Can Cavs Turn It Around? NBA Officiating Drama Explained + OKC Stumbles | The Hoop Collective
Brian Windhorst is joined by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to talk the Cavs’ ongoing struggles including what, if anything, they can do to turn their season around. Plus, the guys explain some key NBA officiating controversies in the last few days before talking about Anthony Edwards’ epic performance and OKC’s first stumbles.
0:00 Intro
0:46 Cavs struggles becoming more concerning?
7:45 What can the cavs do about this?
24:13 NBA’s Eric Lewis announcement
30:28 NBA refereeing in headlines of late + Drama explained
42:15 Finch motivating Wolves with ejection?
51:00 Any concern around OKC losses?
✔️ Subscribe to ESPN Unlimited: https://plus.espn.com/
#ESPN
48 Comments
Just in time! from Korea!
IT KILLS ME TO SEE HOW THEY ALWAYS MAKE EXCUSES FOR ALL OTHER TEAM EXCEPT THE KNICKS. CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT THEY WOULD SAYING IF IT WAS THEM?
The finch freak out was actually more so Randle getting whacked on the arm after the ant play.
They 100% have to make a trade around the margins at least if you’re the Cavs. The bench needs to be reworked
All three talk at once when there's excitement like three kids scrambling over a toy.
More windy on the cavs and more excuses.
Twolves have to complain more about refereeing than any other team in the league. They complain constantly in a game they shot 50 FTs. Never going to win anything until they get that under control
Boo-Hoo Windy
Seeing Windy is a state of depression and despair brings nothing but joy to me.
Cavs Corner getting a spiffy new graphic animation at THIS time is such delicious irony
Did my Pacers take a figurative ice pick to their collective self-esteem or something? Even accounting for Garland seemingly coming back too soon, this fall doesn’t make that much sense
At least 2 of the 3 people on this podcast should consider a new years resolution of going 30 days without ( drug / alcohol) stimulants . Sometimes a harmless habit grows into an uncontrollable beast… kinda like that 1984 gremlins movie.
24:13 As long as he cant call a celtics game im fine with him returning
Is anyone outside of CLE surprised by Cavs? I know for sure no one in Utah is…they are acting like this was some amazing team
Knicks game is gonna be a blow-out for Cleveland, as in CLE will get blown out. I say this as a Cavs fan 🙁
The Wolves shot the most free throws of any opponent in OKC’s history Friday night.
You’ll never see OKC complain though, the players don’t, the coach doesn’t.
Would it be possible for Bontemps to stop interrupting people? It’s very irritating.
So, the New Orleans Pelicans is a joke because of all the injuries they had, but the Cavaliers would be if in first place if they didn't have any injuries
J.B. Bickerstaff is looking pretty good right now with what's going on in Detroit in comparison to Cleveland… Just saying he might not have been the problem after all 🤷
Again, the media glossing over crooked refereeing. "When you bump a referee, it's an automatic one game." Uhhh… Lebron didn't even get a tech. So, I guess it's not automatic.
In terms of Chris Finch, when the vast majority of fans come out in support of him, that explains everything. OKC is clearly refereed differently. You know it. We know it. The fact you guys won't confront this fact shows you are not real journalists. You are paid shills.
Do you guys watch the games? Finch was not angry about Ant he was furious about Randle getting hacked by Dort. What is going on?
They undervalued Levert….like all teams do apparently….and they got bit. All I've ever seen from Levert is a winner. I viewed him as a very valuable piece to that team, as much as Ty Jerome if not more. But that's why I'm not a GM in sports 😂😂 also I would have traded back to draft Tyler Shough in the NFL 😂😂
Did any of you even watch the Timberwolves game? Let's put in a little more effort fellas
Remember people both SGA and Joker have strong cases for MVP. One doesn’t outshine the other but there are multiple factors that go into who wins MVP – stats, record, efficiency etc
The refs will play 50% in who wins and losses in OKC and wolves match
Bob Petit
Who's the guy on the right you're fired go back to the cubicle
As a Cavs fan, I've written the season off. It'll take a miracle to uplift this slump and even if they make the play-in, I don't trust their playoff durability, their playoff mentality, or their playoff line-ups in which they are outsized in a lot of matchups. Last year was great, that was the 1 shot and Indiana (as they tend to do to Ohio lately) slammed the door on us convincingly. Still love this squad on 2k tho
Finch aint wrong!
Do referees have succession plans? This solves the talent drain that NBA refs are experiencing right now.
I know Miami wants Giannis but man Donavon Mitchell might be more achievable. All in all Miami is one team that needs a star, it’s good for the league when the big markets are contending.
Why do these guys do a podcast together? Seems like they hate eachother, weird tension.
Talks about Sam Merile when talking bout Cavs leave out duece when talking bout Knicks.
Jdub is the problem
Windy's right, if any teams' core four doesn't stay healthy you're not contending. Cav's have been injured every spring since Rubio went down. Same with Bucks when they had Holiday, Middleton, Giannis, and Lopez. Celts last year. It's the single most determining factor come playoff time.
Probably time for Cav's to move on from their core four of Mobley, Allen, Garland, and Mitchell regardless of value, but injury luck dictates the history of the league. It really only requires moving off one of those guys which is do-able but it's not going to be in return for a better player.
If Garland can't stay healthy his value isn't going to rebound, if I am a team trading for him I am very reluctant given his injury history. Even if he stays healthy from now until trade deadline that track record doesn't disappear.
Same problem Bickerstaff had, Cavs were finally healthy last regular season, and wah lah it magically looks awesome. Same thing Pistons had the year before last as well, injuries force them into tanking once again, and that's what they did. They are healthy last year, and suddently look like a playoff team out of nowhere, except it's not out of nowhere, and they likely are vying for top six in the East a season prior.
I just dont get these teams that had good years and found guys that had impacts like norm with the clippers or ty jerome with the cavs just not signing them back. This is what happens when you make bad personnel moves man. If it aint broke dont fix it.
Hey i dont think u guys interrupt Windy enough can u do it more? Jesus christ
After Goble ejected Thompson he was being extremely petty towards the Pistons. Fouls were at 28-6 at one point and he missed a flagrant on a Cade 3 before half where he got hit and someone jumped in his landing area. Crazy game.
Cavs corner.
Windy and the Talkettes🎉
Im happy you kept the same music
CLE Bac(k) Court is Too Small and it’s doesn’t look like Mobley will be that Perennial All-NBA Player as Expected. They have to move off Garland/Hunter and possibly Allen in the Offseason and if Spida/Mobley don’t work Together, Trade Spida in Summer 27!!!
Finch will thankfully be out of a job by season's end. Mark it down…
Minnesota shooting a ton of FTs proves Finch was RIGHT!!! The Thunder foul every gd possession
Cavs should go After a Wing like Michael Porter Jr.
Pels going on a run
Oh look bontemps, I’m not watching the video lol
Amazing pod guys as always and so thankful to you three. One bit of constructive feedback with much love and appreciation for what you do … This one is one of those examples of T. Bontemps getting a little mean/rude for no reason and sometimes making it seem like he needs to be right all the time … Not saying that that is what it is … But it does come out that way and it ruins the chemistry IMHO. happy holidays guys!
Unfortunately the Cavs are cooked. They bet on Mobley becoming an elite player and he just hasn’t developed like they thought. He’s good not great. They are going to need to trade off assets this off season and rebuild again. Problem is, new CBA makes it a buyers market and they’re a fire sale.