:28:37,079 --> 00:28:41,599 guys that have been with Team USA, Kobe Altman, Team USA connection there. 431 00:28:42,079 --> 00:28:47,079 All of them have reputations of being really hard workers. They're they're kind 432 00:28:47,119 --> 00:28:49,960 of small city, small town guys for the most part, and they had 433 00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:55,119 relationships with each other off the floor, Like Sexton and Kora we're friends before. 434 00:28:55,799 --> 00:28:57,880 Garland's got a relationship with Windler, He's got a relationship with Alan, 435 00:28:57,920 --> 00:29:00,440 Like, all these guys kind of know each other, right, So I 436 00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:04,440 think you're betting on kind of that internal chemistry and whatnot and what that means 437 00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:08,680 for a cool Like I think this season you might not see him being the 438 00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:11,960 primary initiator, but if the ball swings around to the weak side and he's 439 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:15,599 able to run like a side pick and roll with Mobili or something like that, 440 00:29:15,680 --> 00:29:18,319 Like, I do think getting him those reps or reps with the second 441 00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:23,079 unit can help kind of accentuate that part of his offensive game, because I 442 00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:27,079 do think that he's a smart player. He's someone that makes the right pass, 443 00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:33,400 makes the right reads. He's a good finisher around the rim. If 444 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:36,599 his offense was as good as his defense was last year and you just kind 445 00:29:36,640 --> 00:29:38,160 of flipped the offense and defense, I think he would have got a lot 446 00:29:38,200 --> 00:29:42,279 more credit than he received for his rookie season. But I do think that 447 00:29:42,319 --> 00:29:47,279 he's someone that has really really high potential. And we talked about a nanced 448 00:29:47,319 --> 00:29:51,039 earlier. He had done an interview in the preseason after working out with Okoro 449 00:29:51,119 --> 00:29:53,039 where he's like, yeah, I think he's got the most potential all the 450 00:29:53,079 --> 00:29:56,839 guys that were already here, Like, he's really really high on him. 451 00:29:56,319 --> 00:30:00,079 I'm not that high on OCORL. But I do think that he can be 452 00:30:00,279 --> 00:30:04,279 a really really solid piece for this team moving forward. I hope that they're 453 00:30:04,319 --> 00:30:07,640 able to sort of run these four out lineups around him, which would make 454 00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:10,759 be more interested on him offensive. I don't know what that looks like. 455 00:30:10,799 --> 00:30:14,680 It's probably a Garland Sexton maybe mobile marketing, like those four around him. 456 00:30:14,680 --> 00:30:17,920 I don't know if that's something they try. When you look at this team, 457 00:30:17,920 --> 00:30:21,440 it feels like they have there, let's say like seven players. You 458 00:30:21,519 --> 00:30:25,079 have the starting lineup and then you have Marketing and Ricky Rubio. How do 459 00:30:25,079 --> 00:30:29,279 you sort of see the rotation shaking out beyond those top seven unless I'm completely 460 00:30:29,359 --> 00:30:30,680 off on the starting lineup and you think it's gonna be something different than a 461 00:30:30,799 --> 00:30:36,359 Koro, Sexton, Garland Mobile and all, and now you're you're completely bang 462 00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:40,599 on. And I mean in the first preseason game, your first sums were 463 00:30:40,680 --> 00:30:44,319 Rubio and Marketing off the bench, and I think that's probably the most likely 464 00:30:44,359 --> 00:30:48,440 way for this to go. I think the only really change you could potentially 465 00:30:48,480 --> 00:30:52,160 see the starting lineup is Laurie in there at the starting four if they decide, 466 00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:55,799 hey, we need a little more space than we're going to bring Mobile 467 00:30:55,920 --> 00:30:57,960 along a little slower if things aren't working out. But I think it's going 468 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:02,519 to take some time before they get to that decision. And what Mob we 469 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:07,279 can already do defensively is incredible, Like he's just such a good connecting piece 470 00:31:07,359 --> 00:31:11,079 that get keeping him with those starters and with that talent, I think there 471 00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:15,519 is an appeal to that. But outside of that, I don't really know. 472 00:31:15,680 --> 00:31:19,480 Like I think Kevin Love's probably the eighth. I just hope that you 473 00:31:19,480 --> 00:31:22,960 don't see a lot of minutes with him and Laurie Market and they tried it 474 00:31:22,960 --> 00:31:27,279 a little bit against Chicago. But my buddy Evan Damerel did some reporting there 475 00:31:27,279 --> 00:31:30,839 where he was saying, hey, don't read into the rotations in the preseason. 