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

[cgf]

Hey Magic fans, did Bitadze get hurt or something? Or has he just been outplayed by Mo since WCJ & Isaac got healthy again?

The Cavs definitely looked more physical in game 1 than they did last year and you have more size than we did...but none of Paolo, Isaac, WCJ, or the Wagners is as big / strong /physical as Robinson was for us. And though Goga isn't quite that big either, he seemed like a more powerful force when he was playing earlier in the season than those other guys.

[cgf]

I’m saying you don’t have one currently. Not making any statements on whether Paolo can or can’t be one down the road, but today he clearly is not one.

Okay, fair enough. Whether Paolo turns into that or not, I do agree with your premise. The Magic should try their hardest to get a guy like Mitchell or Young this coming offseason.

Sure but the Magic would likely need to deal someone like Franz in that scenario. I don't know if Mitchell would stick around anyway.

Black might be able to take over the Fultz role next season and hopefully Jett will step up. Magic still need to upgrade Anthony and Harris. There should be several scoring guards available thru FA/trade this offseason. They will obviously be 1-2 tiers below Trae/Mitchell but shouldn't cost an arm and a leg to acquire either.

The Magic prying Quickley out of Toronto this offseason...or Coby White before he fully broke out with Chicago...would('ve) be(en) enough of a nightmare scenario. Hell I was really worried they'd bite the bullet on Dejounte Murray at deadline...and Murray's a below average starting PG.

[ConSarnit]

Hey Magic fans, did Bitadze get hurt or something? Or has he just been outplayed by Mo since WCJ & Isaac got healthy again?

The Cavs definitely looked more physical in game 1 than they did last year and you have more size than we did...but none of Paolo, Isaac, WCJ, or the Wagners is as big / strong /physical as Robinson was for us. And though Goga isn't quite that big either, he seemed like a more powerful force when he was playing earlier in the season than those other guys.

I think Goga is a solid player but he can’t fix what’s wrong with Orlando. Orlando’s lack of shooting is going to make it incredibly difficult for them to win this series. I didn’t watch all of game 1 but it seems like Cleveland has no respect for ORL’s shooting (especially Franz) and that is really going to gum up Orlando trying to get to the rim.

I know it’s only one game but I think ORL is in a real bad spot. Franz won’t be guarded at all. They need Ingles for offense but he’s terrible on defense. They shouldn’t play Fultz at all. Their offense looked brutal and they don’t have a lot of options imo.

[jbk1234]

I think an all-in trade like that only makes sense, if the player fits the core.

The Cavs got Mitchell because he was a far superior talent than any single asset they surrendered but it tanked their entire future and any cap or asset flexibility they had. The issue was he didn't fill the massive hole they had at SF so the trade really made no sense.

Maybe the Cavs win this seires and somehow the Celtics get injured or something next round and the Cavs have a chance at Mitchell's first career conference berth.

Outside of that, the guy most likely will not extend for the 2nd summer in a row and the Cavs will be up the creek without a paddle.

Yea all of this is false...
You got it though.. Carry on.

False in what way? lol

Did Mitchell fill the gaping hole at SF? No

Has Mitchell ever made it past the 2nd round? No

Did Mitchell refuse to extend last summer? Yes

It is all factual, if you disagree with it, cool, say that but there are no falsehoods here.

It is kind of annoying having Cavs fans continue to throw dirt on the grave while the patient is still alive. Particularly after a Game 1 win.

[mcfly1204]

Yea all of this is false...
You got it though.. Carry on.

False in what way? lol

Did Mitchell fill the gaping hole at SF? No

Has Mitchell ever made it past the 2nd round? No

Did Mitchell refuse to extend last summer? Yes

It is all factual, if you disagree with it, cool, say that but there are no falsehoods here.

It is kind of annoying having Cavs fans continue to throw dirt on the grave while the patient is still alive. Particularly after a Game 1 win.

It's also a myopic take regarding the Cavs roster holes prior to acquiring Mitchell. Did they have a need to upgrade the starting SF position before and after the trade? Yes. Did Cleveland also, and more importantly, have a glaring need for a second creator so that teams could not just clamp down on Garland in the Playoffs? Yes. Did the Mitchell trade address that need? Yes.

[JujitsuFlip]

Yea all of this is false...
You got it though.. Carry on.

False in what way? lol

Did Mitchell fill the gaping hole at SF? No

Has Mitchell ever made it past the 2nd round? No

Did Mitchell refuse to extend last summer? Yes

It is all factual, if you disagree with it, cool, say that but there are no falsehoods here.

