That's odoo.com slash locked on.

Yeah, I think up and down is the appropriate way to describe it.

And I think there have been more ups than there have been downs, but I think the downs have been a lot louder than the ups have been, if that makes sense.

Like this week against Oklahoma City, the Cavs won six of the eight quarters they played against the Thunder, but they were so bad in the two quarters that they lost against OKC that they went 0-2 in those games.

Like the Cavs have over the last couple of weeks, like in their losses, even in a couple of their wins, they just have this one quarter and sometimes it's not even a full quarter.

Sometimes it's like an eight minute stretch where they look horrendous.

And then the rest of the game, they look really good.

What development eight games in has he most excited about the Cavs?

here

we go again with Kenny, you know? Yes, and I understand that.

I kind of understand why because some of the things that Kenny has said, right, like you think back to – and this quote is going to live with him forever – The analytically we won the game.

That's going to follow him around the rest of his career, whether it's in Cleveland, whether it's somewhere else, whether it's on TV.

That quote is going to follow Kenny Atkinson around the same way the lights were brighter than expected.

Quote will always be attached to Jared Allen.

Like those things don't go away.

I know it was one game, but what do you like about, even just when the Cavs drafted Malik Thomas to now that we've seen him play a game, too?

What do you think so far after what you've seen three games in?

I think there has been more good than bad with what we have seen.

And it's obviously what happened in Philly on opening night is going to be the thing that casts a shadow over the early portion of their season.

This schedule is really tough over the first 10 games.

And that Philly loss is going to be one that you look at and say, if they just would have found a way to hang on to a 29-point lead.

And I realize how ridiculous that sentence says.

But this team, I think, has been a lot more good than that.

But what have you made just out of him in general in these first three games?

What do you think so far after what you've seen three games in?

I think there has been more good than bad with what we have seen.

And it's obviously what happened in Philly on opening night is going to be the thing that casts a shadow over the early portion of their season.

This schedule is really tough over the first 10 games.

And that Philly loss is going to be one that you look at and say, if they just would have found a way to hang on to a 29-point lead.

And I realize how ridiculous that sentence says.

But this team, I think, has been a lot more good than that.

But what have you made just out of him in general in these first three games?

Well, Anthony and Nick

Padone wanted to crown him as the greatest basketball player ever in the history of the universe.

They were going to start the show.

Do we have clips? And he's the reason why we're going to win the finals this week.

And he missed it.

He missed it.

I do think Donovan Mitchell got his boys up for that game against Rudy Gobert.

That's how you know they're a family.

What do you think so far after what you've seen three games in?

I think there has been more good than bad with what we have seen.

And it's obviously what happened in Philly on opening night is going to be the thing that casts a shadow over the early portion of their season.

This schedule is really tough over the first 10 games.

And that Philly loss is going to be one that you look at and say, if they just would have found a way to hang on to a 29-point lead.

And I realize how ridiculous that sentence says.

But this team, I think, has been a lot more good than that.

But what have you made just out of him in general in these first three games?

But now I wonder, with some of the players they lost, the Struces, the Wades, and so on, the players they brought in, the Watsons, the potential, the Hozonias, and the fact that the Cavs are probably going to need to rest those guys a little more, the Hardens with his age group and so on and so forth, is this the year the Cavs become a better playoff team than regular season teams?

I think there's a pathway to it, and I think that there are a few reasons why that could be true.

You brought up their win total, and I think a big part of that is how good the Eastern Conference is.

I did that early opponent preview on Locked on Cavs, and...

There were, by my estimation, and maybe I'm discounting the Charlotte Hornets here, but by my estimation, there are 11 teams that probably believe they're postseason teams this year.

And that just was not the case last year.

And maybe Charlotte makes it 12.

So Danny, I'll bring you into the conversation by asking, was this actually a better situation for Cleveland? Did they dodge a bullet knowing that LeBron might play 47 games this year? I

But I think as a rookie, it's going to be way more modest as far as like what his role is than most guys in this spot.

And to the Donovan Mitchell point to like, I think you can look back at that Utah team and they were a good team.

They were a playoff team in the West, but they also had the benefit, something that the Hawks don't have here.

Or I don't know if benefits right word, but like after Gordon Hayward left, everybody thought the jazz were going to fall off.

