Donovan Mitchell is OUT again + the Cleveland Cavaliers BIGGEST storylines to watch down the stretch

Donovan Mitchell is OUT again + the Cleveland Cavaliers BIGGEST storylines to watch down the stretch

It is the ultimate Cavaliers show Mikey McNuggets Jason Lloyd doing something a little different today and that all begins right after This I’ve been wanting to do this for quite a while on the ultimate Cleveland sports show Jason but with the chaos of three or four people on the panel and the uncertainty of what some people will say I figured this was a best SA exercise for the ultimate Cav show with

You we are going to draft our top story lines to watch for the Cleveland Cavaliers over the last 14 games of the regular season essentially the last month of the regular season as the Cavs gear up for the playoffs and this feels like a Victor wembanyama type draft

Jason where there’s a very obvious number one and the next picks are up in the air because you are technically the guest in my home court as the host of this stream you get the first pick well it’s pretty obvious when we were talking for the show I said I’ll take the first

One because I don’t want to think that hard and there’s an obvious one and that’s Don M Mitchell and just the health of Donovan going down the stretch uh you know they sent out an update today that his nose got busted by Tristan and he’ll be out a week with

That he had a little procedure to realign it which did not sound fun at all so he’s out a week for that but he was already out for the knee and the knee really is the more pressing matter yeah he play with a mask for a month or

So probably into the playoffs you know whatever fine but it’s the knee and what’s going on there and he tried to come back pushed it wasn’t ready back out a second time now with it and uh you know this team goes as Donovan goes and

We were talking a little bit about it on the show today and they have really sort of this was this is a really good talented Team without Donovan but you become so accustomed to playing a certain way with him that when you take that piece out everything else just sort

Of sags and we’re seeing that in real time and uh now they they’re so relying on him that it’s going to go where he takes them so you know I I’d sit him a week two weeks whatever you know the you you don’t want his first his next game

To be game one of the playoffs but you got to get that knee right no matter how long it takes so be it yeah there’s 14 games left I don’t have the exact schedule up in front of me but as long as he is two or three games in

Preparation for the postseason Jason I am fine letting Donovan sit as long as humanly possible and as long as necessary to get him back to as close to 100% Health as possible I’m not worried about the nose Donovan tweeted in a joking manner uh love having TT back but that

Mfer broke my nose so like it’s all it was obviously an incidental play but without Donovan Mitchell at 100% or as close to it as seemingly possible I don’t think Cleveland has a chance to make any real noise in the playoffs if the matchups fall correctly they could

Beat Indiana without Donovan in my opinion they could beat Orlando if the situation fell where they play the Magic in the first round but I don’t think they’re real contenders if Donovan’s not healthy so I think that was the obvious first pick and without Donovan this team

Is good and not great with Donovan they have a chance to be great and if your best player is not healthy give him as much time and my I guess my question is before we move on to the next one what’s the rush like I understand you’re

Fighting for seeding but at the end of the day whether you’re the two seed the three seed the four seed you’re sealing with an injured Donovan Mitchell who’s playing underneath that 100% threshold is significantly lower than you’re cealing with the healthy Donovan yeah 100% you want that two seed you want the

Playing Team uh home court till the Conference Finals all that comes with it but none of it’s going to do you any good if you don’t have a healthy Donovan out there because you’re not going to last very long anyway so that’s got to take precedence or that’s got to take

Priority over everything else is getting him right and getting him healthy no matter how long it takes all right moving to the second pick Jason should we go spicy right off the bat or should we go by the actual draft board I I’ll let you dictate spicy my first pick

Spicy come on now hey let’s live in the moment what the hell with the second pick I’m going to take what the hell do the Cavs have in Marcus Morris now we saw him last night against Indiana hit four threes and I got a couple videos to

Show on some of the threes he hit and how he kind of fits in but he’s a 10-day contract buyout guy they signed him to be Evan Mo’s def facto replacement until Evan comes back but if he’s going to shoot 80% from three which is obviously unrealistic ISC so let’s cut that in

