February 15, 2023 • 52 mins
Tim Alcorn and Jim Chones are joined by a pair of Wine & Gold legends on the newest episode of CavsHQ. Larry Nance Jr. joins in the first half and Brad Daugherty joins in the second half.
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome to Calves HQ presented by that Way. Thank you
for joining us on the Cavaliers Audio Verse. Now here
your host Tim Alcorn and Jim Jones from the Cavaliers
production studios at Rocket Mortgage Field House in downtown Cleveland.
Hi again, everybody, Welcome to this week's program. And I'll
(00:31):
tell you what. We've got a fun show lined up
with the Cavaliers heading into the All Star break and
Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobiley representing the Calves out in
Salt Lake City as an Eastern Conference Starter and of
course Rising Star respectively. We thought it would be fun.
Thirty years ago it was three Cavaliers on the Eastern
(00:54):
Conference All Stars, Brad Doherty, Larry Nanson, Mark Price, and
Jim Jones. We're gonna hear from two of those this week,
as Larry and Brad are gonna stop buy and pay
us a visit. Yeah, I can't wait. You know, two
of my favorite people, definitely my two of my favorite bigs,
and getting their insights and their knowledge of the game
is gonna be a real treat for our fans. Yeah,
(01:14):
we'll ask them to share some recollections of They're All
Star experiences. And of course we're gonna talk about this
current Cavalier basketball team sitting at thirty eight and twenty
two with one game before the All Star break that's
tomorrow night against Philadelphia. So it's gonna be a fun show.
Larry Nance and Brad Doherty paying us a visit, so
(01:36):
stay with us. We'll take a quick time out on
CAB's HQ presented by Bettway. We'll get things started with
Larry Nance. That follows this on the Cavaliers audio verse
(01:56):
welcomes left side cuts into the lane off on the right,
a plot has that's ten blocks, ten block shots for
Larry dance and then the team record actually drives into
the middle puts up a shot block by Nance. That's
a leven seven up a clock Elo website hot rod
in the corner dance from twenty good Man were pretty six.
(02:17):
Larry NaN's answers at the other end, hasn't he gotten
better with age? He has just played his best basketball? Yes,
unbelievable that season. Welcome back Cav's HQ presented by Bet Waite,
Jim Lcorn, Jim Jones, and of course the two guys
on the other side of the glass that really make
(02:39):
it pop our Dynamic duo, Senior producer Kurt McLaughlin, Technical
director Marty Allen as they put together that beautiful montage
of Larry Nance, some iconic Joe Tate calls, and of
course so the last couple from the All Star Game.
So great to have Larry joining us this week on
calv's HQ. Of course, the coming Sunday, the All Star
(03:02):
Game out in Salt Lake City, Donovan Mitchell will be
representing the Cavaliers as an Eastern Conference starter. Evan Mobley
one of the rising stars, and we thought it would
be so cool to have Larry join us. And later
on in the show, Brad Doherty will stop by and
say hello, this is the thirtieth anniversary of Brad and
Larry and Mark Price going to Salt Lake City to
(03:24):
represent the Cavaliers in the All Star Game. So timing
is everything. Larry, Nancy as always great to have you
on the show. It's been a while, so welcome back. Oh,
thank you for having me. Yeah, and All Star Game
is great stuff, and congratulations to those caves this year's
they well deserved. Of course, you were in an All
Star Game with Phoenix, then the trades made you come
(03:46):
over to the Cavaliers, and that game in Salt Lake
City was your second with the Calves third overall. But
just talk about that experience as an NBA player, what
it means for one game to be in that locker
room and share the floor with the best of the
best in the NBA. It's always a great experience to
sit around and finally dropped the drop your guards a
(04:07):
little bit, didn't have fun with those enemies from the
other team, and uh we we did that. But you know,
one of the best things about us going there, we
kind of you know, we're together every day and then
we get the All Star Game and we sit right
and talk to each other the whole time. Me Bran Market.
It's like, dude, you know, that's just how close we were,
(04:28):
and that's just the way we did it as as
our group. That's awesome. Yeah, I just want to commend
you on a couple of fronts. This is really a
three part question, Larry, But I just want to make
a declaration that out of all the Cavaliers that have
played and shined and had great performances, I've always felt
that you were the most underrated. I don't think people
(04:49):
really understood when you came to us, what a great
player you were, and the sacrifice you've made, because in
my estimation, there's no reason why you should not have
been the leading score and the leading rebounder. But boy,
you guys were stacked. Talk a little bit about that team.
Whoa you know, I think when I left Phoenix, I
(05:11):
was averaging twenty three or twenty two or something like that.
But then, you know, when you come to a team
that's already established like this one was, you know, you
kind of gotta in my opinion, whether I'm right or wrong,
you kind of got a tiptoe around and and find
your spot instead of me coming in and say I'm
the man, you know, and and and messing up a
(05:32):
team because they were they already had great players. So
I tried to come in and adjust my game something
to fit in, and uh that eventually worked out just fine.
So you know, I could I add more ports, probably so,
but I think we came up. Yeah, you always told
me that. But but on the unselfish note, I think
(05:53):
we were probably a better team with me not doing that,
at least I hope. So anyway, well, the second part
of that question is you definitely had a championship talented team,
but there was one guy named Michael. What's his last name, Jordan's.
He had a little bit to do with that didn't
be Uh Yeah, I think without taking too much away
(06:17):
from Michael, I think when we was healthy, we was healthy,
we played them pretty darn well. I mean I think
a matter of fact, I think we won way more
and then. And that's the key to the playoffs. You
have to have all your horses, and I'm not sure
we ever had all our horses healthy. But I mean,
obviously Michael was who he was and it was a
better deal with But man, we had a nice as
(06:40):
a team. We could beat him when we was healthy.
And that's you know, that sounded like, uh me making excuses,
but in my heart, that's what I believe. Jim, Is
there a third part? Yeah, there is, But my Marquette
and Math held me up. Yes. The the third part
is that you have you and your wife Janey. Must
be awfully proud of your beautiful sons. Talk a little
(07:03):
bit about we know Larry Jr. Because he's just a
great character guy and one of the one of the
best team players in the NBA. But talk a little
bit about Pete, your younger player who's at North Carolina. Well, yeah, yeah,
Larry is who he is. He's a he's a solid player,
make any team better because he do. You know, he
do dirty work and play hard and uh Pete a
(07:24):
little more offensive minded. Uh, he's at North Carolina right now,
and uh he's just kinda trying to figure out that
team and trying to figure out himself on a new team.
He's not playing as well as he want to play
right now, and uh, it's just something he gotta figure
it out. When I first came to the cast, remember
(07:44):
I was struggling a little bit and had to figure
it out. And you know, that's the good thing about
our kids and what I believe in them, is that
they can't figure it out. I mean, it's it's coming
down the time where you got to do it because
they're they're you know, trying to win some games here.
So you know, I'm trying to talk repeat every day.
So I do everything I can do to get him
(08:05):
going because that team needs him, and I think he
feels that pressure. And uh, I think he's been shooting
this shot and working on it and it's just not
falling right now. But if he could continue to work
on it, then he'll just hit that one and then
he'd be off and going. But uh, Pete should be
a really good prayer, and um, we'll see what happens
with him. Here we go. Larry NaN's our guest on
(08:27):
this week's edition of Cav's HQ. It's presented by Bett
Wayne Cavalier Legend. Our guests in the Legends chair. Stay
with us. We'll hear more from Larry after this on
Cav's HQ. On the Cavalier's Audio verse, this is Evan Mobile.
(08:49):
You're experiencing Cavs h Q. Let's get back to Tim
Alcorn and Jim Tone. Thank you, Evan Mobley, and we
do indeed welcome you back. Great to have you with
us and great to have with us. Um. This week's
edition of Cav's HQ. Larry Nance Cavalier Legend, Cavalier All
Star and this is the thirtieth anniversary of Larry, Brad
(09:11):
Doherty and Mark Christ representing the Cavaliers in Salt Lake City,
which of course is the site of this year's All
Star Game, where Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley will be
representing the Cavs on the team and in the rising
Stars respectively. Larry, again, great to have you with us.