And Donovan Mitchell was a big part of the reason why they didn't, because there was that opportunity and he stepped into it.

That's not the case in Atlanta.

Like there are legitimate expectations here.

But I think somewhere anywhere in that like five to seven, five to eight range is very reasonable for projection with Hawks.

What would plan A be for you? And you can even elaborate a little further and go, what would plan B be if that initial plan isn't working?

I think plan a needs to be, some of those minutes are going to be Peyton Watson.

Some of those minutes are going to be make one Tomlin.

And I think Kenny Atkinson is a coach that wants to have a bigger rotation, right? I think he wants to play nine or 10 guys.

He's never going to be a guy in the regular season.

Certainly.

It's just like, yeah, I'm cool playing eight tonight.

How do you feel the Cavs are going to kind of allocate those reps, playmaking responsibilities, however you want to frame it?

And until next time, I'll see you guys later.

I think that's a huge reason why they won.

I thought that that moment in Game 5 is the moment of Evan Mobley's career.

I thought he was so good.

And defensively, I thought he was really, really good too, which I kind of think is something that people take for granted and just come to expect because he's that caliber of defensive player.

I do want to shift gears to James Harden a little bit because I think it's fair to say he had a very up-and-down series.

First two games in Detroit were a complete disaster.

Do you feel better about your Cavs winning a championship this upcoming year, not after these past playoffs? Or do you think it's going to be even tougher?

Just what were your overall thoughts? And we'll get into them a little bit more deep, but just what were your overall thoughts coming out of that series about the Pistons after watching them?

There were certainly some things that surprised me, some things that didn't surprise me, like going into that series.

And I think going into last season, like I have always been somebody who has been high on Cade Cunningham and not just because we share a last name.

So I was doing NBA draft stuff for complex the year that Cade got drafted.

That was also for Cavs fans, the year that Evan Mobley got drafted and Jalen green was in that draft.

And like those three guys were thought of as the three best players, like maybe not that they could go in any order, but yeah, I was much higher on Cade than I was Jalen green and on Evan Mobley and Scottie Barnes went forth in that draft.

Like I just thought Cade was going to be a certifiable superstar at some point in his NBA career.

Were you at all shocked that despite that, the Pistons were still able to force seven games with Cade maybe not having the best, most efficient series?

Huntington Bank is member FDIC.

It is really good value.

Like it is a great contract.

I think that that's always going to be kind of a what if because I do think it had that pick landed in the top four.

That's something that, OK, the Pacers are obviously going to be really, really good or should be really, really good if they stay healthy this upcoming season.

That was something that I think could have maybe expanded the runway had they been able to hold on to that pick.

And I think it's always a disappointing thing.

So it's hard to say.

I don't know if they are in complete agreement with the fan base that it comes in a way maybe it should, or maybe they think it should come in the way the Pistons fans want it to come.

The Tyler Hero stuff was interesting.

I know you and I had both heard he was going to Detroit, and I think that Milwaukee kind of did what Milwaukee has done pretty frequently throughout the Giannis stuff, which was they started to drag their feet a little bit, and I think that's part of the reason why he's in Milwaukee and not Detroit, but that was something that You and I both had kind of heard was done in June before free agency opened up.

So for them to kind of miss there, like I do understand some of those things.

And this is not necessarily all on Detroit.

But then the other big story this summer with the Pistons has been Jalen Dern because he's a restricted free agent.

Obviously, restricted free agency is very, very complicated thing.

I think he could get there and be a guy that just steals an MVP one year.

Did you think that that sort of distribution of how those two were being used, you know, who's doing what, was successful and it's how they're gonna approach it heading into this next season?

I think it's hard to argue with what the results were, right? Like, they were a really good-- They were a much better team after James Harden arrived than before James Harden arrived.

And, and Harden did arrive in the midst of one of the best stretches of basketball that the Cavs played all season.

Um, but I also think that they kind of recognized that what Donovan was doing, while he was awesome, kind of was something that you didn't want him to have to sustain, where there was kind of too much on his plate, where he was having to carry this roster on a night in, night out basis.

Because there were so many injuries, right? Like, this was a group that did not have its full rotation available for a single regular season game last year.