Half if he could even shoot 40% from three the size the toughness and the playoff experience he brings to this roster knowing he could play in Playoff scenarios because he’s actually performed relatively well throughout his career when the lights are brightest Jason you know it’s one game he may not

Play like that again in the rest of his 10-day contract doesn’t get resigned but over these next few games they have Minnesota coming up they have Miami twice I am very curious to see what the Cavs have found in Marcus Morris who played 37 games with Philadelphia I

Tried digging around to find out why he was bought out I just think it was a playing time situation he was unhappy wanted to get an opportunity to play more on a contender maybe it’s Cleveland if he continues to make shots like that Jason but last night was a hell of a

Debut for Marcus Morris yeah I think he can help them uh you know the it wasn’t a a surprise that they signed him I think they liked him going into the trade deadline but they don’t know if there was really a spot from the rotation you don’t really want

To give up assets for him so this is really kind of a best case scenario wait for the buyout Market to form and and go pick them up for nothing um he brings toughness certainly he brings a level of nasty that this roster lacks top to bottom and I’m intrigued to see more

Let’s put it that way this is this is not a Craig Porter Jr type uh this is not a guy who’s trying to break into the league who had a good game this a guy with a long track record of success in the NBA and you know I think he could help

Them in a playoff series and and help doesn’t mean 28 minutes and he’s a key rotation piece but it means a four or five minute stretch here and there where you’re trying to get physical and you’re and you’re you want to go big and you know find some people who’s gonna who’s

Gonna lay some wood into guys he can help you so yeah I’m curious to I imagine he’s gonna keep playing especially with the injuries they’ve got they’re going to keep giving them a look and I would imagine one 10 days is going to become two 10 days and be going to

Become a rest of the season type deal yeah that’s obviously not the second biggest storyline for the Cavs but I think it’s one that is worth monitoring and just just two things real quick from the game yesterday Jason the first three he hit it’s a ni nice little pick and

Pop T Burton’s caught in hell because you have Sam Merill in the corner of Morris step in make it that’s the shot we’ve wanted Moby to shoot take and make all season long Y and in his first game here Marcus Morris just steps confident haven’t played in a month and a half

Don’t care bang bang but this second one Jason if he’s making shots like this like that’s a game changer for the Cavs that is a contested close out three seconds on the shot clock three and when you watch this back like the shot clock’s running out like if just I’m not

Saying Evan Mobley can’t do this I’m just saying Evan moble is not shooting that shot now with three seconds Evan Moy catches it here in the corner he’s trying to drive and there’s not a real Lane to drive there so the fact that Marcus Morris just Rises hits it we’ll

See if he continues to shoot like that he has to obviously make those shots to continue to play but last night I was beyond impressed what the Cavs got from their new guy in Marcus Morris I like it I like uh what he can provide them just

A veteran playoff experience it’s not a bad thing it’s it’s a nice little pickup and I’ll use that to dovetail into my next pick uh which is Tristan and just what do you have with Tristan and that’s where Morris could really come in and help them is if Tristan isn’t the same

Tristan Tristan played more and better than I ever thought that he would when they signed him I said he’s not gonna play he’s the Robin Lopez this year of the extra big locker room guy leadership guy but you’re not really going to count on him to play Big minutes and he really

Held a role for them before the suspension and was really kind of sort of what I was talking about with with Morris sort of that tough uh you know I was talking to people of the organization during the suspension of can Tristan can Tristan help you in a

Series and thought was like yeah I you know we think he can and again maybe not a major role certainly not starting maybe you know you’re not the first the the first player Off the Bench but at pivotal times when you need to go big in the lineup or you need a physical

Presence he can almost like jolt Evan uh you know Evan can be so passive at times if you put Tristan next to him and Tristan punches somebody in the mouth it can kind of get everybody going a little bit hopefully it’s not Donovan next time

The one that he punches and and so it’s what do you have with Tristan and how many bigs do you really how how deep can you go on the bigs because last year it was right around this time it sort of became evident they don’t have any Bigs

