Cavs nab big win vs. Bucks, face Clippers on Monday | Cleveland Cavaliers podcast

Cavs nab big win vs. Bucks, face Clippers on Monday | Cleveland Cavaliers podcast

On today’s show are the Bucks the best elite team for the Cavs to play in the top of the Eastern Conference let’s talk about that and more on today’s show are locked on Cavs your daily Cleveland Cavaliers podcast the music you heard on the way in is

From our friends at astral radio and I’m Chris Manning that man over there is Evan deal we’ve got a jam-packed show for you today Cavs beat the bucks on Friday night in Milwaukee to get to two and two on the season so we’re going to talk about that game we’re going to

Touch on Cavs and and how they fit against the buck specifically and and perhaps who they should like to get if they have to deeper into the playoffs in segment three Cavs Clippers on Monday in Cleveland we’ll preview that game Evan let’s start with Friday’s game this game

Was won by defense I think more than anything else this this was a really great Cavs defensive performance we can get it to Mitchell and and what he did but just a a great defensive performance that really was energetic and feisty and competitive throughout yeah it definitely was this was a matchup where

It certainly crystallized that Isaac aoro has emerged as one of the best point of attack defenders in the NBA just the work he did on Damen Lillard uh compared just the between the two games they had Milwaukee like the the first game he made Dame work for every bucket

The second game is another indicator of that which is way less free throws compared to the first game in Milwaukee but for me at least what stood out on top of just like the otherworldly defense Cleveland played especially in the third quarter before Giannis checked back in and they strung

Together about four quick three-pointers to close at the third is just they won the non Yannis minutes like they outscored the Bucks quite a bit like you could see that the Cavs uh did their best to take advantage of the fact that the Bucks didn’t have the best player in

The world on the court at times and the Cavs just stretched open the lead quite a bit obviously leaning on their defense but also just allowing their offense to translate from the defense and take advantage of maybe some of the easier opportunities whether it is on the fast

Break or just you know getting the bucks on a mismatch or just you know not having hiis denaka on the floor uh makes all the difference and it felt syy at times it’s obviously not a 40 Point blowout samin but like in terms of just like the Cavs attacking Milwaukee

Without their strongest player out there it’s really just smart coaching on JB bicker staff’s part and I think a mismatch they’re able to exploit especially just cuz again Giannis had another triple double in this game um it’s like his fourth in five games and like it kind of felt uh under St at

Least compared to the last game because Cleveland just took advantage of those non Giannis minutes and also really cranked of the intens intensity on defense um on everybody else not Nam ynis Kuma on the floor this was not a defenser performance that I totally thought they

Had in them to some degree because it the Personnel I think doesn’t just add up exactly to what I would think of as putting forth this kind of defensive forms put some numbers on it bucks had an offensive rating of 98 in this game 98 is anemic it is in the it is

Below the drgs of the league for context the worst offens of League this year according the clean and the glass most least efficient offense at least is Portland at they’re scoring 108. eight per 100 possessions bucks are 10 points 100 per 100 possessions below that League average is

116.3 for whatever reason you there’s a a bunch of them you could look at and just say the Cavs crushed it now was the Cavs offense great in this game either know the Cavs was at 108.9 it was 0.1 better than the least efficient offense

In the league so this wasn’t like a a pretty game by any means this was a game in the muck but I think EV to win a game like this even with what you said about Giannis and the way he played and Giannis was great even with just kind of

Needing to turn it up at certain points and get different perform get different moments and things going correctly and things just kind of breaking a certain way at times and just kind of maximizing whatever moment you had like there’s that big Caris LeVert 3 and all that

Like that to me speaks to something about this group it’s it’s nine wins in 10 it’s it’s continuing to just be feisty and competitive and and maximizing these moments like there’s something really impressive about winning a game like this even if it’s not the prettiest so I was either

Talking to this about numac or Tai Windish when you were away from the show for a bit but somebody the Cavs told me like The Vibes just were not great when moyy and Garland were ruled out they were just off that three- game slide there’s a lot more questions and answers

And like you said like the the tenacity and the ability to handle adversity from this group is really encouraging but for me on top of that is just like JB Baker staff has really done a wonderful job coaching this team over this 16 17 game stretch without Garland and Moy on the