I think the first time that its entire roster was available was game three against the Toronto Raptors in the first round, which winning 52 games and that being the reality of the situation, I think is an impressive thing.

But I think part of it was they needed Donovan Mitchell to not have to carry that load, and I do think that giving the ball to James Harden more is something that helped Donovan in that area.

So what is, what is the expectation of what Peyton Watson brings to this Cavs team for this year?

Right

... kind of what this group is.

And you add James Harden into that, who you can say whatever you want about James Harden, and he w- is who he is at this point, certainly in the post-season, but he's an incredibly durable regular season player that has been awesome really his entire career from October until April.

Like, there are very few things to complain about there.

So I still look at this Cavs team and say, you know, I don't, again, I don't think that they're gonna win, um, the title this year, at least not as of right now.

I think that there are a bunch of teams that I might pick to beat them in the post-season, but I also think they're gonna finish with one of the four best records in the Eastern Conference and have home court advantage in the first round because I think that the floor for them is like 48 wins, which is what happened the year Donovan only played 50 games.

And I just think with that, like you're, at least give yourself a chance.

Mm.

Like it just, just not going the rest of my life thinking like, "All right, will they ever get it done?" And there was like, my whole life it was like they were never close, and even though they've been so competitive the last few years, them actually doing it almost kinda snuck up on me.

Yeah.

It's something that I think that feeling will never truly go away.

You know, I speak from somebody who 10 years ago won what I think a lot of people consider to be one of the most important or influential titles in basketball history, considering the, the ripple effects that them winning had on the league with Kevin Durant going to the Warriors and all that stuff.

Like that, that feeling is never, it's gonna wear off a little bit, I can tell you, but it's never truly going to go away.

Um, but I, I do wanna kinda move to page forward.

You know, we don't have to bask too much about the Knicks winning the title.

Mm-hmm.

What's fact, what's fiction as far as what you've been able to gather about the thought process or the perception of the moves that the Cavaliers did make in advance of LeBron making his decision?

The Darius Garland stuff to me really sticks out because Darius Garland is represented by Rich Paul and Clutch.

That is something that I look at and say, yeah, of course.

LeBron's camp is going to talk up the guy that they also represent.

So, like, I look at that and I hear it, and like, hey, I get it.

Darius Garland, when he's fully healthy, is a nice player and a guy that guys would want to play with, certainly during the regular season, because Shoney can be an awesome player in the regular season.

The postseason, unfortunately for Darius and the Cavs at times, has been a different story.

And what I mean by that is, Jared Allen, could they be moving him now by the deadline? What do you think is next for the Cavaliers as they try to construct a roster that can go further than they did last year?

What's fact, what's fiction as far as what you've been able to gather about the thought process or the perception of the moves that the Cavaliers did make in advance of LeBron making his decision?

The Darius Garland stuff to me really sticks out because Darius Garland is represented by Rich Paul and Clutch.

That is something that I look at and say, yeah, of course.

LeBron's camp is going to talk up the guy that they also represent.

So, like, I look at that and I hear it, and like, hey, I get it.

Darius Garland, when he's fully healthy, is a nice player and a guy that guys would want to play with, certainly during the regular season, because Shoney can be an awesome player in the regular season.

The postseason, unfortunately for Darius and the Cavs at times, has been a different story.

And what I mean by that is, Jared Allen, could they be moving him now by the deadline? What do you think is next for the Cavaliers as they try to construct a roster that can go further than they did last year?

What's fact, what's fiction as far as what you've been able to gather about the thought process or the perception of the moves that the Cavaliers did make in advance of LeBron making his decision?

I did Darius Garland stuff to me really sticks out because Darius Garland is represented by Rich Paul and clutch.

Like that is something that I look at and say, yeah, of course.

LeBron's camp is going to talk up the guy that they also represent.

So, like, I look at that and I hear it, and like, hey, I get it.

Darius Garland, when he's fully healthy, is a nice player and a guy that guys would want to play with, certainly during the regular season, because Shoney can be an awesome player in the regular season.

The postseason, unfortunately for Darius and the Cavs at times, has been a different story.

And what I mean by that is, Jared Allen, could they be moving him now by the deadline? What do you think is next for the Cavaliers as they try to construct a roster that can go further than they did last year?