Like it’s Evan and Jared and that’s it they didn’t Dean wasn’t Dean and they had no other bigs that they could go to and it really started to expose itself right about now and I started writing about it then like hey this is a problem and it certainly became a problem in the

Playoffs against a big physical Knicks team they said have any bigs to play okay so now Dean’s healthy shooting it well great defensively there’s a big that you can rotate in now let’s see what you got and Morris there’s another option possibly and now Tristan you got

To see if Tristan off the juice is the same as Tristan was on the juice and and really Morris is sort of I look at as sort of an assurance policy if Tristan’s getting pushed around if he’s just not the same player you know you may have

Some hard decisions to make on on your postseason rotation and that and maybe Morris even takes that spot but you know before the Morris signing I was really curious to see what Tristan had left uh what he could be what he could bring to this team and now with the Morris

Signing it’s even more between the two of them you ought to be able to get one big out of this that can really help you in key moments in the playoffs you hope so before I talk about Tristan Thompson I do want to read one comment

From the fans here Adam the bull says Jason looks like he should be smoking a pipe in that old man chair so shout out to Bull for uh tuning in we’ll we’ll read some more fan comments at the end of the broadcast here but in terms of

Tristan Thompson Jason if you tell me he’s gonna play like Tristan Thompson of 2023 prior to the suspension I’d kind of be surprised but also the fact that c were able to get anything from him even against Houston and Indiana last night I’m equally as shocked because I just

Thought he was done I I really thought after last season when he was working on ESPN he was on NBA today in a suit he didn’t look like he was in playing shape and all of a sudden now he’s literally banging bodies that might be their most

Physical big down low and we know what happened to Jared Allen and Evan mopley in the playoffs last year against the Knicks Isaiah hartenstein Mitchell Robinson frankly they had their way with those guys and now when you have two tough bigs in Tristan Thompson and Marcus Morris all coming off your bench

Just to add that that toughness and bravado to hey we might not be here but you mess with them you’re also picking a fight with us they’re almost like the older brothers yeah protecting their little siblings on the playground in kindergarten which you know some people

May look at as a bad thing on the flip side sometimes you have to you have to know and see someone protect you to know how to become a protector so from Evan and Jared’s standpoint I don’t think it’s a terrible idea or it’s not a bad

Problem to have those guys behind you to see how things are supposed to be handled when uh people say stand on your business so I’m I’m all for the Tristan Thompson signing between him and Marcus Morris the C certainly have some options now for some depth some toughness and

Some Frank Frankly just Fu energy yeah that I’m not quite sure they had without those two no that’s a great way to put it and that’s really what it is I don’t think you can play both of them no if if they’re on the court at the same time

The Caps have much bigger issues than anything else well yeah yeah and I I even mean I don’t know if you play both in the same game certainly not on the floor together yeah yeah and I don’t even think you play both of them in the

Same game but it’s an option between the two of them I think they can get one serviceable piece out of it uh that can help them it’s worth it all right we’re gonna move on to the fourth pick and we talked about this a little bit on the

Show today Jason but this is probably the second biggest storyline to watch down the stretch outside of the injury status of Donovan Mitchell and that’s the consistency of his backcourt partner Darius Garland I was looking at his game and there’s no this last five game stretch for Darius is the perfect

Encapsulation of the inconsistency we talk about his points per game over the last five Jason you ready 14 30 27 12 and 13 his plus minus in games over the last five minus 16 minus 16 team High plus 23 minus 16 plus 10 his three-point

Shooting three for six 7 for 10 6 for 10 1 for 6 1 for n his field goal percentage 44 58 63 38 27 it’s up and down like a yo-yo the talent is there the kid is incredibly talented he does things with the basketball that 99 and a half perc Of

The World Only Could dream of he can make shots no one else can I think his confidence is a little shook I think he’s just missing shots this year which happens guys go through a little bit of shooting slumps Tyrese halberton his counterpart in Indiana last night is

Shooting 18% from three this month which is horrendous yeah really talented player guys go through shooting slumps but the reality of the situation is if the Cavs want to make any noise in the playoffs they need two things they need Donovan Mitchell to be healthy and they