Floor like if things went sideways in another timeline things aren’t going as well as they are now biger saa’s the first guy to go and then the Cavs figure it out internally with whomever they promote as uh head coach maybe it’s Dave Jagger and Dave Jagger doesn’t join doc

Rivers’s coaching staff um but either way um he really like made some adjustments in this game at least compared to the first one where maybe they def they just kind of I don’t know it’s a physicality thing I think after the first game in this two game series

That the Cavs had the Milwaukee they said they just just didn’t meet Milwaukee physicality wise like hit for hit and blow for blow and I think for me just like one of the indicators is like Jared Allen was picking up fouls on yis and AA but they weren’t like lazy fouls

He was playing Giannis very hard on defense and making Giannis really work to get looks at the bucket and like you said like the defensive Personnel just doesn’t really make sense at times just because if you’re throwing guys like Dean Wade and Isaac aoro and Jared Allen

At a mix of Giannis Aden aumo and Brook Lopez and like it was enough to make it work we’ll talk about this more in the upcoming segment which is an interesting thought exercise is what I told you when I was looking over the notes we uh went live but this was just an

Encouraging you know just cat feather in the cap moment for JB vicker staff in this team just because like they the the winning streak came to an end like it was kind of a frustrating loss just because they were showing some fight and some grit but like they weren’t showing

Enough of maybe that edge and then they turned it up a little bit and showed that like when the chips are down or maybe when the pressure’s on and the expectations are a little bit higher and things seem like they’re against them they respond to it and kind of chameleon

Themselves to find a way to adapt and Thrive um just given whatever circumstances are throwing at them that night last thing do of a Mitchell my goodness what he just you know 20 12 of 27 but it was 6 to 12 from three got a ton of assists once again as

He continues right now without darus Carlin to just kind of eat into that role and they’re not really playing a backup point guard he has six assists you know five turnovers but has 32 I mean he was of the two All-Star level guards in this game him and Dame

He was by far the better one yeah uh I would agree I think this is a even more impressive followup just in terms of efficiency um the first game to me was just impressive because he picks up that fifth foul with like six minutes to go

In the game but he still keeps playing hard and keeps like attacking Milwaukee you know daring the refs to call that final foul on him or something like that but this one was a really nice followup is a lot more efficient he again fled the triple double I think he’s handled

The responsibility of being Cleveland’s primary ball handler and point guard very well obviously like you said like Craig Porter Jr has been faced out of the rotation in favor of Sam Merill right now because the shooting Merill gives and I mean you should cuz Merrill’s red hot as well too you don’t

Want to let him cool off while sitting on the bench but um yeah Mitchell has just been really really good and you said he was the better player on the floor and if you look at how the NBA Allstar voting went um Damen Lillard and Donan Mitchell’s peers agree like they

Ranked Mitchell much higher than Dame in terms of just like All-Star voting so nothing really big about it Donovan will likely be named a Reserve at this point but this was a fun match between those two and yeah Donovan definitely stood out compared to Daman Lillard both

Nights up after this are the Bucks among the Celtics the Sixers among the teams we think of as the the East top three right now are the Bucks me best matchup for the caps and how do the Cavs ultimately do we think match up against the bucks now that their four game

Series in this regular season is done and they’re at two and two we’ll talk about that after this today’s episode is brought to you by eBay Motors passion drive and patience what brings home the winning trophy is also what keeps your Rider die alive eBay mot has everything you need

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Of $5 or more wins just visit fanduel.com lockon to sign up that is fanduel.com lockon make every moment more with FanDuel an official sports book of the NFL let me pause it this you yeah what what’s up you know when he’s not um wearing Jorts and a t and a hat and isn’t

Dressed as a Cleveland Ohio native the par Ohio native specific The Miz called him dressed like a Teletubby you can see him but when he’s dressed like a Teletubby and he goes like this then you can’t then you can’t see him that’s how it works okay okay okay and thank you

For the clarity I appreciate it FanDuel FanDuel when FanDuel gives John Cena money you can also see him that’s I guess one of the powers of of FanDuel that that’s that’s nice all right let me pause it to you this way East standings right now the

Top three is Boston who I think is the best team in the conference bucks are second and the Sixers are third Sixers a little bit closer to the Knicks and the Cavs right now they’re a game up on the Knicks and a game and a half up on

