May 20, 2024 • 38 mins
Tim Alcorn and Jim Chones host the show and are joined by Campy Russell and Brad Sellers to talk about the 2023-24 Cavaliers season and playoff run.
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome to calvs HQ presented by Betway. Thank you for
joining us on the Medical Mutual Cavaliers Audio Verse. Here
are your hosts, Tim Alcorn and Jim Jones.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
From the Cavaliers Production studios at Rock and Mortgage Field
House in downtown Cleveland. Hi you again, everybody, and welcome
to the final edition of calves HQ for the twenty
three to twenty four season. As the man just said,
Tim Melcorn, along with Jim Jones, what a thrill it
has been for us to work together for our fifth
(00:40):
year on the Cavaliers Audio Verse and Jim. Unfortunately it
came to an end last night in Boston as the
Celtics beat the Cavaliers one thirteen to ninety eight to
take that series in five games. And we've got a
lot to look back on during this week's show. In fact,
two of our great friends from the Cavaliers, Brad Sellers
and Campy Russell, are going to be joining us as
(01:03):
we kind of reflect on the twenty three to twenty
four season.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Well, Tim, there's a lot of reflection and a lot
of things that happened through the course of the season
that weren't unusual, but they definitely changed the course and
the character of this team. And the denominator has to
be the amount of injuries and the way the Caves
dealt with the injuries I thought was fantastic.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
So let's go.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Let's get into.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
It, all right. So we're gonna take a quick time
out and when we come back, as I mentioned, two
outstanding guests to close out the year on Cavs HQ
can't be Russell brad Sellers. They're gonna talk with Jim
and I about the twenty three to twenty four season.
So stay with us. Cavs HQ presented by Betway, continues
after this on The Medical Mutual Cavaliers audio verse. Garland
(01:52):
takes Tatum how comes under the bucket game, But I'll
probably pow with the left hand, best Jarlt's knife assist him.
Speaker 4 (02:00):
Make it place.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Garland right side Morris, He'll step into a three and
hit up.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
But next right there, right there at Holiday's face, tips.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
True, He'll give it to Mobley, comes around Cornette, wait
it in and a foul to go with it with
a gobo. Garland fires left side Morris three got another one.
Did he fight them?
Speaker 5 (02:20):
Tim?
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Did he fight him?
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Here's Mobley left in the lane, comes around Tatum and
Van Mobley has a thirty one point game as he
rolled it home. We welcome you back to Cavs age Q,
presented by Betway. Tip of the cap. Great job to
the guys on the other side of the window, the
dynamic duo of senior producer Kurt McLoughlin technical director Marty
(02:43):
Allen for putting together that montage from last night's Game
five in Boston. Celtics win at one thirteen to ninety
eight to send the Cavs home and Boston now moves
on to the Eastern Conference Finals. Well. As we mentioned
before the break, two outstanding guests joining this week the
final edition of Cavs HQ can't be Russell along with
(03:04):
Brad Sellers and guys. First of all, great to have
you back. Some initial thoughts just first of all on
last night and how the Cavs competed without Donovan, without Jared,
without Keras a game day scratch, just everything that they
laid out on the floor last night can't be You
want to.
Speaker 6 (03:22):
Start tell them, I thank you number one for allowing
me to be a part of the show. But when
I look back at last night, I just thought that
this cop of their team came out and played, you know,
at a high level given the circumstances that they were
playing under. And I think you have to give them
all a lot of credit in terms of how they
approached that game and how they came out and really
(03:44):
fought right until the very end. And you also have
to look at how other guys stepped up big time
as well, you know, in terms of Marcus Morris, you know,
I thought he came out and played an outstanding basketball game.
I just thought that we stuck together. I thought when
you look at Mobile, I thought he was very effective
throughout the entire night. So there was a lot of
(04:05):
positive to this. But at the same time, at the
end of the day, it was a game that we
did not win, but there was a lot of positive
things that came out of this game as well.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
Right, Yeah, I agree with Camping.
Speaker 7 (04:17):
You know, I thought the fight that the team showed
the last night against Boston was ideal.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
I thought it was what the city needed to see.
Speaker 7 (04:25):
You know, you're you're already down man going into the
the game. It would have been very easy and probably
understandable by some if you had just you got blown
oun got rolled over, got rolled over on, but they
did not. They came out and they fought and scrapped.
I mean, it really was the final score I said
last night was not indicative of what this game was.
To the seven minute mark, you really had a ball
(04:45):
game up in Boston, and I think the Celtics knew
it and so and I could tell that by their
own fans don't know that you're in the game here,
and so they knew they had It wasn't gonna be
an easy matter and I was proud to see that.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Yes, after the game, JB talked about the effort that
Cavs gave last night.
Speaker 8 (05:01):
They gave it everything they had. You know, they understood
the moment, you know, the amount of minutes they were
going to have to play, and they left it all
out there. You know, we just got beat by a
team that had to play really well and they had
guys step up, make huge plays, make big shots for him.
But I thought our guys did a heck of a
job competing.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
And Evin Mobley after the game talked about the fact that, yeah,
he had a big game and he really grew in
the series against the Celtics.
Speaker 9 (05:28):
The series I'm definitely gonna remember it. This thing's a
little bit for sure. So takes the pros to it
and how I played throughout the series and try to
take that into next season and just build on my
game as well and come back just even better, Jim.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
They stayed with the game play and the game plan
was theasey you know, Tim, We talked about it in
the fourth game. Also, what did they have to do?
Big shorthand, and we all agreed that it had to
be the start of the game, the start and get
yourself a chance in that fourth quarter where anything can happen.
I just think that they stayed true to the plan.
(06:07):
But all of those guys stepped up. It took a
lot of courage to lose three of your better players
and still play as tough, as physical as it and
competitive as they did in the fourth and the fifth game.
Speaker 7 (06:20):
Guys want to touch on that, Brett, Well, I say
this that the effort is what I was concerned with
making sure that they showed up last night, because you
know anything, I've been a part of many a game
where you know you were counted out and something somebody
struck lightning in a bottle and guess what I'm on
top of you, and the next thing you know is
that we're on the top position and we're moving ahead
(06:42):
and winning the game up in Boston and bring it
back to Cleveland.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
It just did not go. But it was not for
a lack of effort, I will say that.
Speaker 6 (06:48):
And I think that was the key to it overall,
is that everybody came in to play a good, solid
basketball game. I thought when you look back at Mobley
in terms of how he played, I thought he played
an outstanding basketball game. He showed us that he has
made some leaps, and I think that's key for our
team as well as Mobili going forward, is to show
(07:10):
that he can be impactful. Yes, he's been very impactful
on the defensive side of the ball, but I think
this game right here, these games that he played in
gave him a different perspective of how he have to
play going forward. You know, whether he's playing the center
position or whether he's playing the power forward position, because
(07:31):
he has the ability to do both of those. So
for me, when you look back at this game, there
was a lot of good things that came out of it,
and I think that this Capitol team has a lot
to build on going forward from this game.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Well, it's a great lead into our next player SoundBite.
Because of course, Marcus Morris had twenty five last night,
just one shy of his career high in a playoff game,
which was twenty six. Mobley had thirty three, which was
his career playoff high. And of course, Marcus Morris used
to play with a guy the name of Jason Tatum.
Marcus Morris compares Mobley and Tatum.
Speaker 10 (08:04):
Big fella. He reminds me of him a lot, like
just seeing him grow to seeing him grow. And I've
been a big fan of f for a few years
he's been in the league, and I think that he
has a really good chance to make that same leap
that I've seen Tatum making. You know, it's times like
this being able to perform with these type of lights,
it allows you allows you to grow in the off
(08:25):
season and come into the next year. I think that
is guy right here is gonna be it's gonna be
a problem.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Well, pretty lofty comparison rate there.
Speaker 6 (08:33):
Yes, there's no question that mobiley when you look at him,
he's the kind of guy that I've always believed.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
He's a winner.
Speaker 6 (08:39):
Number one, you know, he is gud to have the
ability to impact winning and I talk about that quite
a bit, and I think sometimes you know the expectations
that we have for a player, it comes, but it
comes at its own time. And I think he's moving
in the right direction where it's all gonna come. Because
he had his first year as a rookie, he played
(09:00):
very good basketball. The second year he did the same thing.
