Gravy wrote:Does this now mean Bickerstaff was Mark Jackson and Atkinson is also Mark Jackson too? lol
Means we gotta starting asking questions about the players, from Donovan Mitchell downwards. My eyes were definitely opened when the Pistons gave us a harder challenge this year...we had a better team than the iteration we had when we played against the Cavs back then, and their Detroit team was definitely less talented than the Cavs team we played back then. But somehow Bickerstaff got these guys, with Tobias Harris (????????) and THJ (???) to play tougher????? It's not like they were more talented. But certainly, much much tougher in a way the Cavs have never been.
I'm reading up some of the stories from past playoffs losses to now, and it's always the same. "We got out-toughed"..."they punched us first." Not sure if you can fix that.
Look at these quotes from different articles from the Athletic...nothing has changed.
"Nevertheless, this ending looks awfully similar to years past: pushed around physically, overmatched and overwhelmed by what was supposed to be an inferior opponent."
"This is the third postseason in a row Jarrett Allen has been a complete ghost when the Cavs needed him most. The Knicks pushed him around two years ago when he conceded the lights were too bright. His ribs were injured last year in the first-round series against the Orlando Magic, and he missed the rest of the playoffs, frustrating members of the organization in the process. His combined stat line from the last two games in this series: 11 points and six rebounds. In two games. "
"With Donovan Mitchell’s strengths (jaw-dropping awesomeness for the first three games against Indiana) and weaknesses (running out of gas in Game 2 and turning into mush in Game 4) on display for a second consecutive postseason run, is Garland the right player to have next to him? "
And the best part? Evan Mobley is about to get paid more for getting DPOY, which means their cap situation is going to get hellish and lead to tougher situations.