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00:01I came to it a bit of an epiphany last night because I said, boy, I'm going to, I watched
00:05the first half of the Cavs game and I'm going, oh man, I'm going to get cussed out in the
00:08morning.
00:08I'm going to wake up to a bunch of cuss out things and it's their third, it was their
00:1539th different lineup.
00:18And I'm just, I'm just ready to accept the inevitable.
00:22I'm ready to accept it and just say, guys, there's a malaise and it's up to the Cavs.
00:28It's just up to the Cavs to change it.
00:31I can't, I know that you have fought this fight almost every single day on this show of trying
00:36to talk fans into getting excited, rally towels, flipping switches, all that other stuff.
00:41I mean, at one point they looked uncompetitive against a team that had, they have like four
00:46guys on 10 day contracts or something like that with Memphis last night.
00:50Uncompetitive?
00:51What do you mean?
00:51Didn't they win last night?
00:52They did win last night and they looked like hell at the beginning of the basketball game
00:56through most of the basketball game.
00:57It felt like, I mean, they, they, did they turn it on in the second quarter?
01:00Yeah.
01:00They turned it on the second quarter, but I mean, at the beginning of this game, it was
01:03just, it was garbage.
01:05I just, you said uncompetitive in a game they won.
01:07I don't hear that a lot in sports.
01:09I said, they looked up and I said in the first half, did I, or did I not say in
01:12the first
01:12half?
01:13I didn't think they'd be, you know, really under the microscope.
01:15They did a great job.
01:16I did a great job.
01:17Is that what they did?
01:17I did a wonderful job.
01:19Cavaliers played a wonderful basketball game from wire to wire.
01:21Donovan without Tyson, without Wade, without Strews, without Bryant.
01:25Okay.
01:25Okay.
01:25So they played a tremendous basketball game from wire to wire?
01:27I didn't know when that, when that injury report came out, they were going to be under
01:30the microscope last night.
01:32I'm sorry.
01:32Playing against guys who again had a bunch of 10 day contracts when you have Jared Allen,
01:36Evan Mobley, who are two of your key pieces on this basketball team.
01:38So this underscores, excuse me, excuse me, I mean, I've been with, no, now you're pissing
01:44me off because I've been with you step for step this entire time and then you come after
01:48me.
01:48You sound like it.
01:49All of a sudden I can, I can see where some of the, I have, I'm, it's not even where
01:53I
01:53can see it.
01:54I'm accepting the fans' malaise.
01:56That's what I'm doing and saying it's, it's just up to the Cavs now to change it.
01:59I can't argue for them any longer.
02:01That's my issue.
02:02That's what I'm saying.
02:03No, come after me.
02:05Look, they've, they've been, they've been one of the most
02:08injured teams in the league all year and they still won 50 games and they did.
02:14They still, since the acquisition of James Harden, they are 18 and six and he's, and
02:21he's playing some of the most efficient basketball, uh, since he's, since he's really been in
02:26the NBA and he's doing it so optimally, like he's not ball hogging.
02:31He's not doing all the things that people hated about James Harden.
02:34And when they have Harden, Mitchell, Mobley, and Allen, they are in the 100th percentile
02:43in terms of overall rating, meaning they're at the top of the NBA when those four guys
02:48play.
02:48Problem is all four of those guys don't often play together because again, circle back
02:53to the start of the conversation.
02:54They've been one of the most injured teams in the league.
02:56I think by salary, they've missed, uh, the second most amount of games of any team in
03:00the NBA.
03:02So I'm just laying out the facts of the matter.
03:05And the reality is if they're not healthy in the playoffs, then everybody's going to
03:09be right.
03:09They have no shot.
03:10That's every team in the playoffs when your guys are out for a split second.
03:14I could see where Nick's coming from.
03:17You made me so mad for a split second.
03:21Look at the look on your face.
03:23Like, well, Ken, I'm just telling you facts.
03:24I don't like the way you're talking to me right now.
03:25That's how mad I am at you.
03:27Hey, that's how mad I am at you.
03:28It looks also.
03:29You're giving me facts.