Cleveland so maybe we’re just head it to Cavs Knicks round to maybe but Evan if I was gonna posit you this way that be a blood bath that’d be a blood bath like most two of the like most efficient teams in net rating going blow

To blow with each other right now and be uh not good for the health of some Cav fans out there or Nicks fans maybe yeah Nicks are coming on looking really good uh eight and2 in their last 10 Cav are nine and one two of the

Hotter I mean frankly just two of the hotter better teams in league right now but if I was looking at that top three I think if I were Cleveland the one I would feel most I would be most interested in facing if I had to in the playoffs would

I think be the Bucks I think I am there I don’t know if I I it’s not Boston tell you that and the Cavs might just be in there boss inside of the bracket anyway but Philly with embiid and with maxi and the way they play if embiid is healthy in doing what

He does and in one year he’s just going to go into the playoffs and be what he has been in the regular season that team is just a nightmare and the Bucks just feel like they’re going to have some issues I don’t I don’t I doc I

Think is going to be much better at managing personalities there maybe not the greatest tactician I think the Bucks are the team that if I’m Cleveland I I think that’s the team that I would want if I had to play one of those three teams and let’s

Say like the second round of the playoffs So It’s Tricky um because we’ve never seen the Cavs with with Darius Garland and Evan Moy once this season against Milwaukee nor have we seen them with uh facing Doc Rivers coaching the team um I think there are a lot of variables to play but

I agree just like based off how these last two games went or maybe the last three including um not last Wednesday but the following the Wednesday before that um like yeah I think you can feel a little bit encouraged just based on those returns and results but it’s also the playoffs are

Completely different Beast I think you know the uh Cavs are stylistically better matched up against the Bucks because the Bucks like to play a little bit slower they’re longer a lot longer than the two they are much more worse off defensively without their without Drew holiday out there compared to

Um Damien lither being out there now and it can be a little tough in that aspect of how you can figure out like just how this whole thing works out but um yeah I think the Bucks would be an interesting matchup for sure like I

Think it’d be a more one of the more fun ones if the Cavs wanted to make like a legitimate like run to the Eastern Conference Finals I think that’s a more viable path but like to me like Philly still could be like a guy a team that

Could um the Cavs could match up all against that’s the team they’ve only played once this year so we don’t really know but like yeah Boston’s the team you would likely want to avoid right now cuz the Cavs are 0 and2 against them they don’t play them again till March so

Obviously we’ll see how they feel or how they look comparatively but yeah like right now just based on what we know and everything um yeah I feel like the Cavs should feel pretty good about their chances against um Milwaukee compared to the rest of the field if you had to rank

Them how would you rank them um in terms of just like most desirable to least desirable yeah okay um Milwaukee one Philly 2 Boston 3 and I’ll put Miami in this mix too just because the heat are zombies and they always will be um I think they are four for me

And just CU Eric spoler is a good coach and again the heat are just the undead they’ll find a way to sneak their way into the second round if they can yeah I think above I well I Miami is kind of its own like lurking monster and

I always just want to have them in the mix cuz uh what is dead may never die is the Miami Heat actual ethos yeah I think I think the part for the for the sake of like the structure of this the top like looking at just like

The top three Boston is like just in its own tier that’s just the best that’s that’s either the best team in the league or second best behind Denver to me I think they’re better than Denver right now yeah that’s personal preference yeah I think you’re right I

Just think also like Denver won the title last year and it’s jic and like Denver just won in Boston First Team all year only team all year to beat Boston and Boston so like there’s something to nuggets are just really good that they’re just they’re going to be there

In some way shape or capacity and the Conference finals are the finals again and could win it all again that’s like very very possible there Boston but in for in the East they’re in their own tier Wing stuff all that’re things you could look at that you know that’s the

Issue bucks and Sixers are not super far apart I but I think I have the I would the Bucks would be first which feels crazy to say because they have Yannis and D you could that could go a very certain way and be tough and then Philly

And then Boston Miami is just like in its own thing like them and I mean if you if if you go like lower it’s like the Knicks are would be a really hard match up for the as we saw that last year and there’s there’s some things Cleveland

Would have a lot to prove in that series The Heat would be that I mean I I think there there’s a there whatever happens here I think ultimately there’s going to be some hard as heck playoff matchups like it’s coming like whatever is coming here is coming in let’s R land on