I want to start this segment by kind of taking
your Cavalier teams, meaning you're as a group, and compare
(09:34):
it to this Cavalier team. And I think it's interesting
that Wayne Emery back in the day had that young
core group and looked west and said there's an all
star out there that can be a great piece in
Larry Nance. And fast forward to Labor Day weekend, there's
this great young core group of Cavaliers and Kobe Altman
(09:55):
looks west and there's an All star and Donovan Mitchell.
How many parallels do you see in those deals? Now,
yours was during the season, Donovan was offseason. And also
in the way those two teams have been constructed, well,
I think you know way brought me here. It was
just awesome. And uh you know, if I see the
comparison with Donald coming here because he made the team,
(10:18):
I think I came in and made our team a
little more stable, and I think Donald did the same thing.
Came in and it took a little pressure off some
people and made the team a little more stable. And uh,
me and Brad we get together and talk about the
two teams and how we would like to play against
those guys, because man, I think here we can't determine
to win because it's so interesting. I think the mobile
(10:39):
kid is just I'm just a fan of his. He's
so long. He's longer than me obviously, and uh, it
would be fun going against m I think he would
be a handful obviously he is. And and uh, yeah,
so I think those are the two comparisons. I think
the two guys came in and hopefully made the team
a little more stable and uh, made everybody a little
more comfortable. Plan. But the way the teams were constructed, Larry,
(11:02):
do you see parallels there with really two young core
groups that are learning how to win? Yeah, obviously, think
two young groups that are learning how to win that's
not afraid of anybody. That's the That's the key. I think.
You know, you're you're confident, You're confident in your team,
You're comforted in your teammates, you're comforty, you like your coaches,
and uh, you go out there and play hard every
(11:24):
night and see what happens. And then all of a sudden,
you know, I come to this team on Donovan Mitchell
come to this team, which is two very confident guys
in their games that definitely not trying to come in
and take Oh, we just want to make things better,
and uh, this is what happened. And again with this
team now, I just hope they could just stay healthy.
And you see, when they're healthy, they win. They could
(11:46):
beat anybody. And that's the key I always bounced back on,
is the health thing. And I think if this team
is healthy, teams better watch out. Thank you, Larry Green insight.
One of the other things I want to talk about
is let's talk about some of the bigs from the
four and the five spot and how that positions, both
of those positions have evolved. You've got your kids, You've
(12:07):
got guys like Draymond Green that can initiate your offense
and can also make plays. And since they double team
our guards so much on that high drouble screen, we've
been able to hit our bigs in that post area
and in that paint area and they're making plays. Larrey,
talk a little bit about that. One of the wonderful
(12:27):
things is you you got those long beaks too. If
those guards get in trouble coming downhill, they can just
throw it over the top. Well some of the play, Yeah,
that's what because they're so long, and then teams trying
to stop that and they have to run a small
guy and then a buve them a little bit. And
then those guards, those beds can catch the ball and
if they see a big out there in the corner
(12:48):
wide open, they can throw it to there for that
wide open three. So it's really tough when you have
seven footers that can pass and see the floor and
finish two and willing to do that. So that make
you a double tough team as far as I'm concerned
that they can. You know, if you if you come
in and try to double team them, they're gonna hit
the open man. And man, that's that's hard to deal with. Larry,
(13:10):
I want to ask Brad this question later in the show,
So I'll start by asking you playoff basketball guys like
Darius and Mobley and a Coral that haven't experienced that yet,
tell our listeners what the differences between regular season basketball
and what those guys will learn about playoff basketball. Well,
(13:32):
you're playing the same team a bunch of times, and
it's gonna be you know, a little more physical, and
it's going to be a little slower because they they
make adjustments all the time on you, and then they
other teams picking what your strengths are and try to
make them your weaknesses. And then you have to make
adjustments on the fly because it changed from night to night.
(13:54):
And what they you know, the way they try to
stop you. So can our guys do it? Of course,
because we have smart guys that know and they are
selfish and uh, if you are selfish and passed that
ball the way our team do, I think they'd be fine.
But it's definitely gonna be a little more physical because
you get tired of seeing those guys every day they
get here, they here take you a little bit. You
(14:17):
agree with that tone always with you. You know, you
know you have been wrong with me, yet it's been
and it's been with thirty years almost now, Jim, Jim,
I remember asking you that question and Larry Jim's response
was the biggest difference between playoff players that succeed and
(14:39):
don't is that playoff players that succeed play without fear. Yeah,
that fear thing when you walk into that rader and
that music fan and right down on top of you
and everything you just look at it. He's like, Okay,
you just you know, this is fun time, not fear time.
So I said, you go out there and play the
best you can to see what happened there you go, Larry,
(14:59):
are you surprised that the good this Caps team has become? Oh?
I know, I mean, he he's a solid. I mean,
I think somebody had questioned whether he was a superstar,
I which I think he's a super start. I think
I think I think, well I'm a little biased, but
I think Darius his too. I mean, I think, you know,
(15:22):
I think we have two of them on our team
that that works well together, and he's got to deal
with that if one is, if one is struggling a
little bit, or you do double team on on one,
the other one can just go off on you. So yeah,
I am happy to have him here, and I'm grateful
to how great it is and how great he's making
(15:44):
Darius too. He took a lot of pressure on him
and making his job a whole lot easier. So both
of those guys are smiling all the time because you
can't really guard both of them. Brings a grin to
their faces, no doubt about that. Yeah, you can't stop
both of it. What time so well? Larry again, can't
thank you enough for stopping by and paying us a
(16:04):
visit here on Cavs HQ. You represent the Cavs organization
with such grace and such class, and I gotta tell
you it's just awesome to have you on the show.
We really appreciate it. Let's do this again. When the
playoffs roll around, I will talk to you guys, so
anytime talking to you guys is always fun. Thanks, Thank you,
Larry Dance. Join us here on Cav's HQ, presented by
(16:27):
bet Way A quick time out. A little later in
the show, we're gonna hear from Brad Doherty. So what
a program this week. Stay with us. It continues after
this on the Cavaliers Audio Verse. At last night's game,
(16:47):
as part of the Cleveland Cavaliers Black Heritage Celebration presented
by Crown Royal Regal Apple, we recognized trailblazers in the
space of mentorship. The halftime performance was performed by MLK
Community Chorus and Jeff Diffmaker of the game honor went
to a young mentee, Tristan from Chocolate Girls, a community
partner that focuses on entering young black women, and prior
(17:10):
to the game, a private reception was held for one
hundred Black men of Greater Cleveland Mentorship program. Calves in
the Community is brought to you by Discount drum Barts.
We'll be back with more Calves h Q presented by Betway.
Right after this on the Cavaliers audio verse, Mitchell word
of the circle Jumper, Well, they have no answer for
(17:30):
that guy. Twentieth time this year that Donovan Mitchell has
thirty or four points. Well, the first thing in the
NBA draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select Brad Daugherty University of
(17:53):
Shorty Baseline five of the shot block works whose way
inside books with the right A Rice wins behind Doherty
to the top of the He drops it to brand
downin Wham, All right, jil Mars and then give him
going to Dorty'll take them all and Dharty and del
Mars as if they've been practicing that for years. Welcome
back Kev's HQ, presented by Betway. On the Cavalier's audio verse,
(18:17):
tam El Corn along with Jim Jones. Great job by
the Dynamic Duo. On the other side of the window,
our senior producer Kurt McLaughlin technical director Marty Allen as
they put together that little montage of our guests this
week on Calv's HQ, his first time joining us. Were
thrilled to have him. Hopefully it's the first of many
(18:38):
appearances Cavalier legend, and of course now you see him
on Bally's as he works games with John Michael One,
Brad Doherty. Brad, great to have you on. We really
appreciate it. Hey, yeah, Damm and Jim, listen to your show.
