00:00And if they play like they did in Game 7, I think they can win the series.
00:03I think they win the series if they can play like they played in Game 7.
00:08You've got to hit your buckets.
00:10The one thing they didn't do in Game 7 was make free throws,
00:13which was a little nerve-wracking if you are watching the whole series
00:18and you're like, ah, you better hit those free throws
00:20because they might come back to haunt you.
00:21But they didn't.
00:23I don't know how this plays out.
00:25Tonight I do think is an extremely big night for the Cavaliers.
00:28Game 1 I just think is crucial until you get to Game 2.
00:32Like we sit here in the moment and we worry about, hey, can they win?
00:36Can they do this?
00:37Can they take 1 out of 2 from New York in New York?
00:40Yeah.
00:40If they can, then you've got something going here.
00:44But if they come back 0-2, it'll be interesting to see how quickly they can respond.
00:48Even though they did it against Detroit, I don't know if I have the same feeling.
00:52And they coughed it up against Toronto.
00:54Yeah.
00:54They were up 2-0.
00:55Yeah.
00:56Why do I feel like this truly is the world against the Cavaliers?
00:59Is it?
01:00I don't like that at all.
01:02That's the vibe I'm getting.
01:03From whom?
01:05Kind of a little bit you guys and other people that I've talked about.
01:07And if you start reading stuff online, you're like, man, I don't know.
01:11The Cavs, I mean, they're like, oh, the Cavs may have a chance in this.
01:15It depends on what the Cavs do.
01:18I don't know.
01:19You guys make me think that it's like, I'm just being honest, just listening to you.
01:24It makes me feel like they just have very little chance to win this series.
01:29Disagree.
01:30I think they have a chance.
01:31I personally think the Knicks will win the series.
01:34But I think the Cavs have a great chance.
01:36Okay.
01:36So how?
01:37How do they win the series?
01:39Well, it's pretty basic.
01:42Your big guys have to show up and your guards have to be good.
01:47I don't think there's any secret here.
01:48And I think you have to play some really good defense.
01:52I do think it's that simple.
01:54I mean, I'm calling you out a little bit on this, too, Dan.
01:56I don't feel like there's any.
01:58I think we're all kind of preparing ourselves for them to lose.
02:01And I don't feel that way.
02:03Why do you say that?
02:05I'm listening to what you're saying.
02:06And it's like, I'm like, ah, man, I don't know.
02:09Maybe the Cavs can't win.
02:10And I'm just, I appreciate what you say.
02:13I appreciate your opinion on it.
02:15And both of us have spent time around the team in past years.
02:20But sometimes when I listen to some of your analysis, I'm like, ah, man,
02:24Jeff always ends up being right on a lot of this stuff.
02:27And I get way too emotional and get tied into what I love to see
02:31and too much of a fan sometimes.
02:33And I kind of get sucked in that way.
02:35And I'm like, all right, I'm going to balance myself out
02:37by listening to what Jeff says.
02:39And we'll get you in trouble.
02:40Yeah, it will.
02:41All right, Dan, your thoughts on this.
02:42By the way, I don't respect anything you say, so we're okay.
02:45I'll feel better about it.
02:46It's the smartest move you could possibly make.
02:47Yes.
02:47Yeah.
02:48The first thing that I will say when it comes to this is, to me,
02:52this season is an overwhelming success no matter what happens in this series.
02:55Like, slam dunk, well done.
02:57Nice job, everyone.
02:58It's been a terrific year.
02:59You've achieved your goals.
03:01From here, everything from here, gravy.
03:03Like, this is the utmost series of put your feet up and just enjoy the ride.
03:07Gosh, I disagree with that.
03:09I don't agree with you on that either.
03:10You don't think it's house money, do you?
03:12Tell me why.
03:12I don't.
03:13I don't think they're playing with house money.
03:14No.
03:14I think we're house money.
03:15Gilbert doesn't play for third, fourth place.
03:17I can only play what I play for.
03:19I think Kenny's in trouble if they get blown out.
03:22I don't.
03:23If they get blown out, I think Kenny's in trouble.
03:25I don't think they're going to get blown out.
03:27But if they get swept and, like, don't look good at all, you go back to the same question.
03:33I paid what for what?
03:37I think Dan's past that.
03:40To the Cavalier side of things and the Cavalier fandom that is in me, this is a win.
03:45They've achieved every goal.
03:46Make the Eastern Conference Finals.
03:47You are one of the best four teams in basketball.
03:49Well done.
03:50This is what you signed up for.
03:51You went farther than you did the year before, and it seems like things are trending in the right direction.
03:55And that and $100 will get you $100.
03:57Hey, you know what, though?
04:00If we're just going to sit here and spend our lives moving the goalposts, then we're going to spend our
04:03lives miserable.
04:05Andy, you think...
04:05Wait, you're just saying they're moving the goalposts.
04:07They just moved the goalposts.
04:08No, no, no.
04:08What Jeff said right there of, you know, you achieved your goals at $100, gives you $100.
04:12It's like, yeah, well, then keep moving the goalposts and live your life in misery.
04:14Well, Andy, they're trying to win the NBA championship.
04:18Right.
04:18I know what they're trying to do.
04:19I'm saying it as a fan.
04:20I personally think it's been a successful season already.
04:23I don't know if they would feel that way.
04:26I do, too.
04:27You're the guy who's trying to be optimistic.
04:28How do they win?
04:31One, and this is the way you said it.
04:33It's simple.
04:34They cannot turn the ball over.
04:36They've got to take care of the basketball.
04:37That was my number one pet peeve in what they were doing.
04:41Two, I think they have to figure out a way to get the big guys involved.
04:44Because you know as well as I do that when they start going into hero ball, unless Harden gets really
04:50hot, unless Mitchell is on fire, right?
