Cleveland Cavaliers still have a long way to go before we put them in the “Title Contender” category

Cleveland Cavaliers still have a long way to go before we put them in the “Title Contender” category

Start with the Cavs after a quick reminder that FanDuel is America’s number one sportsbook and there’s no better place to get in on the action than with FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. You can combine live bets into the same-game parlays for a shot at bigger payouts. It keeps every game exciting, especially when your team’s making that late-game push. Right now, FanDuel is giving new customers $300 in bonus bets when their 1st $5 bet wins. So head over to FanDuel.com/UCSS to sign up and play your game with FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. Mike, I just got word that Evan Mobley just missed another free throw. — We’re getting word on that
— right now. — It’s
— a legitimate. I mean, what happened last night on the free? I mean, he didn’t play particularly well overall, but What was he 2 for 10, 3 for 10? — It was
— 4 for 10. As a team, the Cavs ranked 27th in the league in free throw rate. So it’s not just Mobley. It is an entire team issue right now. Mobley on the season is shooting just 60.4% from the free throw line, which is once again. An inexcusable number for a player of Mobley’s caliber who over the last two seasons had shot in the 70s. He’s down now to 60.4%. Kenny Atkinson said after the game, it’s a, it’s a mental thing. Free throws, just, it’s more mental than it is any kind of shot issue. But Jason, you and I were sitting together at the game last night. We watched the end. I want to start with you and then we’ll get into the chaos afterwards. But Jason, what was your takeaway from the Cavs’ loss to the Rockets last night? Um, I wasn’t surprised they lost necessarily. I, I was shocked they came back. I told Mike I left. They look clueless for 2.5 quarters. I went down at halftime. I was like, this is gonna be an ass beating. Like this is, I didn’t think they’re coming back. Like there, there are nights where it’s like, all right, it’s 15, it’s 17, whatever, it’s the NBA. They’re gonna come back. And there’s nights where it’s like, nope, and I agree, it felt like one of those last night. It looked like a nope, not tonight. So I left and I went downstairs, uh, and then I came back up mid-3rd quarter and they were still down big and they went on a little bit of a run. Uh, 3rd quarter in terms of the Mobley thing, you might be right like that this is, he took a massive leap last year. Can we all agree on that? And you said he couldn’t, so you’re wrong. So you’re out of this conversation. What you said for years disqualified him immediately and I kept saying that there was another layer there. There was another level there, and you kept saying no. Oh, I 100%. Roll the tape. You probably don’t have it cued up. I don’t know. I think you’re making that up, but, but I did, I did feel like there was another level beyond what we saw last year, and the point I kept making was there has to be if they’re gonna win a championship. If there’s not, there’s not. I don’t know how they’re gonna win a title. Do you think there’s not at this point, I’m, or is it too soon to say? Yes and no. It’s too soon to say, but this was, this window was the best chance for him to show it with Darius being out and them trying to make him a focal point, and it ain’t working. So that is, that is disappointing to see that it’s like, man, this is your golden opportunity here. And once Darius comes back and then you filter Max back in, you know, I, I, I tend to think that they’re gonna go back to playing the way they played last year, uh. So I, I, it’s November 20th. I’m not gonna say he’s, this is it. If this is it, he’s a really good player in the NBA. Like, let’s, like he’s a really, really good player, but he’s, no, he’s not, he’s not that pillar guy. He would be an incredible number 2 on a championship team. Uh, I just don’t know that they have the pieces to win the top. I just, I felt all along like he had to be their best player and he had to be the dynamic dynamic piece and if he. He’s not. I, I think they’re gonna have a hard time winning the championship, and you saw that last night with the way that the, I mean, Kenny talked about after the game, the way that the Rockets blitzed Donovan and got the ball out of his hands. They made him a non-factor for three quarters of that game. He did a good job in the 4th. And no, Darius had a lot to do with that as well, but it’s just easy, especially without Darius out there. It’s just easy for big, big teams to get the Cavs out of their rhythm. Um, if he’s not playing well, yeah, last night my expectations is gone for this team. Um, I think that the, the furthest they probably go is the Eastern Conference Finals. I just don’t see it. This core four thing, it’s ran its course. It, it was fun. It was cute while it lasted. You gotta make some changes. It just ain’t, it ain’t. I’m sorry because I’m tired of, I’m tired of sitting here every game we get into a big game. It’s, it has to be the Donovan show. Like that’s the only reason we, that’s the only reason this game was even close is because. Donovan decided to go off in the 4th quarter after Mike sent that terrible text message last night like he lost his mind tweet, — the