I don't know about it in 10 years if people are going to still hate him, but I think it might change some people's feelings here in the short term.

I would agree with that because I think that the Cavs offseason has kind of become built around this.

I went into the offseason thinking, no, it'd be nice for the Cavs if they got LeBron.

It would be a really positive thing, but it wouldn't be the biggest necessity in the world.

But here we are, again, three weeks later, and the only moves the Cavs have made this offseason has been drafting Malik Thomas, which looks really, really good after Summer League, signing Thomas Bryant to a minimum contract, and giving Donovan Mitchell this massive extension.

Like, when that has been your offseason, and you needed to go into this summer getting better, which the Cavs have not done, And I know that Larry Nance Jr. and Keon Ellis were not exactly factors in the postseason, but you did lose a starter from that team that went to the conference finals this offseason in Dean Wade.

And you don't get better? Like, that's a problem.

so if that decision comes down today and it's cleveland what's the first move that you think kobe and do we have another gm yet is uh brandon weems still unofficial at this point uh what is the next move

Do we have another GM yet? Is, uh, Brandon Weems still unofficial at this point? Uh, what is the next move?

Well, I do think Brandon Weems will be the GM no matter what happens with LeBron.

I think that should be the case.

And, um, like, if that does happen, that's not something that is because of LeBron, and I think that's, uh, something the Cavs should make clear.

I don't know if that will happen, though.

Um, but I think that the next move would be trying to add another wing, and most likely my guess would be a Jarrett Allen trade because the Cavs are...

And, like, it's...

the Boston Celtics gotten better?

I don't know about it in 10 years if people are going to still hate him, but I think it might change some people's feelings here in the short term.

I would agree with that because I think that the Cavs offseason has kind of become built around this.

I went into the offseason thinking, no, it'd be nice for the Cavs if they got LeBron.

It would be a really positive thing, but it wouldn't be the biggest necessity in the world.

But here we are, again, three weeks later, and the only moves the Cavs have made this offseason has been drafting Malik Thomas, which looks really, really good after Summer League, signing Thomas Bryant to a minimum contract, and giving Donovan Mitchell this massive extension.

Like, when that has been your offseason and you needed to go into this summer getting better, which the Cavs have not done before, Seeing and I know that Larry Nance Jr. and TNLs were not exactly factors in the postseason, but you did lose a starter from that team that went to the conference finals this offseason and Dean Wade and you don't get better like that's a problem.

And I do think that we've gotten to the point.

so if that decision comes down today and it's cleveland what's the first move that you think kobe and do we have another gm yet is uh brandon weems still unofficial at this point uh what is the next move

What are Larry Nance's best skills?

So you're right.

He's not the guy that he once was.

He was in a dunk contest before.

That's not who he is anymore.

I think his best skill from a basketball perspective might be his IQ.

And I know that that's maybe not exactly the answer you're looking for because you're like, oh, shooting or rebounding or defense.

in the background it's so obvious exactly what I'm saying okay two people verbatim when I asked them about Larry Nance said everyone loves him like as a human and person did you get that same impression and what makes him such a good valued teammate worth investing in even as his on-court impact fades a little bit

What do you think of the fit with the Cavs?

I think it's fine.

I think the way that the Cavs are being talked about nationally has kind of gotten insane.

Would he be a really good fit in Denver from a basketball perspective? Yes.

Him and Nikola Jokic would be incredible to watch play together.

Would he be a good fit in Minnesota? Yeah, he would be.

I think that fit's become a little bit overrated.

Where do you end up on this?

What do you think of the fit with the Cavs?

I think it's fine.

I think the way that the Cavs are being talked about nationally is kind of gotten insane, right? Like, would he be a really good fit in Denver from a basketball perspective? Yes.

Him and Nikola Jokic would be incredible to watch play together.

Would he be a good fit in Minnesota? Yeah, he would be.

I think that fit's become a little bit overrated.

But there is nothing wrong with the way that he would fit in Cleveland.

Danny Cunningham joining us right now talking some NBA so this is what I think is going to happen if they get LeBron I do think they're probably going to end up trading Jared Allen and trying to work a little more spacing into their offensive flow what do you think happens