The third year he got even better. So as he progressed,
he's gonna get even better and better because he's going
to have a better understanding of his game, his teammates game,
the different nuances that's associated with plan at this league,
at this high level, and he's only gonna get better
(09:20):
in my opinion. But the thing about him, he is
a guy that is willing to do whatever's necessary to
help his team win. And that's the thing that I
love about him.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Good stuff from Campy. We're just getting started as Campy Russell,
along with Brad Sellers, joined jurors Julie tim Elcorn and
Jim Jones on the final edition of the twenty three
twenty four Cavs HQ presented by Betwey. We'll hear more
from these great guests after this on the Medical Mutual
Cavaliers audio verse bitch a long three.
Speaker 5 (09:56):
Full side in between Cirtle spinet from Turtland. Donovan is
thirty five and the Cavaliers have a nine point lead.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Bobs down loaded a wideop mitztrus bow. Here's Mitchell left
in the lane, came up, came under no quite for
the rebound Volteley pow rebound Isaac Corrol topside to Mitchell,
Donovan right corner, Garland another three. That part is right
out the mark. I got a great job by the
dynamic duo of Kurt McLoughlin and Marty Allen putting together
(10:32):
that montage of highlights from the twenty three to twenty
four season, which came to an end last night in Boston.
Calves fall to the Celtics in five games in the
Eastern Conference semi finals. Two great guests this week on
Cavs HQ Brad Sellers along with Campy Russell and of
course I'm joined by Jim Jones. Jim, you want to
get things started with our two guests here in this segment.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
Thank you, Tim. You know, one of the things that
definitely affected US season was inconsistency of play and injuries
had a lot to do with that. But because of
the injuries and the loss of talent, you know, the
lineups changed the rotations, and definitely the matchups created a
level of inconsistency that affected us all through the season.
(11:17):
Talk a little bit about that, guys, brad.
Speaker 7 (11:20):
Well, I'll say this, Jimmy, And obviously, the injuries had
a huge impact on what the Cavalary season looked like.
And I thought that they trucked through it pretty well
considering what they were up against. And you know, I
look at it like this. You know, there'll only be
one winner in this season that's gonna go away happy.
Everybody else really comes back to the drawing board, right.
So I think we made it much further than the rest,
(11:43):
but you know, we still have to come back and tweak.
But you know, I look for things as I move
into the off season where I am now and pieces
that I have and how we get better now. I
will come back to the last segment when Camp was talking,
I would say this when Evan Mobley, you know, you
wanted to see progress. Everybody here wants to see progress.
(12:05):
And I'll be the first one to tell you that
he is not a finished product. He's a work in progress.
But what I saw last night was a guy that
was hunting shots. He was wanting to have an impact
on the game.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
Now. I can't remember the last time Evan.
Speaker 7 (12:19):
Mobley shot twenty four balls in the game, right, But
when he's playing like that, he's more aggressive than the
guy you see with ten point seven rebounds that he
had an impact on this game.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
He was a.
Speaker 7 (12:31):
Problem for Boston last night, right, And that's what we
have to build upon. And then people always say, you know.
Speaker 4 (12:36):
It's camp. They're like, well, he's a thin guy. Well
there's been many thin guys in this league that had
an impact still there, right, So he just has to
learn that portion of it, and the portion.
Speaker 7 (12:47):
Of it is this, just do what you do well,
do that to the maximum effort, right, Stop trying to
be what everybody wants you to be, and just be
who you are, right And when you start and do that,
that's what you that's the base that you build from.
He was a problem last night for the Celtics, and
if he goes back to the drawing board and continues
to grow like that, because you saw growth last night,
(13:09):
and anybody said they didn't see growth last night is
not telling the truth.
Speaker 6 (13:12):
Yeah, I think Brad, when you look back at this,
you know, particularly when you talk about Mobley, you know,
I just think that he is definitely moving in the
right direction. I don't think necessarily that he is a
quote center. I just think he's one of those guys
that you can just put out there on that floor
and he's going to affect the winning and losing of
(13:33):
that basketball team because of all the things that he
does out there on that floor and the impact that
he can bring. So for me, I still believe that
that he still have a lot more upside that's coming,
and I think he's the kind of guy that's curious
enough within himself to continue to get better. So I
think we're all gonna reap a lot of benefits from Mobley.
(13:55):
But at the same time, I think we're gonna reap
a lot of benefits from the other guys that are
on our team as well. You know, when you're talking
about the coorl or Wade or you know, Shrew's Darius,
you know, it's just so many guys that have the
ability to impact as a basketball team. Now it's just
a matter of those guys also continuing to be curious
(14:16):
about their own games right in terms of how they
can help this team go to another level, because that
is the piece that will get you where you want
to go. Once everybody become more curious and how they've
been willing to take their game to another level through
the work ethic that they put forward on the given day.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
So the Cavaliers forty eight and thirty four regular season,
in a knockdown battle with Orlando, beat the Magic in
seven games in the first round before falling to the
Celtics in five games in the semi finals. So after
the game last night, JB was asked point blank, was
this a successful season?
Speaker 8 (14:54):
I consider this season an improvement, you know, again, to
win around as you're gone through where we started and
continuing to build from the ground up, you know, to
win around in the playoffs isn't easy. I thought we
faced a tough challenge in that first round obviously, and
then be able to go to seven games and win
it in a game seven showed a ton of growth,
(15:16):
you know. I think the play of our guys continued
to show their growth. So I think this year was
an improvement for us, and you know, you guys will
judge what success looks like. But for us, I think
we accomplished what we were trying to accomplish, but coming
up short of a goal of you know, obviously winning
a championship.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Gyms some thoughts on what you just heard from JB there.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
I think he's right. You know that when you look
at this season, you really have to look at I
keep coming back to the injuries and how they overcame injuries.
Think about it, they went eighteen and two doing one
spurt that really saved their season. If they would have
tanked then, you know, not one games, then they probably
would not even have been into playing, you know. But
(16:00):
when you go eighteen and two and you had major
injuries to keep people, that shows you something about the
possibilities and the fortitude of this team. I always look
at the pegging order. You know, we know that Donovan
is the guy, we all know that, but the way
that Mobley has played in these first two series, you
almost have to move him up to number two. And
(16:22):
that's no slight on Garland. What great stuff.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
Again, we got to sneak in a quick time out,
but we've got so much more to cover as our guests,
our brad sellers and Campy Russell, So stay with us.
Cavs HQ, presented by Betway, continues after this on the
Medical Mutual Cavaliers audio vers.
Speaker 11 (16:46):
Last week, as the excitement for the playoffs was building,
the Cavaliers surprise some of their young fans at Cleveland
Clinic Children's Moondog Sir CC and a mod visited children
receiving treatments at the Outbeat Center. The kids receive a
community playoff fankit that included a rally towel, squishy ball,
(17:07):
t shirt, cheer card, and wristband. Calves in the Community
is brought to you by Discount Drug Mart. We'll be
back with the second half of calvs HQ, presented by Betway.
Right after this on the Medical Mutual Cavaliers Audio Verse.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
Leave it an inbound just to the left of the
Calves bench.
Speaker 12 (17:31):
All we hast reflected by Mobely, but grab my daunchs
Doncon's bounce under in the PJA and he laid it
in with two point six to go, Cavs out of
timeouts truce in the Moldly back to Max ta Port shot.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
God God b.
Speaker 10 (17:48):
Jef West.
Speaker 4 (17:53):
This places College Price.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
I don't remember that game.
Speaker 6 (18:03):
I'm sure a lot of people remember that Dame and
some may not know that.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
Certainly you talk about highlights during the twenty three twenty
four season, Max Strews's half court shot to beat the
Dallas Mavericks here at Rocket Mortgage Field House. It was
a season that had a lot of highlights. As we
welcome you back to keVs HQ, presented by Betway to
Melicorn along with Jim Jones, Brad Sellers and Campy Russell,
(18:29):
our very special guests on this show, I want to
go back to how we concluded our second segment with
you guys, the cut from JB talking about whether or
not the season was a success. Jim reflected on what
JB had to say, Well, you guys to chime in
camp you want to start.
Speaker 6 (18:46):
Well, definitely, I think Coach was talking in the right
direction in terms of where they were last year and
where they are this year. I think there was a
lot of growth in everybody. You know, you just look
at you know, where Mobley has you know, come to
it this particular point, this has just been it was
somewhat disappointing, but again, when you look back at all
(19:07):
the things that have happened during the course of this
year and we still get to where we got. You,
I think you got to give this team and coach
Bickerstaff a lot of credit to go through all the things,
the injuries and the things that occurred during the course
of the season and still come out and play good,
(19:27):
solid basketball and put yourself in position to take another
step next year.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
Right.