This what it’s not all up to them obviously the the Knicks would need to struggle the Sixers or the Bucks would need to take a big step back but how how advantageous do you think it would be for Cleveland if you’re kind of building this out to

Maybe get to the three seed and and get one of those two teams like it theoretically just have a slightly different path than where they kind of seem to be slotted in at four or five right now like how valuable do you think that’ be if they could actually

Push for that I think pushing for the three seed would be ideal because like you said it feels like they are on a collision course with New York again for a first round rematch and just just with how well the Knicks have been playing post OG anovi trade and who knows what

Else they’re going to do at come trade deadline time um you maybe want to kind of just avoid that monster for as long as you can if you are the Cavs and so if you’re able to sneak into that three spot and avoid like that four or five

Toss up and also maybe have the luxury of a possible upset happening um in one of the rounds and maybe you get a little bit of more of a homecourt quote unquote advantage in the second round or a more favorable matchup but I think you’re within Striking Distance at three um we

Talked about this at the beginning of the season they got the best record in the league which certainly feels Out Of Reach just with how well Boston’s played this year um like that is their like kind of clear path to uh running the table in Eastern Conference but again

It’s all matchup based of course but um at least to me I I feel like it’s uh probably the better path to get three versus four right now but if it ends up being a four or five match up it’s just going to be much much more of a grind

For Cleveland and I think they are showing some tenacity where they are comfortable with grinding it out with some teams yeah I I think three if you could get it would be a huge Boon if you want any hope of making a a deeper run that

Is the place in the standings that I think unlocks more but we’ll talk after this break about another Cavs big Cavs game Cavs Clippers Clippers also I think one of the best teams in the league we’ll talk about that preview that game after this today’s episode is brought to you

By quiz today we’re going to have some fun in test you’re locked on Cavs knowledge really Cavs knowledge we have there are questions that they have on the quiz app like what player holds the the record for most point scored to in a single game for the Cavaliers or what is

The nickname of the Cavaliers mascot quiz with three eyes not one not two three is the next Generation trivia experience it is also the world’s first platform where you can earn money playing knowledge games and for lockdown cast fans they’ve created the NBA quiz game where you can test your knowledge

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And breathe basketball Evan do you know the answer to the question which player holds the most holds the record for most points in a single game for the Cavaliers oh gosh I I think I was at this game actually think is it Donovan Mitchell yeah it is Donovan Mitchell and

Oh my gosh I know shocker big one 70 whatever is a lot of points1 L points a lot of scoring in the NBA last couple years so check out complaining about it too well they’re they’re not having fun tell let let us know if you play this

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Champions Cavs Clippers Monday night in Cleveland what’s your number one thing you are looking for in this game what are you most excited to see for Cavs Clippers I know kawh Leonard is a step slow uh compared to what he was maybe he’s not the same player that he once was

But him along with Paul George and James Harden like we we talk about all these tests that Cav’s been dealing with lately like Milwaukee being the latest one with Giannis out there but like this one is much of a more of a multi-layer beast because like you have three dudes

That really th dve on the perimeter Harden especially then you have like Westbrook who’s played very well off the bench for the Clippers as well thriving too like how do the Cavs respond to this and also like who is or is not available like does Darius Garland maybe give this

A shot or a go after not traveling with the team to excuse me um uh keep focusing on his recovery to get back to the floor um just perhaps EV Mobly become like a game time decision because the reporting the ethos is is he could be back as early as this week or

Is this just going to be another game where the Cavs are underman and seemingly like outgunned in this one and they find a way to scrap and Claw like this is going to be one of the more difficult I want to say matchups the Cavs have dealt with so far just because

Like the the triple-headed monster that is Harden George and Leonard is really tough and then you have Westbrook coming off the bench too which makes it even harder Kawai if people haven’t been watching or or at least looking at box Wars is having an unbelievable season he’s played he’s playing 35

Minutes a game shooting a career best 52.5% from the field he’s shooting 44.8% from three which would be career best on five attempts per game he’s averaging nearly 24 a game he’s averaging six boards he is averaging nearly four assists a game he’s averaging nearly two steals a

Game Hawai has been an All-Star level guy he has been utterly unbelievable he has not maybe gotten the Fanfare and I think there’s always going to be trepidation with him about his health but this guy is playing I think like pretty close to like an apex Kawai like