476 00:31:32,200 --> 00:31:36,640 They are experimenting. I think people forget sometimes preseason basketball is just an 477 00:31:36,680 --> 00:31:40,559 extension of training camp. It's not necessarily the plan you're going into the season 478 00:31:40,599 --> 00:31:42,720 with. But yeah, I think Kevin lovell play some minutes. I think 479 00:31:42,799 --> 00:31:48,920 Jetty Osman might be maybe the ninth man, the ninth and ten man. 480 00:31:48,559 --> 00:31:52,720 There's a competition for that. JB. Bickerstaff has said that he wants to 481 00:31:52,720 --> 00:31:56,000 go in with a ten man rotation, and I think it'll between me between 482 00:31:56,400 --> 00:32:00,960 Dylan win Theer, Jetty Osman, Lamar Stevens. Primarily to fill out those 483 00:32:01,039 --> 00:32:04,960 last two spots, if I had to guess, I don't even want to 484 00:32:05,039 --> 00:32:07,440 name them all because of how how many there are. I did list some 485 00:32:07,480 --> 00:32:09,279 of them in the outline, but like, who do you want to actually 486 00:32:09,319 --> 00:32:12,599 make this roster? When you're looking at all those partial guarantees, who do 487 00:32:12,599 --> 00:32:15,279 you want to see more of moving forward? I assume that you have to 488 00:32:15,319 --> 00:32:17,640 default to Dylan Windler who's not partially guaranteed, But just like, what the 489 00:32:17,640 --> 00:32:21,559 hell is Dylan Windler. That's just the question we've been asking for for years 490 00:32:21,559 --> 00:32:28,759 at this point. Like theoretical Dylan Windler is a perfect fit for what they 491 00:32:28,759 --> 00:32:31,400 need. A six seven, long arm wing that rebounds well, that makes 492 00:32:31,400 --> 00:32:35,559 the right passes, that can shoot really well, shot the hell out the 493 00:32:35,559 --> 00:32:42,279 ball in college. Like he even like if you look at his like January 494 00:32:42,359 --> 00:32:47,920 and February last year, he's shooting forty percent from the line, He's rebounding 495 00:32:47,960 --> 00:32:52,319 well, he was playing pretty decent team defense. He just can't stay healthy. 496 00:32:52,480 --> 00:32:57,119 Like outside of that, from the non guaranteed guys, I really like 497 00:32:57,160 --> 00:32:59,559 what Dean Wade brings to the table. I don't think there's a role for 498 00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:02,960 him until Kevin Love is off the roster, but I do think as a 499 00:33:04,079 --> 00:33:07,799 third power forward. Yeah, he's someone that moves his feet well, defensively, 500 00:33:07,839 --> 00:33:10,440 that can shoot well, plays good team basketball. Again, they need 501 00:33:10,519 --> 00:33:15,200 smart players out there to help make up for how young they are, So 502 00:33:15,240 --> 00:33:19,440 he's someone that I would give none to. Lamar Stevens is someone that I 503 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:22,680 have a soft spot for. I think there might be a path to play 504 00:33:22,119 --> 00:33:29,119 him in some of those bench lineups, if it's Laurie Marken and mobile Sexton 505 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:32,119 Rubio, like, I think if there's enough shooting out there, he's someone 506 00:33:32,240 --> 00:33:37,039 that can kind of excel as a slasher and a defensive player. They had 507 00:33:37,039 --> 00:33:40,559 a good ability to score in college, but not a lot of that came 508 00:33:40,599 --> 00:33:45,960 from the outside, which is obviously complicated when you're talking about this team. 509 00:33:45,039 --> 00:33:50,240 Denzel Valentine. Chris feed Or from Cleveland dot Com did report he's kind of 510 00:33:50,279 --> 00:33:53,640 a break glass in case of emergency presence on this team doesn't really anticipate him 511 00:33:53,680 --> 00:34:00,000 being part of the rotation. So if you're looking at guys that could potentially 512 00:34:00,079 --> 00:34:02,440 work out, well, I think it's Dylan Winnler and Jetty Osman as those 513 00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:07,320 backup threes, just because of their theoretical ability to shoot the basketball. Like 514 00:34:07,719 --> 00:34:14,280 but prior to last season, Jetty Osman like twenty nineteen twenty Jetty makes a 515 00:34:14,280 --> 00:34:16,000 big difference for this team because he's someone that can at least handle the ball 516 00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:20,920 a little bit, shot like thirty seven percent from three. He just never 517 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:23,480 really adjusted to coming in off the bench, So that's a real, real, 518 00:34:23,559 --> 00:34:28,599 big question mark because some guys just aren't comfortable in that role, and 519 00:34:29,159 --> 00:34:31,039 if that's the case for a Jetty, he's gonna have a tough time sticking 520 00:34:31,079 --> 00:34:36,239 around in the NBA. Do we expect Kevin pang Goes to be one of 