Playoff Live Thread (Game 5): Cavs @ Celtics
2024-05-15Whelp it looks like Sam Merrill will have to save the season, Cav’s fans. With LeVert, Mitchell, Craig Porter Junior, and Ty Jerome not expected to play, and Jarret Allen still out as well, they Cavs will be very short handed with just Max Strus and Darius Garland as their only ball-handling guards. Meanwhile, I expect Georges Niang to get some disastrous run as a point forward.
The interwebs are ablaze with the possibility that this is the last time we’ll see Donovan Mitchell on the Cavs bench, with multiple teams prepared to give the Cavs their offers for the best player on the roster. I personally think it’s all much ado about nothing and that Spida will sign an extension with the Cavs in the offseason, but if Game 3 was the last time we’ll see DM in a Cavs uni, then it’s been a pleasure.
Personally, I think the Cavs can steal this one by playing with three point fire and flip the script but we shall see. Go Cavs.
Podcap up.
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Miami fans want to send us Tyler Herro for Mitchell. I don’t know about you but I’m jumping all over that deal /s.
https://x.com/spidadmitchell/status/1791168487978586457?s=46&t=E8SiRvbZa9K2lria_OU0NQ
Screenshot ..
Any chance that Ty Jerome could be a major factor next year? He is a 26 year old 6-5 guard. Anyone know what the year long injury was about and how it is going?
I thought for sure he was gonna play Game 5.
In all seriousness, good question. He was the talk of pre-season. Hopefully he can contribute next year.
I think letting JA walk is nuts. Mobes is too skinny to play C full time.
Look, come PO time:
Mitchell gets you around 30
Mobley can get you 20
Allen can get you 15
Garland can get you 15
That’s 80. Strus, LeVert, Wade, Okoro, Merrill, a backup big (TT/other) and another forward (Morris, Niang, other) need to give you 20 more to get to 100.
Anything over that from them, or the others, is how much over 100 we are. Anything over 110 and we are a good bet to win.
Mobley getting you 20 is the biggest leap. But that’s what he got the last 3-4 games. If that is true, then a healthy Cavs team should be in the 100-110 range fairly easily.
no one in their right mind would let JA walk.
Listening to Jason Lloyd, he claims that he doesn’t think JA will be back next year.
I like this more in theory (sell high, get closer to even talent at a more valuable position).
All the good vibes will fade when Embiid get two fouls on a C he outweighs by 100 pounds in the first time we’re in Philly
Okoro’s 2024 Playoffs:
5.5 ppg
1.8 rpg
35% – FG%
25% – 3P%
The POs were not good offensively. But the regular was still a step up and he’s our best perimeter defender by a mile.
Easy keep for me if the #’s are reasonable.
Plus, he’s been pretty durable.
2 years for $20M
If he is good with $10m you go longer
Fear the fro has it as Strus money. I don’t hate it, he’s a good player who gets better every year and can do a ton of stuff.
HoopsRumors on DM:
https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2024/05/growing-sentiment-mitchell-will-sign-extension-with-cavs.html
Hopefully that plays out. I’m not too worried about the DG rumors. I don’t know their angle, but I’m sure that’s mostly agent’s jockeying for leverage. DG’s comments post game sounded like he was still pretty invested. Who knows though. I’m not losing any sleep over any of it.
Part of it is likely just to keep Garland’s value up. His camp can control the narrative that his down year was a result of playing along side Mitchell.
Here comes all the NBA “insiders” like vultures landing on road kill. Yes, Lakers please send us your heap of garbage with a 2040 draft pick for Mitchell….
Yeah, I do not put much stock in their “reporting.”
It’s filler. 4-5 thought bubbles, sometimes based on a passing comment from a “source”, sometimes not – and expressed multiple different ways to get to the minimum word limit.
It also feels like projecting what they want to happen.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5497268/2024/05/15/cavaliers-donovan-mitchell-darius-garland-jb-bickerstaff-future/
All in all, this was a lot better finish than last year.
