2024 NBA Playoffs - East 1st Round: #4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. #5 Orlando Magic (Series tied 3-3)

[The Real Dalic]

Are we sleeping on Cleveland? Maybe they are just getting healthy again.

they haven't scored 100 points yet. Are they good or are they just playing the Magic?
96 points isn't going to cut it against the Celtics.

Watch them consistently score over 100 against the Celtics and people will still say they have an elite defense while the Magic have either best or second best defense in the entire NBA and are being portrayed as just a "good" defense.

[DowJones]

Cavs need a 20+ppg Garland to have a chance against Boston. He can’t just mindlessly dribble the ball 40 feet from the hoop until the shot clock hits 10.

Garland is a max contract player and he just needs to start playing like it.

I just do not understand this obsession with Garland needing to score x amount of points. If his teammates have it going, there's no point for him to force it.

If we wanted that, we woulda just kept Sexton.

Garland is playing within the flow of the game and the flow of the offense.

Keep in mind, the Magic have led for 0 minutes and 0 seconds in this series. There's no need for anyone on this team to force anything. Take what the defense is giving ya, if that starts not to work, then pivot. Don't pivot before you have to, makes no sense.

Do you think Darius has been good in the first 2 games? Do you think he has been good this season? I don’t. He is on a max contract. He was supposed to be Donovan’s running mate. We need more than 16 points and 6 assists with constant aimless dribbling beyond the 3 point line.

Garland has really been given a pass for his regression this year. The plain dealer finally ran a column on it today. The Cavs aren’t going anywhere if this is who Garland is, and I really do believe he is capable of much, much more.

[JujitsuFlip]

Cavs need a 20+ppg Garland to have a chance against Boston. He can’t just mindlessly dribble the ball 40 feet from the hoop until the shot clock hits 10.

Garland is a max contract player and he just needs to start playing like it.

I just do not understand this obsession with Garland needing to score x amount of points. If his teammates have it going, there's no point for him to force it.

If we wanted that, we woulda just kept Sexton.

Garland is playing within the flow of the game and the flow of the offense.

Keep in mind, the Magic have led for 0 minutes and 0 seconds in this series. There's no need for anyone on this team to force anything. Take what the defense is giving ya, if that starts not to work, then pivot. Don't pivot before you have to, makes no sense.

Do you think Darius has been good in the first 2 games? Do you think he has been good this season? I don’t. He is on a max contract. He was supposed to be Donovan’s running mate. We need more than 16 points and 6 assists with constant aimless dribbling beyond the 3 point line.

Garland has really been given a pass for his regression this year. The plain dealer finally ran a column on it today. The Cavs aren’t going anywhere if this is who Garland is, and I really do believe he is capable of much, much more.

In the current series, i don't think the Cavs need anymore than what Garland has given. I reiterate, the Magic have lead for 0 minutes and 0 seconds in this series... You're wanting Garland to go full Sexton, hijack the offense, and chuck 30 shots so the Cavs lose.

I'm sorry but you're counting dollars without making sense.

[Iwasawitness]

Cavs need a 20+ppg Garland to have a chance against Boston. He can’t just mindlessly dribble the ball 40 feet from the hoop until the shot clock hits 10.

Garland is a max contract player and he just needs to start playing like it.

I just do not understand this obsession with Garland needing to score x amount of points. If his teammates have it going, there's no point for him to force it.

If we wanted that, we woulda just kept Sexton.

Garland is playing within the flow of the game and the flow of the offense.

Keep in mind, the Magic have led for 0 minutes and 0 seconds in this series. There's no need for anyone on this team to force anything. Take what the defense is giving ya, if that starts not to work, then pivot. Don't pivot before you have to, makes no sense.

Do you think Darius has been good in the first 2 games? Do you think he has been good this season? I don’t. He is on a max contract. He was supposed to be Donovan’s running mate. We need more than 16 points and 6 assists with constant aimless dribbling beyond the 3 point line.

