PANIC Time for Cleveland Cavaliers?! Holding Player-Only Meetings!

PANIC Time for Cleveland Cavaliers?! Holding Player-Only Meetings!

Yo, that big old button’s out here. Time to maybe panic or maybe not. And we will start with Cleveland. We kind of talked about how we have big expectations. Uh they lost five of their last seven. They also lost to a Warriors team on Saturday. They didn’t have Steph, didn’t have Draymond, didn’t have Butler. Uh are we hitting the but panic button on a 14-11 Cav team? I’m not. I’m not. I’m worried. Yes. Am I panicking? No. At the end of the day, this is still a top 10 offensive and defensive team, and they haven’t even scratched the surface of how good they can be. I think our expectations for them after last season, starting off 15 and0, Kenny Atinson being coach of the year, them being pretty healthy this year besides a couple guys that missing some time, I thought they were going to be elite. I thought they’re going to come out like the Thunder. I thought they’re going to come out like the Detroit Pistons. So, am I panicking? No. Because this was the team that basically like the Knicks. They have the same continuity. They have the same chemistry. They didn’t have they had a huge advantage over these other teams that made big, you know, dramatic changes and and additions to their team. The Cavs didn’t and they still haven’t taken that step. Again, they talk about we’re we’re were happy to be tested early this year. They weren’t really tested last year. So, in a wide openen Eastern Conference, I am not panicking. Slightly worried, but I think they’ll figure it out. You got to be careful what you ask for. They said they won’t test. Well, sit down, take this test. They’re getting tested. Sit down and take this test. Now, last year, they had a lot of success early on and they were able to sneak up on teams. Now, everybody knows that the Cleveland Cavaliers are a really good basketball team. So, you’re starting to see teams respond to them like they’re a team that started 15 and0. We’re going to come into your building or you’re coming in our building and we expect to play a good basketball team. So, they’re getting everybody’s best shot and they’re getting all the test and challenges that they that they can want. So, I don’t look at this as a panic. I think this is a good thing for them, but I’m curious to see how they respond. And right now, middle of the pack right now, 14 and 11, eighth in the East. I think they can still get in the top four and put themselves in a position to be home court if they buckle down. But again, these guys said they wanted to be tested. They’re getting it at every angle right now. Pause. But they gonna have to just pause yourself. Hey yo, but they gonna have to but they gonna have to figure it out fast. Wow. They don’t play again. Really fast. Yeah. Is that real? How do they not play again till Friday? Cuz they play. Am I crazy? Saturday they played. They don’t play till Friday. Play in tournament. I know. But damn. Same with Detroit, I think. Right. I guess I haven’t even gone that far. But that’s what for the cup. Yeah. But but also Darius Carl. He’s played nine games. This is the guy that’s been in and out of line. So, I think when he he needs to find a way to stay on the floor because then they have the dynamic back court. You’re not forcing Lonzo Ball to play more minutes. They lost Tai Jerome in free agency. So, I think there there there’s certain holes there, but when this team is healthy, they are really good and and I think they will figure it out. And I think there’s some surprised teams in the East that are winning more games you thought like a Toronto Raptor like Chicago earlier. This is almost surprisingly, you know, the other way, you know what I mean? So, I think I think they’ll it’ll all even out and I’m with Lou. I think they’ll finish in the top four and get home. Four is big. Yeah, I’m I’m agreeing with them. I don’t think this is a time for them to panic. Um, one, the East is wide open. Uh, it’s a lot of teams kind of fluctuating this season up and down. So, um, I think the Cavaliers are just a part of the trend right now in the East. I do think they’ll get back on the right path. Obviously, health has been an issue with their starting PG, but um, I don’t think it’s time to panic. I think they’ll turn things around. I think they’ll find some consistency down the road. And uh like they said, I could see them finishing top four, top five, and they it’s still nuts they don’t play because there are teams that play tonight. It’s like an allar week. It’s like a second allar weekend. A whole week they have off in between. I’m sure they not complaining. I mean, it’s kind of awesome. The Darius Garland of it all. I feel like when you m there are always murmurss with every team of certain players that come trade deadline sort of start to whisper about and he’s been in that position before already. Is that a change that needs to happen? Like there is if anything again I don’t think so. I think it’s a team that was extremely good last year and they just didn’t show it in the playoffs. And I think this is kind of their chance to run back that same team and that same continuity of that team and and make a statement this year. And it’s all cool to win games in the regular season, but the big question is can they do it in the playoffs and they haven’t done that the last couple years. So Darius Garland’s a a key piece of this. When he’s off the floor, you then see, you know, Diamond Mitchell playing out of position more, which I don’t think is great for him. I think he’s a great off off the ball shooting guard and kind of moving on screens, getting out transition. And Darius Garland when he’s healthy, he’s really really good, too. So, we always talk about it’s a it’s a what have you done for me lately league and when he’s hurt, he kind of just gets, you know, you don’t talk about him as much and and I think this team takes a big hit. So, do I think they trade him? I I really don’t. I think I think he’s the guy for the future there. And I hate this trade culture that we’ve we’ve put ourselves