SO much better. we can play in the playoffs and compete with the #1 seed.
trades are gonna be so hard. there’s a 15-win gap between the rest of the East and Boston, so how do you get over that enormous gap without losing ground to Philly and Milwaukee and NY? I really like the Mobley / Allen pairing against those teams but not Boston.
It’s amazing that The Athletic doesn’t have a full time Cavs beat reporter anymore, but you can always count on the end of season hit piece. Welcome to the off season!
it’s a wild piece!
JB gone gone. this is fine, it’s his time.
DG gonna ask for a trade if Mitchell extends. that really sucks but would be fine with something like Keldon Johnson, the #4 and the #8 and maybe a useful bench big like Collins. Maybe you take a flyer on another PG, it’s not a super tough position to add talent in.
DM expected to extend.
a teammate or two of Allen’s (Tristan) questioned why he didn’t get a pain injection and play through the rib. i hated that.
If that is true about DG, then he has a Kyrie complex.
that’s weird because on the floor he’s a pure PG which is something Kyrie for all his gifts is absolutely not. he’s got an unselfish game.
I mean, Kyrie thinking he was too good to play in LeBron’s shadow. As it turns out, he was total crap and ruined three teams until he lucked into playing in Luka’s shadow.
DG asking for a trade might be the dumbest move since Chris Webber moved to Washington, or Kyrie fled LeBron.
If he wants out….don’t let the door hit you where the lord split you.
Either we free $35 mil in space, or get more length on the wing, more draft capital, or a better PG. Likely some combo.
my conspiracy theory is that Klutch wants him as a Spur.
That would be amazing for SA (I’d think the cost would be super high on the SA side for a 24 yo Allstar though – DeVonte Graham and/or Zach Collins as filler, Keldon Johnson, and a lotto pick this year and/or a later pick)
(you might throw in Ice for another guy or pick though i like Ice at 12m)
If I’m trading him to SA I’d want Vassell as part of the deal.
i mean, he’s worth a lot to a club like SA. young point guards are very hit or miss in the draft and they have $ space pre-Wemby extension. a 24 yo pass first PG who shoots 3s at volume and has been amazing with young bigs?
he’d probably be worth a ton to Orlando as well – he and Black together would be a lot of fun and Suggs is limited
It’s amazing the Pistons have a full time reporter and the Cavs don’t.
Seems like the Shams and Woj tweets for offseason Cavs news is already on full tilt
What is a “proven candidate” in coaching? A chip?
I would say Quin Snyder, Alex Jensen, or Johnnie Bryant would be interesting options all with ties to Utah when DM was there. I don’t hate the idea of D’Antoni but he may be past his prime. There is of course Frank Vogel.
Cleveland had their starting 5 for 28 games in the regular season and we’re going #status
From twitter
OKC v DAL has had some of the most horrid offence by both teams I’ve seen. I guess they are tired.
Going into his RFA, Okoro did not do himself any favors with his offensive performance. It’s a bit of a shame for him. He clearly works on his shooting all of the time. That improved during the regular season, as did his drives to the hoop. Unfortunately, when it really counted, his shot wasn’t there.
I will cheer for him wherever he goes, but he probably won’t be here…
yeah, good dude, likely to have a long career as a bench guy. a long shot that he will turn the corner and become a star.
the only starter with a +/- > 0 tonight.
Okoro is what he is, and will probably get a mid level contract next year, possibly with the Cavs. Ice, DG, Vert, Dean, and Marcus would be a nice bench. problem is that we usually have some of them starting.
Strus talking about how hard it is to find a team that is full of good people who wanna play together in the NBA, and the Cavs have it right now.
I agree. No shit-asses.
If there is a big change to be made, it is Garland.
But I am for largely standing pat. Bring back Ice on a reasonable. I’d be fine with Morris or TT back. I think everyone else save Jones is under contract.
Length & atleticosm on the wing are the biggest needs.
I think Okoro needs a change of scenery. The Cavs have got to bring in a 3/4 that makes sense.
sigh. i love him at the right price
That’s a Niang problem, not Okoro.
A good perimeter defender (our best) who shot 40% on threes in the regular? I will take that all day long.
Blaming JB for this loss is crazy. If Quinn Snyder is your choice for a replacemenylt, I’ll pass.