Speaker 7 (19:34):
And I'll say this that I don't think you can
deny that there was progress made this year.
Speaker 4 (19:39):
There's no denial about that.
Speaker 7 (19:41):
I mean, you think about where we were a few
years ago outside to playing and getting ourselves through the
first round loss, and then coming back this year and
then winning one round and getting to a five game
series with Boston under the circumstances where we didn't even
have a full compliment to die, right, And.
Speaker 4 (19:58):
Jimmy said he was correct, you know, for that eighteen
and two stretch.
Speaker 7 (20:02):
This thing could have went south the other way a
long time ago, and it did not. So you have
to give credit to the coaching staff of holding together.
The players were stepping up and being part of where
you go. But like everything else, it is always those
from now side that judged what their version of success is.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
And I think we're all in it that microscope.
Speaker 7 (20:21):
But I will just tell you this, if you look
at it statistically, the Cavaliers have done the improvement every year,
so you cannot say that they did not do any improvement.
Speaker 4 (20:30):
They did.
Speaker 7 (20:31):
Now, like every other team that will not win this championship,
there's gonna be some self reflection and analysis on where
you're standing today and what you.
Speaker 4 (20:40):
Need to do to take the next step.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
Well, we started the segment with a half court shot
from Max Strews, So what's here from Max? He said, Yeah,
no doubt. This was a tight team. It was a
cohesive team, and really they stayed closed throughout the years.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
Good guys.
Speaker 13 (20:57):
It's hard to find in the NBA a team that
was full of good people, good guys in the locker room,
and guys that play for each other. That's not easy
to find and not easy to do. And I think
we have that. So if there's something we can build
off of.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
Yeah, that's something that you guys talked about, and Jim
you alluded to it as well. The team could have
pulled apart rather than come together. Was a very tight
knit group.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
Yeah, they were. And you know, I like the playoffs
because there's only a few of you playing and everybody
else is sitting home watching, and I think your expectations
of your performance, and added with the pressure of just
trying to win a game will be there at the
end or get off to a good start so that
you don't play catch up, and then fatigue becomes a
factor in the fourth quarter. I think all of those
(21:40):
things come into play, you know, when you're play in
the playoffs. But I just keep coming back to Mobiley
what he has shown in that first series. I talked
to Cornbread about it and I said, well, we beat
Orlando at seven. He said, nobody knows that. All they're
gonna look at is did you win the series? That's
what happened. And there was tremendous growth because if you
(22:03):
really look at what Orlando has, I thought they had
more talent than us. And I also thought that they
had what most teams want, two small forwards that are
as big as power forwards. And I thought that they
really played a nice scheme in the way they played.
And we beat them, you know, we beat them, and
(22:24):
I thought that that was tremendous growth. And then you're
playing the best team in basketball and they blow you
out the first game and then you come back and
blow them out in the second game. It shows you
the resiliency of this franchise and how farther that we
have come. But I'm telling you the play of Evan Mobley,
I had visions of, I don't know, CAMPI a version
(22:47):
of George Gervin, Connie Hawkins, and wow, you know, doctor
Jay a little bit of all of that with those
big hands and then his footwork around the basket in
the fifth game. I just said, this kid could be
as good as he wants to be, but I still
think we need to really focus on putting the right
pieces around him.
Speaker 6 (23:06):
Yeah, I have to agree with you with that, and
also I have to agree with the fact that you know,
you talked about the small forward position that Orlando had.
I think this is just me speaking in terms of
a need, you know, because in this league, you have
to have multiple playmakers out there on that floor, you know,
(23:27):
And the more playmakers you have on the floor, the
better your team will be, you know. And then you
add that size to it as well. Now it takes
you to a whole different level. And you have a
guy like Mobile that can make plays out there on
the floor as well. But at the same time is
that small forward position is the power position in this league.
(23:51):
It is for the ability to do multiple things out
there on the floor. And the more guys that you
have on your team that does multiple things, the better
your team is going.
Speaker 7 (24:00):
And I'll say this can't be so the be clear,
there are two type of coaches.
Speaker 4 (24:05):
In this league.
Speaker 7 (24:06):
Ones that focus on what you can't do and they
harp on that, right, and then you have the other
coaches that focus just give me what you do well
and I'll figure some pieces around you to accentuate exactly
what you do well. Now, Evan Mobley has a skill
set the way he finishes around the basket and the
fens and offensives. You could throw a live to you're
(24:26):
gonna catch it. Anything around the rim, he's gonna try
to dunk it. I can live with that. So when
you talk about pieces in part because you just talk
about the small ford, well you're talking to our world.
The clue to everyone, small forward is no longer small.
The small forward now is six ten, six eleven. That's
small forward and it started in eighty six with Moa. Right,
(24:47):
So I said, so that is the small forward here,
because every time we go up because a small forward
look at tell.
Speaker 6 (24:54):
You them six ten, you check them with a six
five multi facet.
Speaker 7 (25:00):
And he does everything right. So that is an integral
part of successful teams. Their small ford is probably going
at a high clip here, at a very high clip here.
It wasn't until Dallas brought in PJ. Washington today start
going at a clip right when they were going with
everybody else it wasn't working. But the trick is they're
(25:20):
not on every recorder. You can't find them. You got
to be out here mining the circuit because they could
be at Pacific University and you better be in the
weeds as specific to find that you got a person
over there at for.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
It great point and of course, as you guys said,
there's pieces in place, and JB mentioned that last night
after the ball game, that we've got a good team
as we look ahead.
Speaker 8 (25:43):
We've got good individual players. We've had high character players
you know, that are concerned about winning. And you know,
anytime you have that, you're gonna give yourself an opportunity.
You know, I would love to see what we look
like when we're whole, you know, for an entire season
of pressure we can put on the league from that standpoint,
but we've got a good basketball team of guys who
(26:04):
want to win and guys who want to get better.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
Boy does JB after the game last night, saying, Yep,
there's still work to do, but there are pieces in
place to make this a special championship contending basketball team.
We'll take a quick time out when we come back.
One more segment, Boy, great insights on this week's edition
of Cavs HQ with Brad Sellers and can't be Russell
So Jim Jones and I will return after this on
(26:28):
the Medical Mutual Cavaliers Audioversa lies.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
No Beautiful, I love parisfield de la more.
Speaker 10 (26:40):
And Yes I'm in love with Paris.
Speaker 14 (26:44):
Here's Donovan Mitchell, not the right wing, three ball, fullside,
right side, Donovan three ball, got it, Donavan Mitchell with
a thirty three point game.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
He acted it from the Eiffel Tower. More on the
shot clock, Mitchell lost three go. Here's Donovan Mitchell. Well,
he's got a sizzling hand right now.
Speaker 14 (27:07):
Mitchell out front, three gone as he got knocked down.
Speaker 5 (27:12):
Donovan Mitchell and the three ball he is on a
Donovan Mitchell tear.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
A little French music as We'll look back to mid
January when the Cavaliers took on the Brooklyn Nets over
in Paris. Wait, what a special event that was, What
a special week it was, and an unbelievable job by
the Cavaliers organization to put that all together, not just
the game, but three hundred people from the Cavaliers organization
(27:43):
made that trip over to Paris and certainly one of
the highlights of the twenty three to twenty four season.
And then the Donovan Mitchell show in once he put
up a season high forty five points on the international stage,
was just something to behold. Jim. Our final segment here
with Brad and Camp do you want to get things started.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
Yeah, let's talk a little bit about Donovan Mitchell and
what he brings to our franchise. And he's a fundamental
part of it. He's proven that. But in the playoffs
he was just outstanding. He played every possession to win
the game, beat the matchup and give our team an opportunity.
But I was so impressed with his press conference, the
(28:23):
accountability and the leadership. You look around doing the playoffs
where everybody knows what you're gonna do, and you're looking
for somebody to carry it. In my case in our
World Championship area was a nineteen year old out of
Michigan named Irving Magic Johnson. And you need a guy
who's willing to take that weight and Brad, you know,
you guys had Michael Jordan. You need that guy to
(28:47):
carry that pressure that no one else can carry and
still perform above average. Let's talk a little bit about
Donovan Mitchell, what he brings to the table, and I
just thought that he was very instrumental in the growth
of a big mobiley.