Garland has really been given a pass for his regression this year. The plain dealer finally ran a column on it today. The Cavs aren’t going anywhere if this is who Garland is, and I really do believe he is capable of much, much more.

Like many others have pointed out time and time again, Garland has had a lot of injury issues. It's hard to maintain a consistent level of production when you are dealing with inconsistent playing time for long stretches, especially when you're still a young player which Garland is. Not to mention, he's seeing that he's been able to find more success with allowing Mobley and Allen to take more shot opportunities and Evan especially to develop his offensive game, which has worked. Both his post game and three point shooting have seen noticeable improvements and he's been using that to generate offense in this very series.

I don't think you'll find a single person here who didn't expect Garland to be better this year. Everyone is well aware that he needs to play better. But, allow me to counter that with a different point: right now the Cavaliers are up 2-0 against the Magic. Last year they were 1-1 despite Garland arguably playing better in those first two games. I don't think the Cavaliers success relies so much on Garland playing as good as advertised as you think they do. They're deeper, they have different ways of hurting you now. Mobley and Allen are having a far more positive impact on the game right now than they were against the Knicks. Allen himself has been a double double monster in the first two games. Against Boston, assuming that's the second round opponent and Cleveland does in fact advance (series ain't over by any means), Garland may very well need to play better and produce more offensively. But right now? As things are? Cleveland's won both games by double digits and have very clearly been the better team. They don't need Garland to play as well as you are proclaiming they are. As long as we win our games, I don't really care. I just don't want to end this season being another first round exit. And if you truly are a fan, you shouldn't either.

[bmurph128]

I dont get this argument.
Lose to the Celtics in the 2nd or the 3rd round, what difference does it make. You're not gonna roll over when you face them. Doesn't matter what round you play them in.

It may make a difference to Mitchell and the fans. I'm not a Cavs fans so I don't know, I'm just going by what I hear from in Cavs podcasts, etc. A lot of people said they would not consider this season a success if they beat us and got swept, and it may not be enough to keep Mitchell.

Personally, I still think winning a series is a success and the Cavs are a young team, but I'm not sure what sort of expectations the team/FO/fans have in terms of contending.

Winning a playoff series without LeBron for the first time since 1993 is a thing, and this young core winning a playoff series is a thing.

So I would be happy, and my personal take (and one that a lot of Cavs fans will likely disagree with) is that we should try to move Mobley for a wing - getting destroyed by Boston might lead to that happening.

Having said that - we had horrific injury luck this year. If that regresses to the mean next year and (if we run it back with the same group) Mobley and company improve - we will be a deep team with multiple potential all stars and a superstar. We could win 55-60 games next year and nab a top 2 seed, and who knows what can happen then.

So I'd be happy with this season if we win a series, and then hope for one of those seasons where everything breaks right and you win enough to get a top seed and see if you can contend for a title.

Sent from my Pixel 6 using RealGM mobile app

[Revived]

I love how other teams get excuse but the magic don't.

What other teams are getting the excuse? What other 0-2 team has looked as bad in the first 2 games? Philly? Lakers? Come on those teams have looked much better in their losses than Orlando has so far.

U literally just gave the pacers an excuse of it being 1 game lol. So if pacers get smoked in game 2 is just 2 games now, do we move the post further? Lol

Yeah I gave the Pacers the excuse of 1 game because they didn’t look completely lost in both their first two games like Orlando did. I don’t understand how you’re not seeing this.

And now after seeing how the Pacers played in game 2, you can see where I was going with this anyway.

[jbk1234]

I just do not understand this obsession with Garland needing to score x amount of points. If his teammates have it going, there's no point for him to force it.

If we wanted that, we woulda just kept Sexton.

Garland is playing within the flow of the game and the flow of the offense.

Keep in mind, the Magic have led for 0 minutes and 0 seconds in this series. There's no need for anyone on this team to force anything. Take what the defense is giving ya, if that starts not to work, then pivot. Don't pivot before you have to, makes no sense.

