Podcap: Wolves 102, Cavs 95 (or, Off The Rails)
2018-11-27I’m not sure the degree that Tom, Nate and I actually captured the outcome of this Cavalier setback tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves, as we spent a large chunk of time debating the semantics of what transpired in the Browns game Sunday and the subsequent shade thrown by Baker Mayfield on his former coach today. Tom and I were on diametrically opposed sides of the argument, while Nate was content to lob chaos grenades whenever the flames waned. (Fast Forward to the 15:40 mark if you want to skip to the Cavs’ talk).
Despite the many tangents and derailings, one thing we could all agree upon ultimately, is that the Cavs have been playing much more inspired basketball of late. We discussed the turnaround that seemed to begin with the Lakers game, and continued through a back-to-back winning weekend for the wine & gold. We broke down the strides of individual players to measure the progress of Tristan Thompson, Collin Sexton, Cedi Osman and many others. And, we did get back on track at some point to delve into this contest with the TWolves. Though the Cavs got thrown off by a stronger defensive opponent that turned them over 16 times, they were still able to keep things competitive… mainly through the hot shooting of Rodney Hood and Kyle Korver.
In any event, hopefully you’ll still get an earful of Cavs analysis after careening through some Browns chaos. As always, you can catch us below, on Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts or Google Play.
https://soundcloud.com/ctb-5/episode-187-off-the-rails
Sexton’s mid ranger was truly pyrite.
Jesus. TT is jurassic around the bucket. Gotta go up quicker.
Argh. Gotta go under when Russ is at the three point line.
Nice reverses. Points gonna be hard to. Come by tonight.
HOPEFULLY ANOTHER POSITIVE ” AUDITIONING ‘ FOR KORVER —-WOULD LIKE TO SEE “ZZ ” PLAY LIKE HE WAS AT START OF SEASON—MIGHT NEED HIM/ SOLID MIN’S AGAINST ADAMS —–TOTALLY AGREE WITH EVIL —–COLIN COW(ARD ) HERD HAVING A FIELD DAY ON MAYFILED —–MEDIA MAKING MAYFIELD OUT TO BE ‘CHILDISH ‘/ IMMATURE / STUPID ————I HIGHLY DISAGREE—-THINK HE IS WELL POLISHED IN HIS INTERVIEWS— ( WAY BEYOND OTHERS AT HIS AGE / EXPERIENCE )—-AND WHO REALLY KNOWS HOW HUE MAY HAVE TREATED / COACHED HIM ……..BAKER MAY HAVE A VERY LEGITIMATE REASON TO ACT THAT WAY / SAY WHAT HE HAS… Read more »
Hill & Nwaba both reportedly out tonight.
Another game with only 10 in uniform (Sexton, Hood, Cedi, LNJ, TT; Clarkson, Korver, Harrison, Frye, & Zizic). With only 7 of those rotation level players at this point.
listened to the podcast and totally agree with Tom. Mayfield getting pissed at Jackson for going to the Bengals is ridiculous. Clearly it’s because BM doesn’t like HJ – he should have just said that instead of making a silly excuse for the snub.
Not a silly excuse… warranted. And, ultimately if it gives Mayfield and edge to compete, I’m all for it…
Amen EG.
Who cares if it’s silly. Sports are supposed to be petty. Do whatever it takes to motivate yourself. Jordan never forgot a slight.
YOU TELL THEM MALONE—LOVE IT !!
SO HOW MANY 30 PT BLOWOUTS HAVE THE LAKERS HAD ALREADY THIS SEASON–( BELIEVE AT LEAST 3 )—-IT ONLY TOOK 1 —AND CAVS WERE LIKE 30–17 AT THE TIME FOR BLATT TO GET FIRED —–LOOK OUT LUKE ” HATCHET ‘ MAY BE COMING DOWN
And the Nuggets were missing Gary Harris & Barton. Pkus IT/Porter.
Lakers I think are about to start a 4-5 game homestand with only the Spurs a .500 plus opponent. Gonna get rougher again after that.
Out west, outside of the top 4 (GSW, LAC, OKC, Den) I do not think anyone is that fearsome.
I wonder if we could pick up enough spare parts in a JR deal to make a Korver/Fultz swap work.
Cavs leading scrorers thru 19: Sexton (4), Love (3), Hood (3), Clarkson (3), Korver (2), Hill, TT, Osman, Smith.