Speaker 4 (29:03):
Jim, I agree.
Speaker 7 (29:04):
Donald Mitchell is an outstanding talent and let's not make
no mistake about that. And it comes few and far
between this league to actually have a guy that can
not just carry the load, accept the responsibility of carrying
a load that means the wins, the losses, the mishots, the.
Speaker 4 (29:21):
Makes, the goods, the bads.
Speaker 7 (29:22):
You know, you have to have a mentality that is
tough to be able to sustain that, and I think
he is that talent and I think he showed that
throughout this season that he was a guy that was
willing to show you that he's just more than just
the I think people think he was just a dunker guy,
and he was just a guy that was always going
to get his points. I think he showed you that
he wanted to be a complete basketball player. And I
(29:42):
think he's an important part of this franchise as we
move forward. And I know that they've got some contractual
stuff that has to be worked out here, and you know,
hopefully that ends our way. But I would just tell
you to find a talent like that in this league
is not an easy thing to do.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
Well.
Speaker 6 (29:58):
When I think Donovan Mitchell, I think of an intellectual
in my opinion about him. You know, his approach to
the game, his ability to play with the kind of
force that he plays with, his ability to really turn
the game on or turn it off anytime he wants to,
you know. And I think he's definitely a special talent,
a guy that can uplift not just himself, but uplift
(30:23):
a team and the organization because of the way he
delivers when he speaks, because of the impact he has
on the team and the guys that are around him,
and his abilities to share himself with the rest of
the team. I think that's the thing that stands out
when I think of Donovan Mitchell, because this guy can
(30:46):
turn the game on anytime he wants to, and can
dominate the game with the force and the gravity that
he brings to the game every single night. So he's
definitely someone that you can count on night it out
in any situation.
Speaker 2 (31:02):
I know Jim's been talking about Evan Mobley. Brad you
mentioned earlier about getting the right pieces formulated to make
this an elite basketball team, And after the game last night,
JB talked about the fact that, hey, Kobe Altman and
the organization as a whole, they're going to try to
make improvements to the roster.
Speaker 8 (31:20):
I trust Kobe in the front office that they'll make
the right decisions to continue to improve this team, because
that's what they've always done, you know, year by year.
You know, they're a big piece of why this team improves.
The partnership that we have, the decisions that they make.
So you know, we'll talk about it. I'm sure we'll
go from there.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
How close are they.
Speaker 7 (31:42):
You're in the arena, Let's say that, right. You might
not be in your seat yet, but you're you're in
the arena. And I'll tell you that because you're in
the final four the Eastern Conference.
Speaker 4 (31:50):
Lets you know, that.
Speaker 7 (31:50):
You're you're closed, that you're in the arena right. And
so we're working our way to the seat right. And
so as we do that, these are our teams get better.
They add pieces, they figure out what pieces they're missing,
and they go get the pieces. And sometimes those pieces
you say, well I already have a guy like that. Well,
I'm gonna get another guy like that, right, and I'm
gonna double down on the guys right, because that's how
(32:12):
you get better. I mean, so I'll go back to
my bulls days.
Speaker 4 (32:15):
Right.
Speaker 7 (32:15):
We had ch Charles Oakly and I lined up together
for many a year in Chicago, and then we got
to a point where we needed a guy that was
in the pivot, in the center position, and so we
traded Charles to New York for Bill Cartwright because Bill
was a piece and they felt like we needed that piece,
and we gave up a piece to get a piece right.
And so but as you put these pieces of the
(32:36):
puzzle together, the mosaic gets better, the picture gets better,
and you just have faith that you're headed.
Speaker 4 (32:42):
In the right direction. And then you have the right pieces.
Speaker 7 (32:44):
Now you've got a guy like Donald Mitchell, you've got
young talents like Elvin Moley, Darius Girland, and now you
have to figure out the mix because everybody, I think
this year camp he was really searching for the right mix.
Who was the lead dog, who was the second dog?
And we started out sitting here, and Jimmy made a
great point. I think Evan Mobley ends up in the
number two position after this year just because you talk
(33:06):
about the growth. Now, that doesn't mean Darius slid, but
that means Evan grew. Yeah, all right, and so that's
what you want out of young talent.
Speaker 6 (33:13):
Well, you know, also, I think you have to also
include the person that we haven't spoke about at all,
and that's Jared Allen. You know, because when you go
back and look at that eighteen game winning streak that
we started to follow that line, and you're going to
see Jared Allen's name on all of that, because that's
when we really took off. When jareded started becoming more effective,
(33:36):
started receiving the ball a little bit more, started just
being more aggressive out there. So he started scoring more,
he started rebounding more, he started defending that paint more,
he started getting up and down the floor with everybody.
And when you have an element like that on this
basketball team, along with the talent that we have, there's
no question in my mind that we're moving in the
(33:58):
right direction because you talkalking about the mobiley, you're talking
about Jared Allen, you're talking about Donovan Mitchell, you're talking
about Garland, You're talking about the guys that we have
on this team. And this team is definitely moving in
the right direction.
Speaker 7 (34:10):
And let me just say this, there's a formula here
for success in this league and it's tried and true
and tested, and if we get back to it, you know,
you have to stick to what the formula is. And
one is making sure that along the way you take
the bumps on and people are available for duty down
the stretch here. That's really what happens because people trying
(34:32):
to avoid injury, and that's what happens to many a
good team. You lose pieces at the wrong time and
not that you planned on it, but it happens. So
that's a component of being a winning formula here.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
Yes, staying healthy absolutely, and can't be before we close
it out. Just to say to your point, the numbers
don't lie. Look at the Cavs record with Jared in
the lineup, and without Jared in the lineup. I mean
it's pretty stark right there.
Speaker 6 (35:00):
And no question that injuries play a big part in it.
And I can harken back to the time when Jimmy
and I and Austin and Fitzi Walker and Dick Snyder
and Bengos. You know, that was a thing that took
us out, was an injury. You know, nobody plans for him,
but they do happen, and the only thing you can
do is try to go forward.
Speaker 7 (35:20):
And I just say that that Bulls run, that Bulls
Run and Stork Run, everybody was available for duty. There
were nobody. There was nobody really going down for a
long periods of time.
Speaker 2 (35:30):
There you go, man, this has just been awesome. Guys,
can't thank you enough. If we're going to close out
the season with a terrific show, having you two sitting
here was the best way to do it. Brat sellers
can't be russelled.
Speaker 4 (35:42):
Huge.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
Thank you, Thank you, guys, Thank you to good stuff.
Jim You and I gotta wrap up the final edition
of Cavs HQ for twenty three twenty four, so we
will do that after this final time out on Cavs HQ.
Presented by Betway on the Medical Mutual Cavil Audio Verse. Well,
(36:08):
Jim Jones, that's going to do it for this week's
edition of Cavs HQ, and it's going to be the
finale as far as the twenty three twenty four season
is concerned. But as I mentioned to you up in
Boston last night, my friend, our fifth year together, enjoyed
every moment of it, both during the games and of
course here on Cavs HQ and as our great guests
(36:29):
Campy Russell and Brad Seller said, the Cavaliers are on
this upward trajectory.
Speaker 3 (36:35):
Well, Tim, I want to thank you for being my partner.
And the unique thing is that I thought you had
a championship year. I just thought that the way you
call the game, the way you kept your voice up,
with the enthusiasm and the clarity of thought. I mean
in our conversations, I would say that we had another
successful season. But Tim, I also want to thank our fans,
(36:56):
our faithful fans who've hung in there over the years
of disappointment, winning World championship and then losing the best
player in the game, and then working our way back
into the playoffs again into the second round. I also
want to make mention that the Cabs are always looking
to improve themselves and it doesn't necessarily have to be
a blockbuster trade because Kobe has done a great job
(37:20):
in getting us talent. Maybe it is another small forward,
maybe it is just another backup guard. We don't know,
because we're not on the inner workings of the strategies.
But I just think that we're in position to keep
going forward. And thanks to the great Dan, Gilbert, Kobe, Altman,
JB and all their staffs, the Cavalier franchise is on
(37:42):
the uptick.
Speaker 2 (37:43):
Oh no doubt, well, Jim, until we talk again in
the fall again, a huge thank you to you, of course,
thanks to Kurt and Marty, huge thanks to our outstanding
guest Brad Sellers Campy Russell. Biggest thanks goes to you
the listeners. So until we talk again down the road
accord saying so long, everybody, it's closing time.