521 00:34:36,400 --> 00:34:37,519 their top ten guys? If it's a you know, they might go beyond 522 00:34:37,519 --> 00:34:39,800 a ten man rotation, But do we expect him to be within the top 523 00:34:39,840 --> 00:34:44,519 ten? I don't think so. I think when you look at Garland, 524 00:34:44,519 --> 00:34:49,639 Sexton, and Rubio, it's similar to the frontcourt situation with Alan Mobiley and 525 00:34:49,719 --> 00:34:53,159 Laurie. There's ninety six minutes between those two guard spots, and if Sexton 526 00:34:53,400 --> 00:34:58,760 and Garland are playing thirty two, Rubio is probably going to get twenty five. 527 00:34:58,840 --> 00:35:02,280 That leaves maybe seven for Icicle Coral to slide over, or maybe Dylan 528 00:35:02,280 --> 00:35:07,159 Winner or something like that. I just don't see a role for Kevin Pangos 529 00:35:07,599 --> 00:35:12,800 in the regular rotation. Injuries may open things up, but I just I 530 00:35:13,199 --> 00:35:16,519 don't see a path to him being at least for the start of the season. 531 00:35:16,719 --> 00:35:21,199 I don't see a path for him unless maybe Rubio gets traded at the 532 00:35:21,199 --> 00:35:23,880 deadline or there's some injuries. You sort of alluded to this already, But 533 00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:28,079 what is the biggest weakness on this roster, whether it's a specific position or 534 00:35:28,119 --> 00:35:34,280 just a functional archetype. Yeah, he may have heard this before, but 535 00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:37,239 when Lebron James isn't on the roster, they have had a bit of a 536 00:35:37,239 --> 00:35:43,480 hole at the small forward position that spicy take that is spicy. It has 537 00:35:43,519 --> 00:35:49,079 been a bit of a trend. We've seen Lonzo g CJ Miles, Jetty 538 00:35:49,159 --> 00:35:55,440 Osman there the last I guess now almost eight years with with the four year 539 00:35:55,480 --> 00:36:01,079 break when Lebron came back in between. Yeah, finding small forwards is tricky. 540 00:36:01,280 --> 00:36:05,599 Like I think the Cavs were hopeful that they could add someone with the 541 00:36:05,599 --> 00:36:09,000 mid level exception, guys like Doug McDermott and other wing options kind of were 542 00:36:09,360 --> 00:36:13,599 outside their price range. They tried for Josh Hark that didn't work out, 543 00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:17,960 which undersized wing but at least would have helped fill a role. It just 544 00:36:19,159 --> 00:36:22,480 didn't work out. So now you're really relying on Isacle Corro and a bunch 545 00:36:22,480 --> 00:36:28,559 of unproven players to kind of play that small forward position. So that to 546 00:36:28,679 --> 00:36:31,679 me is the clearest hole on this roster. I normally try to go through 547 00:36:31,719 --> 00:36:35,559 teams and just figure out where I think they're going to end like top whatever 548 00:36:35,639 --> 00:36:38,119 on offensive defensive efficiency and just try to figure out which end of the floor 549 00:36:38,119 --> 00:36:40,440 they're going to be better at. This team gave me a headache when I 550 00:36:40,480 --> 00:36:45,079 started to think about it. Do you have any predictions for where you think 551 00:36:45,079 --> 00:36:46,360 they might end on offense defences or where you think they're just going to be 552 00:36:46,400 --> 00:36:50,559 the better team. I think it would naturally be, oh, they're going 553 00:36:50,599 --> 00:36:52,519 to be the better offensive team. But then I look at like their starting 554 00:36:52,519 --> 00:36:55,719 lineup, and you do have Rubio, and if Mobidy's actually good defensively off 555 00:36:55,760 --> 00:36:59,559 the bat, you have Allen. Look at how good Okora was last year, 556 00:36:59,599 --> 00:37:01,639 He's going to be better. I could see them technically out playing their 557 00:37:01,719 --> 00:37:07,280 their offense on defense. I think so too if you look at last season 558 00:37:07,440 --> 00:37:10,760 and exclude May, where there was basically nobody actually playing. The things were 559 00:37:10,800 --> 00:37:15,960 falling apart, lottery odds were improving. You do the map there outside of 560 00:37:16,039 --> 00:37:20,960 May, they were twenty first defensively, which for a team as young as 561 00:37:20,960 --> 00:37:23,360 they are, and that only really got like seventeen games out in the hands 562 00:37:23,360 --> 00:37:27,920 before he got hurt like that, that's kind of where they hung their hat. 563 00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:30,519 And the fact that now you got Ricky Rubio in there instead of Dotson 564 00:37:30,559 --> 00:37:34,599 and Broderick Thomas, Like, I think that's going to help them out a 565 00:37:34,599 --> 00:37:37,800 lot defensively that everyone else is a year older, you got a full year 566 00:37:37,800 --> 00:37:40,559 of Jared out. I think defense is probably going to be their best end 567 00:37:40,559 --> 00:37:44,679 on the floor. I don't think they're going to excel in anyone area. 568 00:37:45,280 --> 00:37:47,920 I think when you look at a starting lineup that has an