Do you think Darius has been good in the first 2 games? Do you think he has been good this season? I don’t. He is on a max contract. He was supposed to be Donovan’s running mate. We need more than 16 points and 6 assists with constant aimless dribbling beyond the 3 point line.

Garland has really been given a pass for his regression this year. The plain dealer finally ran a column on it today. The Cavs aren’t going anywhere if this is who Garland is, and I really do believe he is capable of much, much more.

Like many others have pointed out time and time again, Garland has had a lot of injury issues. It's hard to maintain a consistent level of production when you are dealing with inconsistent playing time for long stretches, especially when you're still a young player which Garland is. Not to mention, he's seeing that he's been able to find more success with allowing Mobley and Allen to take more shot opportunities and Evan especially to develop his offensive game, which has worked. Both his post game and three point shooting have seen noticeable improvements and he's been using that to generate offense in this very series.

I don't think you'll find a single person here who didn't expect Garland to be better this year. Everyone is well aware that he needs to play better. But, allow me to counter that with a different point: right now the Cavaliers are up 2-0 against the Magic. Last year they were 1-1 despite Garland arguably playing better in those first two games. I don't think the Cavaliers success relies so much on Garland playing as good as advertised as you think they do. They're deeper, they have different ways of hurting you now. Mobley and Allen are having a far more positive impact on the game right now than they were against the Knicks. Allen himself has been a double double monster in the first two games. Against Boston, assuming that's the second round opponent and Cleveland does in fact advance (series ain't over by any means), Garland may very well need to play better and produce more offensively. But right now? As things are? Cleveland's won both games by double digits and have very clearly been the better team. They don't need Garland to play as well as you are proclaiming they are. As long as we win our games, I don't really care. I just don't want to end this season being another first round exit. And if you truly are a fan, you shouldn't either.

I'd add to this that there's a direct correlation between Garland being more of a pass-first PG and how well Allen and Mobley play. Big men can't pass the ball to themselves.

[LaLover11]

I can already see Cavs drafting Bronny and LeBron signing a 2 yr team friendly deal to try and win one more in Cleveland

[JJ_PR]

People were saying that the Pacers were a better first round matchup than the Magic.

[KembaWalker]

Magic are just happy to be here
Good experience for Paolo and Franz

[JujitsuFlip]

I can already see Cavs drafting Bronny and LeBron signing a 2 yr team friendly deal to try and win one more in Cleveland

I sure hope so! The Cavs never fill the hole at SF when he leaves, kinda wild.

[Iwasawitness]

People were saying that the Pacers were a better first round matchup than the Magic.

They still technically are, at least in my opinion. Pacers have a better offense but they would struggle with the Cavs slower pace and don’t have a top ten defense like Orlando does. It would be easy pickings for the Cavaliers offense.

We’ll never know just how favorably Cavs matchup against them unless both teams manage to make the ECF (that’s the only way they can play each other now with how they’re seeded). Regardless, one thing we can all agree on: Magic are definitely a more favorable matchup for Cleveland than the Knicks are. The difference is night and day.

[Iwasawitness]

I can already see Cavs drafting Bronny and LeBron signing a 2 yr team friendly deal to try and win one more in Cleveland

I don’t want this. This is Cleveland’s last first round pick for the rest of this decade (not counting the pick swaps which we don’t own). I’d rather they not waste it on someone who probably won’t make the team any better if we’re being honest (unless he can maintain his three point shooting going into next season, in which case fair enough).

[DowJones]

I just do not understand this obsession with Garland needing to score x amount of points. If his teammates have it going, there's no point for him to force it.

If we wanted that, we woulda just kept Sexton.

Garland is playing within the flow of the game and the flow of the offense.