It is kind of annoying having Cavs fans continue to throw dirt on the grave while the patient is still alive. Particularly after a Game 1 win.

I mean, hypothetically, if the Cavs beat Orlando, the team they hand picked, it won't be a huge accomplishment, imo.

Yes, winning their first series since 2018 would be cool and winning their first series without LeBron since 1993 would be really cool. But it's against a team and coaching staff with zero expierence. Winning this series should be expected, they shoulda beat the Knicks in 2023 and the Hawks in 2022.

Failing 2 years in a row has made some Cavs fans forget that getting outta the 1st round was never the aim when they surrendered a future All-Star and essentially 6 first rounders for Mitchell.

If they make the ECF or Finals this season, then we can feel accomplished. Anything short of that and it will all come down to if Mitchell extends this summer or not, that is what that trade hinges on.

[JujitsuFlip]

False in what way? lol

Did Mitchell fill the gaping hole at SF? No

Has Mitchell ever made it past the 2nd round? No

Did Mitchell refuse to extend last summer? Yes

It is all factual, if you disagree with it, cool, say that but there are no falsehoods here.

It is kind of annoying having Cavs fans continue to throw dirt on the grave while the patient is still alive. Particularly after a Game 1 win.

It's also a myopic take regarding the Cavs roster holes prior to acquiring Mitchell. Did they have a need to upgrade the starting SF position before and after the trade? Yes. Did Cleveland also, and more importantly, have a glaring need for a second creator so that teams could not just clamp down on Garland in the Playoffs? Yes. Did the Mitchell trade address that need? Yes.

The LeVert trade was supposed to address that, lmao

Heck, Rubio's 3 year deal was supposed to address that.

The hole at SF is still greater to this day than the need for a second playmaker. Especially when Sexton, Rubio, and LeVert were already on the team.

Regardless of what happens in this series, the trade was dumb and advanced the Cavs timeline forward, unnecessarily. Can we beat the Celtics in a 7 game series? Well, i guess we might find out. If we do that, can we beat say the Bucks in a 7 game series?

If Mitchell doesn't extend the entire thing is moot.

[jbk1234]

False in what way? lol

Did Mitchell fill the gaping hole at SF? No

Has Mitchell ever made it past the 2nd round? No

Did Mitchell refuse to extend last summer? Yes

It is all factual, if you disagree with it, cool, say that but there are no falsehoods here.

It is kind of annoying having Cavs fans continue to throw dirt on the grave while the patient is still alive. Particularly after a Game 1 win.

I mean, hypothetically, if the Cavs beat Orlando, the team they hand picked, it won't be a huge accomplishment, imo.

Yes, winning their first series since 2018 would be cool and winning their first series without LeBron since 1993 would be really cool. But it's against a team and coaching staff with zero expierence. Winning this series should be expected, they shoulda beat the Knicks in 2023 and the Hawks and 2022.

Failing 2 years in a row has made some Cavs fans forget that getting outta the 1st round was never the aim when they surrendered a future All-Star and essentially 6 first rounders for Mitchell.

If they make the ECF or Finals this season, then we can feel accomplished. Anything short of that and it will all come down to if Mitchell extends this summer or not, that is what that trade hinges on.

I mean some of us would like to hold out hope and enjoy the process. Our starters were barely on the court together due to injury. We match up better than the average playoff opponent against the Celtics. We could win the series against the Magic, gel, and gain some confidence. There will be plenty of time to drag the coach and GM if things don't work out, but it definitely feels like a good segment of fanbase would rather lose and fire the coach.

[NyKnicks1714]

I think Mitchell will have been a good thing for Cleveland even if he leaves, which he likely will, and even if they don't get to the ECF with him. Even if just for 2-3 years, winning and relevance is a good thing for that franchise even if they're not contending.

[LoveMyRaps]

I think this will be a clean sweep. 4-0

Could be wrong but I just think the Cavs are a much better team.

[KazuoOda]

I think an all-in trade like that only makes sense, if the player fits the core.

The Cavs got Mitchell because he was a far superior talent than any single asset they surrendered but it tanked their entire future and any cap or asset flexibility they had. The issue was he didn't fill the massive hole they had at SF so the trade really made no sense.

Maybe the Cavs win this seires and somehow the Celtics get injured or something next round and the Cavs have a chance at Mitchell's first career conference berth.

Outside of that, the guy most likely will not extend for the 2nd summer in a row and the Cavs will be up the creek without a paddle.

Yea all of this is false...
You got it though.. Carry on.