03:30I wish you had a better bedside manner here because I've tried to have a good bedside
03:33manner.
03:33I go, Hey, I understand your feelings and your concerns here, but it's still a really good
03:37basketball team.
03:38And it is.
03:38But then when they go out and, and really, I mean, there was, I think there's a lot of people
03:42who probably turned it off after the first quarter, to be honest with you, with the way
03:47they came out and played in that basketball game.
03:48I wouldn't have blamed if you guys, if you didn't watch them last night, there was a national
03:51championship game on, I, I, you know, the guardians were, well, their game started before
03:56they get, yeah, but I'm just saying like, I wouldn't have blamed people for not caring
03:59about last night's game.
04:00Once the injury report came out, the Cavs were always going to win last night.
04:04I mean, Memphis is trying to lose.
04:05So I'm not, I'm not sitting there hoisting the trophy about beating the Memphis Grizzlies last
04:10night, even though somehow I don't think an NBA team's ever won a game when the other
04:15team hits that many threes.
04:16I don't think that's ever happened before in NBA history.
04:18So now you have a record setting night for the Cleveland Cavs.
04:20All I'm saying is like, these are the doldrums of late March, early April that happened every
04:26year in the NBA.
04:27I can always tell like who, not this will come off condescending, but people that, people
04:32that, people that really don't know the league and overreact to games in March and April.
04:36Like, I don't know what to tell you.
04:38This stuff's been going on forever.
04:39I've been trying not to, but you finally, they've, I've finally been beaten down.
04:43You got that, you got a bunch of injuries and that's all warranted.
04:46And I will, and I think it's a valid excuse, but I think that people will just, they will
04:50focus.
04:51You just know how it works.
04:52I understand.
04:52Well, I actually, no, I, I, I feel that it's a valid excuse even in the playoffs.
04:56The injuries are because think about it.
04:58I mean, you, you have, you've made a significant change to this basketball team.
05:02Then you still have injuries.
05:03I mean, 39 different starting lineups is, is an exceedingly large amount for a team.
05:08That's supposed to be a competitive teams that have that many starting lineups just don't
05:11make the playoff.
05:11Unless it's Oklahoma city and they, they defy all logic all the time because defending
05:15champs are the best team.
05:16And I think that that is the perfect way to compare it because that's a really good team
05:21that people trust.
05:21We are a really good team.
05:22They just don't trust.
05:24They just don't trust them.
05:25Yeah.
05:25Well, they haven't earned after last night, they haven't earned trust.
05:29I would never use the term trust.
05:30I don't trust.
05:31So what are you fighting?
05:32I don't, I don't trust the Cavaliers either.
05:34I said, Hey, if they're healthy, uh, which the whole, which the whole point of, and a lot
05:39of people are so upset about the way they've managed the injuries.
05:42Well, if they, if they come into the playoffs and guys are actually available, then I'd have
05:46to say that's a win because they haven't been available all year.
05:49And that's why, like, you know, they, they said, you know, Wade, Dean Wade is ramping
05:55up and look, they need them.
05:57They desperately need them.
05:58They don't have good perimeter wing defenders.
06:02They just don't.
06:02Max Druse might've qualified a year ago.
06:05He's below average now because of the coming off the Jones fracture.
06:09They did trade for Keon Ellis.
06:11He can, he's a good perimeter defender against guys his size, but if he has to guard like
06:15actual wings, like Jalen Brown, Jason Tatum, they're those, they're screwed.
06:19Just like they, they're always going to be screwed against those guys, which will bring
06:23me eventually to a point where I heard something in the afternoon that I just, I couldn't believe
06:27like just non-ball knower things that I was hearing in the afternoon drive yesterday.
06:32I hate to say it, but I just gotta be honest.
06:33You guys want honesty.
06:34I, I gotta be honest.
06:35I was driving in the car yesterday and I'm like, I'm like, oh, I can tell who pays attention
06:40to the playoffs and who doesn't in the NBA.
06:41Uh, even an example I'll give from just a year ago.
06:44So someone wasn't paying example, uh, paying attention a year ago.
06:47So all that is to say is, do we have audio of this non-ball knower stuff?