Speaker 4 (38:08):
Let him know, Babes, let him know,
Welcome to calvs HQ presented by Betway. Thank you for
joining us on the Medical Mutual Cavaliers Audio Verse. Here
are your hosts, Tim Alcorn and Jim Jones.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
From the Cavaliers Production studios at Rock and Mortgage Field
House in downtown Cleveland. Hi you again, everybody, and welcome
to the final edition of calves HQ for the twenty
three to twenty four season. As the man just said,
Tim Melcorn, along with Jim Jones, what a thrill it
has been for us to work together for our fifth
(00:40):
year on the Cavaliers Audio Verse and Jim. Unfortunately it
came to an end last night in Boston as the
Celtics beat the Cavaliers one thirteen to ninety eight to
take that series in five games. And we've got a
lot to look back on during this week's show. In fact,
two of our great friends from the Cavaliers, Brad Sellers
and Campy Russell, are going to be joining us as
(01:03):
we kind of reflect on the twenty three to twenty
four season.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Well, Tim, there's a lot of reflection and a lot
of things that happened through the course of the season
that weren't unusual, but they definitely changed the course and
the character of this team. And the denominator has to
be the amount of injuries and the way the Caves
dealt with the injuries I thought was fantastic.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
So let's go.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Let's get into.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
It, all right. So we're gonna take a quick time
out and when we come back, as I mentioned, two
outstanding guests to close out the year on Cavs HQ
can't be Russell brad Sellers. They're gonna talk with Jim
and I about the twenty three to twenty four season.
So stay with us. Cavs HQ presented by Betway, continues
after this on The Medical Mutual Cavaliers audio verse. Garland
(01:52):
takes Tatum how comes under the bucket game, But I'll
probably pow with the left hand, best Jarlt's knife assist him.
Speaker 4 (02:00):
Make it place.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Garland right side Morris, He'll step into a three and
hit up.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
But next right there, right there at Holiday's face, tips.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
True, He'll give it to Mobley, comes around Cornette, wait
it in and a foul to go with it with
a gobo. Garland fires left side Morris three got another one.
Did he fight them?
Speaker 5 (02:20):
Tim?
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Did he fight him?
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Here's Mobley left in the lane, comes around Tatum and
Van Mobley has a thirty one point game as he
rolled it home. We welcome you back to Cavs age Q,
presented by Betway. Tip of the cap. Great job to
the guys on the other side of the window, the
dynamic duo of senior producer Kurt McLoughlin technical director Marty
(02:43):
Allen for putting together that montage from last night's Game
five in Boston. Celtics win at one thirteen to ninety
eight to send the Cavs home and Boston now moves
on to the Eastern Conference Finals. Well. As we mentioned
before the break, two outstanding guests joining this week the
final edition of Cavs HQ can't be Russell along with
(03:04):
Brad Sellers and guys. First of all, great to have
you back. Some initial thoughts just first of all on
last night and how the Cavs competed without Donovan, without Jared,
without Keras a game day scratch, just everything that they
laid out on the floor last night can't be You
want to.
Speaker 6 (03:22):
Start tell them, I thank you number one for allowing
me to be a part of the show. But when
I look back at last night, I just thought that
this cop of their team came out and played, you know,
at a high level given the circumstances that they were
playing under. And I think you have to give them
all a lot of credit in terms of how they
approached that game and how they came out and really
(03:44):
fought right until the very end. And you also have
to look at how other guys stepped up big time
as well, you know, in terms of Marcus Morris, you know,
I thought he came out and played an outstanding basketball game.
I just thought that we stuck together. I thought when
you look at Mobile, I thought he was very effective
throughout the entire night. So there was a lot of
(04:05):
positive to this. But at the same time, at the
end of the day, it was a game that we
did not win, but there was a lot of positive
things that came out of this game as well.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
Right, Yeah, I agree with Camping.
Speaker 7 (04:17):
You know, I thought the fight that the team showed
the last night against Boston was ideal.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
I thought it was what the city needed to see.
Speaker 7 (04:25):
You know, you're you're already down man going into the
the game. It would have been very easy and probably
understandable by some if you had just you got blown
oun got rolled over, got rolled over on, but they
did not. They came out and they fought and scrapped.
I mean, it really was the final score I said
last night was not indicative of what this game was.
To the seven minute mark, you really had a ball
(04:45):
game up in Boston, and I think the Celtics knew
it and so and I could tell that by their
own fans don't know that you're in the game here,
and so they knew they had It wasn't gonna be
an easy matter and I was proud to see that.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Yes, after the game, JB talked about the effort that
Cavs gave last night.
Speaker 8 (05:01):
They gave it everything they had. You know, they understood
the moment, you know, the amount of minutes they were
going to have to play, and they left it all
out there. You know, we just got beat by a
team that had to play really well and they had
guys step up, make huge plays, make big shots for him.
But I thought our guys did a heck of a
job competing.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
And Evin Mobley after the game talked about the fact that, yeah,
he had a big game and he really grew in
the series against the Celtics.
Speaker 9 (05:28):
The series I'm definitely gonna remember it. This thing's a
little bit for sure. So takes the pros to it
and how I played throughout the series and try to
take that into next season and just build on my
game as well and come back just even better, Jim.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
They stayed with the game play and the game plan
was theasey you know, Tim, We talked about it in
the fourth game. Also, what did they have to do?
Big shorthand, and we all agreed that it had to
be the start of the game, the start and get
yourself a chance in that fourth quarter where anything can happen.
I just think that they stayed true to the plan.
(06:07):
But all of those guys stepped up. It took a
lot of courage to lose three of your better players
and still play as tough, as physical as it and
competitive as they did in the fourth and the fifth game.
Speaker 7 (06:20):
Guys want to touch on that, Brett, Well, I say
this that the effort is what I was concerned with
making sure that they showed up last night, because you
know anything, I've been a part of many a game
where you know you were counted out and something somebody
struck lightning in a bottle and guess what I'm on
top of you, and the next thing you know is
that we're on the top position and we're moving ahead
(06:42):
and winning the game up in Boston and bring it
back to Cleveland.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
It just did not go. But it was not for
a lack of effort, I will say that.
Speaker 6 (06:48):
And I think that was the key to it overall,
is that everybody came in to play a good, solid
basketball game. I thought when you look back at Mobley
in terms of how he played, I thought he played
an outstanding basketball game. He showed us that he has
made some leaps, and I think that's key for our
team as well as Mobili going forward, is to show
(07:10):
that he can be impactful. Yes, he's been very impactful
on the defensive side of the ball, but I think
this game right here, these games that he played in
gave him a different perspective of how he have to
play going forward. You know, whether he's playing the center
position or whether he's playing the power forward position, because
(07:31):
he has the ability to do both of those. So
for me, when you look back at this game, there
was a lot of good things that came out of it,
and I think that this Capitol team has a lot
to build on going forward from this game.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Well, it's a great lead into our next player SoundBite.
Because of course, Marcus Morris had twenty five last night,
just one shy of his career high in a playoff game,
which was twenty six. Mobley had thirty three, which was
his career playoff high. And of course, Marcus Morris used
to play with a guy the name of Jason Tatum.
Marcus Morris compares Mobley and Tatum.
Speaker 10 (08:04):
Big fella. He reminds me of him a lot, like
just seeing him grow to seeing him grow. And I've
been a big fan of f for a few years
he's been in the league, and I think that he
has a really good chance to make that same leap
that I've seen Tatum making. You know, it's times like
this being able to perform with these type of lights,
it allows you allows you to grow in the off
(08:25):
season and come into the next year. I think that
is guy right here is gonna be it's gonna be
a problem.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Well, pretty lofty comparison rate there.
Speaker 6 (08:33):
Yes, there's no question that mobiley when you look at him,
he's the kind of guy that I've always believed.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
He's a winner.
Speaker 6 (08:39):
Number one, you know, he is gud to have the
ability to impact winning and I talk about that quite
a bit, and I think sometimes you know the expectations
that we have for a player, it comes, but it
comes at its own time. And I think he's moving
in the right direction where it's all gonna come. Because
he had his first year as a rookie, he played
(09:00):
very good basketball. The second year he did the same thing.