into. I spoke about it last week like guys have to be able to to go through the ups and downs without we calling for their trade or or something. And on and on the Cleveland Cavaliers side, it’s like how many of these trades do y’all want when at some point we’re going to have to value consistency now? And and it’s obvious that the that Darius Garland that DG can can hoop. He just can’t be healthy right now. He can’t can’t stay healthy. And they even to the fact that they took a fine um not not having him available for a game. So that’s telling me behind the scenes, he’s still in dealing with some knick-knack things and they’re playing the loan game. So to to me, if you’re willing to spend that money to keep them off the floor, that doesn’t say that you’re you’re willing to trade him at this point. And I and I like that you gota you got to allow guys to go through what they’re going through and show them, hey, we’re committed to you just as much as you’re committed to us, and we’re going to go through the ups and downs of a very long season. We’re talking about December, talking about a team that’s played 25 games. It’s a lot of basketball to be made uh to be played and made. So, if you’re you’re worried about him being available and all of these things, give it time to play out. They know more than anybody what he’s going through behind the scenes. But I just hate this this trade culture that we’ve got ourselves into. Um all the way across sports, not just basketball. That’s another conversation. But I don’t I don’t think they look to make another trade. Yeah, I I couldn’t agree more. It’s no need to trade him. Um obviously, he hasn’t been healthy, so the sample size is very very small. Um, I I even believe he you he dealt with some injuries in the playoffs last season. So, uh, I think like they said, this is a long-term move. You want to get him 100% healthy, especially as the playoffs um, approach later in the year. And I think that’s more so where what the goal is, making sure he’s healthy for that time of the year. Um, like we said, it’s no time to panic. It’s no time to, you know, look to trade or anything. It’s just about getting healthy and finding consistency, finding that team chemistry again. And uh I think this Cleveland team will move forward just fine. Reminder, don’t kill the messenger, but I do like to live in the future and never enjoy my present time because let me just pretend that the Cavs go to the playoffs, they get to the four seat or they don’t, but it just sort of fizzles out and dies. Uh are now are we looking at a blowup situation? Blow. I don’t think a blowup situation. Listen, when you have the rise of of Evan Mobley and you have Donovan Mitchell and you have you have the infrastructure and the rush that they have, I don’t I don’t think they need to blow up anything. Now, I think they may make a certain move. Then all of a sudden, are you listening to to options on Darius Garland? Then are you thinking about, you know, seeing what you can get for for Jared Allen or you making some adjustments there? But no, I don’t think I don’t think a blowup is here. I think it’s going to be extremely frustrating that you continue to see this team be who they are in the regular season and then not do it when it matters the most. And that’s when it matters the most and they haven’t done it. So I think if you do it again, I think with the with the expectations that they have for themselves and the outside world has for them, I think you start listening to some things but blow up. No, I think that’s two different pages. I think the expectations are coming from internal, right? Like who’s out here who’s who’s rallying for the Cleveland Cavaliers to be a championship contender right now, you know? So before this I’m saying the training I thought they were like but I thought they were going to be really good. I thought they’re going to dominate the East. I’m saying I’m saying dominate uh generally generally the masses. There’s no pressure on the Cleveland Cavaliers to be a a championship contending team. Like you said, the year that they had last year. Yeah. It was a surprise to us. It was a feel-good story. Now you come back with some type of expectation to be a good basketball team, but title contending, we still feel like that was going to come out of come out of the West. Now, internally in Cleveland, in the city, around the organization, the fan base, them seeing success and smelling in and wanting to get back to the LeBron James era of how good that that city was and how good that team was. Yeah, you can have those expectations within your ecosystem, but outside of that, I don’t see them having that pressure on them. Yeah, we’re at fortuitous timing is what So, we’re not panicking though. No, we’re not. No one’s panicking. The button So far, the button had definitely back everybody. We are now moving on to say what uh the Cavaliers had an uncomfortable film session yesterday. An uncomfortable film session yesterday. Followed it up with a players only meeting. We’ve seen this happen a bunch of times before and we’ve all been there before. Is this something that can actually turn a season around or is this more eye roll, shut up, we know what we need to do? It it can help, but film sessions are supposed to be uncomfortable. I I think those are the meetings that make you a better basketball team. It’s the point of the film session is to look at the mistakes that you’ve made and try to fix and correct some of those things, especially when you know you’re trying to have a goal of winning a a championship, right? And and you’re the Cleveland Cavaliers. You qualify to be in that conversation. You have those goals and those aspirations. So, every film session supposed to be uncomfortable to an extent where guys are getting called out for missing defensive assignments, maybe not swinging the ball to a to a open open guy on the offensive end or turning a good shot into a great shot. All of those things can be uncomfortable when you watch it on film when you’re trying to hold guys uh accountable. Now, what makes these things really uncomfortable and