06:51I think we do, but he doesn't know where you want to take it.
06:53I want to say no, no, ball knower, ball knower, ball knower, ball knower, ball knower, ball
06:58knower, ball knower, ball knower, ball knower, lots of knowledge here.
07:00So I'll just say this.
07:01If you don't trust the Cavs, totally understand.
07:04But if they have their guys healthy, like you should be excited about the Cavs because
07:09last night with the Knicks victory, uh, even though the Cavs are still with the tiebreaker
07:14and everything, two games behind that three seed, they just, I think got the red carpet
07:21rolled out for them to go to the Easter conference finals.
07:24And I think that, and I think that was, that was the big story last night in that game.
07:31And in that night of NBA basketball, I mean, you're saying that another host on the station
07:34doesn't know basketball, I just have an example of, I hate to do that, but I just have such
07:41a shining example.
07:42That's an easy one to kind of go after.
07:45So the one you asked for, yeah, we'll get to it later.
07:48No, I'll get to it at six 43 is what I'll get to it.
07:50Cause I want to make sure we got the right clip that you want to go ahead and highlight
07:53and go ahead and tie your own noose and go ahead and do it.
07:57Cause we're running out of time on this one.
07:58I'm just pointing out like, this is my feeling.
08:01I watched it last night and I just got frustrated cause I'm going,
08:04I understand that they have a bunch of injuries, but you're playing against a bunch of, I'm
08:07not going to call them garbage, but they're not NBA.
08:09They're not real true NBA players.
08:12And so when you're playing against not a lot of real true NBA players, and I've been sitting
08:15there arguing and honestly, tone, I look at my phone and I see people who are listeners
08:20going, you guys sit there and defend this garbage.
08:23What are you doing defending this?
08:24And I just, I finally, I just put the phone down and I said, man, I just have to accept
08:29that
08:31they had the only team, the only people that can change their minds are not Anthony and
08:36Ken.
08:37It's got to be the cash.
08:38You're not in your head with me.
08:40I'm with you.
08:40You agree with it, but you've been talking tough here.
08:42I mean, you've been writing a lot of checks.
08:44You better be ready to cash.
08:45But you guys notice, like we all agree.
08:47What is, what is the Cavs effort been over the last month?
08:51Terrible.
08:52And they're 18 and six since they got James Harden.
08:54And when they need to, they try and then they win.
08:57They do just enough to win because it's not about games in March and April.
09:01Guys, we all said that Donovan Mitchell said it last year.
09:04They could go 82 and 0 and nobody would care.
09:07Well, they just went 18 and six and none of you care.
09:09And now they have the best, clearest path of all time to get to the Easter conference
09:14finals without LeBron James, something all of you guys said you would cherish.
09:18And now you're all poo-pooing the hell out of the playoff run.
09:21Well, let's see.
09:22It is up to the Cavs.
09:23It's not up to me.
09:23It's not up to you.
09:24It is up to the Cavs.
09:26And it's about them being healthy.
09:27And it looks like, fingers crossed, they will be healthy once the playoffs start in a couple
09:32of weeks.
09:33See, I thought I was going to talk you into understanding the malaise the Cavs fans have.
09:37You have doubled and tripled down today.
09:39This is unbelievable.
09:40This is really good stuff by you.
09:42I don't even think, though, that I've doubled and tripled down that the Cavs are some juggernaut.
09:46There's nobody beating them.
09:47That is not...
09:47Well, you immediately shot me down.
09:49How would anybody know?
09:50No one's seen them.
09:51When they have been healthy, they've been a dominant team.
09:55But they haven't been healthy.
09:56The whole point is to get to the playoffs not limping.
10:00The whole point is to get to the playoffs with them healthy.
10:03And I think, fingers crossed, by the timelines of how they talked about Wade and Tyson, I think
10:09they'll actually have their perimeter defenders.
10:11They've had no perimeter defenders outside of Keon Ellis for a month, it would seem.
10:15At 9 a.m., we have a team giveaway for the Fan Mock Draft.
10:18Also, Brady Quinn going to join us at 9.05 today.