Need Darius Garland to play at a more consistent level than he has right now and I don’t know what the answer is I don’t know what the problem is I’m not quite sure what the diagnosis is it could be as simple as he’s just missing shots that he probably should make and

Maybe it is that easy maybe it is maybe it has to do with something that he’s what I’ve been kind of alluding to quite a bit lately he’s hesitant to get to the paint and he’s afraid of contact because he’s a little lighter he’s been injured this season so that’s kind of throwing

Off his Dynamic of creating space who knows what the right answer is what I do know is for the Cavs to be a legitimate threat in the East they need more from Darius Garland it’s as simple as that yeah we’ve talked about on the show

Today I just think it’s a bad year for him whether it’s the jaw the weight loss the shooting struggles for whatever reason this is just hasn’t been a great year and I think it happened happens from time to time in the NBA guys go through this and there’s still time for

Him to salvage it the longer this goes the less likely that seems but uh you know Darius had some big moments for them in the playoffs in that Series against the Knicks last year had a couple big games had the one big game three at home I think it was game three

At home no game two at home I guess big game two yeah yeah so you hope that you know that’s in there and it’s in there playing alongside Donovan so you hope that that he can find that uh but you know the the point about the contact and

The pain is interesting when you combine all the factors of the league pretty much acknowledging that they’re calling games differently now midseason which is nuts yeah in the middle of the season to just pivot on how games are being afficiated now players have to react off

Of that and a guy like him who’s on the smaller side to begin with uh if you’re not going to get the call going in the lane it really sort of messes with you I would think and how you approach it how you attack and what you do in those

Split Second moment with the ball in your hand of how you approach it it’s really kind of nuts it is I see a comment from Phil Bowman who says in my opinion Darius is just tired those slumps are on the second night of a back-to-back he’s fine which you think

But I’m goingon to read you some numbers here these are darius’s splits based on rest so on the second night of a back-to-back he’s played nine games this season without any rest right he’s averaging 19.4 points 6.4 assists he’s shooting 45% from three and 49% from the

Floor on one day rest Jason so game off day game right 18.3 points 6.6 assists 42% from the floor 36% from three so his three-o percentage drops eight points yeah if he has a day of rest you ready two days rest so game off day off day

Game 17.6 points five assists 33% from three so he’s actually been his best without any rest don’t get it I agree with the observation that it seems like he’s tired but the numbers don’t back that up which is just adds to the anomaly of this whole what the hell’s

Going on with area situation right yeah I don’t know there is no great explanation uh you just hope that he he pulls out of it here uh with a month to go for the playoff start uh we’re gonna take a quick break and by quick break I

Literally mean a 3 second reminder that the ultimate Guardian show starts on Monday with B the ultimate 216 show was with Earl every Thursday make sure you check out the ultimate brown show Monday Friday with G Bush Jason you’re up with the fifth pick in the

Draft uh I’m gonna go with what is JB’s closing lineup GNA look like because I think this could change from game to game I don’t know there is one set closing lineup and you know I said on the show a couple weeks ago I don’t know

If Darius is in my closing lineup right now and I know that sounds nuts to say he’s you know high paid player multiple time Allstar how is he not on the floor at the end of games but you know I I look at Donovan Max uh Isaac Dean Wade and Jared Allen really

At this point would be my closing lineup and that can change and you know Evans got to come back from injury and and all that and see what he looks like but those five on the floor together you’ve got a ton of space you’ve got shooting

Uh you’ve got Donovan with the ball in his hands and making plays that way and I just think the way Isaac is shooting it right now I don’t know you take him off the floor which I never would have said that six months ago but he’s had an

Incredible year and he’s got to make him in the playoffs but just I I just think you know as we go down the stretch here and JB sort of puts this thing together uh and and that does even include Carris Levert who’s played out of his mind incredible last night yeah so they’ve

Got options like this is a good team this is a talented roster it’s finding the right pieces that fit and we’ve talked about it on this show and on ucss about it’s just kind of a weird team because their best players aren’t necessarily the best fit on the floor