The third year he got even better. So as he progressed,
he's gonna get even better and better because he's going
to have a better understanding of his game, his teammates game,
the different nuances that's associated with plan at this league,
at this high level, and he's only gonna get better
(09:20):
in my opinion. But the thing about him, he is
a guy that is willing to do whatever's necessary to
help his team win. And that's the thing that I
love about him.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Good stuff from Campy. We're just getting started as Campy Russell,
along with Brad Sellers, joined jurors Julie tim Elcorn and
Jim Jones on the final edition of the twenty three
twenty four Cavs HQ presented by Betwey. We'll hear more
from these great guests after this on the Medical Mutual
Cavaliers audio verse bitch a long three.
Speaker 5 (09:56):
Full side in between Cirtle spinet from Turtland. Donovan is
thirty five and the Cavaliers have a nine point lead.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Bobs down loaded a wideop mitztrus bow. Here's Mitchell left
in the lane, came up, came under no quite for
the rebound Volteley pow rebound Isaac Corrol topside to Mitchell,
Donovan right corner, Garland another three. That part is right
out the mark. I got a great job by the
dynamic duo of Kurt McLoughlin and Marty Allen putting together
(10:32):
that montage of highlights from the twenty three to twenty
four season, which came to an end last night in Boston.
Calves fall to the Celtics in five games in the
Eastern Conference semi finals. Two great guests this week on
Cavs HQ Brad Sellers along with Campy Russell and of
course I'm joined by Jim Jones. Jim, you want to
get things started with our two guests here in this segment.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
Thank you, Tim. You know, one of the things that
definitely affected US season was inconsistency of play and injuries
had a lot to do with that. But because of
the injuries and the loss of talent, you know, the
lineups changed the rotations, and definitely the matchups created a
level of inconsistency that affected us all through the season.
(11:17):
Talk a little bit about that, guys, brad.
Speaker 7 (11:20):
Well, I'll say this, Jimmy, And obviously, the injuries had
a huge impact on what the Cavalary season looked like.
And I thought that they trucked through it pretty well
considering what they were up against. And you know, I
look at it like this. You know, there'll only be
one winner in this season that's gonna go away happy.
Everybody else really comes back to the drawing board, right.
So I think we made it much further than the rest,
(11:43):
but you know, we still have to come back and tweak.
But you know, I look for things as I move
into the off season where I am now and pieces
that I have and how we get better now. I
will come back to the last segment when Camp was talking,
I would say this when Evan Mobley, you know, you
wanted to see progress. Everybody here wants to see progress.
(12:05):
And I'll be the first one to tell you that
he is not a finished product. He's a work in progress.
But what I saw last night was a guy that
was hunting shots. He was wanting to have an impact
on the game.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
Now. I can't remember the last time Evan.
Speaker 7 (12:19):
Mobley shot twenty four balls in the game, right, But
when he's playing like that, he's more aggressive than the
guy you see with ten point seven rebounds that he
had an impact on this game.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
He was a.
Speaker 7 (12:31):
Problem for Boston last night, right, And that's what we
have to build upon. And then people always say, you know.
Speaker 4 (12:36):
It's camp. They're like, well, he's a thin guy. Well
there's been many thin guys in this league that had
an impact still there, right, So he just has to
learn that portion of it, and the portion.
Speaker 7 (12:47):
Of it is this, just do what you do well,
do that to the maximum effort, right, Stop trying to
be what everybody wants you to be, and just be
who you are, right And when you start and do that,
that's what you that's the base that you build from.
He was a problem last night for the Celtics, and
if he goes back to the drawing board and continues
to grow like that, because you saw growth last night,
(13:09):
and anybody said they didn't see growth last night is
not telling the truth.
Speaker 6 (13:12):
Yeah, I think Brad, when you look back at this,
you know, particularly when you talk about Mobley, you know,
I just think that he is definitely moving in the
right direction. I don't think necessarily that he is a
quote center. I just think he's one of those guys
that you can just put out there on that floor
and he's going to affect the winning and losing of
(13:33):
that basketball team because of all the things that he
does out there on that floor and the impact that
he can bring. So for me, I still believe that
that he still have a lot more upside that's coming,
and I think he's the kind of guy that's curious
enough within himself to continue to get better. So I
think we're all gonna reap a lot of benefits from Mobley.
(13:55):
But at the same time, I think we're gonna reap
a lot of benefits from the other guys that are
on our team as well. You know, when you're talking
about the coorl or Wade or you know, Shrew's Darius,
you know, it's just so many guys that have the
ability to impact as a basketball team. Now it's just
a matter of those guys also continuing to be curious
(14:16):
about their own games right in terms of how they
can help this team go to another level, because that
is the piece that will get you where you want
to go. Once everybody become more curious and how they've
been willing to take their game to another level through
the work ethic that they put forward on the given day.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
So the Cavaliers forty eight and thirty four regular season,
in a knockdown battle with Orlando, beat the Magic in
seven games in the first round before falling to the
Celtics in five games in the semi finals. So after
the game last night, JB was asked point blank, was
this a successful season?
Speaker 8 (14:54):
I consider this season an improvement, you know, again, to
win around as you're gone through where we started and
continuing to build from the ground up, you know, to
win around in the playoffs isn't easy. I thought we
faced a tough challenge in that first round obviously, and
then be able to go to seven games and win
it in a game seven showed a ton of growth,
(15:16):
you know. I think the play of our guys continued
to show their growth. So I think this year was
an improvement for us, and you know, you guys will
judge what success looks like. But for us, I think
we accomplished what we were trying to accomplish, but coming
up short of a goal of you know, obviously winning
a championship.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Gyms some thoughts on what you just heard from JB there.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
I think he's right. You know that when you look
at this season, you really have to look at I
keep coming back to the injuries and how they overcame injuries.
Think about it, they went eighteen and two doing one
spurt that really saved their season. If they would have
tanked then, you know, not one games, then they probably
would not even have been into playing, you know. But
(16:00):
when you go eighteen and two and you had major
injuries to keep people, that shows you something about the
possibilities and the fortitude of this team. I always look
at the pegging order. You know, we know that Donovan
is the guy, we all know that, but the way
that Mobley has played in these first two series, you
almost have to move him up to number two. And
(16:22):
that's no slight on Garland. What great stuff.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
Again, we got to sneak in a quick time out,
but we've got so much more to cover as our guests,
our brad sellers and Campy Russell, So stay with us.
Cavs HQ, presented by Betway, continues after this on the
Medical Mutual Cavaliers audio vers.
Speaker 11 (16:46):
Last week, as the excitement for the playoffs was building,
the Cavaliers surprise some of their young fans at Cleveland
Clinic Children's Moondog Sir CC and a mod visited children
receiving treatments at the Outbeat Center. The kids receive a
community playoff fankit that included a rally towel, squishy ball,
(17:07):
t shirt, cheer card, and wristband. Calves in the Community
is brought to you by Discount Drug Mart. We'll be
back with the second half of calvs HQ, presented by Betway.
Right after this on the Medical Mutual Cavaliers Audio Verse.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
Leave it an inbound just to the left of the
Calves bench.
Speaker 12 (17:31):
All we hast reflected by Mobely, but grab my daunchs
Doncon's bounce under in the PJA and he laid it
in with two point six to go, Cavs out of
timeouts truce in the Moldly back to Max ta Port shot.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
God God b.
Speaker 10 (17:48):
Jef West.
Speaker 4 (17:53):
This places College Price.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
I don't remember that game.
Speaker 6 (18:03):
I'm sure a lot of people remember that Dame and
some may not know that.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
Certainly you talk about highlights during the twenty three twenty
four season, Max Strews's half court shot to beat the
Dallas Mavericks here at Rocket Mortgage Field House. It was
a season that had a lot of highlights. As we
welcome you back to keVs HQ, presented by Betway to
Melicorn along with Jim Jones, Brad Sellers and Campy Russell,
(18:29):
our very special guests on this show, I want to
go back to how we concluded our second segment with
you guys, the cut from JB talking about whether or
not the season was a success. Jim reflected on what
JB had to say, Well, you guys to chime in
camp you want to start.
Speaker 6 (18:46):
Well, definitely, I think Coach was talking in the right
direction in terms of where they were last year and
where they are this year. I think there was a
lot of growth in everybody. You know, you just look
at you know, where Mobley has you know, come to
it this particular point, this has just been it was
somewhat disappointing, but again, when you look back at all
(19:07):
the things that have happened during the course of this
year and we still get to where we got. You,
I think you got to give this team and coach
Bickerstaff a lot of credit to go through all the things,
the injuries and the things that occurred during the course
of the season and still come out and play good,
(19:27):
solid basketball and put yourself in position to take another
step next year.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
Right.