10:23Well, listen, I'm going to meet people part of the way.
10:26I can't meet them halfway.
10:27I agree with you about what Nick says about not caring where they finish is absolutely ridiculous.
10:33Where they finish means a lot.
10:35Matchups matter.
10:37I learned this lesson in 2017.
10:38I mean, I was the one saying, beat the best, beat the best, play the Yankees, and I'm looking like
10:44a damn fool.
10:44So, and that's another thing.
10:46A lot of people disagreed with me going into that postseason.
10:50Speaking about the former Indians, right?
10:53That year, it was, we're watching the standings.
10:56Oh, and you were there, watching the standings, and I'm like, well, you got to beat the best to prove
11:00you're the best.
11:00Play the Yankees, beat the Yankees.
11:02And there were some people who agreed.
11:05There were a lot who didn't.
11:06It was like me on a mountain, and I thought I was going to be right after they won 22
11:10games in a row,
11:10and they were up 2-0 in the series, and then things went straight to hell, or 2-1 in
11:15the series,
11:16and then things went straight to hell, and it was one of the worst Mondays,
11:18or it was one of the worst mornings of my life after they lost.
11:21And so I'm just trying to learn from previous experience, even in another sport.
11:25Like, take the easiest path.
11:27I'll take the, I don't care.
11:29Of course you will.
11:29I used to care, I don't care anymore, about the fights with general fans of other teams.
11:35We're always going to find something to take away from it if you're a hater, quote-unquote,
11:41or you're a person who just wants to have an argument.
11:42We'll always find little things, but a championship's a championship, I can't take it away.
11:47Or the chance to play for one is what it is, I can't take it away.
11:50And I can't tell you how much it would mean.
11:52You know, Owens kind of said it during the break, because he said it to John.
11:55John doesn't understand.
11:57They got to get to the Eastern Conference Finals.
11:59They got to get to the Eastern Conference Finals.
12:01If John wants to come in here and fight about it, John can come in here and fight about it.
12:04Because from what I heard, and I was kind of writing some things down,
12:07and I wasn't really paying close attention, I think he's crazy.
12:10I think it's absolutely nuts.
12:11Like, your goal is to get to the Eastern Conference Finals.
12:15After that, you know, we'll see.
12:16If they go out and they get hammered by Boston,
12:18I don't think I'm going to be feeling really great about it.
12:20I'm not going to be feeling we're in a really good place.
12:23But if they go out and they play a good series against Boston,
12:26I don't think I'm going to be losing my mind over here.
12:28I would also add, like, why would you, after we've seen Donovan Mitchell limp,
12:33after, like, two rounds of the playoffs,
12:35after we've wondered what would Donovan Mitchell even have left
12:39if they were able to win and get to the Conference Finals,
12:42you realize, like, all right, let's say they got Boston in the second round,
12:48and that series miraculously goes seven, and we get by them, right?
12:52Because I've told you Boston's better than the Cavs.
12:55But what if they did?
12:56What would the Cavs even have left for an Eastern Conference Finals?
12:59So wouldn't you want that series later?
13:02Wouldn't you want the lesser challenge earlier?
13:04Yes.
13:04That's how the playoffs work.
13:06You want the easiest path.
13:08Yes.
13:08This isn't about, like, proving the haters wrong every step of the way
13:11and taking out all colors.
13:13I got to tell Nick, man.
13:13You wouldn't want to do that.
13:14It's a bad hill to die on, man.
13:16It's a real bad hill.
13:17Remember the old UFC fight nights where you'd have to win four
13:21to take home the UFC crown in its infancy?
13:25When the fat guy fought the thin guy?
13:27And then one guy had one glove, and John McCain was calling it human cockfighting.
13:31Yeah, he did.
13:31Do you think anybody was saying, oh, I want the better guy early
13:34so we would have an hour match, and then would I even be able to breathe
13:38after that to win two more fights?
13:40No!
13:41You'd want the easiest path the whole way through.
13:43Aren't we crazy?
13:44Yeah, Tone Master's right.
13:45John, what were you trying to explain during the break?
13:48I agree with Lima.
13:50You got a leather jacket on.