It is kind ofly unbelievable and I think this Clippers team is just really good like I am skeptical of them because of the health because of of James Harden um but they’re second in the league they’re third in the league in net rating Boston Oklahoma City the only two teams in leag

With better net ratings they second in offense they’re eighth in defense last two weeks they are first in offense they’re third in point differential and they’re eighth in defense this is just flat out the best team the Cavs have played I think since Boston this is just

A better team full stop than Milwaukee this is a this is a massive massive test and we’re recording this early on Sunday so we don’t have injury reports as of yet so we don’t know if Darius Garland’s listed a certain way or Evan Moy is

Listed a certain way but Evan to me the the Intrigue of this game is just this is the best team the Cavs have played in some time the team going through the least amount of strife that they’ve played in some time this is a this is a

Massive massive test for a team that has been you know great w nine out of 10 but this is this is a step up from even the Bucks of the world and the atlantas and the Chicagos and the Brooklyn and and the Wizards yeah and for context like

The Clippers are 27 and 12 with James Harden they were 3 and two little treading water up until that point and that is like you said there’s not a lot of strife a lot of trepidations going on with the Clippers it’s just kind of the quietness has gone or the loudness that

Comes to James Harden has gone away because Harden’s happy for the time being but yeah this is the toughest match that the Cavs have had up to this point they they definitely get a bit of a pallet cleanser before they go play Minnesota at the end of this upcoming

Week uh against the Pistons on Wednesday but injury report not with standing like you can’t ride your Hope on Darius Garland and Evan Mobley being back out there to give you a shot against the Clippers you’re the Cavs like matchup wise you’re going to see a heavy dose of

I think Isaac aoro minutes on uh James Harden I wonder if Dean W kind of gets thrown at like Paul George at times like they used him on Chris Middleton obviously not the same level of player but still like there’s some defensive matchups you could do there and also

Like how do you defend Kawai at the four like is Jared Allen comfortable defending a small forward playing Power Forward at that spot like Giannis is more of a power forward/center who it’s easier for Allen to defend but like how how do you kind of defend all these

Perimeter threat guys cuz the gavs are a little Limited at that spot like maybe Donovan Mitchell Max stru and others step up too just because like they play hard or Mitchell uses his god-given wingspan but it’s going to be an interesting matchup like I really am

Going to watch to see like how does JB bicker staff utilize Isaac aoro in this one and I feel like it’s going to be pretty much exclusively on James Hart yeah I I would suspect it it would be and we’ll see how the rest of it goes

Cavs next five games Clippers home on Monday home versus the Pistons on Wednesday at Memphis on Thursday in a TNT game which is probably which no it’s no longer a TNT game it’s on B Sports okay it’s been that’s good that’s good for the world umist is TNT at the ESPN

Schedule I’m looking at Spurs on Saturday and then the Kings at home next Monday so interesting slate of five games coming the Apex the Clippers you get the Pistons at for that but Clippers myad on confusing Memphis for Minnesota by the way everyone yeah you know just

Two very similar cities no not at all and also just two very different basketball teams one one you know that got rocked by injuries and one that um got rocked by Victor Wana hitting him with a sham God yeah the the when I said similar cities that was that was sarcasm uh

No yeah I wasn’t serious yeah it’s fine it’s okay all right we’re going to end there I’m Chris Manning that is Evan damal thanks again to Jake Stevens as always Evan will have a some version of your recap of C Clippers up I am going to be on the road

For a day but I’ll be back Wednesday and back the rest of the week or more lockdown Cavs Wednesday we’re going to do position by position so guards Wings bigs which group do the cabs actually need to trade for come back for that come back for all things

Here un lock on Cavs be well have a great rest every Monday talk soon

On a new episode of Locked on Cavs (Monday, Jan. 29, 2024) hosts Chris Manning (@cwmwrites, The Just Basketball Show, SB Nation’s Fear the Sword, Forbes Sports) and Evan Dammarell (@AmNotEvan, Right Down Euclid) discuss the Cavaliers’ impressive Friday night win over the Bucks, how Cleveland matches up with the Bucks based on the four matchups between the teams this season and then look ahead to Monday’s Cavs-Clippers showdown.

This episode was produced by Jake Stephens. The intro music is from our friends at Astral Radio.

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