You guys kill it. So it's a it's a pleasure
and honor to be all thanks for having well. We
(18:59):
wanted to have you on this week and again hopefully
it's the first of many. But we wanted to have
you on this week because we're heading into the All
Star break and of course Donovan Mitchell as an Eastern
Conference starter and Evan Mobili going out as one of
the Rising Stars to Salt Lake City. This is the
thirtieth anniversary of you, Larry Nance and Mark Price heading
(19:23):
to Salt Lake City as Cavalier All Stars, So we
thought it would be a really cool tie in and
I guess my first question to you would be, uh,
looking back on that now, that was your fifth and
final All Star appearance. But that being said, how special
was that to be in that locker room with your
teammates and to be competing against the Western All Stars.
(19:45):
It was fantastic. You know. At the time, obviously Eastern
Conference was very, very tough, and uh, we had a
great time in that locker room, you know, giving other
guys a hard time because we were young and and
had started to develop as players, you know, late we
were probably in the middle of our career. But we
all came together, like I said, as rookies and everyone
(20:07):
saw us growing. And now we were a little bit
more of a a mid level age basketball team that
had a lot of aspirations where we're hoping that was
going to push us over into having championship opportunities. There
was a lot of trash talk, a lot of trash talks,
and uh, we had a great time. You know, It's
just it was different, you know that our era and
(20:28):
and Jim's era, you know, we we just weren't quite
as friendly as guys are today. So Mark and Larry
and I kept for ourselves and we had a little
trash talk with with Michael and Charles, and I said
those guys, but there was not a lot of camaraderie
in that. It was just kind of talking trash. And
you move on to us today, it's it's just a
(20:50):
little bit different brand. Uh. I want to thank you
for graciously consenting to talk on our show. But for
all of our faithful fans, you know, they need to
know who the best center in Cavalier history is, and
it definitely is you. I think in your career you
shot what six from the field close to remember, and uh,
(21:13):
I mean that's incredible, man. You know the way they
used to bang down there, you know, so you are
to be commended. And then the transition to ESPN and
then uh, you're a great businessman also, and then we
get the luxury listening to you on television. Thank you
very much for coming back and being part of this
Cavalier fabil because you're a fundamental part of it. But
(21:34):
out of necessity, let's talk about the currency. It seems
like this Cavaliers team has evolved into something very special
by the use of their bigs. Talk a little bit
about that. Yeah, you're exactly right, you know, I think
that the beginning of the year and even last year,
you know, when we still had Larry Market and in
(21:54):
the lineup you're talking to j B. He was just like,
you know, I think that we can take advantage of
our size because we have so much athleticism. And I
was like, man, this is gonna be difficult because of
the game being so forward facing. But he stuck to it,
and you saw it last year. There were times where
we were just really unstoppable. But the thing that kind
(22:15):
of heard us was we were so long that when
we got into the guys or teams that were, you know,
just tremendous on the perimeter with their bigs, like with
Kevin Durant and people like that, it would stretch us
out and made us a little bit poor. Us defensively, Well,
when you bring in Donovan Mitchell, that really offsets that
and and you start looking at it. Now, where we
(22:37):
are the best is when we start that basketball in
the paint. Now you look at it, you say to yourself, Okay,
why don't you just do that every time? Well, today's
game is a is a it's a volume of shots
three point games. So you're gonna you can't do that
consistently throughout the entirety of the game because you're just
gonna three beats two. It's just simple, mad but what
(23:00):
do well? And the only reason it works very well
is because we are an outstanding defensive team in the
half court. So we can slow the game down and
go down and start that basketball in the paint and
take advantage of two of the most athletic bigs in
the league as well as two of the best dribbled
drive guys in Donovan and Darius, and we can score
(23:22):
in that paint consistently. In the games that we have
our last I think our last six games, we've scored
almost seventy points in the paint, that leads the league. Uh.
In the games we've lost, they've been in the fifties
and we're averaging at about fifty five. And so the
thing that really sets it off is being able to
(23:43):
go in, get that great shot, control the glass offensively
if you need big, get put backs, and then hustle
back to the other end and stop people. Because now
what you're doing is you're taking people if you can
stop them, and you can take away transition opportunities, and
you have great week side defenders like Jared and Evan. Uh.
(24:04):
Now all of a sudden, you get teams that are
looking to take three points, they're gonna try to feast
on that. If they're having an offshooting night, it is
a death knel for that opposite team. Now where it's
a struggle forces when you run into a bus all
of a team that shooting threes like we did against
Golden State a week or so ago, When you have
it an onmy like that, it's gonna be tough on you.
(24:24):
But I I think that it's brilliant basketball because you're
taking advantage of your strengths and it creates a mindset
that we're gonna beat you in the half court. And
when you have that mindset, Jim, you know, that lends
itself to being a playoff ready basketball team. And I
think that's what we're doing. We're building that callous to
where when we get into the playoffs, it's gonna be
(24:45):
familiar to us. We're gonna have to go through our
lufts in the playoffs. And so I think people need
to be really realistic about where our team is at
because I hear it all the time. I had a
gentleman picked me up the other day, I would have
to go over to the to the clinic, leave a
clinic and he was driving me in. You know, he
was a New York City guy, and he was like, man,
how far we're gonna go? Ready said, you think we
(25:06):
get past second rounds? I look, man, we haven't been
in the playoffs. You gotta be realistic. The playoffs are
a different brand of basketball because the team gets to
concentrate on you for two weeks and you play that
same thing. So they stopped and understand your tennessees. But
just say that's it's a long answer, but I think
we're built for the playoff route, and I think as
(25:28):
long as we stay true to who we are, we're
a difficult basketball team to deal with on a nightly
basis because every other team comes in and it's all
forward facing and everyone's trying to run downhill and kill
you in in space. We take up so much space
with Evan and Jared it's scary. And now the onus
(25:50):
is on Donovan and Darius. Isaac tremendous defender, moves his
feet extremely well. Same thing when you put Lamar in
the game, tremendous defending. The pressures on those two. Those
two backcourt guys do not let to not get beat
consistently and have guys run it downhill and and Jared.
(26:11):
If they do that, if they defend decently on the perimeter,
we're a nightmare basketball team to match up against. Well,
that's great insights. Brad Doherty, our guest on CABS HQ
presented by Betway, Cavalier legend, five time All Star. We're
thrilled to have him with us. We're gonna sneak in
a quick time out or when we come back. We'll
hear more from number forty three in the middle for
(26:32):
the Cavaliers. Brad Doherty, stay with us on Cavs HQ,
presented by bet Way. On the Cavaliers audio verse, this
is Jared Allen. Time for more Calv's HQ. Here's Tim
Alcorn and Jim Chones. Now that's three quality big men
(26:54):
right there. We've got Jared Allen welcoming us back. I've
got Jim Jones as a coho that we got Brad
Doherty as a guest. Wow, I feel small, literally and figuratively,
I'll tell you that. But it's great to have you
with us on Cav's HQ presented by Bett Way. And again,
a couple of big guys that know the game, Oh
(27:16):
with me, Jim Jones and Brad Dougherty Cavalier legend. Jim,
I'll let you get started here in segment two with Brad. Brad.
When you look at the East, you know it's getting
all jumbled up. They're trying to give the West more
credit than they're probably do just because of the trades.
How do you see the East shaping up? I know
we've got the two stalwarts at the top of the
Celtics in the books. Yeah, I mean, I think everyone's
(27:38):
overlooking Brooklyn all of a sudden. I mean, I don't
get me wrong, they lost a lot, but you know,
they've got some interesting pieces that could could make a
a competitive team at the top. And I think John
Bond has done a great job thus far. After its
straight up just trying to get those pieces going in
the right direction. I still think though, you know, we're
(27:59):
kind of writing scrum with those guys who are trying
to figure out a way to take that next step
and get to the top. It is gonna be difficult,
you know, the Boston dynamic and and a lot of
it's gonna be consistent on on Jalen Brown being healthy.
But what they do so well, and even though we've
beaten them twice, is that they can score in space
(28:19):
with those big guys, and they're gonna they're gonna take
a lot of shots in that you know, will fourteen
fifteen foot range and can step out to. That dynamic
makes them very difficult to deal with. But I think
if you look at our basketball team, we match up
pretty well with that because of our bigs and they're
being able to move out on the floor, and I
(28:41):
think that's why we were able to beat them there
and then then again in Cleveland. So they're they're gonna
be difficult there. But they played really well. They moved
the basketball, they're very aggressive, and they're looking to get
up a shot pretty quickly in the shot clock to
get back to the fan to create a game of
of more shots than you have. So we'll have to
just to that. I still think it's just those freedoms.