— tweet, excuse me, I was 100% correct people killing you on Twitter. No, because I, I said in the tweet there’s still 19 minutes left, so this could change, but so far it’s been the least impactful Dono Mitchell game I’ve ever seen. And guess what Donovan said in the locker room afterwards? — They took me completely out of the
— game in the first half, guys. Mike was fine. My analysis. I just wanted to mess with it. But anyways, it always turns into the Don. show like every year it’s always we, we’re gonna get to the point this is exactly what’s gonna happen. We’re gonna get to the playoffs. Every, I don’t care if everybody is healthy or not, we’re gonna get to the playoffs. We’re gonna go up against some team that they ain’t got no business losing to. It’s gonna, they’re gonna go down and everybody gonna look lost and Donovan gonna say give me the ball and get out of the way and it’s just gonna be that. And what’s gonna happen is he’s gonna have to do that for 3 consecutive series and he’s gonna run out of gas and we’re gonna get to the conference final and it’s gonna be done. It’s just what it is. It’s gonna be the same. Story. I’m tired of seeing it like because you because Jared Allen gonna disappear. Evan Mobley gonna give you a couple of games out of the series, and Darius might be hurt. That’s just what it is. I’m sorry. All right, what? Because I’m up here telling the truth. — I
— don’t — think
— I am I wrong? I think this is a, before you go, Gee, I think this is a momentous day in the history of the show. Am I wrong? — It’s the most
— negative I’ve ever heard. Tvis into a typical Cleveland. He is I’m not, you’re not. he’s ever been. You’re not about to con me into thinking that this is about to be something bigger than what it is. They’re probably gonna get to the, the conference final lose to somebody like the Knicks or something like that. And is that we, ah, we should have. No, it’s gonna be it’s what it is. It’s what it is. He’s finally go ahead. No, — I
— don’t negative. I don’t disagree with what he’s saying I don’t disagree either, but, and, and I was talking to Foor about this, uh, last night, and, and Chris made the point. He’s right. Like outside of the Knicks, who else is there in the East? And my counter to that was, well, on November 19th, November 20th, nobody was talking about Indiana last year. That’s true. So you just don’t know how, — how this is gonna shake
— out. Are we so convinced Detroit’s a fraud? I don’t define fraud. — Like
— they couldn’t beat the Cavs in the playoffs. I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t put that past them, no. The way Cleveland’s playing right now, they’re, and again it’s a long Darius is out, but they’re still missing, yeah, they’re missing a lot of guys. I don’t but then again, Darius is hurt a lot. He is, and that’s why they always run into problems because of what exactly what Tvis just said. Donovan is a six-foot guard trying to carry an entire franchise through the playoffs, and eventually there’s a calf or there’s something, and then what do you do? Gee, um, lined up hairline Tvis is different. It is different. It’s stunning, right? I love it. I’m, I’m just, I’m sick of the same story like because it’s then they refuse to change it up like, like it’s gonna be different. Like it’s insanity. It’s the definition of insanity, and I don’t know why we keep sitting here acting like it’s gonna be something different. They done body swapped me and Tyvis. Shout out to G Bush over there that your bro, listen, you cooking. I ain’t got no, I, what I’m gonna say like, look bro, like he must have got my cliff notes from two years ago and said, yeah, I’m gonna run this, run this, run these jewels right now. Uh, yeah, guys. This is what happens. I told you about Oklahoma City Thunder, not this iteration, but the, the iteration before that. Remember when Oklahoma City Thunder had, uh, you know, they had Durant, they had Westbrook, they had Serge Ibaka, they had Harden. They, they looked like, oh these dudes about to be set up forever and then they lost to the Heat