2024-25 Season | Game #58 | Cavs @ Magic | Feb. 25, 2025 | 7:30 p.m. | TNT

Dr. Claw said:
Even though the offense tends to drag when DG isn't out there, De'Andre Hunter pried it open for the team. Just being able to run those Hunter/Wade/Big front court lineups against this team is pure comedy given what the Cavs had before. And then after all of this, you can just throw Ty Jerome at the problem.

Okoro found his shot again, it looked like, as the ones he hit weren't his usual in-rhythm type makes. Was nice seeing a Wade 3.

Tomlin looks like an NBA player. The Cigar Crew has leveled up. You know what to do, Koby.

Now to see if the new-look Cavs can really deal with a healthy Celtics team who has a habit of disrupting the Cavs offense.
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JBB got a lot of heat the previous couple of years for his lack of offensive creativity, and much of it was deserved, but it's also true that the Cavs offense was always going to be easy to disrupt with two undersized guards accounting for about 80% of it.

Mobley's development as an offensive player has always been essential to raising this team's ceiling, but getting another tall offense-generator in Hunter is a literal game-changer. Between the two of them, and Allen's small-but-useful set of go-to moves in the post, it moves the "center of gravity" of the offense from heavily in the backcourt to more in the middle, with the backcourt and frontcourt both capable of carrying the load for stretches.

I guess the proof will be in the proverbial pudding against Boston, but anything that can be done to rely less on Garland and Mitchell against teams like Boston and OKC is a good thing.

It has the added bonus of making teams like that think twice before they sell out to stop the guards, so in theory it could open Garland's and Mitchell's games against those teams as well.

Like Koby said after the Hunter trade, it's not all about vibes and chemistry. It's an arms race in the East. (Of course, Hunter seems to have fit right in from a chemistry standpoint, so I don't think they lost anything in the locker room going from CLV/Niang to Hunter.)
 
Melancholy Jaques said:
Agree, but hasten to add that Jerome is adding offense that we didn't have before.
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I highly doubt Jerome would have had a leash long enough to become what he became under Kenny with JBB at the helm. He probably wouldn’t play him because of his defense and would have stuck with Levert as our main ball handler off the bench.
 
BigZ94 said:
I highly doubt Jerome would have had a leash long enough to become what he became under Kenny with JBB at the helm. He probably wouldn’t play him because of his defense and would have stuck with Levert as our main ball handler off the bench.
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This is likely true.
 
Melancholy Jaques said:
Agree, but hasten to add that Jerome is adding offense that we didn't have before.
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He is - I'm looking at it more as where the offense is coming from. Jerome doesn't solve the issue of guard-heavy offense, whereas Mobley and Hunter do.

That said, Jerome's emergence makes the Hunter trade possible in a big way. Koby didn't have to worry about sacrificing bench scoring by trading LeVert.

Usually, you have to sacrifice something/someone you'd rather not part with to get something of value, but in this case, the Cavs truly did trade from an area of redundancy to add a key piece they didn't have yet. I don't know if any trade is functionally perfect, but this one was darn close.
 
What Jerome is doing is more than Rubio... The way the offense runs, the pace, the confidence and the results...

You're literally watching a guy fill in consistently for an all star, dynamic, lead guard and the team does not miss a beat...

Reminds me slightly of when Barbosa would fill in for Nash... Around 06 or something...
 
CapHit said:
JBB got a lot of heat the previous couple of years for his lack of offensive creativity, and much of it was deserved, but it's also true that the Cavs offense was always going to be easy to disrupt with two undersized guards accounting for about 80% of it.

Mobley's development as an offensive player has always been essential to raising this team's ceiling, but getting another tall offense-generator in Hunter is a literal game-changer. Between the two of them, and Allen's small-but-useful set of go-to moves in the post, it moves the "center of gravity" of the offense from heavily in the backcourt to more in the middle, with the backcourt and frontcourt both capable of carrying the load for stretches.