Together and that’s something that they’re still trying to work through and figure out yeah I’ve come off the idea that they can play both bigs together in crunch time I don’t I don’t think Allen and Mobley can fit together I disagree with you that d uh that Darius excuse me

Isn’t part of that closing Five Just based on the fact that he still in my opinion is their second best playmaker and when teams focus in on Donovan force him to give up the ball whether it’s uh blitzing off a screen some sort of high

Pick and roll trap whatever it is I want the ball in darius’s hands going four on three more than I trust anyone else to make those plays so I disagree but I do think the fact that they had the flexibility to mix and match that final

Five yeah gives them an edge over a lot of other teams who are are frankly stuck these are a five to close if it’s not a good matchup we don’t really have a counter the Cavs do have the ability to counter other teams fives and if it is

With the Knicks for example uh playing too big you you can go to bigs to counteract that you could use Dean Wade as your defacto four who by the way is one of the most underrated rebounders in the entire league based on Advanced metrics the Cavs are a better rebounding

Team significantly with Dean on the floor than they are with any individual player outside of Dean in their net rating with verse without so whether it’s him whether it’s going extra small and essentially using I guess they want to use Dean as their five but whatever it is they have

The ability to mix and match and I do think that’s a uh a talented roster that you can pick and choose between and if you have Darius and Levert for example then you have two guys then you have two guys who can be that Creator and if Carris plays like he

Did last night I don’t know how he’s not on the floor either so it’s a good problem to have if you’re JB bicker staff so who’s your five then right now opponent excluded because I do think it’s very matchup dependent agreed uh I’ll take Donovan Darius Allen

Wade and I’ll take stru just because I think he’s a better Defender than Isaac’s Creator right now yeah but if it’s a if they have a Dame Lillard or someone you need better defense for I’m perfectly fine slipping out Levert and stru so it comes down to those two one of those I’d

Probably agree with that I think it’s one of those two that you take off the floor you could go really small and take Dean off the floor you go Darius Don Isaac Max and Jarrett go with four Smalls and a big and H you want to put

Lever in for stru like I’m also not against like it’s they could play JB has the ability and my next Point’s gonna be on JB so this will transition right to that Jason but JB can switch mix and match and pick and choose hey if Carris

Is hot early let’s roll the ball with a hot hand as opposed to trying to force someone if uh uh if if Isaac is missing shots you don’t have to force him in as a guy same with Shu you have the ability to do either one my next Point here

Jason this is the sixth pick of our storyline draft this is something that was brought to my attention from Twitter from realc fan.com if you guys don’t follow him on Twitter a very good follow JB’s numbers in his career not just in Cleveland this goes back to

Houston and Memphis I got the numbers for you guys his numbers pre-all-star break and post Allstar break are very different Jason okay this this a trend and I got all the stats I got graphics I made these for uh a trend I don’t love if we’re being totally honest in

Houston as the interm coach their overall season win percentage 52 their post All-Star break win percentage 51 not a big drop off essentially the same right right his first year in Memphis they weren’t a good team however their season win percentage just shy of 25 after the All-Star break they were a

Atrocious down to just 15.4% his second year in Memphis this is the outlier here this is the outlier they had a 40.2 win percentage that drops down to a uh increases excuse me to 43.2 bring him to Cleveland his first season in Cleveland not a great team you

Remember that first year Jason still very much a rebuild yep but the season win percentage for the team 30.5 after the allar break fell at 22.2 his second year in Cleveland they weren’t bad they made the play in but after the All-Star break the team started to fall apart his post

All-Star break win percentage nearly 20 points lower than his season win percentage I don’t know where the last two Graphics are so just read you the numbers in 2023 last year essentially the same 62 pre 61 and a half post this year they have a 63 and a half% win percentage

Uh overall they’re down to 42.3 or 43% right now seven and eight since the All-Star break I’m not sure what that says other than some teams have adjusted other teams haven’t maybe maybe it’s nothing maybe it’s an anomaly but six out of seven years Jason is not a good Trend