and they said, oh we’ll be back, we, we, we, we on the trajectory and then Harden left and then they had Durant and Westbrook and then Durant, they went down 3-1, they went up 3-1 on the doggone Warriors and then they lost that one and then. That was Harden was gone and then they eventually gave all that money to Rustbrook and then he was gone. Then they found out Serge Ibaka was 36, not, not 18, like you said he was coming into the league, and then it was really done. The, the Cavs are, are a case study of what happens when you’re just good for who you are. They’re good for the era that we’re in, they’re good for, you know, a team that’s gonna win these games, but when you watch these other squads like the Rockets, you watch the leap San Gunden took. The leap don’t necessarily have to just be just skill set. Look how big he is. Look how physically imposing he is. They got Sam. Listen, they got Adams down there. They got Sanguon. Durant is still 7 ft. Jabari Smith, Jabari Smith is, — he looked like he didn’t grew 23
— inches. A man Thompson. — He’s a pain in the
— neck, that guy. And then, and then you could put one of them Thompson Afreaka natures on Donovan Mitchell, and he’s running around jumping out the gym. Of course Donovan gonna be tired. He’s 6 ft, and you got Evan Mobley and you got Jared Allen down low getting pushed around, moved out the way. Doris Burke said it best. Doris Burke said, listen, hey. Who’s their stopper defensively? Who’s the guy back there being about that? Who, who’s the enforcer? They was sauteing and sauntering down the lane, finishing all they want. They let another holiday brother kill him. You can’t let the, you can’t let let the unnamed holiday. I said, Is that true? Tasmanian Holiday can’t kill you. Who Tasmanian Holiday. I said, Who is this holiday? He finished you off. The, the thing is, Tvis is correct. It’s the same old song. Dance. Jared Allen, he can’t be part of. I, I’m, I’m willing to play Naquan Tomlin. Let me just, — let me play
— Tom, but that’s a fact. — Everything you guys are saying is why I kept saying Mobley has to be the
— guy, right? All right. A couple of things. First of all, I wanna say something positive. All right. I’m all you talk about buying stock, Mike. I’m buying stock in Craig Porter Junior. I love watching this guy play. I thought he was fast in a sea of garbage. I thought he played great yesterday. What do you have like 10-7 and 7 or something? Yeah, he was great. — I like that the
— bench. He was taking the ball with a hoop, like going up against big guys, and he, uh, he was playing with no fear. That was a positive. I think what really stood out to me, guys, and I wonder if you guys thought about this, the fact that Shengoon, is that how you say his name, — Shengoon
— Shengoon, correct. The fact that he has become such a superstar really makes it stand out because he got drafted in the same draft as Mobley. Correct? Yeah, he was the 16th pick, I believe. OK, Jason, by the way, guess who drafted him. OKC traded to Houston. Wow. The fat guys, who’s, who’s drafted players there, — that Shen
— Goon. — Sam
— Presty Emerson looks like such a superstar compared to Mobley. That really puts it in the forefront like he’s taken his, he’s taken his game to that level that we hoped Mobley would, and he hasn’t. Shangoon has done it.

Alperen Sengun had 28 points and 11 rebounds, Kevin Durant scored 20 points, and the Houston Rockets extended their winning streak to five with a 114-104 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.

Aaron Holiday scored 14 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter for Houston, which is 10-1 since starting the season with two losses. Jabari Smith Jr. scored 14 and Amen Thompson had 12 points, nine boards and five steals.

De’Andre Hunter scored 25 points to pace the Cavaliers. Donovan Mitchell added 21 points, 19 in the final period when they got as close as 77-76 before the Rockets answered with back-to-back hoops by Sengun and Thompson.

Evan Mobley had 18 points, but missed six of his 10 free throw attempts for Cleveland, which fell to 2-2 on a six-game homestand, its longest of the season. Jarrett Allen added eight points and seven rebounds.

Houston extended its lead to 69-47 midway through the third on Smith’s jumper, but the Cavaliers ended the quarter on a 23-5 run to pull within 74-70. Mobley had eight points and Lonzo Ball added seven during the surge.

Durant had 13 points and Sengun had 10 points and six rebounds, powering the Rockets to a 57-40 advantage at halftime. Houston led by 14 in the opening quarter and by 20 in the second. | https://www.espn.com/nba/recap/_/gameId/401810110

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