I guess the proof will be in the proverbial pudding against Boston, but anything that can be done to rely less on Garland and Mitchell against teams like Boston and OKC is a good thing.

It has the added bonus of making teams like that think twice before they sell out to stop the guards, so in theory it could open Garland's and Mitchell's games against those teams as well.

Like Koby said after the Hunter trade, it's not all about vibes and chemistry. It's an arms race in the East. (Of course, Hunter seems to have fit right in from a chemistry standpoint, so I don't think they lost anything in the locker room going from CLV/Niang to Hunter.)
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It’s pretty obvious looking at Detroit that JB is in fact a really good coach. He’s proven he knows how to get a group to buy in defensively and learn how to win games. The issue is that his development as an Xs and Os guy was lacking and holding us back. Now it’s between him and Atkinson for COTY.

And to that point, a LOT of people, on this forum and elsewhere, were clamoring to get Mobley more involved. His development could’ve been more of a focus to get us here sooner. Of course, when you’re on the hot seat and trying to win games, it’s hard to put the ball in the hands of the baby giraffe. Or maybe JB just didn’t see it and felt more comfortable walking the ball up and playing a predictable offense. In any case, very glad to have our current staff in place utilizing our depth and spreading the ball around.
 
-Akronite- said:
It’s pretty obvious looking at Detroit that JB is in fact a really good coach. He’s proven he knows how to get a group to buy in defensively and learn how to win games. The issue is that his development as an Xs and Os guy was lacking and holding us back. Now it’s between him and Atkinson for COTY.

And to that point, a LOT of people, on this forum and elsewhere, were clamoring to get Mobley more involved. His development could’ve been more of a focus to get us here sooner. Of course, when you’re on the hot seat and trying to win games, it’s hard to put the ball in the hands of the baby giraffe. Or maybe JB just didn’t see it and felt more comfortable walking the ball up and playing a predictable offense. In any case, very glad to have our current staff in place utilizing our depth and spreading the ball around.
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I do agree that JBB is a much better coach than the haters around here claimed. That said, Kenny Atkinson is HANDS DOWN the easy choice for CoY. What has happened in Cleveland this year should absolutely be held against JBB by the voters.
 
-Akronite- said:
It’s pretty obvious looking at Detroit that JB is in fact a really good coach. He’s proven he knows how to get a group to buy in defensively and learn how to win games. The issue is that his development as an Xs and Os guy was lacking and holding us back. Now it’s between him and Atkinson for COTY.
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Right. JBB is a very good building-blocks coach. He can get you from bad to respectable. He's really good at taking a room of NBA egos and getting them focused on team concepts and defense. He's basically another Mike Brown.

The Cavs were an ideal fit for JBB five years ago. The Pistons are an ideal fit for JBB now. But the Cavs outgrew him and if the Pistons continue to improve, they'll outgrow him in a few years as well.

But he'll keep finding work. There will always be a place in the league for coaches like JBB. Houses can't be built without foundations.

The key is knowing when to cut bait and hire your "college professor" coach like KA, who is more focused on advanced concepts and not drilling on the basics.
 
BigZ94 said:
I highly doubt Jerome would have had a leash long enough to become what he became under Kenny with JBB at the helm. He probably wouldn’t play him because of his defense and would have stuck with Levert as our main ball handler off the bench.
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I agree. He only would have emerged if someone else got hurt.
 
Peacedog said:
I do agree that JBB is a much better coach than the haters around here claimed. That said, Kenny Atkinson is HANDS DOWN the easy choice for CoY. What has happened in Cleveland this year should absolutely be held against JBB by the voters.
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It's coach of the year, meaning this year. It's not about JBB's performance last season. I doubt "punishing" him for last year's alleged felonies will cut any ice among voters.
 
2 For The Brew said:
It's coach of the year, meaning this year. It's not about JBB's performance last season. I doubt "punishing" him for last year's alleged felonies will cut any ice among voters.
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No, it's moreso look what Kenny A did with a team JBB couldn't get to more tha. 48 wins. They've got that many now with 24 left to play.
 
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