When you want your team to be playing as good as possible heading to the postseason yeah that’s not anomaly that’s I I think your last sentence said it that you want you you want to be playing no matter what sport you want to be playing your best at the end of the season

And building up toward that and ramping up toward that and that was one of the master Strokes of Terry Fran cona was that the Indians or Guardians would be terrible in April but they get it rolling by August September and they had it cooking and this and and there’s some

Years there’s some logical explanations for that they had a ton of injuries yeah year the playin um but you can’t you can’t you can’t dismiss that every year like one or two years you say okay but when it happens Time and Time and Time Again are guys playing too many minutes

And they’re exhausted at the end is his message wearing thin like there there’s obviously context to each of those we could dive in and figure out why each season may not be the result you want but at the end of the day six out of

Seven is not two out of three you know what I’m saying that’s a decent sample size and you want your team to be going up up up up up up up yeah and I just think it’s worth kind of noting that the historical Trend says JB’s teams typically are doing the opposite it’s

The miles Garrett syndrome of miles’s best best games are in September and October when you need him in November and December we’ve talked about that on the show before this sort of feels like the same thing yeah I mean this is a this is a really big stretch a really big postseason for

JB and you know his future in Cleveland I think is dependent on it you know I think depending on how this team fairs will go a long way and determine whether or not he’s back and I defended him last year he didn’t have any shooting and you can’t win of the playoffs without

Shooting well they’ve they’ve got shooting now and and we’ll see I mean the first round matchup there’s a lot there’s a couple grenades down there that could really blow this whole thing up and one of them’s Philly where they’re aligned with now uh that would

Be a really tough match up for them in the first round um but but I mean there’s no more excuses at this point you’ve gota you’ve got to perform you’ve got the roster you’ve got the star carrying it and leading it you’ve got to get the results now and before we move

On Jason for your last pick this stretch is crucial for JB but it’s tough to really get a a true evaluation of this team without Mooby without Max stru without Donovan Mitchell and we talked Mitchell earlier but the losses of stru and and Moy as well but I really want to

Focus on stru I a I didn’t think he’d miss this much time when it when he first got hurt I thought this was a minor thing missed a few games he’d come back I saw yesterday there’s still no time table for his return I’m not sure

If you have an update on when Max Tru could make his return to the lineup but just his Gravity the the gravitational he pole he puts on a defense and he’s used differently than their other Shooters they’re not running these off ball screens for George Nang or Isaac or

They do for Sam Merill but you know he’s not the same position that would be rotating with stru lever doesn’t get those same kind of sets so it’s taken a portion of their playbook out of the rotation yeah and they haven’t been able to replicate some of the offense that he

Had been providing when he was playing granted he’s not even shooting great this season but just his ability to knock down shots as the threat he is as a three-point shooter was opening stuff for other guys and I I think the Cavs desperately need him back do you have

Any idea I wasn’t I didn’t see if you shook your head when I asked no yeah I haven’t heard anything I’ll poke around on that and see but I haven’t heard anything on a timeline on him uh but really that sort of bleeds into my seventh point or my seventh draft pick

Here is just the injuries and total how much time are they really going to have to put this thing together prior to the playoffs and more specifically I will go the Evan Moy route and we talked about it they with the success that they had

With the four out one in style and when Moy came back I said I wanted him to take5 to 123s the rest of the way which would have been about three three and a half threes and just see what it looks like I’m not saying he’s going to shoot

40% from three but just take them and let’s see what this looks like well that didn’t happen it what it wouldn’t happen even on the pace he was on even if he didn’t get hurt again it didn’t happen well now it’s sort of a worst case scenario of going in the playoffs first

Of all we don’t know how much time they’re going to have with him back on the floor before they get to the postseason and secondly to your earlier point I don’t know that you can really play them certainly at the end of games I don’t think you can play them together

You can’t have Jared and Evan on the floor together at the end of games right now which hurts because those are two of your best players but they just don’t it just doesn’t fit and because they didn’t get that opportunity of him taking 100 115 threes to see what it looks like