The issues are Garland and length on the wing. We need playable guys in the 6’7″-6’10” range, we only have the oft injured Wade.
And in DGs defense, Jrue is a tough assignment. Horford putting him in handcuffs over and over…..that is different.
Oh for sure. I don’t blame JB for this series. I think he did a nice job, but I also just think, and reading the tea leaves it’s time. Sometimes you need a new voice.
we’ll have to take some chances to get playable length and athleticism. but we’ll have roster space and not a billion PGs (I hope).
would also like a third big.
Dan Gilbert has been sounding extremely positive about the future of the team, so that’s something.
hope so. guys that have made a few billion $ often are optimists.
IMO, time for Mitchell to make his demands. If he wants to play in a bigger market then the Cavs have to trade him. Otherwise, if I’m Mitchell, I’m asking for a new coach and team built around me. Point to when the team played it’s best ball this season and ask for a better supporting cast. It’s doable. Interesting to see how this off season goes.
Better training staff
Agreed. Sell Mitchell on staying by building around him and Mobley and jettisoning pretty much everything else.
I love Jarrett more than words can say, but it’s him or Ev and there’s no question whose ceiling is higher.
I guess I’d keep Strus, too. Bring back Morris and Tristan on vet minimums. And CPJ and Merrill because of their bargain deals. Move everyone else you can get any value for, prioritizing attack-minded players, and get a coach who holds players accountable and can design an offense.
The whole team is basically under salary for next year at least…
I actually don’t think this is true at all. Allen was one of the best centers in the association this year, but they need a coach to unlock them offensively.
absolutely
I really don’t like Mitchell as the primary PG.
A big PG would be ideal if we shift stuff. Teams will catch up if we only have one creator
right
I was weirdly encouraged by the play of the others the last 2-3 games.
Mobley’s development. Morris. Both Strus and LeVert in spurts. Merrill. TT. Wade.
DG & Niang were the only real disappointments. And at least DG took pretty good care of the ball.
Some length & athleticism on the wing. Another backup big. Backup PG. Niang upgrade.
Agree with all of this.
yeah, but how are you going to build a team around him?
I think the idea would be something like DG to San Antonio if he wants out for a wing and picks, take a shot at a bigger PG like Lonzo or Reaves, maybe try for another shooter or third big with the MLE
that is tweaking the team currently around him, not building a different one. and every contender tweaks every off season, so …
that’s fair
Mobley and Morris: 58 out of 98 = 59.2% of our points
17/23 in the paint: 73.9%
3/5 midrange: 60%
5/9 3PT: 55.5%
Rest of the team: 40 points = 40.8% of our points
4/13 in the paint: 30.7%
1/7 midrange: 14%
8/22 3PT: 36%
Morris has had a few really good night. how old is he?
I thought the fought like hell this series. They did dumb things against Orlando that screwed them for this series (if it had been over in 5 or 6 they’d have likely had more rest days and fewer injuries). But I can’t be upset about how this series ended (other than Morris who should’ve been in instead of Niang all playoffs). They played really hard and didn’t roll over and Mobley looked like a star starting at center. They needed this crucible. Happy I was here to watch it.
Cavs had great/solid quarters or periods in game but certain key stretches and ofcourse injury really hurt them.. and not making open looks throughout and getting consistent (good shooting) scoring from more than 1-2 players..(like tonight)
I agree with everything you say. Do they beat the Celts if healthy as constructed? If Porzingas is healthy?
Do they win tonight if DG plays as he did last game?
The Cavs gave us a lot to cheer for this year. I am thankful for that. Lots of time to speculate on how to make sure next year ends in at least the ECF.
yeah, is there ever a reason to play Niang over Morris?
GIVE JB HIS MONEY
(James Borrego)
I am in agreement with Nate on DG.
which is ?
?
He competed but was gassed
Morris came through today with 25 big pts off the bench, 3 rbs, and 2 stls..
his shot chart
Nice game Mobes. Nice game Morris. But what a bummer… Let’s go Nuggets!
Mobley with a playoff career-high 33 pts, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks..