(29:02):
I think it's you know, Milwaukee obviously, be honest, is
a is a very difficult, you know, puzzled to figure out.
You know, he's just so long, so athletic, and once
he got to where he could put the ball on
the floor a little bit, he's just unstoppable. And then
you you conversely go over to Philadelphia and it's the
same thing. I mean, Joe L. M B Is a monster.
(29:25):
He is an absolute monster. And as long as those
three are healthy and beating on all cylinders, they're the
cream of the crop. There's no doubt about it. But
I think you look at our Calves basketball team and
we're right there. We need to continue to improve execution wise,
(29:46):
communication wise, and we have to figure out our depth
on our bench doesn't need to be a deep rotation,
but it's gotta be seven and because just because of files, injury,
those types of things, and I think we're still getting
we're still trying to figure that piece of that puzzle out,
but we're right there. We're right there. I think it
(30:07):
would be I don't think any one of those three
teams want to play us because we're so dangerous and
with Donovan's ability just to go off, it could be
a really tough, you know, matchup on a nightly basis.
But I think, uh, you know, conversely, we're gonna have
to play our rear ends office. We're gonna feed those
any of those three teams in a in a series
(30:28):
because they have they have just the ultimate weapons when
you look at at the combination of Tatum and Brown,
you look at the single performances that Janice and and
be can it can can? You know in part on
a nightly basis, that is very, very difficult to overcome.
Great stuff from Brad Doherty, our guest on this week's
(30:50):
edition of CABS HQ presented by bet Way. Brad, I'm
sure you remember the very first time you took the
floor in a playoff series with Mark Price, with hot Rod,
with Ron Harper and kind of figuring out what playoff
basketball is all about. What lessons did you learn that
(31:11):
Darius and Jared Allen and Isaaca Coral and Evan Mowbley
that those guys will learn in April. Yeah, the big
thing was me is just, you know, the intensity is
so high, it's just through the roof. You can't It's
just you can't assimilate it in the regular season. And
it's it's half court basketball. You have to be successful
(31:31):
in half court transition basketball will not win you games,
and in fact, it will get you beat if you're
not careful. And the thing that was really interesting to
me is all of my strengths were at the top
of the list defensively for the opponent. Every time I
wanted to get to the middle to shoot my hook shot,
(31:52):
there was someone there, and so how did I I
had to get to that, and so how did I
do that? So I had to figure out how to
have that little shot where I could go back to
my left and shoot pay the way off the glass.
And I had to be willing to shoot that a lot.
I had to be willing to shoot a jumper at
the at the free throw line to make the defense
and make that big guy have to move out and
guard me, and then you had to get So the
(32:15):
good thing we had in playoff, especially in those first rounds,
is we had the ultimate weapon. We had Lenny Wilkins
because he could flat out the line play offensively. Man.
He was brilliant, just brilliant, and so he could always
figure out a way to create gaps and avenues. Even
though in our era, and like I said, Jim's era,
(32:36):
it was so physical because guys to put their hands
on That's the biggest change in the game today. It's
guts to just you could just put your hands on people.
And so how do you how did you create space
and basketball even today is about space, and you create
space through speed or strength, and when those two things
get shut down, then you have to have a teammate
(32:59):
that's willing to allow you to create that space off
the screen, off a ball movement, those types of things.
So it's the playoffs are a different animals and coaches
are different and you get to really see him from
coach when it comes to playoff basketball, because it's all
about stopping people's trends and tendency and taking advantage of
yours and so it's about the exit and oose. So
(33:22):
there's a lot to learn and we haven't learned that yet.
So I think we need to be tempered in our
expectations of this this version and young team that's gonna
be great, but they have to go through the playoffs
to learn who they are and create an identity. Great stuff.
Jim bred Uh looking around the league, there's been awful
lot of trades, especially big trades. I'm looking at Durant
(33:43):
going to the Suns and how the rich get richer? Basically,
how do you see their chances based upon the consistency
of the Denver Nuggets, who are in first place in
the West. Yeah, Denver plays just such a fun style
of basketball to watch because there's so much ball movement it.
I think Denver is a big problem. But man, you
(34:03):
look look at this sun stick. This is unbelievable because
now you have two guys on your wings that could
score you know, any either when I could score forty
points on a night in Basis and so when you
have that much offensive firepowers there, and you have the
ultimate facilitating and christ who doesn't need to score the
(34:24):
basketball at all to be he can just pass the basketball,
put people in the right places, give it to him
in the right positions. That is absolutely a a dynamic
one two three. And then for me, the thing I
find interesting is it takes all the pressure off of me.
See when when these guys have been hurt, Booker has
(34:47):
been hurt, Chris has been hurt, the knock has become.
Athan can't carry this basketball team. And that's not what
he wants to do. If you know, and I know
him a little bit, I've watched him play a lot it.
He's not that guy. He's not the aircraft carrier that's
gonna go out and get you twenty five and twenty.
That's not his game. So he gets to hide a
(35:07):
little bit behind those two guys, and he will destroy
you if he's able to do that. If he gets
the plays without that pressure on him every night, this
guy can give you twenty and fifteen and block five shots.
He is that good. And so I think it's gonna
just change that dynamic. It's gonna take the pressure off him.
(35:29):
He's gonna be able to play care free where he's
the most dangerous. And now you've got two guys, if
they're healthy, that can absolutely light it up every possession,
and the chemistry is built through Chris Paul. This thing,
this is the ultimate that they have health. I don't
see anybody beating him. I really don't. I think in
(35:49):
the in the West that is now they come east,
that's gonna be a different ball game because they've got
three different things they have to adjust to. But West wise,
I think they get past Denver if they're healthy and
all goes well, there's no way you can slow him down.
And they've got just enough. Defensively, Kevin Durant doesn't get
enough credits. If he's healthy, he's a lot like Evan
(36:10):
Mobley defensive on the perimeter. Defensively, Kevin Durant I've watched
him guard guard guard two guards very effectively. He's so long.
Kevin Durant the heck, the shot blocker, and he's a
get the defensive rebount. So yeah, if he's healthy, this
team is going to be a nightmare to match up with.
And then you got eight and Durant defensively, Booker is
(36:31):
a good defender and you know Crist'll pay, He'll give
it his best defensively. So uh, I think they're gonna
be a nightmare to deal with. Well, that's great stuff
from Brad Doherty, our guest on this week's edition of
Kev's HQ presented by bet Way. Brad on that we're
gonna let you go. Boy. Sunday's like your Christmas Day.
You've got the dayton of game. It's great. That's right,
(36:55):
got got two different hats all be watching the game.
Wasn't good? Well again, we cannot thank you and this
was awesome and uh hey let's get you back as
we get closer to playoff time. That'd be great. Hey, anytime,
thanks for having me on. It's a treat being on
here at the honor and uh call me anytime. Look
forward to doing thank you sounds great Brad Doherty, Cavalier
(37:17):
legend joining us here on cav's HQ presented by Bet Waite.
Great insights from Brad. We'll take a time out and
we'll wrap it all up after this on Cav's HQ
presented by Bet Way on the Cavalier Audio Verse. That
was a fantastic show. Great big thank you going out
(37:38):
to Brad Doherty and earlier in the program Larry Nance,
a couple of Cavalier legends that stopped by and paid
us a visit. Of course, a great big thank you
to the two guys on the other side of the window,
the Dynamic Duo, Senior producer Kurt McLaughlin, Technical director Marty Allen,
Jim Jones, A huge thanks to you, and of course
the biggest thanks goes out to you the listeners. Jim
(37:59):
and I will be back with you again tomorrow night,
final game before the All Star break, and what a matchup.
Kev's in Philly to take on the seventies sixers. That
game will tip off at seven Huntington. Tip Off show
comes your way at seven on the Cavaliers audio Verse.
So until then, tim Elcorn saying so long everybody hears
(38:19):
Mitchell up the right side Mitchell in the Delaide Mitchell's
cloathes and it bounced around the rim and end. Donovan
Mitchell with forty one. This is his sixth game of
forty or more points. That's why he's going to Soul Lake.