Speaker 7 (19:34):
And I'll say this that I don't think you can
deny that there was progress made this year.
Speaker 4 (19:39):
There's no denial about that.
Speaker 7 (19:41):
I mean, you think about where we were a few
years ago outside to playing and getting ourselves through the
first round loss, and then coming back this year and
then winning one round and getting to a five game
series with Boston under the circumstances where we didn't even
have a full compliment to die, right, And.
Speaker 4 (19:58):
Jimmy said he was correct, you know, for that eighteen
and two stretch.
Speaker 7 (20:02):
This thing could have went south the other way a
long time ago, and it did not. So you have
to give credit to the coaching staff of holding together.
The players were stepping up and being part of where
you go. But like everything else, it is always those
from now side that judged what their version of success is.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
And I think we're all in it that microscope.
Speaker 7 (20:21):
But I will just tell you this, if you look
at it statistically, the Cavaliers have done the improvement every year,
so you cannot say that they did not do any improvement.
Speaker 4 (20:30):
They did.
Speaker 7 (20:31):
Now, like every other team that will not win this championship,
there's gonna be some self reflection and analysis on where
you're standing today and what you.
Speaker 4 (20:40):
Need to do to take the next step.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
Well, we started the segment with a half court shot
from Max Strews, So what's here from Max? He said, Yeah,
no doubt. This was a tight team. It was a
cohesive team, and really they stayed closed throughout the years.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
Good guys.
Speaker 13 (20:57):
It's hard to find in the NBA a team that
was full of good people, good guys in the locker room,
and guys that play for each other. That's not easy
to find and not easy to do. And I think
we have that. So if there's something we can build
off of.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
Yeah, that's something that you guys talked about, and Jim
you alluded to it as well. The team could have
pulled apart rather than come together. Was a very tight
knit group.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
Yeah, they were. And you know, I like the playoffs
because there's only a few of you playing and everybody
else is sitting home watching, and I think your expectations
of your performance, and added with the pressure of just
trying to win a game will be there at the
end or get off to a good start so that
you don't play catch up, and then fatigue becomes a
factor in the fourth quarter. I think all of those
(21:40):
things come into play, you know, when you're play in
the playoffs. But I just keep coming back to Mobiley
what he has shown in that first series. I talked
to Cornbread about it and I said, well, we beat
Orlando at seven. He said, nobody knows that. All they're
gonna look at is did you win the series? That's
what happened. And there was tremendous growth because if you
(22:03):
really look at what Orlando has, I thought they had
more talent than us. And I also thought that they
had what most teams want, two small forwards that are
as big as power forwards. And I thought that they
really played a nice scheme in the way they played.
And we beat them, you know, we beat them, and
(22:24):
I thought that that was tremendous growth. And then you're
playing the best team in basketball and they blow you
out the first game and then you come back and
blow them out in the second game. It shows you
the resiliency of this franchise and how farther that we
have come. But I'm telling you the play of Evan Mobley,
I had visions of, I don't know, CAMPI a version
(22:47):
of George Gervin, Connie Hawkins, and wow, you know, doctor
Jay a little bit of all of that with those
big hands and then his footwork around the basket in
the fifth game. I just said, this kid could be
as good as he wants to be, but I still
think we need to really focus on putting the right
pieces around him.
Speaker 6 (23:06):
Yeah, I have to agree with you with that, and
also I have to agree with the fact that you know,
you talked about the small forward position that Orlando had.
I think this is just me speaking in terms of
a need, you know, because in this league, you have
to have multiple playmakers out there on that floor, you know,
(23:27):
And the more playmakers you have on the floor, the
better your team will be, you know. And then you
add that size to it as well. Now it takes
you to a whole different level. And you have a
guy like Mobile that can make plays out there on
the floor as well. But at the same time is
that small forward position is the power position in this league.
(23:51):
It is for the ability to do multiple things out
there on the floor. And the more guys that you
have on your team that does multiple things, the better
your team is going.
Speaker 7 (24:00):
And I'll say this can't be so the be clear,
there are two type of coaches.
Speaker 4 (24:05):
In this league.
Speaker 7 (24:06):
Ones that focus on what you can't do and they
harp on that, right, and then you have the other
coaches that focus just give me what you do well
and I'll figure some pieces around you to accentuate exactly
what you do well. Now, Evan Mobley has a skill
set the way he finishes around the basket and the
fens and offensives. You could throw a live to you're
(24:26):
gonna catch it. Anything around the rim, he's gonna try
to dunk it. I can live with that. So when
you talk about pieces in part because you just talk
about the small ford, well you're talking to our world.
The clue to everyone, small forward is no longer small.
The small forward now is six ten, six eleven. That's
small forward and it started in eighty six with Moa. Right,
(24:47):
So I said, so that is the small forward here,
because every time we go up because a small forward
look at tell.
Speaker 6 (24:54):
You them six ten, you check them with a six
five multi facet.
Speaker 7 (25:00):
And he does everything right. So that is an integral
part of successful teams. Their small ford is probably going
at a high clip here, at a very high clip here.
It wasn't until Dallas brought in PJ. Washington today start
going at a clip right when they were going with
everybody else it wasn't working. But the trick is they're
(25:20):
not on every recorder. You can't find them. You got
to be out here mining the circuit because they could
be at Pacific University and you better be in the
weeds as specific to find that you got a person
over there at for.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
It great point and of course, as you guys said,
there's pieces in place, and JB mentioned that last night
after the ball game, that we've got a good team
as we look ahead.
Speaker 8 (25:43):
We've got good individual players. We've had high character players
you know, that are concerned about winning. And you know,
anytime you have that, you're gonna give yourself an opportunity.
You know, I would love to see what we look
like when we're whole, you know, for an entire season
of pressure we can put on the league from that standpoint,
but we've got a good basketball team of guys who
(26:04):
want to win and guys who want to get better.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
Boy does JB after the game last night, saying, Yep,
there's still work to do, but there are pieces in
place to make this a special championship contending basketball team.
We'll take a quick time out when we come back.
One more segment, Boy, great insights on this week's edition
of Cavs HQ with Brad Sellers and can't be Russell
So Jim Jones and I will return after this on
(26:28):
the Medical Mutual Cavaliers Audioversa lies.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
No Beautiful, I love parisfield de la more.
Speaker 10 (26:40):
And Yes I'm in love with Paris.
Speaker 14 (26:44):
Here's Donovan Mitchell, not the right wing, three ball, fullside,
right side, Donovan three ball, got it, Donavan Mitchell with
a thirty three point game.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
He acted it from the Eiffel Tower. More on the
shot clock, Mitchell lost three go. Here's Donovan Mitchell. Well,
he's got a sizzling hand right now.
Speaker 14 (27:07):
Mitchell out front, three gone as he got knocked down.
Speaker 5 (27:12):
Donovan Mitchell and the three ball he is on a
Donovan Mitchell tear.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
A little French music as We'll look back to mid
January when the Cavaliers took on the Brooklyn Nets over
in Paris. Wait, what a special event that was, What
a special week it was, and an unbelievable job by
the Cavaliers organization to put that all together, not just
the game, but three hundred people from the Cavaliers organization
(27:43):
made that trip over to Paris and certainly one of
the highlights of the twenty three to twenty four season.
And then the Donovan Mitchell show in once he put
up a season high forty five points on the international stage,
was just something to behold. Jim. Our final segment here
with Brad and Camp do you want to get things started.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
Yeah, let's talk a little bit about Donovan Mitchell and
what he brings to our franchise. And he's a fundamental
part of it. He's proven that. But in the playoffs
he was just outstanding. He played every possession to win
the game, beat the matchup and give our team an opportunity.
But I was so impressed with his press conference, the
(28:23):
accountability and the leadership. You look around doing the playoffs
where everybody knows what you're gonna do, and you're looking
for somebody to carry it. In my case in our
World Championship area was a nineteen year old out of
Michigan named Irving Magic Johnson. And you need a guy
who's willing to take that weight and Brad, you know,
you guys had Michael Jordan. You need that guy to
(28:47):
carry that pressure that no one else can carry and
still perform above average. Let's talk a little bit about
Donovan Mitchell, what he brings to the table, and I
just thought that he was very instrumental in the growth
of a big mobiley.
Speaker 4 (29:03):
Jim, I agree.