If Hill can go tonight & Nwaba cannot, I would go: Sexton, Hill, Hood, Osman, TT. Nwaba has to start if healthy, with Hill or Cedi getting bumped. I’d go: Sexton, Nwaba, Hood, Osman, TT. If OKC plays a legit big next to Adams, LNJ has to start.
How about JR??? LOL
Suns lost. Dukies won huge.
Zion: 25/6/4; 11-15, 0-2
Barrett: 22/9/1; 9-18, 2-4
Reddish: 13/2/1; 4-12; 3-7
Nice troll.
Trae Young is now 434 out of 434 nba players in rpm this year. Awful.
Zion Williamson looking special again. All he has to do is set screens, and post up and he’ll be unstoppable. AND RUN THE BREAK!!! Barrett and Jones also balling out tonight.
Hawks won in Miami. Suns lead in 4th over Dipo-less Pacers.
Lakers are getting pasted in Denver.
If you are out west a struggling a bit (Lakers, Pelicans, Rockets, Spurs, Jazz), how far behind can you get before you make a move? Four games? Five? 30 games in? Forty?
East is not as dire in terms of qualifying.
Trade deadline… no one’s gonna pull away in the West IMO. They can all tread water and make a push the last 30.
Perhaps.
Dubs will seperate when Curry returns. Denver is gonna get Barton back soon, and Russ has missed a lot of time for OKC. I think those two plus LAC start to seperate soon, if in a bunch behind GSW.
Chaos from there. 10 teams for 4 spots: Portland, Memphis, Lakers, Kings, Spurs, NO, Rockets, Mavs, Jazz, Minny.
Other than some Kyler dude guessing (Basketball Insiders) there is no sourcing in that story. Cavs COULD offer Korver + protected 1st (no year given). He knows nothing. Amico is just repeating it.
Playoff-ish teams who could use some shooting: Philly, Lakers, Celtics, Bucks, OKC, Jazz, Pelicans, Memphis, Pistons, Rockets.
Could use a PG whilo can shoot/defend: Jazz, Pels, Rockets, Memphis, Philly, Lakers.
My take on Fultz/Korver depends a bit on what else is on the table.
In terms of Korver/Fultz, which I think is a no-brainer straight up (medical caveats), a pick sours it for me. Protected 1st = hell no. Protected 2nd……I am OK with that.
Strange as I do not think we have any picks to trade until 2021. 1sts: 2019/20 could end up in ATL & Stepien rule prevents trading the other, & possibly 2021 as well. Both our 2019 & 2020 seconds are already out the door. Giving up our 2019 pick is non-sensical. That cannot be it.
We have a 2024 2nd from Miami protected 31-55. I could give that up.
You could do a pick swap
I’m watching the lakers miss open shot after open shot from behind the arc (3/19 thus far). I would think LBJ would love to have Korver in his corner, his patience with this can’t last.
Guys… if this happens, I’m probably going to move on until Gilbert sells the team…
Yeah I’m fine with a swap if Fultz’s medicals check out, but throwing them a pick too is ludicrous.
Well, if the pick is a first, it is already in ATL this year or next unless it is top 10.
I’d do it for just Korver, no pick unless the protection is top 25…
I don’t think Fultz is worth anything other than JR and a 2nd rounder LOL…. they’re selling at the absolutely floor.
SURE HOPE DREW DOES NOT START HILL—–BE THE SUB / LISTEN TO THE CALLS FOR HIM
TOLD THE” MRS NOMAD ” I THINK I MIGHT HAVE “FOCAL DISTONIA “—WON’T BE ABLE TO DO REPETIVE HOUSE CHORES —-DISHES / WASH / DUSTING / ETC …………..YEAH THAT WENT OVER WELL …………..I WOKE UP THIS MORNING AND ” PETTED THE WIFE …..KISSED THE DOG “—HAD SOME COFFE / IRISH CREAM———-BEER ON MY RICE CRISPIES —“SNAP / CRACLE AND BURP “——LIFE IS GOOD……..LIVING THE DREAM !!!!