Welcome to Calves HQ presented by that Way. Thank you
for joining us on the Cavaliers Audio Verse. Now here
your host Tim Alcorn and Jim Jones from the Cavaliers
production studios at Rocket Mortgage Field House in downtown Cleveland.
Hi again, everybody, Welcome to this week's program. And I'll
(00:31):
tell you what. We've got a fun show lined up
with the Cavaliers heading into the All Star break and
Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobiley representing the Calves out in
Salt Lake City as an Eastern Conference Starter and of
course Rising Star respectively. We thought it would be fun.
Thirty years ago it was three Cavaliers on the Eastern
(00:54):
Conference All Stars, Brad Doherty, Larry Nanson, Mark Price, and
Jim Jones. We're gonna hear from two of those this week,
as Larry and Brad are gonna stop buy and pay
us a visit. Yeah, I can't wait. You know, two
of my favorite people, definitely my two of my favorite bigs,
and getting their insights and their knowledge of the game
is gonna be a real treat for our fans. Yeah,
(01:14):
we'll ask them to share some recollections of They're All
Star experiences. And of course we're gonna talk about this
current Cavalier basketball team sitting at thirty eight and twenty
two with one game before the All Star break that's
tomorrow night against Philadelphia. So it's gonna be a fun show.
Larry Nance and Brad Doherty paying us a visit, so
(01:36):
stay with us. We'll take a quick time out on
CAB's HQ presented by Bettway. We'll get things started with
Larry Nance. That follows this on the Cavaliers audio verse
(01:56):
welcomes left side cuts into the lane off on the right,
a plot has that's ten blocks, ten block shots for
Larry dance and then the team record actually drives into
the middle puts up a shot block by Nance. That's
a leven seven up a clock Elo website hot rod
in the corner dance from twenty good Man were pretty six.
(02:17):
Larry NaN's answers at the other end, hasn't he gotten
better with age? He has just played his best basketball? Yes,
unbelievable that season. Welcome back Cav's HQ presented by Bet Waite,
Jim Lcorn, Jim Jones, and of course the two guys
on the other side of the glass that really make
(02:39):
it pop our Dynamic duo, Senior producer Kurt McLaughlin, Technical
director Marty Allen as they put together that beautiful montage
of Larry Nance, some iconic Joe Tate calls, and of
course so the last couple from the All Star Game.
So great to have Larry joining us this week on
calv's HQ. Of course, the coming Sunday, the All Star
(03:02):
Game out in Salt Lake City, Donovan Mitchell will be
representing the Cavaliers as an Eastern Conference starter. Evan Mobley
one of the rising stars, and we thought it would
be so cool to have Larry join us. And later
on in the show, Brad Doherty will stop by and
say hello, this is the thirtieth anniversary of Brad and
Larry and Mark Price going to Salt Lake City to
(03:24):
represent the Cavaliers in the All Star Game. So timing
is everything. Larry, Nancy as always great to have you
on the show. It's been a while, so welcome back. Oh,
thank you for having me. Yeah, and All Star Game
is great stuff, and congratulations to those caves this year's
they well deserved. Of course, you were in an All
Star Game with Phoenix, then the trades made you come
(03:46):
over to the Cavaliers, and that game in Salt Lake
City was your second with the Calves third overall. But
just talk about that experience as an NBA player, what
it means for one game to be in that locker
room and share the floor with the best of the
best in the NBA. It's always a great experience to
sit around and finally dropped the drop your guards a
(04:07):
little bit, didn't have fun with those enemies from the
other team, and uh we we did that. But you know,
one of the best things about us going there, we
kind of you know, we're together every day and then
we get the All Star Game and we sit right
and talk to each other the whole time. Me Bran Market.
It's like, dude, you know, that's just how close we were,
(04:28):
and that's just the way we did it as as
our group. That's awesome. Yeah, I just want to commend
you on a couple of fronts. This is really a
three part question, Larry, But I just want to make
a declaration that out of all the Cavaliers that have
played and shined and had great performances, I've always felt
that you were the most underrated. I don't think people
(04:49):
really understood when you came to us, what a great
player you were, and the sacrifice you've made, because in
my estimation, there's no reason why you should not have
been the leading score and the leading rebounder. But boy,
you guys were stacked. Talk a little bit about that team.
Whoa you know, I think when I left Phoenix, I
(05:11):
was averaging twenty three or twenty two or something like that.
But then, you know, when you come to a team
that's already established like this one was, you know, you
kind of gotta in my opinion, whether I'm right or wrong,
you kind of got a tiptoe around and and find
your spot instead of me coming in and say I'm
the man, you know, and and and messing up a
(05:32):
team because they were they already had great players. So
I tried to come in and adjust my game something
to fit in, and uh that eventually worked out just fine.
So you know, I could I add more ports, probably so,
but I think we came up. Yeah, you always told
me that. But but on the unselfish note, I think
(05:53):
we were probably a better team with me not doing that,
at least I hope. So anyway, well, the second part
of that question is you definitely had a championship talented team,
but there was one guy named Michael. What's his last name, Jordan's.
He had a little bit to do with that didn't
be Uh Yeah, I think without taking too much away
(06:17):
from Michael, I think when we was healthy, we was healthy,
we played them pretty darn well. I mean I think
a matter of fact, I think we won way more
and then. And that's the key to the playoffs. You
have to have all your horses, and I'm not sure
we ever had all our horses healthy. But I mean,
obviously Michael was who he was and it was a
better deal with But man, we had a nice as
(06:40):
a team. We could beat him when we was healthy.
And that's you know, that sounded like, uh me making excuses,
but in my heart, that's what I believe. Jim, Is
there a third part? Yeah, there is, But my Marquette
and Math held me up. Yes. The the third part
is that you have you and your wife Janey. Must
be awfully proud of your beautiful sons. Talk a little
(07:03):
bit about we know Larry Jr. Because he's just a
great character guy and one of the one of the
best team players in the NBA. But talk a little
bit about Pete, your younger player who's at North Carolina. Well, yeah, yeah,
Larry is who he is. He's a he's a solid player,
make any team better because he do. You know, he
do dirty work and play hard and uh Pete a
(07:24):
little more offensive minded. Uh, he's at North Carolina right now,
and uh he's just kinda trying to figure out that
team and trying to figure out himself on a new team.
He's not playing as well as he want to play
right now, and uh, it's just something he gotta figure
it out. When I first came to the cast, remember
(07:44):
I was struggling a little bit and had to figure
it out. And you know, that's the good thing about
our kids and what I believe in them, is that
they can't figure it out. I mean, it's it's coming
down the time where you got to do it because
they're they're you know, trying to win some games here.
So you know, I'm trying to talk repeat every day.
So I do everything I can do to get him
(08:05):
going because that team needs him, and I think he
feels that pressure. And uh, I think he's been shooting
this shot and working on it and it's just not
falling right now. But if he could continue to work
on it, then he'll just hit that one and then
he'd be off and going. But uh, Pete should be
a really good prayer, and um, we'll see what happens
with him. Here we go. Larry NaN's our guest on
(08:27):
this week's edition of Cav's HQ. It's presented by Bett
Wayne Cavalier Legend. Our guests in the Legends chair. Stay
with us. We'll hear more from Larry after this on
Cav's HQ. On the Cavalier's Audio verse, this is Evan Mobile.
(08:49):
You're experiencing Cavs h Q. Let's get back to Tim
Alcorn and Jim Tone. Thank you, Evan Mobley, and we
do indeed welcome you back. Great to have you with
us and great to have with us. Um. This week's
edition of Cav's HQ. Larry Nance Cavalier Legend, Cavalier All
Star and this is the thirtieth anniversary of Larry, Brad
(09:11):
Doherty and Mark Christ representing the Cavaliers in Salt Lake City,
which of course is the site of this year's All
Star Game, where Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley will be
representing the Cavs on the team and in the rising
Stars respectively. Larry, again, great to have you with us.