average age of 569 00:37:49,079 --> 00:37:52,079 just over twenty one, you are probably going to have a lot of nights 570 00:37:52,079 --> 00:37:55,559 where things don't go your way. I think this team isn't going to be 571 00:37:55,599 --> 00:37:58,880 as good as their best nights, and they're not going to be as bad 572 00:37:58,920 --> 00:38:01,440 as their worst night, but you're going to get a really, really uneven 573 00:38:01,599 --> 00:38:06,199 performance so over the course of a season when you are this young. So 574 00:38:06,639 --> 00:38:10,159 if I had to guess just based on personnel as well as the tendencies of 575 00:38:10,199 --> 00:38:15,719 the coaching staff with JB. Bickerstaff, I would assume that defense would probably 576 00:38:15,760 --> 00:38:19,960 be their strongest end on the floor, but not exactly excelling in any one 577 00:38:20,000 --> 00:38:23,159 area. This is always subject to change based on how the season plays out. 578 00:38:23,199 --> 00:38:25,119 But if you had to pick right now, who would be the player 579 00:38:25,199 --> 00:38:30,320 most likely to be dealt before the trade deadline this year, I would say 580 00:38:30,400 --> 00:38:34,920 Ricky Rubio in the final year of an expiring contract. I do think there 581 00:38:35,079 --> 00:38:38,840 would likely be a market for him if they see enough out of Kevin Pangos 582 00:38:39,960 --> 00:38:43,760 to say, hey, maybe he can be a backup point guard, or 583 00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:50,079 or if other options become available, maybe there is some appetite if things are 584 00:38:50,119 --> 00:38:54,280 going well to use Rubio to be that chip that you go out and buy 585 00:38:54,320 --> 00:39:00,039 at the trade deadline to add a wing for a contending team that maybe he 586 00:39:00,119 --> 00:39:04,119 needs a point guard, right, I think there's going to be a market 587 00:39:04,119 --> 00:39:07,480 for Rubio, and if you're attaching other assets along with him, yeah, 588 00:39:07,599 --> 00:39:10,599 maybe you can make a little bit of a splash there. So he would 589 00:39:10,719 --> 00:39:15,760 probably be my pick for most likely just because in either direction, like if 590 00:39:15,800 --> 00:39:20,320 things go really well and he's their chip to buy, yeah, he makes 591 00:39:20,320 --> 00:39:22,400 a lot of sense. If things go really poorly, he can be a 592 00:39:23,519 --> 00:39:29,639 chip to add another assets to maybe try this again next offseason. So to 593 00:39:29,679 --> 00:39:31,199 me, he makes the most sense. But at the same time, I 594 00:39:31,239 --> 00:39:35,400 really like what Ricky Rubio can bring to this roster. Like I think from 595 00:39:35,679 --> 00:39:38,599 a veteran standpoint, you need to have adults in the locker room He's been 596 00:39:38,639 --> 00:39:42,360 a mentor to a lot of good young players in the league, and I 597 00:39:42,360 --> 00:39:45,920 think he's going to do the same thing for Garland and Sex and so my 598 00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:49,559 preference would be to keep him around, But he'd probably be my pick for 599 00:39:49,639 --> 00:39:53,000 most likely to be traded. I think when you look at the Calves front 600 00:39:53,079 --> 00:39:57,840 court, their crunch time lineup might change more than most depending on the matchup. 601 00:39:57,880 --> 00:40:00,679 But what would be what do you think will be or should be there 602 00:40:00,760 --> 00:40:06,599 their best crunch time unit. Oh boy, that is really tough. So 603 00:40:06,679 --> 00:40:10,239 I do think Garland and Allen would probably be my locks. I would say, 604 00:40:10,239 --> 00:40:13,480 oh, Koro two, just because they have a lot of faith in 605 00:40:13,559 --> 00:40:15,960 him. They have a lot of trust in what he can bring to the 606 00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:20,719 table. So outside of that, it's Mobili or Laurie and maybe Sexton. 607 00:40:21,000 --> 00:40:24,360 Like I think Sexton will probably be out there because a lot of crunch time 608 00:40:24,519 --> 00:40:29,960 situations for the Calves are probably them looking to make up ground and take the 609 00:40:30,039 --> 00:40:32,079 lead. I don't think they're necessarily going to be protecting the lead a whole 610 00:40:32,079 --> 00:40:35,760 lot, So you're probably are going to have Sexton out there, and then 611 00:40:35,800 --> 00:40:39,360 it's just a matter of whether or not it's Laurie or Mobili and that might 612 00:40:39,440 --> 00:40:43,960 be you know, who's playing at power forward, and crunch time might just 613 00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:45,920 be a result of who's playing the best that night. Like if it's a 614 00:40:45,920 --> 00:40:49,599 great night for Kevin Love, maybe it's him. If it's a great night 615 00:40:49,599 --> 00:40:52,239 for Laurie, maybe it's him. If if Mobiley's playing well, it will 616 00:40:52,320 --> 00:40:57,119 be him. Like I do think you're in a situation where, yeah, 617 00:40:57,320 --> 00:41:00,000 this isn't the deepest team in the league, but at the same time, 618 00:41:00,239 --> 