13:51It's cold outside.
13:52This was cold this morning.
13:53You look like Gene from The Sopranos.
13:55Go ahead.
13:55Yeah, you said that on Twitter.
13:56I think Lima's right where it would be better for the Cavs.
14:02What are you dying over?
14:04Let's go.
14:04Start talking.
14:04Go.
14:05I think Lima's right where the Cavs would be better off playing the Celtics later,
14:09and I think it would be great for the city, for the Cavs,
14:11to get to the Eastern Conference Finals.
14:13But are you really going to look back at this season, if the Cavs still lose to the Celtics,
14:18regardless, does it matter where they lose?
14:20Are you drunk and high?
14:22No.
14:22Well, then it makes it even sadder that you would say something that silly at 7 in the morning.
14:26I don't think it matters where they lose if they're still going to lose to the Celtics.
14:28Are you still, you're a child.
14:29This is the team that you're afraid of.
14:30You're not afraid of the Knicks, and you're not afraid of the Pistons.
14:33Okay.
14:33So if you still lose to the Celtics.
14:35Well, first off, I'm not afraid of anybody.
14:36Do I sound scared?
14:37I ain't scared of nothing.
14:38What am I scared of?
14:40I can understand and not be scared that Jason Tatum is a premier player,
14:44and so is Jalen Brown, and that they're better than what we have.
14:46I can't change that.
14:47So why would I be afraid of that?
14:49There's things that I can't change.
14:50So I'm going to go and try to beat them at the very zenith of where it's at
14:54because I want a good matchup, and I want to get as far as we can
14:57because you've got to remember here, and you don't know it, and that's okay.
15:00I'm not ripping you on this, John, because you're not from here, and you're a young man.
15:03But let me tell you, you have an owner who's willing to do crazy things,
15:07and that could possibly – what my issue is is I don't want them to go
15:10and do something out of desperation that makes this team worse,
15:14a la like we saw with a lot of teams of the West against the Golden State Warriors years ago
15:18where there were a lot of teams doing crazy, desperate things to try to compete
15:21because the team was so good, they made teams do crazy things,
15:24and it actually made them worse.
15:25That's what I don't want.
15:26So if you lose to them in the Eastern Conference Finals,
15:28say you lose the six-game series to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals,
15:32I'm not celebrating a loss, but I'm certainly not losing my mind,
15:36and I think everybody should be calmed down.
15:37Like if Donovan Mitchell ended up freaking out after a six-game series against Boston,
15:42I'd go, I don't know how much better you want it to be here, buddy.
15:44Like this is where it is.
15:46But I got to extend it all because I would look at it and go,
15:49wait a minute, you dealt with a lot of injuries,
15:50you had a big change in your team halfway through the season,
15:53you had 39 different lineups there, you made the Eastern Conference Finals,
15:56we're not laughing, but again, we're getting better over the offseason.
15:59You got to see the force for the trees.
16:01You lose in the first round, it's still the first round,
16:03and then we're just doing another first or second round exit again.
16:06That's when people freak out.
16:08You know, I don't want them freaking out.
16:09This is the same show that said, oh, I don't want the Cavs to win these games
16:12because I want them to keep the four-season so we can play the Celtics later on.
16:16This is the same show that wanted the Cavs to win certain games,
16:20not all these games.
16:21You have to be correct on which games.
16:23Well, and the funny thing is,
16:24Ask him, he's over there.
16:26People started wanting to go after them for potentially choosing that path.
16:31They ended up winning all these games.
16:32They didn't, even with the load management.
16:34So they got the best of both worlds.
16:35They've won the games.
16:37They've kept guys fairly healthy, the guys that you really want to count on.
16:40And, not to mention, this path just opened up for them.
16:44I think that you've checked all the boxes for how this could work out incredibly well,
16:49unless there is one thing.
16:50If the Cavs were to, you know, win the next three games,
16:54the Knicks would lose the next three games, you would eclipse them.
16:57The problem is the Cavs play the Wizards in the final game of the year.
16:59And I don't think, I don't think there's just that.
17:02How do you even, you know, how do you figure that out?