Keep in mind, the Magic have led for 0 minutes and 0 seconds in this series. There's no need for anyone on this team to force anything. Take what the defense is giving ya, if that starts not to work, then pivot. Don't pivot before you have to, makes no sense.

Do you think Darius has been good in the first 2 games? Do you think he has been good this season? I don’t. He is on a max contract. He was supposed to be Donovan’s running mate. We need more than 16 points and 6 assists with constant aimless dribbling beyond the 3 point line.

Garland has really been given a pass for his regression this year. The plain dealer finally ran a column on it today. The Cavs aren’t going anywhere if this is who Garland is, and I really do believe he is capable of much, much more.

In the current series, i don't think the Cavs need anymore than what Garland has given. I reiterate, the Magic have lead for 0 minutes and 0 seconds in this series... You're wanting Garland to go full Sexton, hijack the offense, and chuck 30 shots so the Cavs lose.

I'm sorry but you're counting dollars without making sense.

I am saying that Garland can't be a 16 points and 6 assists player if we want any chance against Boston. Orlando is an extremely limited team. Our offensive rating through the first 2 games has not been good, so you can't credibly argue that Garland has been a maestro running the offense. We can get away with that against Orlando because of how limited the Magic are but this team cannot survive in the playoffs if Garland can't take his game to a different level.

Honestly--it sounds like you are just thrilled with having a 2-0 lead and closing your eyes to what is happening. I am not asking Garland to be Sexton, obviously, but I want to see him hunt his shot more or move the ball on the perimeter if it isn't there. Do not--DO NOT--mindlessly dribble beyond the 3 point line until the shot clock hits 10 or 11 before you try to get into something.

I think Garland has it in him to be a star, but at some point he needs to prove it. The Cavs desperately need him to step up and I think that begins with him hunting for his own shot.

[DowJones]

I can already see Cavs drafting Bronny and LeBron signing a 2 yr team friendly deal to try and win one more in Cleveland

I don’t want this. This is Cleveland’s last first round pick for the rest of this decade (not counting the pick swaps which we don’t own). I’d rather they not waste it on someone who probably won’t make the team any better if we’re being honest (unless he can maintain his three point shooting going into next season, in which case fair enough).

I have no interest in Bronny but if it means we get 2 or 3 years of LeBron on a cheap contract then drafting him is an easy move. LeBron is still a darn good player and he easily fits into this team.

[LaLover11]

I can already see Cavs drafting Bronny and LeBron signing a 2 yr team friendly deal to try and win one more in Cleveland

I don’t want this. This is Cleveland’s last first round pick for the rest of this decade (not counting the pick swaps which we don’t own). I’d rather they not waste it on someone who probably won’t make the team any better if we’re being honest (unless he can maintain his three point shooting going into next season, in which case fair enough).

I have no interest in Bronny but if it means we get 2 or 3 years of LeBron on a cheap contract then drafting him is an easy move. LeBron is still a darn good player and he easily fits into this team.

Exactly I'm glad you can see it would be a great team

[mcfly1204]

I don’t want this. This is Cleveland’s last first round pick for the rest of this decade (not counting the pick swaps which we don’t own). I’d rather they not waste it on someone who probably won’t make the team any better if we’re being honest (unless he can maintain his three point shooting going into next season, in which case fair enough).

I have no interest in Bronny but if it means we get 2 or 3 years of LeBron on a cheap contract then drafting him is an easy move. LeBron is still a darn good player and he easily fits into this team.

Exactly I'm glad you can see it would be a great team

This is the real issue, LeBron playing on a cheap contract? Too sitcom, darling...

[LaLover11]

I have no interest in Bronny but if it means we get 2 or 3 years of LeBron on a cheap contract then drafting him is an easy move. LeBron is still a darn good player and he easily fits into this team.

Exactly I'm glad you can see it would be a great team

This is the real issue, LeBron playing on a cheap contract? Too sitcom, darling...

Straight from LeBron: “My last year will be played with my son. Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point.”