00:41:02,960 they do have depth at the same position, like whether it's the bigs or 619 00:41:04,000 --> 00:41:07,400 the guards. So there's going to be internal competition on a night tonight basis 620 00:41:07,480 --> 00:41:10,639 on who gets to close. And I think that's overall a pretty healthy environment 621 00:41:10,679 --> 00:41:15,440 for a young team as long as there's enough minutes for everybody, which I 622 00:41:15,480 --> 00:41:21,159 believe there will be. Is there a quirky outside the box lineup that you're 623 00:41:21,159 --> 00:41:24,559 hoping this team tries at some point during the regular season. I would hate 624 00:41:24,559 --> 00:41:30,559 to see a Garland, Oh, Coro Windler, Laurie Mobley lineup. I 625 00:41:30,920 --> 00:41:34,400 just think you know there's spacing there. You can get a little taste of 626 00:41:34,440 --> 00:41:37,280 Mobley at the five. I think that two man game with Garland and Mobley 627 00:41:37,440 --> 00:41:40,840 with those spacers around them would be a lot of fun in and even though 628 00:41:40,880 --> 00:41:45,159 col he might be able to initiate some offense there with Garland playing off ball. 629 00:41:45,239 --> 00:41:50,119 So I do think that that's kind of a fun lineup. But I 630 00:41:50,159 --> 00:41:52,440 want to see this team get out and run, and I know that's gonna 631 00:41:52,480 --> 00:41:55,239 cause a lot of turnovers and a lot of mistakes with the young team, 632 00:41:55,280 --> 00:41:59,480 but I just want to see some up Temple basketball, so I think that's 633 00:41:59,519 --> 00:42:02,639 a lineup that is well suited to do that. So no four center lineup 634 00:42:02,679 --> 00:42:07,679 for you with Kevin Love Marketing and Jared out No, No, that's that 635 00:42:07,880 --> 00:42:12,480 is not exactly the direction I'd like to see them go. I don't think 636 00:42:12,480 --> 00:42:15,079 this is quirky enough, but I want to see that the all kids lineup, 637 00:42:15,119 --> 00:42:19,639 I'll call it just Garland, Sexton, Okoro, Dylan Windler, and 638 00:42:19,679 --> 00:42:21,880 Evan Mobley, Like, give me those five just to see. I'm sure 639 00:42:21,880 --> 00:42:23,559 there'll be a lot of mistakes, but that's technically you know, four out 640 00:42:23,599 --> 00:42:28,840 around Ocoro, depending on how Mobley is is shooting. So he said all 641 00:42:28,960 --> 00:42:32,719 kids, but then you pick Windler who is older than Laurie Marketing, just 642 00:42:32,760 --> 00:42:36,280 because I haven't seen Windler he's still a prospect. To me, I just 643 00:42:36,280 --> 00:42:39,800 haven't seen another there you go. So he's like Duncan Robinson. Look look 644 00:42:39,840 --> 00:42:44,119 at the their their age, twenty four seasons, almost identical, just didn't 645 00:42:44,119 --> 00:42:45,719 do anything, and he's about to have that breakout. I wish that was 646 00:42:45,760 --> 00:42:50,480 true. I really wish I could lie to myself in that way. I'm 647 00:42:50,559 --> 00:42:52,599 hopeful though, because he's someone that one. He is healthy, he like, 648 00:42:52,639 --> 00:42:55,480 he seems like a smart basketball layer. He seems like he would fit. 649 00:42:55,599 --> 00:43:00,559 It's just this poor guy can't stay healthy, which was never the problem 650 00:43:00,599 --> 00:43:04,480 before he came to the NBA, which is really unfortunate. Look, I 651 00:43:04,519 --> 00:43:07,639 think I told you this last year when we were talking about Dylan Windler what 652 00:43:07,679 --> 00:43:10,000 his role might look like if he stays healthy. Someone retweeted into my timeline 653 00:43:10,119 --> 00:43:14,599 of someone else calling Dylan one lid of the Caucasian Jimmy Butler. And so 654 00:43:14,679 --> 00:43:17,920 that's that's clearly the prospect that you have on your hands if you're wanted a 655 00:43:19,239 --> 00:43:22,760 wild wild comp it's certainly a hill to die on too. Thought it was 656 00:43:22,800 --> 00:43:27,679 bizarre they're over under as we record this. Wind total is twenty four point 657 00:43:27,719 --> 00:43:30,000 five. Are you taking the over under on that, and where do you 658 00:43:30,039 --> 00:43:32,480 see them sort of stacking up relative to the larger picture of the East. 659 00:43:34,079 --> 00:43:36,920 Yeah, so, I I mean I bet the over when it was twenty 660 00:43:36,920 --> 00:43:39,119 six and a half. It looks like I jumped at the wrong time, 661 00:43:39,159 --> 00:43:44,559 and that's been beat down a little bit. Right now. It probably ranked 662 00:43:44,559 --> 00:43:49,639 them about eleventh in the East. I think they're going to be better than 663 00:43:49,760 --> 00:43:53,760 Orlando and Detroit. Toronto is a really interesting situation because they were in the 664 00:43:53,760 --> 00:43:58,760 play in mixed last season and didn't really have an interest in that. I 665 00:43:58,800 --> 00:44:00,880 will be interested to see, like if they want to go for it this 666 00:44:00,920 --> 00:44:05,280 season, that's a team that can easily make the plan. But if Masside 667 00:44:05,320 --> 00:44:08,400 decides to pull the plug again, that might create an opportunity. Charlotte is 668 00:44:08,559 --> 00:44:14,199 really good and I like their long term outlook, but they got younger and 669 00:44:14,480 --> 00:44:16,039 I think they're going to have a lot of growing pains this season. So 670 00:44:16,119 --> 00:44:20,280 I think they're right around where Charlotte is, at least in my eyes, 671 00:44:20,599 --> 00:44:23,239 in the Eastern Conference. So you look at last year, they won twenty 672 00:44:23,239 --> 00:44:27,239 two games, you know, seventy two games season, which works out to 673 00:44:27,320 --> 00:44:30,440 about twenty five. I think they were better than their record last season. 