False in what way? lol

Did Mitchell fill the gaping hole at SF? No

Has Mitchell ever made it past the 2nd round? No

Did Mitchell refuse to extend last summer? Yes

It is all factual, if you disagree with it, cool, say that but there are no falsehoods here.

If mitchell wasn't on the roster, his salary would be replaced with mark + Sextons extension. So no, Spida did not ruin the Cavs ability to operate in free agency, the Cavs were already at the cap threshold.
Mitchell can also be traded this summer for assets if he doesn't extend (which he most likely will)

What you're saying is false because you're speaking as things are facts when they are merely hyperbole

[JonFromVA]

Mitchell is the only 1st option in this series. Cavs have the best player by a wide margin and 4 of the best 7. They would need to choke in pretty epic fashion to lose this one. They threw their last game in the most embarrassing fashion to get this matchup; there is a reason for that. They’ll win but they are still cowards in most peoples eyes.

Magic did well grinding out a good regular season but they just aren’t there yet. They need to a go to guy on the offensive end. We’ve all watched enough playoffs to know you can’t do much without one.

And yet, there's only one game difference in the standings between the two teams. Even if the Cavs won and the Knicks lost and got the 2 seed that wouldn't change the fact that Orlando would only be 2 games worse (Indiana and Philly too for that matter).

The difference between the 2 through 8 teams in the East has got a lot more to do with health than talent.

Not to mention, the Cavs didn't play particularly well on offense themselves after the 1st quarter - just well enough to rebuild the lead when the Magic fought back. So, unless that changes it won't take an epic choke job ... just another banged knee or someone on the Magic getting hot.

[JujitsuFlip]

It is kind of annoying having Cavs fans continue to throw dirt on the grave while the patient is still alive. Particularly after a Game 1 win.

I mean, hypothetically, if the Cavs beat Orlando, the team they hand picked, it won't be a huge accomplishment, imo.

Yes, winning their first series since 2018 would be cool and winning their first series without LeBron since 1993 would be really cool. But it's against a team and coaching staff with zero expierence. Winning this series should be expected, they shoulda beat the Knicks in 2023 and the Hawks and 2022.

Failing 2 years in a row has made some Cavs fans forget that getting outta the 1st round was never the aim when they surrendered a future All-Star and essentially 6 first rounders for Mitchell.

If they make the ECF or Finals this season, then we can feel accomplished. Anything short of that and it will all come down to if Mitchell extends this summer or not, that is what that trade hinges on.

I mean some of us would like to hold out hope and enjoy the process. Our starters were barely on the court together due to injury. We match up better than the average playoff opponent against the Celtics. We could win the series against the Magic, gel, and gain some confidence. There will be plenty of time to drag the coach and GM if things don't work out, but it definitely feels like a good segment of fanbase would rather lose and fire the coach.

I'd rather win this seires and however many more they can this season and still fire jb lol

[toooskies]

It is kind of annoying having Cavs fans continue to throw dirt on the grave while the patient is still alive. Particularly after a Game 1 win.

It's also a myopic take regarding the Cavs roster holes prior to acquiring Mitchell. Did they have a need to upgrade the starting SF position before and after the trade? Yes. Did Cleveland also, and more importantly, have a glaring need for a second creator so that teams could not just clamp down on Garland in the Playoffs? Yes. Did the Mitchell trade address that need? Yes.

The LeVert trade was supposed to address that, lmao

Heck, Rubio's 3 year deal was supposed to address that.

The hole at SF is still greater to this day than the need for a second playmaker. Especially when Sexton, Rubio, and LeVert were already on the team.

Regardless of what happens in this series, the trade was dumb and advanced the Cavs timeline forward, unnecessarily. Can we beat the Celtics in a 7 game series? Well, i guess we might find out. If we do that, can we beat say the Bucks in a 7 game series?

If Mitchell doesn't extend the entire thing is moot.

Well, no, it isn't. As a lifelong Cleveland sports fan I do not put all the value of my life's fandom on the one title that all the Cleveland sports teams have won throughout my life, nor was my fandom and commitment to the teams worthless before 2016. I loved the baseball team in the 90s. Bernie Kosar's Browns never won a title but he's still a sports legend to the city.

This Cavs team has been better than the one we thought we'd see before the Mitchell trade, for the past two years. Those two years have value. If the Cavs won 10 or 20 more games than they would have, that's 10 or 20 nights of my life that I've enjoyed more. December and January were super-fun.

Mitchell has gotten better in Cleveland, possibly preserving the value we gave up for him. If he forces himself out, he might return as much value as we gave up (when measuring Markkanen at his time-of-trade value and not his ascent to being an all-star). He will certainly return enough value to make two years of early-prime Mitchell entertaining if not fulfilling in the postseason. From the team's economic standpoint, they've probably made some good income the past few years while keeping the team out of the tax.