Evan Mobley tonight:
33 PTS
7 REB
2 STL
2 BLK
The first Cav since LeBron to reach those numbers in a playoff game.
same
Really wish we were healthy.. think we could have won or forced it to 7… after watching Boston.. I wasn’t really impressed to say you feel you cant beat them..
They are very, very beatable. The Western teams still playing are licking their lips.
For the future, I like aggressive Mobley.
Can we put TT in to come out and kick Horford in the dick?
Yes please
so, morris avg 12 m and 4.2 pts in last 10 games.. tonight.. 30 m and 25 pts.. maybe JB should have given him some additional minutes.. niang’s for instance ?
Ofcourse he should have.. he’s tougher and can actually hit a shot..
time for house-cleaning.. but it will simply be MOS.. more of same.. on positive note, perhaps mobley finally understands that he needs to man-up every game..
house cleaning is not so easy when there are contracts and a salary cap.
sweeping out the old bums while being in a hurry to hate the new bums is the constant wave for the Nostradummy set
I hate Boston so much.
Ditto.
More than New York?
Fuck Al Horford.
0-10 in his last few games and decides to go 6-13 against us ? SMH…
Flat track bully.
The guy is flexing hitting 3’s on a depleted team. What a loser.
Merril has only 4 attempts in almost 28 min.. 3-4 from 3…
He couldn’t get more off–give the Celts credit for great defense on him.
Yeah they were all over him. A sign of respect.
Morris is a really bad defender, but he’s clearly made up for it this game with his offense. Garland OTOH…
We are getting outrebounded 27-40
Open look for Holiday..Cavs just keep getting open looks.. Cavs cant find a body.. SMH
Another easy open layup for Holiday…
Shame that didn’t drop in for Mobes.
Boston just gets into the lane with ease… bad defense keeping them outside
Clean strip my ass! He bumped him!
Yeah that was infuriating.
I thought that was a bad turnover from DG.. and then it somehow finds Morris who hits the 3… wow
GD Morris. Lol.
Morris says not over!!!
I didnt hear no bell!
9:32 Mobley scores and we are only down 85-88
In the next 3 min.. 13-2 run by Boston
Hopefully one more run here.
too much dribbling by DG for a fadeaway brick.. this is game.. I’m sorry..
Season on the line and you don’t call a timeout to gather the troupes and kill the crowd energy ?
Garland is a catastrophically bad defender
I think he has competes a ton today. He’s just absolutely gassed.
Then pass the ball.. dont just dribble and stay the same place.. and then shoot with the clock going down.. no ball movement..easy to defend.
seems like many coming to uncle buck’s opinion on garland.. not a whole player.. a player with holes in his game..
many cunts. he was the last man standing and was gassed as hell
we just are bitches about the man. want him to clean up TOs? done. but now we mad at the shot diet. so he shoots 3s better than anyone on the team in playoffs. but now we mad at something else.
He had a nine assist half man
DG too gassed to cook Horford. Cavs just don’t have enough bodies.
Cavs grow desperate, leading to heroic opportunities for the heroic Boston heroes. I may vomit.
Boston 10-2 run in the last min and change… and no timeout ?..
So strus misses a step back and then leaves White open for a 3… 5 pt swing..
Evan
12/19 = 25 pts
7 rbs
4 assists
Garland for Suggs + ?
orlando wants more..
I’ll throw in Niang too
the first suggs 3-14 calamity game would have us trading him too
Mobes gotta keep being aggressive on O
I’m not expecting anything, but this would be a great win. Anyone’s game.
We need to get stops and score.. we haven’t been able to tie or take the lead since we gave it up.
The NBA Leaguepass app has decided to stop showing the game (black screen). Weird that the advertisements for Planet of the Apes works just fine though.
Apparently nothing can kill that franchise.
😂😂😂
Use “official.nbabite.com/home2” to stream
Yeah that’s my go to for non Cavs games!
western champ likely going to run thru boston like sherman thru the south, although, the knicks may make that an impossibility..
Morr3s!!!
Cavs have to have the record in giving up missed free throw rebounds.