674 00:44:30,480 --> 00:44:35,559 And I do think that they did improve, so I probably have them low 675 00:44:35,679 --> 00:44:38,760 to mid thirties if you're looking at this season. Their place in the East 676 00:44:38,800 --> 00:44:43,199 is tough because I, like you think Orlando Detroit are the only teams that 677 00:44:43,239 --> 00:44:47,119 are definitively better than you do have teams like Washington and Toronto where what if 678 00:44:47,119 --> 00:44:51,599 they what if Washington trades Bradley Beal? What if Toronto decides to know, 679 00:44:51,639 --> 00:44:54,119 we don't want to finish six seven eight, like we're gonna punt on this 680 00:44:54,159 --> 00:44:58,519 season again midway through? I also don't know. I know they looked good 681 00:44:58,519 --> 00:45:00,880 in their first preseason game. Know what the fuck the Chicago Bulls are? 682 00:45:00,920 --> 00:45:04,320 I just I don't know what's going to happen there. So I could see 683 00:45:04,320 --> 00:45:07,000 them imploding. I could also see them being fourth. And then I think 684 00:45:07,039 --> 00:45:10,039 the copy made was great was where Charlotte is like the team that I've thought 685 00:45:10,039 --> 00:45:14,360 about. Maybe Cleveland is like that that third team. Cleveland is definitely better 686 00:45:14,400 --> 00:45:17,280 than it feels like people are sort of rushing expectations upon them because LaMelo was 687 00:45:17,320 --> 00:45:22,320 so good and their roster just didn't get a lot better over the offseason, 688 00:45:22,360 --> 00:45:25,079 and now you're putting a ton of expectations on, but still a relatively young 689 00:45:25,159 --> 00:45:29,119 core. When you look at PJ. Washington, Miles Bridges, A Lamello, 690 00:45:29,199 --> 00:45:30,480 you lose DeVante Graham, you bring in Kelly Bridge Jr. There's just 691 00:45:30,519 --> 00:45:35,239 a lot of weird stuff there. But the East Book Night's probably going to 692 00:45:35,320 --> 00:45:37,880 like take over a lot of Graham's role. Rookie, you got Kai Jones 693 00:45:37,920 --> 00:45:42,159 as the backup center. I think going to plumb Lee is a downgrade from 694 00:45:42,159 --> 00:45:46,000 Cody Zeller. Like they've they've got questions on the inside, and I really 695 00:45:46,039 --> 00:45:49,920 like their long term out look. I'm a big fan of what they've done. 696 00:45:49,920 --> 00:45:52,960 I like the players they've drafted. It's just similar situation in caps. 697 00:45:53,079 --> 00:45:57,639 They're they're young, They're they're young, they're inexperienced, they got younger. 698 00:45:58,039 --> 00:46:02,000 You're going to have growing pains there. I really think whichever team is better 699 00:46:02,519 --> 00:46:07,199 is probably going to be determined by whoever is better between Garland and LaMelo. 700 00:46:07,440 --> 00:46:10,719 Like you see, like point guards are real floor raisers in the game, 701 00:46:10,800 --> 00:46:15,119 So I do think that that's probably going to be what defines the season. 702 00:46:15,159 --> 00:46:19,920 Like if Garland in order for this season to be successful, Garland needs to 703 00:46:20,039 --> 00:46:23,400 kind of establish himself in like that LaMelo ball, John Morantier point guards. 704 00:46:23,480 --> 00:46:27,360 If he doesn't do that, things aren't going to work out like it's to 705 00:46:27,440 --> 00:46:30,320 me, it's almost that simple. When it comes to the Calves, you 706 00:46:30,400 --> 00:46:34,000 mentioned this team maybe buying or selling at the deadline depending on where they are. 707 00:46:34,360 --> 00:46:37,199 What does selling look like for them? Is it just moving Ricky Rubio? 708 00:46:37,239 --> 00:46:38,199 Because when you look at the row, I mean you would trade Kevin 709 00:46:38,239 --> 00:46:42,679 Love, but Kevin Love isn't readily tradeable, otherwise he would have been moved 710 00:46:42,719 --> 00:46:45,559 already. So what would selling actually look like with this roster? Is it 711 00:46:45,639 --> 00:46:47,519 just a Rubio move? Yeah? I think it's Rubio. I mean there's 712 00:46:47,519 --> 00:46:52,079 not a lot of other veterans on this team. I think the course six 713 00:46:52,199 --> 00:46:57,119 is probably safe for this season. Well, we'll see what happens with a 714 00:46:57,199 --> 00:47:00,199 Sexton extension. If he gets locked up, obvious that removes them from a 715 00:47:00,280 --> 00:47:07,639 law drain conversations. I think Garland and Mobili are probably the closest things to 716 00:47:07,719 --> 00:47:12,280 locks with this core, and then outside of that you get to a core 717 00:47:12,840 --> 00:47:15,400 Jared Down they just invested in, so I don't see them parting ways there. 