I want to start this segment by kind of taking
your Cavalier teams, meaning you're as a group, and compare
(09:34):
it to this Cavalier team. And I think it's interesting
that Wayne Emery back in the day had that young
core group and looked west and said there's an all
star out there that can be a great piece in
Larry Nance. And fast forward to Labor Day weekend, there's
this great young core group of Cavaliers and Kobe Altman
(09:55):
looks west and there's an All star and Donovan Mitchell.
How many parallels do you see in those deals? Now,
yours was during the season, Donovan was offseason. And also
in the way those two teams have been constructed, well,
I think you know way brought me here. It was
just awesome. And uh you know, if I see the
comparison with Donald coming here because he made the team,
(10:18):
I think I came in and made our team a
little more stable, and I think Donald did the same thing.
Came in and it took a little pressure off some
people and made the team a little more stable. And uh,
me and Brad we get together and talk about the
two teams and how we would like to play against
those guys, because man, I think here we can't determine
to win because it's so interesting. I think the mobile
(10:39):
kid is just I'm just a fan of his. He's
so long. He's longer than me obviously, and uh, it
would be fun going against m I think he would
be a handful obviously he is. And and uh, yeah,
so I think those are the two comparisons. I think
the two guys came in and hopefully made the team
a little more stable and uh, made everybody a little
more comfortable. Plan. But the way the teams were constructed, Larry,
(11:02):
do you see parallels there with really two young core
groups that are learning how to win? Yeah, obviously, think
two young groups that are learning how to win that's
not afraid of anybody. That's the That's the key. I think.
You know, you're you're confident, You're confident in your team,
You're comforted in your teammates, you're comforty, you like your coaches,
and uh, you go out there and play hard every
(11:24):
night and see what happens. And then all of a sudden,
you know, I come to this team on Donovan Mitchell
come to this team, which is two very confident guys
in their games that definitely not trying to come in
and take Oh, we just want to make things better,
and uh, this is what happened. And again with this
team now, I just hope they could just stay healthy.
And you see, when they're healthy, they win. They could
(11:46):
beat anybody. And that's the key I always bounced back on,
is the health thing. And I think if this team
is healthy, teams better watch out. Thank you, Larry Green insight.
One of the other things I want to talk about
is let's talk about some of the bigs from the
four and the five spot and how that positions, both
of those positions have evolved. You've got your kids, You've
(12:07):
got guys like Draymond Green that can initiate your offense
and can also make plays. And since they double team
our guards so much on that high drouble screen, we've
been able to hit our bigs in that post area
and in that paint area and they're making plays. Larrey,
talk a little bit about that. One of the wonderful
(12:27):
things is you you got those long beaks too. If
those guards get in trouble coming downhill, they can just
throw it over the top. Well some of the play, Yeah,
that's what because they're so long, and then teams trying
to stop that and they have to run a small
guy and then a buve them a little bit. And
then those guards, those beds can catch the ball and
if they see a big out there in the corner
(12:48):
wide open, they can throw it to there for that
wide open three. So it's really tough when you have
seven footers that can pass and see the floor and
finish two and willing to do that. So that make
you a double tough team as far as I'm concerned
that they can. You know, if you if you come
in and try to double team them, they're gonna hit
the open man. And man, that's that's hard to deal with. Larry,
(13:10):
I want to ask Brad this question later in the show,
So I'll start by asking you playoff basketball guys like
Darius and Mobley and a Coral that haven't experienced that yet,
tell our listeners what the differences between regular season basketball
and what those guys will learn about playoff basketball. Well,
(13:32):
you're playing the same team a bunch of times, and
it's gonna be you know, a little more physical, and
it's going to be a little slower because they they
make adjustments all the time on you, and then they
other teams picking what your strengths are and try to
make them your weaknesses. And then you have to make
adjustments on the fly because it changed from night to night.
(13:54):
And what they you know, the way they try to
stop you. So can our guys do it? Of course,
because we have smart guys that know and they are
selfish and uh, if you are selfish and passed that
ball the way our team do, I think they'd be fine.
But it's definitely gonna be a little more physical because
you get tired of seeing those guys every day they
get here, they here take you a little bit. You
(14:17):
agree with that tone always with you. You know, you
know you have been wrong with me, yet it's been
and it's been with thirty years almost now, Jim, Jim,
I remember asking you that question and Larry Jim's response
was the biggest difference between playoff players that succeed and
(14:39):
don't is that playoff players that succeed play without fear. Yeah,
that fear thing when you walk into that rader and
that music fan and right down on top of you
and everything you just look at it. He's like, Okay,
you just you know, this is fun time, not fear time.
So I said, you go out there and play the
best you can to see what happened there you go, Larry,
(14:59):
are you surprised that the good this Caps team has become? Oh?
I know, I mean, he he's a solid. I mean,
I think somebody had questioned whether he was a superstar,
I which I think he's a super start. I think
I think I think, well I'm a little biased, but
I think Darius his too. I mean, I think, you know,
(15:22):
I think we have two of them on our team
that that works well together, and he's got to deal
with that if one is, if one is struggling a
little bit, or you do double team on on one,
the other one can just go off on you. So yeah,
I am happy to have him here, and I'm grateful
to how great it is and how great he's making
(15:44):
Darius too. He took a lot of pressure on him
and making his job a whole lot easier. So both
of those guys are smiling all the time because you
can't really guard both of them. Brings a grin to
their faces, no doubt about that. Yeah, you can't stop
both of it. What time so well? Larry again, can't
thank you enough for stopping by and paying us a
(16:04):
visit here on Cavs HQ. You represent the Cavs organization
with such grace and such class, and I gotta tell
you it's just awesome to have you on the show.
We really appreciate it. Let's do this again. When the
playoffs roll around, I will talk to you guys, so
anytime talking to you guys is always fun. Thanks, Thank you,
Larry Dance. Join us here on Cav's HQ, presented by
(16:27):
bet Way A quick time out. A little later in
the show, we're gonna hear from Brad Doherty. So what
a program this week. Stay with us. It continues after
this on the Cavaliers Audio Verse. At last night's game,
(16:47):
as part of the Cleveland Cavaliers Black Heritage Celebration presented
by Crown Royal Regal Apple, we recognized trailblazers in the
space of mentorship. The halftime performance was performed by MLK
Community Chorus and Jeff Diffmaker of the game honor went
to a young mentee, Tristan from Chocolate Girls, a community
partner that focuses on entering young black women, and prior
(17:10):
to the game, a private reception was held for one
hundred Black men of Greater Cleveland Mentorship program. Calves in
the Community is brought to you by Discount drum Barts.
We'll be back with more Calves h Q presented by Betway.
Right after this on the Cavaliers audio verse, Mitchell word
of the circle Jumper, Well, they have no answer for
(17:30):
that guy. Twentieth time this year that Donovan Mitchell has
thirty or four points. Well, the first thing in the
NBA draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select Brad Daugherty University of
(17:53):
Shorty Baseline five of the shot block works whose way
inside books with the right A Rice wins behind Doherty
to the top of the He drops it to brand
downin Wham, All right, jil Mars and then give him
going to Dorty'll take them all and Dharty and del
Mars as if they've been practicing that for years. Welcome
back Kev's HQ, presented by Betway. On the Cavalier's audio verse,
(18:17):
tam El Corn along with Jim Jones. Great job by
the Dynamic Duo. On the other side of the window,
our senior producer Kurt McLaughlin technical director Marty Allen as
they put together that little montage of our guests this
week on Calv's HQ, his first time joining us. Were
thrilled to have him. Hopefully it's the first of many
(18:38):
appearances Cavalier legend, and of course now you see him
on Bally's as he works games with John Michael One,
Brad Doherty. Brad, great to have you on. We really
appreciate it. Hey, yeah, Damm and Jim, listen to your show.
You guys kill it. So it's a it's a pleasure
and honor to be all thanks for having well. We
(18:59):
wanted to have you on this week and again hopefully
it's the first of many. But we wanted to have
you on this week because we're heading into the All
Star break and of course Donovan Mitchell as an Eastern
Conference starter and Evan Mobili going out as one of
the Rising Stars to Salt Lake City. This is the
thirtieth anniversary of you, Larry Nance and Mark Price heading
(19:23):
to Salt Lake City as Cavalier All Stars, So we
thought it would be a really cool tie in and
I guess my first question to you would be, uh,
looking back on that now, that was your fifth and
final All Star appearance. But that being said, how special
was that to be in that locker room with your
teammates and to be competing against the Western All Stars.