04:53They don't win those games.
04:56And, you know, the offensive rebounding has got to be there, too.
05:00Like, they've got to be able, if they're going to miss, and they're going to miss on threes, they've got
05:03to be able to get to the boards.
05:04So, I just, when they push things too fast, sometimes, sometimes, I should say this, and, like, they lose control.
05:14Like, when they lose control of the ball, those turnovers that happen because one of the guards takes the ball
05:19in around the outside or tries to work their way in, and they find themselves in the paint.
05:23Next thing I know, you're standing in the paint, and you've got three big guys around you, you have nowhere
05:27to go.
05:28How many times have we seen that?
05:30Like, I like when they push the ball before the other team, whether it's the Knicks or it was the
05:34Raptors or Detroit, before the other team can set up in a half-court defense.
05:38Like, that, to me, I think that's winning basketball for this team.
05:41But, I just, when they get sloppy and careless with the ball, it's so ugly and so hard to watch.
05:49I think they're their own worst enemy, except when you start looking through, you know, the Knicks lineup, and you
05:55have to respect them.
05:56You have to respect who you're about to go up and play, because they can put 100-plus on you
06:01in, like, 30 seconds by the end of the third quarter.
06:03And they have great shooters.
06:05They're a really, really good team.
06:07And so, for me to watch the Cavaliers win, they have to do everything right and then some.
06:13And so, that's why I do think that it kind of leans towards the Knicks on this thing.
06:17But, I absolutely think they can win.
06:19I mean, I said yesterday, I can see a scenario where they win in six.
06:22So, Dan, finish your thought.
06:23I'm sorry.
06:23I didn't mean to cut you off.
06:25I think the Knicks do take this series.
06:27I think it'll be like Knicks in six.
06:29Like, it'll be something like that.
06:30Knicks in six, Knicks in seven, somewhere in that area.
06:32That rhymed.
06:33But, like, I just, the Knicks are set up in a way where I could see them being the Achilles
06:39here.
06:39I know the Cavs have some advantages.
06:41I'm fascinated to see who guards Brunson.
06:43Because the Dean Wade on Brunson thing makes a lot of sense.
06:46Dean Wade can give Brunson some fits with how long he is.
06:49And the fact that he can move his feet.
06:52You mean Dean Wade, who nobody likes?
06:54Yeah.
06:55Dean Wade can move his feet on defense.
06:57I've been saying that for about five years.
06:59The only thing that I really don't like about Dean Wade is when he's standing underneath the basket all alone.
07:02And all he's doing is banking off the glass and put it in.
07:04Instead, he kicks it back out for a three.
07:06Now, I don't know if that's on him or if that's the game plan.
07:08Right?
07:09Oh, I don't think he does it that often.
07:12Can the Cavs win this series?
07:13The Cavs, absolutely.
07:14It's just one of those where a lot more things need to go right for the Cavaliers than need to
07:18go right for the Knicks for them to win this series.
07:19That's my problem.
07:20I think the big guy matchup will be something to really, really watch.
07:25Because Mitchell Robinson might play a bigger role than people are expecting.
07:31If you remember, he is a big, physical guy.
07:38And in the regular season, he played two games against the Cavaliers.
07:42He played in two of the three games.
07:43He averaged five and a half points and 14 and a half rebounds.
07:48In the February gaming, he played only 19 minutes against the Cavs.
07:5319 minutes.
07:54And both Allen and Mobley played in this game.
07:58In 19 minutes, Mitchell Robinson had 11 points and 16 rebounds.
08:04In 19 minutes.
08:07On Christmas Day, he played 17 minutes and he didn't score.
08:12But he had 13 rebounds in 17 minutes.
08:16In other words, they can't keep him off the glass.
08:22Especially the offensive glass.
08:25So, let's see.
08:26How much do you expect him?
08:27Do you expect the Knicks to play him more than maybe he's been playing?
08:31I don't know.
08:32I mean, because you look, he's like, I don't know, what's the average?
08:3518 minutes a game?
08:36Somewhere in there.
08:37What we know is this.
08:39He out-rebounds the Cavs by himself, basically.
08:43I mean, I would think that they're going to use him anytime they want to get physical.
08:49Anytime they want to get tough.
08:52If one of our big guys gets going, and remember, Evan's about 6'11".
08:57Okay?
08:58So, there's no size advantage there.
09:01And Robinson's bigger and heavier.
09:04Carl Anthony Towns is typical of big guys in the NBA.
09:08And I mean that for this reason.
09:11Big guys get grief that they don't deserve.
09:16We hear it here in Cleveland all the time.
09:18Well, Evan Mobley's soft.
09:19Evan Mobley can't do this.
09:21Jared Allen needs to be blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
09:23People say the same thing about Carl Anthony Towns.
09:26That guy's been on fire in the postseason.
09:30He has had 10 or more assists in 3 of 10 playoff games.
09:33And 6 or more assists in 7 straight playoff games.
09:37And the Knicks have won all 7.
09:40He's moving the ball like crazy.
09:42Along with doing what he usually does, which is get a double-double.
09:46So, the big guys for the Knicks have to be neutralized if possible.
09:52And I don't know that the Cavs can do that.
09:54I mean, for the Cavs, the other way, don't you?
09:56Do you go after him then and hopefully gets in fall trouble?
10:00Because he's not afraid to get in fall trouble either.
10:02Go after who?
10:03Carl Anthony Towns.
10:05He's a guy that you can get into fall trouble.
10:07Great, so you're bringing Mitchell Robinson and he gets two rebounds every minute?
10:11It's either way.
10:12I mean, again, are you playing against them or are you trying to play your own game
10:16and try to win that way?
10:19Apparently, you're going to do both.
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