718 00:47:15,440 --> 00:47:20,519 So I don't really see a whole lot of shakeups with kind of the 719 00:47:20,920 --> 00:47:22,519 let's call them the young Core, the Core six, whatever you want to 720 00:47:22,519 --> 00:47:27,880 call them. I don't think any of those guys get moved unless it is 721 00:47:28,599 --> 00:47:34,000 consolidation, like a situation where you are moving two guys from that kind of 722 00:47:34,079 --> 00:47:37,880 core six to add another. Like to me, that's how I define core, 723 00:47:37,000 --> 00:47:40,960 Like I don't think all these guys are franchise players. I think core 724 00:47:42,320 --> 00:47:45,039 can change from year to year, but a core is basically guys you're only 725 00:47:45,079 --> 00:47:49,559 moving if you're bringing in a piece you believe can be part of your future 726 00:47:49,599 --> 00:47:52,159 core. So that's how I would kind of identify those six. Outside of 727 00:47:52,159 --> 00:47:57,480 that, Jenny Osman, Ricky Rubio, Kevin Love like, those type of 728 00:47:57,519 --> 00:48:01,440 guys would would be moved if I had to guess who could be traded. 729 00:48:01,800 --> 00:48:06,159 And do you think the front office has the goal slash sense of urgency to 730 00:48:06,239 --> 00:48:09,440 make a consolidation trade if one presents itself knowing that the Calves they're not we 731 00:48:09,519 --> 00:48:13,039 just talked about it, They're not in this definant position in the East, 732 00:48:13,119 --> 00:48:16,639 and so I would think that makes such a decision harder to make. I 733 00:48:16,800 --> 00:48:22,360 think I think they've taken a pretty patient approach, like even this media day 734 00:48:22,400 --> 00:48:24,320 a lot of the players were talking about playoffs as goal playoffs this goal. 735 00:48:25,320 --> 00:48:29,119 Kobe Altman came out and said, hey, we have an eye tour to 736 00:48:29,119 --> 00:48:31,039 the postseason, but this is a process. We're not going to put a 737 00:48:31,119 --> 00:48:36,840 number of wins on it. Things can always change with the calves, I 738 00:48:36,880 --> 00:48:40,679 mean ownership as become inpatient at times like I wouldn't be surprised if there was 739 00:48:40,719 --> 00:48:45,079 a shake up if they didn't live up to expectations. But those expectations haven't 740 00:48:45,119 --> 00:48:50,039 really been firmly defined, And the fact that they're not outright saying hey, 741 00:48:50,079 --> 00:48:53,719 it's playoffs or bus makes me believe that, hey, they understand that we're 742 00:48:53,760 --> 00:48:59,400 starting a lineup that is incredibly young. We didn't have a lot of cap 743 00:48:59,440 --> 00:49:02,840 space who make moves around this team and supplement the talent, So we tried 744 00:49:02,880 --> 00:49:06,639 the best that we could. And now we're going to get a better sense 745 00:49:06,679 --> 00:49:10,559 of where these young guys are at. So I don't necessarily think there's going 746 00:49:10,599 --> 00:49:15,119 to be a panic move, but you never know. There the sense of 747 00:49:15,199 --> 00:49:19,559 urgency in the NBA, and that timeline with teams has seemed like it's moved 748 00:49:19,599 --> 00:49:22,559 up the last couple of years. Is there any one or anything about this 749 00:49:22,599 --> 00:49:25,239 team. I haven't asked you about that you think needs to be discussed. 750 00:49:25,800 --> 00:49:30,119 Ooh, you are thorough, my friend, you are absolutely thorough. I 751 00:49:30,480 --> 00:49:35,480 don't believe there's a whole lot that has been left uncovered. I think a 752 00:49:35,480 --> 00:49:39,519 lot of my preseason thoughts are out there now, so I think I think 753 00:49:39,559 --> 00:49:44,159 we've covered this team pretty damn well. Just no strong taco fall opinions, 754 00:49:44,280 --> 00:49:46,880 nothing, nothing long this He is going to be great for the Cleveland Charge. 755 00:49:47,480 --> 00:49:51,800 I think he is going to be a fan favorite there. You know, 756 00:49:52,039 --> 00:49:54,440 Talco is an interesting guy because he seems so beloved in locker rooms that 757 00:49:54,519 --> 00:49:59,159 maybe you keep him around as a good vibes guy. Kevin Gelli is another 758 00:49:59,159 --> 00:50:01,119 good vibes guy. We at the opportunity to talk to him a media day 759 00:50:01,159 --> 00:50:06,440 and what it was. I was really impressed with what he had to say. 760 00:50:06,480 --> 00:50:09,320 This is a team that the vibes are really good. The vibes are 761 00:50:09,320 --> 00:50:13,280 really good in preseason. They seem to really like playing with each other, 762 00:50:13,320 --> 00:50:19,599 which I think is great. We'll see how that works and how resilient that 763 00:50:19,760 --> 00:50:22,760 is because they are going to have a really tough opening to the season. 764 00:50:22,519 --> 00:50:28,559 You got Memphis Charlotte Atlanta before you go on a road trip playing Denver. 