[JonFromVA]

He actually shot 40% from three after the all-star break with his knee issue. His outside shot wasn't affected.

Yesterday he went and dunked in traffic. He has two dunks in two games after only having 1 the entire time after the all-star break. (Last year he averaged one every other game, more or less.) I don't think he tries the dunk in traffic if his knee is bothering him.

To me he looks more out-of-rhythm than hurt-- he's losing balls on drives more often than you'd expect, but that could just be Orlando being handsy. His shot is off, but that might be an upshift/downshift issue. He was really hyped up in the first quarter yesterday but you can't keep that up for 48 minutes.

Unless WCJ hurt his ribs with that elbow, I think Mitchell's health is fine.

Garland's back is clearly bothering him, though.

That's the thing about tendinitis it's going to feel fine (especially after rest or treatment) until it flares up. He can try to play through the pain even dunk through the pain if he so chooses, but he's just going to damage his knee more and eventually it's going to catch up to him.

As for a sore back? That could be muscle soreness, bruised ribs, ruptured disc, who knows ... they aren't saying ... but fair chance it's going to get aggravated and flare up due to use and abuse. You'd think at least Garland's conditioning and stamina would continue to improve; but for all we know he spends his free time suspended in an inversion table or simply lacks the recovery time needed to rebuild his strength.

Do you have any indication that Mitchell is actually feeling pain in the knee now? Because he said he's 100% before the series and he's playing as if he's healthy. (Missing shots isn't an indication he's having a flare-up when there are more reasonable explanations.)

How do I know?

History and common sense.

Players and teams lie about injuries in the playoffs - always have, always will. Even after the season is over there are things that don't leak out. Healing takes time and they don't have it.

We know Donovan has already tried PRP and it didn't work. That's our first clue about the severity of his knee. He wouldn't bother with PRP if his knee was responding to normal treatment and therapy. He may have moved on to approaches that help him deal with the pain rather than treat the injury such as pills or cortisone shots, etc; but there are additional risks to ignoring pain either through will or pill.

[JonFromVA]

Do you think Darius has been good in the first 2 games? Do you think he has been good this season? I don’t. He is on a max contract. He was supposed to be Donovan’s running mate. We need more than 16 points and 6 assists with constant aimless dribbling beyond the 3 point line.

Garland has really been given a pass for his regression this year. The plain dealer finally ran a column on it today. The Cavs aren’t going anywhere if this is who Garland is, and I really do believe he is capable of much, much more.

In the current series, i don't think the Cavs need anymore than what Garland has given. I reiterate, the Magic have lead for 0 minutes and 0 seconds in this series... You're wanting Garland to go full Sexton, hijack the offense, and chuck 30 shots so the Cavs lose.

I'm sorry but you're counting dollars without making sense.

I am saying that Garland can't be a 16 points and 6 assists player if we want any chance against Boston. Orlando is an extremely limited team. Our offensive rating through the first 2 games has not been good, so you can't credibly argue that Garland has been a maestro running the offense. We can get away with that against Orlando because of how limited the Magic are but this team cannot survive in the playoffs if Garland can't take his game to a different level.

Honestly--it sounds like you are just thrilled with having a 2-0 lead and closing your eyes to what is happening. I am not asking Garland to be Sexton, obviously, but I want to see him hunt his shot more or move the ball on the perimeter if it isn't there. Do not--DO NOT--mindlessly dribble beyond the 3 point line until the shot clock hits 10 or 11 before you try to get into something.

I think Garland has it in him to be a star, but at some point he needs to prove it. The Cavs desperately need him to step up and I think that begins with him hunting for his own shot.

We need Garland and Mitchell to be close to 100% healthy to really make noise in the playoffs and they aren't. We can hope their health gets better and not worse as the playoffs go on, but it's a crap shoot.

At least they're on the floor and other teams have their own health concerns.

On the bright side, Mobley and Allen seem healthy and have had a huge impact on the series so far.