Speaker 7 (29:04):
Donald Mitchell is an outstanding talent and let's not make
no mistake about that. And it comes few and far
between this league to actually have a guy that can
not just carry the load, accept the responsibility of carrying
a load that means the wins, the losses, the mishots, the.
Speaker 4 (29:21):
Makes, the goods, the bads.
Speaker 7 (29:22):
You know, you have to have a mentality that is
tough to be able to sustain that, and I think
he is that talent and I think he showed that
throughout this season that he was a guy that was
willing to show you that he's just more than just
the I think people think he was just a dunker guy,
and he was just a guy that was always going
to get his points. I think he showed you that
he wanted to be a complete basketball player. And I
(29:42):
think he's an important part of this franchise as we
move forward. And I know that they've got some contractual
stuff that has to be worked out here, and you know,
hopefully that ends our way. But I would just tell
you to find a talent like that in this league
is not an easy thing to do.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
Well.
Speaker 6 (29:58):
When I think Donovan Mitchell, I think of an intellectual
in my opinion about him. You know, his approach to
the game, his ability to play with the kind of
force that he plays with, his ability to really turn
the game on or turn it off anytime he wants to,
you know. And I think he's definitely a special talent,
a guy that can uplift not just himself, but uplift
(30:23):
a team and the organization because of the way he
delivers when he speaks, because of the impact he has
on the team and the guys that are around him,
and his abilities to share himself with the rest of
the team. I think that's the thing that stands out
when I think of Donovan Mitchell, because this guy can
(30:46):
turn the game on anytime he wants to, and can
dominate the game with the force and the gravity that
he brings to the game every single night. So he's
definitely someone that you can count on night it out
in any situation.
Speaker 2 (31:02):
I know Jim's been talking about Evan Mobley. Brad you
mentioned earlier about getting the right pieces formulated to make
this an elite basketball team, And after the game last night,
JB talked about the fact that, hey, Kobe Altman and
the organization as a whole, they're going to try to
make improvements to the roster.
Speaker 8 (31:20):
I trust Kobe in the front office that they'll make
the right decisions to continue to improve this team, because
that's what they've always done, you know, year by year.
You know, they're a big piece of why this team improves.
The partnership that we have, the decisions that they make.
So you know, we'll talk about it. I'm sure we'll
go from there.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
How close are they.
Speaker 7 (31:42):
You're in the arena, Let's say that, right. You might
not be in your seat yet, but you're you're in
the arena. And I'll tell you that because you're in
the final four the Eastern Conference.
Speaker 4 (31:50):
Lets you know, that.
Speaker 7 (31:50):
You're you're closed, that you're in the arena right. And
so we're working our way to the seat right. And
so as we do that, these are our teams get better.
They add pieces, they figure out what pieces they're missing,
and they go get the pieces. And sometimes those pieces
you say, well I already have a guy like that. Well,
I'm gonna get another guy like that, right, and I'm
gonna double down on the guys right, because that's how
(32:12):
you get better. I mean, so I'll go back to
my bulls days.
Speaker 4 (32:15):
Right.
Speaker 7 (32:15):
We had ch Charles Oakly and I lined up together
for many a year in Chicago, and then we got
to a point where we needed a guy that was
in the pivot, in the center position, and so we
traded Charles to New York for Bill Cartwright because Bill
was a piece and they felt like we needed that piece,
and we gave up a piece to get a piece right.
And so but as you put these pieces of the
(32:36):
puzzle together, the mosaic gets better, the picture gets better,
and you just have faith that you're headed.
Speaker 4 (32:42):
In the right direction. And then you have the right pieces.
Speaker 7 (32:44):
Now you've got a guy like Donald Mitchell, you've got
young talents like Elvin Moley, Darius Girland, and now you
have to figure out the mix because everybody, I think
this year camp he was really searching for the right mix.
Who was the lead dog, who was the second dog?
And we started out sitting here, and Jimmy made a
great point. I think Evan Mobley ends up in the
number two position after this year just because you talk
(33:06):
about the growth. Now, that doesn't mean Darius slid, but
that means Evan grew. Yeah, all right, and so that's
what you want out of young talent.
Speaker 6 (33:13):
Well, you know, also, I think you have to also
include the person that we haven't spoke about at all,
and that's Jared Allen. You know, because when you go
back and look at that eighteen game winning streak that
we started to follow that line, and you're going to
see Jared Allen's name on all of that, because that's
when we really took off. When jareded started becoming more effective,
(33:36):
started receiving the ball a little bit more, started just
being more aggressive out there. So he started scoring more,
he started rebounding more, he started defending that paint more,
he started getting up and down the floor with everybody.
And when you have an element like that on this
basketball team, along with the talent that we have, there's
no question in my mind that we're moving in the
(33:58):
right direction because you talkalking about the mobiley, you're talking
about Jared Allen, you're talking about Donovan Mitchell, you're talking
about Garland, You're talking about the guys that we have
on this team. And this team is definitely moving in
the right direction.
Speaker 7 (34:10):
And let me just say this, there's a formula here
for success in this league and it's tried and true
and tested, and if we get back to it, you know,
you have to stick to what the formula is. And
one is making sure that along the way you take
the bumps on and people are available for duty down
the stretch here. That's really what happens because people trying
(34:32):
to avoid injury, and that's what happens to many a
good team. You lose pieces at the wrong time and
not that you planned on it, but it happens. So
that's a component of being a winning formula here.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
Yes, staying healthy absolutely, and can't be before we close
it out. Just to say to your point, the numbers
don't lie. Look at the Cavs record with Jared in
the lineup, and without Jared in the lineup. I mean
it's pretty stark right there.
Speaker 6 (35:00):
And no question that injuries play a big part in it.
And I can harken back to the time when Jimmy
and I and Austin and Fitzi Walker and Dick Snyder
and Bengos. You know, that was a thing that took
us out, was an injury. You know, nobody plans for him,
but they do happen, and the only thing you can
do is try to go forward.
Speaker 7 (35:20):
And I just say that that Bulls run, that Bulls
Run and Stork Run, everybody was available for duty. There
were nobody. There was nobody really going down for a
long periods of time.
Speaker 2 (35:30):
There you go, man, this has just been awesome. Guys,
can't thank you enough. If we're going to close out
the season with a terrific show, having you two sitting
here was the best way to do it. Brat sellers
can't be russelled.
Speaker 4 (35:42):
Huge.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
Thank you, Thank you, guys, Thank you to good stuff.
Jim You and I gotta wrap up the final edition
of Cavs HQ for twenty three twenty four, so we
will do that after this final time out on Cavs HQ.
Presented by Betway on the Medical Mutual Cavil Audio Verse. Well,
(36:08):
Jim Jones, that's going to do it for this week's
edition of Cavs HQ, and it's going to be the
finale as far as the twenty three twenty four season
is concerned. But as I mentioned to you up in
Boston last night, my friend, our fifth year together, enjoyed
every moment of it, both during the games and of
course here on Cavs HQ and as our great guests
(36:29):
Campy Russell and Brad Seller said, the Cavaliers are on
this upward trajectory.
Speaker 3 (36:35):
Well, Tim, I want to thank you for being my partner.
And the unique thing is that I thought you had
a championship year. I just thought that the way you
call the game, the way you kept your voice up,
with the enthusiasm and the clarity of thought. I mean
in our conversations, I would say that we had another
successful season. But Tim, I also want to thank our fans,
(36:56):
our faithful fans who've hung in there over the years
of disappointment, winning World championship and then losing the best
player in the game, and then working our way back
into the playoffs again into the second round. I also
want to make mention that the Cabs are always looking
to improve themselves and it doesn't necessarily have to be
a blockbuster trade because Kobe has done a great job
(37:20):
in getting us talent. Maybe it is another small forward,
maybe it is just another backup guard. We don't know,
because we're not on the inner workings of the strategies.
But I just think that we're in position to keep
going forward. And thanks to the great Dan, Gilbert, Kobe, Altman,
JB and all their staffs, the Cavalier franchise is on
(37:42):
the uptick.
Speaker 2 (37:43):
Oh no doubt, well, Jim, until we talk again in
the fall again, a huge thank you to you, of course,
thanks to Kurt and Marty, huge thanks to our outstanding
guest Brad Sellers Campy Russell. Biggest thanks goes to you
the listeners. So until we talk again down the road
accord saying so long, everybody, it's closing time.
Speaker 4 (38:08):
Let him know, Babes, let him know,
Hosts And Creators
Tim Alcorn
Jim Chones
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