(19:45):
It was fantastic. You know. At the time, obviously Eastern
Conference was very, very tough, and uh, we had a
great time in that locker room, you know, giving other
guys a hard time because we were young and and
had started to develop as players, you know, late we
were probably in the middle of our career. But we
all came together, like I said, as rookies and everyone
(20:07):
saw us growing. And now we were a little bit
more of a a mid level age basketball team that
had a lot of aspirations where we're hoping that was
going to push us over into having championship opportunities. There
was a lot of trash talk, a lot of trash talks,
and uh, we had a great time. You know, It's
just it was different, you know that our era and
(20:28):
and Jim's era, you know, we we just weren't quite
as friendly as guys are today. So Mark and Larry
and I kept for ourselves and we had a little
trash talk with with Michael and Charles, and I said
those guys, but there was not a lot of camaraderie
in that. It was just kind of talking trash. And
you move on to us today, it's it's just a
(20:50):
little bit different brand. Uh. I want to thank you
for graciously consenting to talk on our show. But for
all of our faithful fans, you know, they need to
know who the best center in Cavalier history is, and
it definitely is you. I think in your career you
shot what six from the field close to remember, and uh,
(21:13):
I mean that's incredible, man. You know the way they
used to bang down there, you know, so you are
to be commended. And then the transition to ESPN and
then uh, you're a great businessman also, and then we
get the luxury listening to you on television. Thank you
very much for coming back and being part of this
Cavalier fabil because you're a fundamental part of it. But
(21:34):
out of necessity, let's talk about the currency. It seems
like this Cavaliers team has evolved into something very special
by the use of their bigs. Talk a little bit
about that. Yeah, you're exactly right, you know, I think
that the beginning of the year and even last year,
you know, when we still had Larry Market and in
(21:54):
the lineup you're talking to j B. He was just like,
you know, I think that we can take advantage of
our size because we have so much athleticism. And I
was like, man, this is gonna be difficult because of
the game being so forward facing. But he stuck to it,
and you saw it last year. There were times where
we were just really unstoppable. But the thing that kind
(22:15):
of heard us was we were so long that when
we got into the guys or teams that were, you know,
just tremendous on the perimeter with their bigs, like with
Kevin Durant and people like that, it would stretch us
out and made us a little bit poor. Us defensively, Well,
when you bring in Donovan Mitchell, that really offsets that
and and you start looking at it. Now, where we
(22:37):
are the best is when we start that basketball in
the paint. Now you look at it, you say to yourself, Okay,
why don't you just do that every time? Well, today's
game is a is a it's a volume of shots
three point games. So you're gonna you can't do that
consistently throughout the entirety of the game because you're just
gonna three beats two. It's just simple, mad but what
(23:00):
do well? And the only reason it works very well
is because we are an outstanding defensive team in the
half court. So we can slow the game down and
go down and start that basketball in the paint and
take advantage of two of the most athletic bigs in
the league as well as two of the best dribbled
drive guys in Donovan and Darius, and we can score
(23:22):
in that paint consistently. In the games that we have
our last I think our last six games, we've scored
almost seventy points in the paint, that leads the league. Uh.
In the games we've lost, they've been in the fifties
and we're averaging at about fifty five. And so the
thing that really sets it off is being able to
(23:43):
go in, get that great shot, control the glass offensively
if you need big, get put backs, and then hustle
back to the other end and stop people. Because now
what you're doing is you're taking people if you can
stop them, and you can take away transition opportunities, and
you have great week side defenders like Jared and Evan. Uh.
(24:04):
Now all of a sudden, you get teams that are
looking to take three points, they're gonna try to feast
on that. If they're having an offshooting night, it is
a death knel for that opposite team. Now where it's
a struggle forces when you run into a bus all
of a team that shooting threes like we did against
Golden State a week or so ago, When you have
it an onmy like that, it's gonna be tough on you.
(24:24):
But I I think that it's brilliant basketball because you're
taking advantage of your strengths and it creates a mindset
that we're gonna beat you in the half court. And
when you have that mindset, Jim, you know, that lends
itself to being a playoff ready basketball team. And I
think that's what we're doing. We're building that callous to
where when we get into the playoffs, it's gonna be
(24:45):
familiar to us. We're gonna have to go through our
lufts in the playoffs. And so I think people need
to be really realistic about where our team is at
because I hear it all the time. I had a
gentleman picked me up the other day, I would have
to go over to the to the clinic, leave a
clinic and he was driving me in. You know, he
was a New York City guy, and he was like, man,
how far we're gonna go? Ready said, you think we
(25:06):
get past second rounds? I look, man, we haven't been
in the playoffs. You gotta be realistic. The playoffs are
a different brand of basketball because the team gets to
concentrate on you for two weeks and you play that
same thing. So they stopped and understand your tennessees. But
just say that's it's a long answer, but I think
we're built for the playoff route, and I think as
(25:28):
long as we stay true to who we are, we're
a difficult basketball team to deal with on a nightly
basis because every other team comes in and it's all
forward facing and everyone's trying to run downhill and kill
you in in space. We take up so much space
with Evan and Jared it's scary. And now the onus
(25:50):
is on Donovan and Darius. Isaac tremendous defender, moves his
feet extremely well. Same thing when you put Lamar in
the game, tremendous defending. The pressures on those two. Those
two backcourt guys do not let to not get beat
consistently and have guys run it downhill and and Jared.
(26:11):
If they do that, if they defend decently on the perimeter,
we're a nightmare basketball team to match up against. Well,
that's great insights. Brad Doherty, our guest on CABS HQ
presented by Betway, Cavalier legend, five time All Star. We're
thrilled to have him with us. We're gonna sneak in
a quick time out or when we come back. We'll
hear more from number forty three in the middle for
(26:32):
the Cavaliers. Brad Doherty, stay with us on Cavs HQ,
presented by bet Way. On the Cavaliers audio verse, this
is Jared Allen. Time for more Calv's HQ. Here's Tim
Alcorn and Jim Chones. Now that's three quality big men
(26:54):
right there. We've got Jared Allen welcoming us back. I've
got Jim Jones as a coho that we got Brad
Doherty as a guest. Wow, I feel small, literally and figuratively,
I'll tell you that. But it's great to have you
with us on Cav's HQ presented by Bett Way. And again,
a couple of big guys that know the game, Oh
(27:16):
with me, Jim Jones and Brad Dougherty Cavalier legend. Jim,
I'll let you get started here in segment two with Brad. Brad.
When you look at the East, you know it's getting
all jumbled up. They're trying to give the West more
credit than they're probably do just because of the trades.
How do you see the East shaping up? I know
we've got the two stalwarts at the top of the
Celtics in the books. Yeah, I mean, I think everyone's
(27:38):
overlooking Brooklyn all of a sudden. I mean, I don't
get me wrong, they lost a lot, but you know,
they've got some interesting pieces that could could make a
a competitive team at the top. And I think John
Bond has done a great job thus far. After its
straight up just trying to get those pieces going in
the right direction. I still think though, you know, we're
(27:59):
kind of writing scrum with those guys who are trying
to figure out a way to take that next step
and get to the top. It is gonna be difficult,
you know, the Boston dynamic and and a lot of
it's gonna be consistent on on Jalen Brown being healthy.
But what they do so well, and even though we've
beaten them twice, is that they can score in space
(28:19):
with those big guys, and they're gonna they're gonna take
a lot of shots in that you know, will fourteen
fifteen foot range and can step out to. That dynamic
makes them very difficult to deal with. But I think
if you look at our basketball team, we match up
pretty well with that because of our bigs and they're
being able to move out on the floor, and I
(28:41):
think that's why we were able to beat them there
and then then again in Cleveland. So they're they're gonna
be difficult there. But they played really well. They moved
the basketball, they're very aggressive, and they're looking to get
up a shot pretty quickly in the shot clock to
get back to the fan to create a game of
of more shots than you have. So we'll have to
just to that. I still think it's just those freedoms.