I woke up this morning (or rather, my wife tried waking me up this morning and I told her to bug off) and went to work. I fired someone in the parking lot cus his vehicle was not in the middle of the lines. He got kind of upset and found another job down the street. Then, when I saw him at Panera bread standing in line for morning coffee, he said “hey man, no hard feelings. Btw, I landed on my feet. Working for NorCom now.” As he tried to exchange business cards with me I took shiny new… Read more »
I woke up this morning and went to work where my boss greeted me with a fake smile and asked me (in a backhanded way) why I couldn’t show up an hour early like the lifer ahead of me (even though I was still 15 minutes early). After vaguely telling me how to do my job for the umpteenth time that week, he trotted off to have a meeting with his right hand man who he’s been in a power struggle with for months. The CEO came in hours later and announced that my boss had been summarily let go… Read more »
Well done!
This is super fun guys. Love it.
This is good news…
Yep. Having Hill means Harrison plays no PG, which is a good thing. Though he might play a mini-Nwaba defensive wing role if David cannot go again.
Also, Hill can take over if Sexton struggles. If Hill was available last game, we beat Minny IMHO.
Just a pretty frustrating game and it mostly was the TWolves having the lead and anytime we made it closer, they’d get two buckets in a row and could never get over the hump. Thing is though, we could have folded and been blown out, but we hung in there and almost came away with it. BTW, I think we hold on to Korver for as long as possible.
Korver is a great locker roon guy. He helps other guys with shooting. And on the court he is the only guy we have (with Love hurt) that has real gravity on the perimeter. He makes life easier for Sexton/Hood/Clarkson drives. So I get the impulse to keep him.
But if we have a deal where he can land usxa 1st round pick (or Fultz), you make the deal ASAP. Korver could get hurt, he is 37. Snag the asset.
JUST FOR KICKS —–BETWEEN THE 2 PLAYERS —FREDETTE OR FULTZ –WHO WOULD YOU PICK —JUST CURIOUS—–REALIZE NEITHER ONE ” ROCKS THE SOCKS “—–JUST SEEING AT PRESENT WHO RANKS HIGHER- ( OPINION WISE )– AS A POTENTIAL PLAYER / ASSET TO A TEAM
Fredette brings nothing in the NBA. Fultz by a mile, and I’m hardly high on him.
Fultz. He may be nada. But if he is something, he really could be pretty good. Jimmer cannot play defense.
I have no problem with Hue taking a job in Cincy. I also have no problem with Bakers comments about it.
Baker can do what he wants.
Hue can do what he wants.
We all can like or dislike whatever aspect we want and argue and still be friends.
well said
Except, no… screw Hue Jackson for never accepting a shred of blame for being the worst coach in the history of the National Football League, and for being an expert at finger-pointing, blame-casting and tossing everyone around him under the bus… Good riddance, and I’m glad he found a job where he can make another team in the AFC North miserable…
Baker Mayfield is the best thing to happen to Cleveland sports since LeBron won a championship…
Totally agree with EG
Die-hard Cavs and Bengals fan here, based in lovely Seattle, WA (Cincinnati ex-pat)… For a little “Hue-Dey” perspective, Hue was a spark and a major part of our best years in the Jungle since Carson left and the Red Rifle to AJ Green era began. In 2015, minus a Dalton thumb injury (sound familiar) the Bengals we’re a real contender for the AFC Championship. Hue’s offensive coordination and role as a motivator paid real dividends in Dalton’s progression and our outcomes. We still choked/crumbled/bungled our way out of the first round like we do in the Nasti, but Hue I… Read more »
AREN’T THE 76ER’S BRINGING IN MEDICAL STAFF TO EXAMINE FULTZ SHOULDER AGAIN—-IS THIS FOR THEIR PURPOSE– ( MAKE SURE THEY DON’T GIVE UP TOO SOON ON HIM/ MAKE SURE THAT IS HIS PROBLEM )– OR FOR POTENTIAL SUITORS —–TOUGH ONE TO CALL –KORVER FOR FULTZ / IF HE IS MEDICALLY HEALTHY —I THINK WE PULL THE TRIGGER AND MAKE THE TRADE — I MIGHT BE WRONG –JUST CAN’T SEE KORVER BRINGING IN A 1ST ROUND -( EVEN LATE 1ST ROUND ) —-OR DO YOU WAIT UNTIL TRADE DEADLINE WHEN PLAYOFF TEAMS ARE ” SCRABBLING / DESPERATE ” FOR A SHOOTER… Read more »
IMO, Fultz is a waste of cap space
But you also thought Love for Wiggins was a bad deal, yes? Or was that EG?
Point being, what would you rather do with that $9 million? Overpay a mediocre FA? Any contract that runs beyond summer 2020 (when we could have real room) is what we need to avoid. If he stinks or is a head case, we can just cut bait. If he can be fixed, we have a home run.
