ANOTHER FIRST-ROUND EXIT? 😬 Stephen A. expresses concerns for Cleveland | NBA Countdown

ANOTHER FIRST-ROUND EXIT? 😬 Stephen A. expresses concerns for Cleveland | NBA Countdown

So here’s a look at the Eastern Conference standings the Bucks solidly in second in the conference nearly halfway through the season and then three games back of the top seated Celtics as well but look the Cavaliers they’re sitting there at Fourth they’ve won five straight seven of their last 10

Games Stephen A do you think that Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers are a real threat let’s say to go to the Eastern Conference Finals no I do not um I love uh what they are defensively offensively I love Donovan Mitchell but do I have faith that they could do it

After what I saw my Knicks do today in the first round last year no I’m not giving them that now obviously I have concerns I want the New York to climb that ladder I want them to get to a top five top four SE preferably four so they’ll get homecourt advantage in that

First round Series this is what I would want but at the end of the day what it comes down to is this if you’re talking about the Cavaliers we got to defer to what we saw from them in the postseason last year how are they much different

This year I mean I see a team that obviously is is is coached well uh they play defense I know they’ve got a star on Donovan Mitchell I get all of that but come playoff time when you’re the best of seven series I think you can

Game plan for them a little bit better than you can for most of the other teams and I think that I can see the Cavaliers getting to the playoffs and falling in the first round again Stephen A the only thing I would say is if they’re different than last year and it’s subtle

But it could be important you know um since Moy and Garland have been out they’re 10 and three which is pretty impressive and their bench has been third in the league in scoring third in the league so I mean they they’re they seem to be develop a certain resourcefulness that they probably did

Not have last year and I that could make the difference if you’re talking about a four five series I know you don’t want to necessarily get into a tussle with the Cavaliers again a second year in a row but they might be a little better by

I wouldn’t run from that I think the he seems okay but what you know look I I I did you say am I going to give you credit here that that the team can’t do anything till they had their heartbroken yeah was that you that was pretty good y

Um they had their heartbroken last that was a bad outcome the Cavs did not show up for the playoffs so it tells me I don’t see them folding again so I think they’d be a tough out especially if they play our guy well you brought up Moy you

Brought up Garland what is the latest when could we see them back I’m told to expect both of those players back within a couple of weeks now and this is a team you know teams are calling Cleveland ahead of the trade deadline about Donovan Mitchell and Kobe Alman is more

Polite than to just hang up his phone on them but he has told team and the conversations I’ve had lose my number on Donovan Mitchell I always I always I got asked about Curry I always dreamed of like what you say you would have done

That you done I wish I was like that want to they want to win with Donovan Mitchell they want to get this whole group back they’re the fourth seed in the East right now you know one thing they didn’t have in the postseason last year was Bench shooting Max stru from

This uh heat has been outstanding so but this is a team with Donovan Mitchell uh that they think can really make a run in the East and uh there won’t be any conversations about moving he’s such a nice guy he brought up Max Tru there’s

Still an AP out there for him because of the damn playoffs and finals last year they found they still [Applause] [Applause] Cleveland

The NBA Countdown crew debate how far the Cleveland Cavaliers can go in the postseason coming off a disappointing run last season.

☑️ Subscribe to ESPN+: https://plus.espn.com/
📱Get the ESPN App: http://www.espn.com/espn/apps/espn
🏀 Subscribe to NBA on ESPN on YouTube: http://bit.ly/2yxs3Og
☑️Subscribe to ESPN on YouTube: http://es.pn/SUBSCRIBEtoYOUTUBE
☑️Watch ESPN on YouTube TV: http://es.pn/YouTubeTV