(29:02):
I think it's you know, Milwaukee obviously, be honest, is
a is a very difficult, you know, puzzled to figure out.
You know, he's just so long, so athletic, and once
he got to where he could put the ball on
the floor a little bit, he's just unstoppable. And then
you you conversely go over to Philadelphia and it's the
same thing. I mean, Joe L. M B Is a monster.
(29:25):
He is an absolute monster. And as long as those
three are healthy and beating on all cylinders, they're the
cream of the crop. There's no doubt about it. But
I think you look at our Calves basketball team and
we're right there. We need to continue to improve execution wise,
(29:46):
communication wise, and we have to figure out our depth
on our bench doesn't need to be a deep rotation,
but it's gotta be seven and because just because of files, injury,
those types of things, and I think we're still getting
we're still trying to figure that piece of that puzzle out,
but we're right there. We're right there. I think it
(30:07):
would be I don't think any one of those three
teams want to play us because we're so dangerous and
with Donovan's ability just to go off, it could be
a really tough, you know, matchup on a nightly basis.
But I think, uh, you know, conversely, we're gonna have
to play our rear ends office. We're gonna feed those
any of those three teams in a in a series
(30:28):
because they have they have just the ultimate weapons when
you look at at the combination of Tatum and Brown,
you look at the single performances that Janice and and
be can it can can? You know in part on
a nightly basis, that is very, very difficult to overcome.
Great stuff from Brad Doherty, our guest on this week's
(30:50):
edition of CABS HQ presented by bet Way. Brad, I'm
sure you remember the very first time you took the
floor in a playoff series with Mark Price, with hot Rod,
with Ron Harper and kind of figuring out what playoff
basketball is all about. What lessons did you learn that
(31:11):
Darius and Jared Allen and Isaaca Coral and Evan Mowbley
that those guys will learn in April. Yeah, the big
thing was me is just, you know, the intensity is
so high, it's just through the roof. You can't It's
just you can't assimilate it in the regular season. And
it's it's half court basketball. You have to be successful
(31:31):
in half court transition basketball will not win you games,
and in fact, it will get you beat if you're
not careful. And the thing that was really interesting to
me is all of my strengths were at the top
of the list defensively for the opponent. Every time I
wanted to get to the middle to shoot my hook shot,
(31:52):
there was someone there, and so how did I I
had to get to that, and so how did I
do that? So I had to figure out how to
have that little shot where I could go back to
my left and shoot pay the way off the glass.
And I had to be willing to shoot that a lot.
I had to be willing to shoot a jumper at
the at the free throw line to make the defense
and make that big guy have to move out and
guard me, and then you had to get So the
(32:15):
good thing we had in playoff, especially in those first rounds,
is we had the ultimate weapon. We had Lenny Wilkins
because he could flat out the line play offensively. Man.
He was brilliant, just brilliant, and so he could always
figure out a way to create gaps and avenues. Even
though in our era, and like I said, Jim's era,
(32:36):
it was so physical because guys to put their hands
on That's the biggest change in the game today. It's
guts to just you could just put your hands on people.
And so how do you how did you create space
and basketball even today is about space, and you create
space through speed or strength, and when those two things
get shut down, then you have to have a teammate
(32:59):
that's willing to allow you to create that space off
the screen, off a ball movement, those types of things.
So it's the playoffs are a different animals and coaches
are different and you get to really see him from
coach when it comes to playoff basketball, because it's all
about stopping people's trends and tendency and taking advantage of
yours and so it's about the exit and oose. So
(33:22):
there's a lot to learn and we haven't learned that yet.
So I think we need to be tempered in our
expectations of this this version and young team that's gonna
be great, but they have to go through the playoffs
to learn who they are and create an identity. Great stuff.
Jim bred Uh looking around the league, there's been awful
lot of trades, especially big trades. I'm looking at Durant
(33:43):
going to the Suns and how the rich get richer? Basically,
how do you see their chances based upon the consistency
of the Denver Nuggets, who are in first place in
the West. Yeah, Denver plays just such a fun style
of basketball to watch because there's so much ball movement it.
I think Denver is a big problem. But man, you
(34:03):
look look at this sun stick. This is unbelievable because
now you have two guys on your wings that could
score you know, any either when I could score forty
points on a night in Basis and so when you
have that much offensive firepowers there, and you have the
ultimate facilitating and christ who doesn't need to score the
(34:24):
basketball at all to be he can just pass the basketball,
put people in the right places, give it to him
in the right positions. That is absolutely a a dynamic
one two three. And then for me, the thing I
find interesting is it takes all the pressure off of me.
See when when these guys have been hurt, Booker has
(34:47):
been hurt, Chris has been hurt, the knock has become.
Athan can't carry this basketball team. And that's not what
he wants to do. If you know, and I know
him a little bit, I've watched him play a lot it.
He's not that guy. He's not the aircraft carrier that's
gonna go out and get you twenty five and twenty.
That's not his game. So he gets to hide a
(35:07):
little bit behind those two guys, and he will destroy
you if he's able to do that. If he gets
the plays without that pressure on him every night, this
guy can give you twenty and fifteen and block five shots.
He is that good. And so I think it's gonna
just change that dynamic. It's gonna take the pressure off him.
(35:29):
He's gonna be able to play care free where he's
the most dangerous. And now you've got two guys, if
they're healthy, that can absolutely light it up every possession,
and the chemistry is built through Chris Paul. This thing,
this is the ultimate that they have health. I don't
see anybody beating him. I really don't. I think in
(35:49):
the in the West that is now they come east,
that's gonna be a different ball game because they've got
three different things they have to adjust to. But West wise,
I think they get past Denver if they're healthy and
all goes well, there's no way you can slow him down.
And they've got just enough. Defensively, Kevin Durant doesn't get
enough credits. If he's healthy, he's a lot like Evan
(36:10):
Mobley defensive on the perimeter. Defensively, Kevin Durant I've watched
him guard guard guard two guards very effectively. He's so long.
Kevin Durant the heck, the shot blocker, and he's a
get the defensive rebount. So yeah, if he's healthy, this
team is going to be a nightmare to match up with.
And then you got eight and Durant defensively, Booker is
(36:31):
a good defender and you know Crist'll pay, He'll give
it his best defensively. So uh, I think they're gonna
be a nightmare to deal with. Well, that's great stuff
from Brad Doherty, our guest on this week's edition of
Kev's HQ presented by bet Way. Brad on that we're
gonna let you go. Boy. Sunday's like your Christmas Day.
You've got the dayton of game. It's great. That's right,
(36:55):
got got two different hats all be watching the game.
Wasn't good? Well again, we cannot thank you and this
was awesome and uh hey let's get you back as
we get closer to playoff time. That'd be great. Hey, anytime,
thanks for having me on. It's a treat being on
here at the honor and uh call me anytime. Look
forward to doing thank you sounds great Brad Doherty, Cavalier
(37:17):
legend joining us here on cav's HQ presented by Bet Waite.
Great insights from Brad. We'll take a time out and
we'll wrap it all up after this on Cav's HQ
presented by Bet Way on the Cavalier Audio Verse. That
was a fantastic show. Great big thank you going out
(37:38):
to Brad Doherty and earlier in the program Larry Nance,
a couple of Cavalier legends that stopped by and paid
us a visit. Of course, a great big thank you
to the two guys on the other side of the window,
the Dynamic Duo, Senior producer Kurt McLaughlin, Technical director Marty Allen,
Jim Jones, A huge thanks to you, and of course
the biggest thanks goes out to you the listeners. Jim
(37:59):
and I will be back with you again tomorrow night,
final game before the All Star break, and what a matchup.
Kev's in Philly to take on the seventies sixers. That
game will tip off at seven Huntington. Tip Off show
comes your way at seven on the Cavaliers audio Verse.
So until then, tim Elcorn saying so long everybody hears
(38:19):
Mitchell up the right side Mitchell in the Delaide Mitchell's
cloathes and it bounced around the rim and end. Donovan
Mitchell with forty one. This is his sixth game of
forty or more points. That's why he's going to Soul Lake.
Hosts And Creators
Tim Alcorn
Jim Chones
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