Korver for Fultz is a no-brainer barring some hidden medical stuff.
That was Nate, but I agree with him here… There is something clearly either physiologically or neurologically wrong with Fultz’s shoulder. That’s not worth trading ANY asset for, unless it’s for cap relief. There are any number of playoff teams that would likely give a second rounder for Korver, which would still be more valuable than a PG who can’t raise his arm over his head…
And what is cap space in 2020 going to net us? We couldn’t sign free agents in CLE when we had the best player on the planet. Now? Long shot is my guess.
Haven’t had a chance to listen yet, but where do all you CTB’ers come down on Korver for Fultz?
I’m in favor, though mostly because the other talk I’ve heard is Korver for a second-rounder, which seems insane.
Someone also suggested Chandler and Fultz for George Hill. Like that deal more (especially since Korver would probably the best player in the NBA for Fultz to work with on his shot) but seems unlikely…
Dear god no. We talk about the rumors of Fultz and the completely unsubstantiated possibilty of a neurological issue. Also, he’s terrible. If that’s all the Cavs get out of Hill and the ability to absorb a bad contract or two, Koby ought to be fired.
Wait what?!! Neurological issue? What is that about? Sources? At work, do you get into that in the podcast?
Yes we do. FYI this is total comment board hearsay.
Somebody or somebodies have been running around twitter and different comment boards saying he has Focal Dystonia.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.newsweek.com/2018/09/07/markelle-fultz-yips-jump-shot-fix-explaining-past-cases-1055214.html
https://amp.reddit.com/r/sixers/comments/9xoyls/fultz_and_task_specific_focal_dystonia
Hmm. Interesting. Royce White was the only other bball player I can think of who had his career more or less destroyed before it began by anxiety, albeit a different type than is described above. I wonder how that plays into the shoulder. Maybe the repetitive motion of the hitches have caused stress to it.
Either way, sounds like it could be a long road, possibly to nowhere if Fultz has the “yips”.
Philly cannot trade Chandler. Bad as he is, he is their starting PF. Muscala would start if he is gone?
Of our 3 non-guaranteed vet deals for next year, Hill has the lowest buyout ($1 mil). And he is the most useful player at present. No deal unless it is a good deal with Hill.
If Fultz has something physical that can be fixed (not chronic/incurable) then he is well worth the flier. I cannot think of a better use for $9 million in cap space for 1 year.
Might be just me, but I freakin love the ability you three have to an intense discussion without without taking it personally. This is rare. It’s entertaining, thought-provoking, educational. Was hoping a few hours ago for a pod to drop for a discussion of the last 3 games and voila, here it is. You keep delivering.
It’s actually funny. Call and recording issues ate the first 10-15 minutes of that and they were a lot more fired up. Someone peed in Tom’s oatmeal and EG wasn’t having any defamation of Baker.
Tom Arnold will lead a public push to find those 15 minutes.
15 mibutes of audio cutouts, trying to connect, rebooting, and us all talking over each other, All while i can hear tom and eg but they can’t hear each other, or as i like to call it: podcast magic
Good cap. An encouraging loss in a lot of ways. Yes, we had too many silly TOs off lazy passes and moving screen out of time outs. Yes, we missed a couple dunks & shits we ususlly make. Yes, we had young guys make a couple poor decisions. Yes, we had a poor spell on the defensive glass. And yes, we got a couple egregiously bad calls/breaks that cost us (the wedgie & Cedi’s charge). If any one of thise things is fixed, we win. But we played defense that was good enough to win, even without our best defender.… Read more »
You miss all the shOts you dont take. :)
“DANGEROUS AND DERAILED “—-GOOD TITLE FOR A MOVIE EVIL——YES NWABA WAS MISSED LAST NIGHT —-HIS TOUGHNESS / DEF. PRESENCE IS DIFFICULT TO SUBSTITUTE FOR ——KORVER WITH A ‘ NICE AUDITION ‘ LAST NIGHT / FOR HIS SAKE- ( TRADE CHANCES ) –HOPE IT CONTINUES ——EVEN THOUGH LOVE IS INJURED —SO GLAD WE MADE THAT TRADE –BASICALLY WIGGINS FOR LOVE —WIGGINS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME PLAYER THAT HE WAS 5 YRS AGO / CAN’T SEE IT CHANGING