Garland and Mobley will have playoff experience that they can build on. Regardless of this year's results they know that there are levels to success in the postseason. Game 1 was valuable growth that we don't get if, say, last year's team stalled and lost in the play-in like they did without Mitchell.

[toooskies]

I mean, hypothetically, if the Cavs beat Orlando, the team they hand picked, it won't be a huge accomplishment, imo.

Yes, winning their first series since 2018 would be cool and winning their first series without LeBron since 1993 would be really cool. But it's against a team and coaching staff with zero expierence. Winning this series should be expected, they shoulda beat the Knicks in 2023 and the Hawks and 2022.

Failing 2 years in a row has made some Cavs fans forget that getting outta the 1st round was never the aim when they surrendered a future All-Star and essentially 6 first rounders for Mitchell.

If they make the ECF or Finals this season, then we can feel accomplished. Anything short of that and it will all come down to if Mitchell extends this summer or not, that is what that trade hinges on.

I mean some of us would like to hold out hope and enjoy the process. Our starters were barely on the court together due to injury. We match up better than the average playoff opponent against the Celtics. We could win the series against the Magic, gel, and gain some confidence. There will be plenty of time to drag the coach and GM if things don't work out, but it definitely feels like a good segment of fanbase would rather lose and fire the coach.

I'd rather win this seires and however many more they can this season and still fire jb lol

What degree of success would it take for you to not want to fire JB? Like, if they beat the Celtics in the 2nd round, do you still fire him and replace him with... Budenholzer I guess?

(One of the arguments to not replace him this offseason is that the candidates to do so aren't particularly strong.)

[JujitsuFlip]

Yea all of this is false...
You got it though.. Carry on.

False in what way? lol

Did Mitchell fill the gaping hole at SF? No

Has Mitchell ever made it past the 2nd round? No

Did Mitchell refuse to extend last summer? Yes

It is all factual, if you disagree with it, cool, say that but there are no falsehoods here.

If mitchell wasn't on the roster, his salary would be replaced with mark + Sextons extension. So no, Spida did not ruin the Cavs ability to operate in free agency, the Cavs were already at the cap threshold.
Mitchell can also be traded this summer for assets if he doesn't extend (which he most likely will)

What you're saying is false because you're speaking as things are facts when they are merely hyperbole

It was September and they still didn't extend Sexton, so I'm pretty sure he was gonna have to play on the QO.

Plus Markkanen makes $16 million less than Mitchell lol

The Mitchell trade 100% ruined the Cavs asset flexibility, that's not even arguable when it comes to not being able to trade any 1st rounders bc they're all locked up.

Of course the Cavs can and should trade him if he doesn't extend for the 2nd summer in a row but the return will be pennies on the dollar vs what they surrendered.

Everything i have listed is factual, again if you disagree, just say that.

[JujitsuFlip]

I mean some of us would like to hold out hope and enjoy the process. Our starters were barely on the court together due to injury. We match up better than the average playoff opponent against the Celtics. We could win the series against the Magic, gel, and gain some confidence. There will be plenty of time to drag the coach and GM if things don't work out, but it definitely feels like a good segment of fanbase would rather lose and fire the coach.

I'd rather win this seires and however many more they can this season and still fire jb lol

What degree of success would it take for you to not want to fire JB? Like, if they beat the Celtics in the 2nd round, do you still fire him and replace him with... Budenholzer I guess?

(One of the arguments to not replace him this offseason is that the candidates to do so aren't particularly strong.)

Sure if the Cavs win this series and beat a 60+ win Celtics juggernaut in the next round jb can stay. I mean, it will never happen in a million years but in that hypothetical, sure.

Let's just get through this series first before we start trying to prop jb up.

[RookieStar]

Lmao they gave the Cavs/Magic the NBA tv game tonight.

And Thursday, although the NFL draft will be on that day so not sure TNT vs NBA TV will matter much that night.

Ehhh to us international fans who has to go Johnny Depp paddling in the stream, doesn't really matter which broadcast/network it is. lol

[jkvonny]

Lmao they gave the Cavs/Magic the NBA tv game tonight.

And Thursday, although the NFL draft will be on that day so not sure TNT vs NBA TV will matter much that night.

NBA TV. Sit back and enjoy!

[basketballRob]

I think this will be a clean sweep. 4-0

Could be wrong but I just think the Cavs are a much better team.

Thanks. I feel much better about the Magic's chances after reading your prediction.

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