17:04Also, you look at the last three games, too, for the Knicks.
17:07It gets very complicated, and you have two games against Atlanta.
17:11So, it gets a little dicey.
17:13John, thank you very much for your contribution.
17:152-1-6-4-7-4-0-0-92.
17:18Rodney in Litchfield, your first up on the fan.
17:20Hello, Rodney.
17:21Hey, guys.
17:23Whoa.
17:23Whoa, Rodney, you got to turn us down there.
17:25Just turn us down.
17:28I stopped my car, and it took over.
17:30It's okay.
17:31Go ahead, Rodney.
17:32So, I'm going to agree with both of you.
17:34Am I allowed to agree with both of you?
17:36That's fine.
17:37So, here's my point about the Cavs, and I want them to win it all.
17:41First of all, they're injury prone.
17:44They have been since the second round of the playoffs last year.
17:47Is that a fact?
17:48Mm-hmm.
17:49That's a fact.
17:50Mm-hmm.
17:50They're too short in a couple positions, hype-wise, when it comes to guarding the guys for the Celtics.
17:56That's a fact, right?
17:57Oh, yeah.
17:57Yes.
17:58So, those are two problems they have.
18:00Harden, I think, has been a good pickup.
18:03He's not real good in the playoffs.
18:05That's a fact.
18:06It's not entirely a fact.
18:08The narrative on him is big games.
18:10He has fallen short.
18:11Okay, but that's what he's known for.
18:12He's also had monstrous playoff games.
18:15Okay.
18:15Like, comparing it to, like, Darius Garland, who is injury prone, too, by the way.
18:19James is not.
18:20So, that's why they needed somebody.
18:21Labels aren't always fair, but we call them labels for a reason, Tony.
18:24They needed somebody who actually has been able to have big playoff games.
18:28You know, Garland had never.
18:29What I don't want to hear in the playoffs this year is they didn't have time to gel, and I'm
18:34going to tell you why.
18:35Look how good Harden has looked when he has played.
18:38His passing, getting guys in the right position, and you can't blame payroll like you can the Guardians.
18:44You can't blame payroll.
18:46So, I don't want to hear people say they didn't have time to gel.
18:49If they don't get it done this year, you've got to look at, and I'm not talking major changes.
18:54I'm talking you've got to figure out what's it going to take to get to the next level.
18:58Because I think healthy, they've got a chance.
19:00There's no doubt they've got a chance.
19:02And I just hope that they stay healthy, and then we don't use the excuse they didn't gel.
19:06I hope they stay healthy and get to the finals and have a good job.
19:08See, Ronnie, that's where I disagree.
19:10I mean, how can you not use that?
19:13I mean, I know it comes off like an excuse.
19:15They decided to make a trade.
19:16So, that was a voluntary.
19:18Yeah, and it wasn't if they would have just stuck with the Dennis Schroeder-Keon Ellis trade.
19:22Like, okay, that would be ancillary.
19:24I would give you credit on that.
19:25But, like, James Harden is a major component to this team.
19:28And you need time to play with each other here.
19:30I mean, good God, we all saw the difference in what Jaron Allen was able to do
19:34with a guy who had the vision that James Harden has.
19:39I think that that's a warranted conversation to have if they fall short against the Celtics
19:44in the Eastern Conference Finals.
19:46Harden's looked good when he's played.
19:47I mean, it's not like he's looked like he's been out of time.
19:50It doesn't look like he's out of position.
19:51He has.
19:52But when you're playing with so many others, how much more could he pull out?
19:56He's a good guard.
19:57How much better of basketball could he pull out of Evan Mobley?
19:59How much better of basketball could he even get out of Jared Allen
20:02or some of the other guys out there?
20:03Like, I don't think we've seen the very best yet.
20:06I don't think they've had time to gel.
20:08Okay, well, I hope our bigs hold up because those two guys are playing together.
20:12They're as good as any two big guys in the league when they're playing the way they can play.
20:16And I hope we have a good run in the playoffs, guys.
20:18Thanks for the time.
20:19Rodney, thank you very much for the call.
20:21216-474-0092.
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