Well now you have your answer and the answer is you can’t play them together at end of games there’ll be a little bit of overlap you can piggyback them quite a bit throughout the game and but you’re gonna have they’re going to start together and you’re gonna have a little

Bit of overlap with them on the floor together but in late game moments I I I don’t know if Evan’s the one that’s going to be out there which is just surprising for me to say because I’ve been one of his biggest fans since they drafted him I really thought this guy

Was going to be something I still do think that but just for the moment where they’re at right now you got to play with what’s working you got to go with what’s working and so I guess the overline the overarching team would be where does Evan fit here uh with this

Team in this rotation because of the injuries and the lack of three-point shooting Evans had a fantastic year yeah he really has if you look at the style of play the way he plays his numbers defensively what he provides he’s had a very very good year I just don’t know

That it really fits with how they want to play at end of games and so just the injuries in general and specifically Evan uh that’s just something to watch here going down the stretch yeah it sucks that we’re not going to get a chance to get the answers I think we

Deserve and the answers I think we need to feel confident about this team heading into the post season whether it’s Donovan whether it’s Evan whether it’s Max stru there’s just a lot of questions and injuries that are going to prohibit us from getting this Vital Information and when you look at the

Closing lineup take the other four out you’re looking at just the one big because we’re both in agreement both together I think Jared Allen’s the right big to play in those situations but I would love Evan to have a chance to prove me wrong right I just think

Based on his health he’s not g to have that opportunity this season and that’s going to lead to us having another offseason of can he do this can he not we don’t know so it’s kind of a bummer Jason that we’re not going to get a

Chance to uh to learn that speaking of learning things if you want to learn about baseball make sure you check out uh Adam the B and Zach misel on the ultimate Guardian Show starting Monday check out ear on the ultimate 216 show every Thursday and the ultimate brown

Show at G Bush on Mondays and Fridays Jason my last point last story I want to look at down the stretch we talked about JB I think he’s done a great job challenging stuff he’s single-handedly won two games in the last two weeks with challenges last night the overturned

Call against Indiana the overturned call against Boston on that Phantom call against Darius Scarlet on Jason Tatum but the one thing I want to see from JB bicker staff down the stretch is implementing some more movement in their late game offense and if you look at the game yesterday against Indiana they had

Two plays in particular I want to point out this one Caris LeVert makes a great one-on-one play this is to take a two-point lead I’m going to Play It Again Jason outside of Carris what do you notice from the other four players on the court they’re standing there I’m

G watch it again tell me if you see anyone move here while Carris is going one-on-one no they’re just standing watching look like Donan with the ball in his hands he makes it it works awesome you don’t make that shot it’s a terrible possession this is uh their very

Next there’s two possessions in between but this is the next bucket they score it’s just a little bit of weak side movement but it gets Isaac auro a great look it’s a nice pocket pass to Jared Allen who finds ice little pump fake layup not a ton of movement you don’t

Need a ton of movement you need just a little bit to get the result you want and just a slight difference in everyone standing around vers just a little it’s a beautiful pick and roll pass from uh Darius by the way they force him to the sideline The Middle’s wide open

That forces halberton to help a good awareness by Isaac yeah and and if that’s a shooter he kicks to the corner for an open three Isaac knows he’s a better driver than he is shooter even though he’s shooting the ball tremendously this year overall really good play you don’t need a ton of

Movement to be eff effective excuse me just need some to get the defense moving and a little a little action like that can create so much more so I really just want to see how uh just see how JB kind of encourages the guys to do a little

More movement instead of just standing and watching because you have guys like Carris you have Donovan you have Darius who can absolutely create shots and make shots on their own I just think it’s a lot easier when you have some guys on the weak side move yeah and that wasn’t

Really that wasn’t a play that was just Isaac showing awareness and moving to the open spot coming off a pick and roll which is the Cavs just run pick and roll pick and roll pick and roll pick and roll it’s they’re a really heavy pick and roll offense but just that’s on the