where we started having that conversation is when you’re not playing to the best of your abilities. That’s where these film sessions can get uncomfortable. But I like it. I like the fact that, you know, uh, Cleveland put themselves in a position to to address a lot of the elephants in the room to get themselves back on track to be the team that we knew that they can be when they started the season 15 and0 last year. I like it. I agree. Uh, and you speak on being uncomfortable, but but the part I I I feel like you forgot to add is you have to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. and and I think that’s what you know pushes things in the right direction. Uh credit to the Cavs for you know coming together and doing that. That’s that’s a sign of maturity. That’s a sh sign of accountability and that’s a sign of a team that that wants to you know write their wrongs right now. So uh it can absolutely be a great thing for them. But I’ve also been a part of you know player means to where it went completely opposite and you got nothing from it. So uh you know it can go either way. Uh obviously it’s about you know how the guys in in that meeting and in that in that group receive the message but you know it can help and it can also hurt. Yeah. Chandler give me give me your opinion on some of your experiences with players only meets because they can they can go really positive or they can go really left really really fast. Give me some of your experiences with I think it’s who is the messenger like like we just saw and with the Clippers Chris Paul that message with that voice that didn’t have the same weight in that locker room with that vet kind of uh that vet locker room with the guy that wasn’t playing who was a Hall of Famer who they probably do respect but that was probably like a eye roll like buddy you’re not playing like I don’t want to hear from you right now we’re already losing like buzz off I’ve had situations like I remember in Houston Kevin Male Hall of Fame coach who’s our coach he had exhausted his voice he could he he had told us everything we need to do. We We need to hear from James Harden. We need to hear from Dwy Howard. We want to hear from the guys that are on the floor that I’m in the trenches with that I’m losing with to change things. So again, I obviously a lot comes on Kenny Atinson. I picture this was a lot of Donovan Mitchell like talking like it’s usually comes from the best player. So that’s what I had the experience with. And again, you’re right. This could either fracture and you can kind of and you can kind of split apart more or you can grow together and roll. I think with a team with this talented that had such high expectations, they’re in the seven seed. They’re 14-11 and we all pretty much thought they’re going to be a top team, top two, top three team in the Eastern Conference and they haven’t reached those standards. So, I think it’s good to have this before the season gets any further and any longer and they know they’re good enough to turn it around. So, sometimes all it takes is a meeting like this and but it could go either way. But I I imagine it’s the best. It’s Evan Mobley. It’s Darius Garland. It’s the leaders of that team talking. Yeah, it can either go either way, but I think it comes down to the mentality of the team. Like, if you got a loser mentality, it doesn’t matter who’s talking, you’re going to come out of that meeting as a loser, right? But when you have a team that’s connected and understand they’re underperforming and they want to be better and they want to get back on track, that’s when you get the most out of those meetings, you know? And it can come down to basketball issues. It can come down to personal issues. It can come down to anything. I remember being a Laker and D’Angelo Russell and Nick Young, they had they had their their mixup. We had to have team meeting after team meeting after team meeting about that because we wanted to get some type of synergy back in the building where everybody can calm down and relax. And that was a and that was a personal issue. That wasn’t a basketball issue. And that’s a prime example of one of the meetings not working that Yeah, it didn’t work. Yeah. By the way, I’ve had a situation in Memphis where we were losing. We were on a losing streak and frustration just pulled over and it wasn’t even a team meeting. You know, after the after you lose, a coach will come in, right? And they’ll kind of say whatever. And I remember coach Fisdale came in. He said, “What do you guys have to say to yourself?” And I remember I think I’ve told this story before, but Omry Caspy and Garrett Temple, two of the nicest guys I’ve ever met. They were on my team. It was the the craziest best one of the best fights I’ve ever seen in my life. They literally just squared up. They started fighting. They did what they had to do and they shook hands and it was fine after that. There was no hard feelings. They cleared the air in the room and that kind of went the other way. So like that that worked and that helped by doing something like that. And you know what? We won the next game. You ever y’all ever seen a guy throw two teammates go ahead and throw hands and get it out? Those two Omry Caspers. I was a part of it. Who’ you fight, B? You have to Google that. You don’t say his name. Talk about We’ll save that for another We’ll save that for another time. Moving on. Moving on. And you don’t want to be the res You don’t want to be the resident violence guy. That’s why I’m trying to I’m trying to let him off the hood. Yeah, man. I’m trying to change I’m trying I’m trying to change man.

On December 11, 2025 episode of ‘Run It Back’ on FanDuel TV, co-hosts Boogie Cousins, Chandler Parsons, and Lou Williams wonder if it’s time to panic for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarret Allen, & Evan Mobley. Holding player only meetings and what that means for the Cavs.

FULL EPISODE HERE: https://youtube.com/live/Y647JIJTp_g

CHAPTERS
0:00 START
0:30 TIME TO PANIC FOR CAVALIERS?
8:22 CAVALIERS HOLD PLAYERS ONLY MEETING

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