765 00:50:28,679 --> 00:50:34,679 Both LA teams Portland and a big West coast swing right off the bat. 766 00:50:34,760 --> 00:50:38,239 So we'll see how resilient that is. But it is nice to have a 767 00:50:38,320 --> 00:50:43,400 situation where the vibes are good. You got a young core that likes playing 768 00:50:43,440 --> 00:50:45,599 with one another and they're going to test out to see what they're what they're 769 00:50:45,599 --> 00:50:50,039 capable of. The vibes are good. That's a great note to end the 770 00:50:50,039 --> 00:50:52,960 podcast on, just to we're able to tell our listeners where they can find 771 00:50:52,000 --> 00:50:58,000 you and your podcast. You will find me and my good vibes on Twitter 772 00:50:58,039 --> 00:51:00,840 at Cavs Anada. You can find my podcast wherever you listen to this podcast. 773 00:51:00,880 --> 00:51:05,119 I will wager that you will be able to find the Chase Down podcast. 774 00:51:05,199 --> 00:51:07,679 We talk about the Calves and the rest of the NBA through our wine 775 00:51:07,719 --> 00:51:13,800 and gold colored glasses. I like to call it realistic optimism, Like I 776 00:51:13,880 --> 00:51:16,960 got people excited last year about the Cavs predicting twenty seven wins. Right now 777 00:51:17,000 --> 00:51:22,400 I'm saying they're probably eleventh seed, like mid thirty wins. Load a mid 778 00:51:22,480 --> 00:51:25,119 thirty wins, And you know what, if I can convince people that that 779 00:51:25,239 --> 00:51:29,280 is an intriguing storyline and get them excited about it. You know what, 780 00:51:29,519 --> 00:51:31,960 I'm doing my job well, so you can find me there, you say, 781 00:51:32,039 --> 00:51:36,079 rose colored glasses. But I am impressed with how you and Carter have 782 00:51:36,159 --> 00:51:38,840 kept level headed takes and you haven't. Your opinions on the team have not 783 00:51:38,960 --> 00:51:43,760 skewed in any different directions since you guys have been under the actual Cleveland Cavaliers 784 00:51:43,840 --> 00:51:46,199 umbrella, which is an impressive accomplishment to fall under that umbrella, but then 785 00:51:46,239 --> 00:51:50,880 to also, you know, still give your actual opinions on the team without 786 00:51:50,880 --> 00:51:52,800 fault without you know, everyone is going to have the best season of their 787 00:51:52,800 --> 00:51:55,880 career. They've they've gained ten pounds of muscle lost, double digit percentage of 788 00:51:55,880 --> 00:52:00,679 body fat off there, and every everybody that needed to lose is weight lost 789 00:52:00,719 --> 00:52:04,360 fifteen. Everyone that needed to gain weight gained fifteen. You know, Like, 790 00:52:05,079 --> 00:52:08,519 I think it helped that we were already doing like a what I believed 791 00:52:08,519 --> 00:52:13,280 to be like a fairly fair podcast, Like I always want to be realistic, 792 00:52:13,280 --> 00:52:15,639 but at the same time, like this is sports, Like I recognize 793 00:52:15,679 --> 00:52:17,920 that this is escapism. I've always kept that in perspective, So I'm not 794 00:52:17,920 --> 00:52:21,880 going to be the fan that's sitting here screaming for so and so to be 795 00:52:21,880 --> 00:52:28,320 fired, because I my strength, what I know is how little I actually 796 00:52:28,360 --> 00:52:30,639 know. And that's a real benefit when it comes to talking about sports because 797 00:52:30,679 --> 00:52:34,360 at the end of the day, like there's so much that we don't know. 798 00:52:34,440 --> 00:52:37,639 I keep things in perspective and try to have some fun along the way, 799 00:52:37,639 --> 00:52:39,360 because you know what, like, life's too short and at the end 800 00:52:39,400 --> 00:52:43,360 of the day, it's NBA basketball man, Like, it's not a life 801 00:52:43,440 --> 00:52:46,360 or death situation. That's what I've said. I recognize that what I do 802 00:52:46,519 --> 00:52:51,159 is completely expendable. I take my work seriously, but I also don't take 803 00:52:51,199 --> 00:52:53,320 myself too seriously. It's a fucking game that we cover. O god, 804 00:52:53,440 --> 00:52:58,800 no, god, no, I can me taking myself seriously? No no, 805 00:52:58,400 --> 00:52:59,960 no, no, no no. Yeah. I followed you on too 806 00:53:00,199 --> 00:53:01,400 for more than a half a decade. You definitely do not take yourself too 807 00:53:01,400 --> 00:53:07,199 seriously. No, absolutely not. And hopefully I facilitate good enough conversation. 808 00:53:07,280 --> 00:53:08,800 And you know what, we bring on the experts. We bring on the 809 00:53:08,800 --> 00:53:12,079 experts and we have some fun with them, get them to loosen up, 810 00:53:12,079 --> 00:53:15,400 and that's the best way to go about it. Well, please keep up 811 00:53:15,440 --> 00:53:16,840 the great work. Thank you so much for coming on as usual. I'm 812 00:53:16,840 --> 00:53:21,519 glad we have a third term to associate with you now soon the return and 813 00:53:21,599 --> 00:53:24,840 I think my favorite one out. The vibes are good, trustin. I 814 00:53:24,840 --> 00:53:27,920 think, as you know by now, we're pestering you again in the future. 815 00:53:28,039 --> 00:53:30,679 Thank you again, no problem, you can pest for me anytime. 816 00:53:30,719 --> 00:53:30,199 Thanks for having