Guys that if if that’s the way you’re going to go of just finding the open scam and finding the open pocket and good job by Isaac they doing that all I know we’re going to go over which is fine Jason we’re just going to read a

That was the end of our draft by the way we’re just going to read a few fan comments uh we read bulls and that’s not fair if we just read bulls and no one else’s so uh we’re gonna read a couple others let’s see what they say uh Joseph

Patter said first time enjoying the show we appreciate it Jason uh Joseph excuse me Soul Train says for how inconsistent the Cavs have been ESP with injuries it is impressive they’re the three seed which is a valid point they have dealt with as many injuries as it feels like

Anyone this season Ivan says hello from Croatia Joseph also says the Cavs need a good power forward besides Allen a guy that can shoot better but get boards Thompson can be that tough compliment he can’t shoot but you’re hoping that’s what Marcus Morris can be Jason if uh if

He continues to play like he did on Monday yeah I mean Dean Dean is the power forward who can shoot if that’s what you’re looking for pundi from ma please stop taking shots at these y’all don’t know everything about basketball I can’t stand these two guys pundi love you buddy thanks for watching

Uh I can’t pronounce his name CH chuu Chu says I was at the game last night pretty sloppy on both sides but a lot of cool plays as well beland uh Jason how hurt is Dean Wade I don’t think it’s anything serious right no it’s pretty minimal yeah uh Phil says

Isaac’s been the MVP of the season oh he’s the MVP of the Season he’s been the biggest the most pleasant surprise that’s for sure absolutely he’s actually in uh in contention for for most improved player and he’s not going to win it because some of the other guys

Just based on the Vegas odds are way too high but I think he’s definitely in that conversation uh Joe manic said no one moved an inch on that last play yeah uh B scrs said ice definitely improving yep uh Joseph also says always move when Donovan has the ball cut back screen

Pops keep moving uh talking grub says what’s up McNuggets what’s up Jason and he also says Jason miss you covering the Cavs and apparently it’s pronounced catulo it’s a mythical monster so go something new you guys learn a little bit about the Cavs we learned a little something about mythical monsters Jason

Final thoughts before we wrap up here tonight uh get healthy guys that’s really the biggest thing get healthy and put this thing together and see what it looks like heading to the postseason did did you like the draft could we implement this again I like that work I

I think it worked well if you’re in the chat and watching if you like the draft give us a one if you absolutely hated the draft I will not be offended drop a two uh we appreciate you guys as always tuning in and listening to the ultimate

Cav show uh we went over but we learned that’s not the end of the world I just have to edit it in the morning so it takes a little more work on my end but for you guys the people who tune in we appreciate you and it’s always worth

Doing a little extra work on the back end Jason are you heading the game tomorrow night are you going vers Miami possibly I have to do the NCA tournament this weekend so I’m starting to figure out my schedule I’ll be at the game vers Miami if y’all are there let

Me know see if we can link up beforehand and talk a little Hoops for now though he’s Jason Lloyd I’m Mikey McNuggets we’ll see y’all tomorrow on the ultimate Cleveland sports show peace

Donovan Mitchell isn’t fully healthy. Evan Mobley’s return from a sprained ankle is still TBD. Darius Garland needs to be more consistent. JB Bickerstaff is playing new rotations nightly.

Yet still, the Cleveland Cavaliers are holding on to a top 3-seed in the Eastern Conference.

It’s going to be a race to finish for the Cavs, who are just a few games ahead of the Knicks for the 3-seed with 14 games to play.

However, there’s no shortage of storylines to keep an eye on down the stretch for this team.

Cleveland still has more questions than answers at this point, and there’s less and less time to figure that it all out.

The Athletic’s Jason Lloyd & McNuggets do their best to sort out the 8 biggest storylines to follow with this team as they head down the stretch run and hopefully deep into the playoffs.

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The Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show is your daily source of the best conversation about the Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Guardians, Cleveland Cavaliers and Ohio State Buckeyes, as well as sports throughout Northeast Ohio. Hosted by Jay Crawford, Adam the Bull, G Bush, Jason Lloyd, Brad Sellers and Tyvis Powell.

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