2024 NBA Playoffs - East 1st Round: #4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. #5 Orlando Magic (CLE leads 3-2)

[dolphinatik]

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

[Jadoogar]

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.

[ijspeelman]

Magic just can't hit wide open shoots consistently. It's really that simple. Magic hit wide open shots they win both of these games in Cleveland.

You’re acting like Orlando had nothing but open looks. Cleveland’s defense played a part in a lot of their misses.

They had plenty to make these closer games. They obviously just missed them.

Just so we can get the numbers out there...

According to NBA.com, including both games:

Total Wide Open Threes:
Cavs - 30 (expected %: 39.3, actual %: 43.3%)
Magic - 44 (expected %: 38.5%, actual %: 25%)

Total Open Threes:
Cavs - 24 (expected %: 36.8, actual %: 12.5%)
Magic - 25 (expected %: 33.1% , actual %: 24%)

Total Points Lost:
Cavs - 13.8
Magic - 24.6

So shooting luck is favoring Cavs by 10.8 points total or 5.4 point per game. So neither games results would be changed if Orlando were given 5-6 more points per game

[jbk1234]

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

Been saying this.

[ItsDanger]

Magic lack perimeter shooting in their rotation. This was a bad matchup for them.

[3ddman23]

If the Heat without Butler and Rozier can beat Chicago then they can beat Orlando too. And Pacers played one game lol.

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

[Niko23]

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

Been saying this.

I am still skeptical, however the play/emergence of Garland/Mobley/Allen in key moments has been reassuring. I have been underwhelmed with Max, but his hustle/defense/rebounding has made up for his bad offensive play. Now the big test of winning on the road is next.

[Drakeem]

Orlando needs to revamp the role players that surround their main players better. It's depressing watching Paolo try to barrel into 5 defenders and kick it out to non shooters.

[JujitsuFlip]

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

No, if/when they advance the Celtics series is gonna be ugly.

Someone said something about clamps in this series, I don't even wanna imagine what the Celtics starting 5 is gonna do in a 7 game series, on both ends.

[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

No if the Pacers get smoked in game 2 then the same thing can be said about the Pacers. But we don't live in a world of "ifs" and "buts", the Pacers game 2 hasn’t even happened yet.

[3ddman23]

Orlando needs to revamp the role players that surround their main players better. It's depressing watching Paolo try to barrel into 5 defenders and kick it out to non shooters.

This is really it. They need to over haul the players around paolo, franz and Suggs. I just dont know if I trust this front office to do it.

[JonFromVA]

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

Been saying this.

It's nice to have most everyone available for games and practices, but how healthy do you think they are?

Consider, Mitchell has scored only one 3pt shot outside of the first quarter so far in the series (1 for 12).

[mcfly1204]

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

Been saying this.

I am still skeptical, however the play/emergence of Garland/Mobley/Allen in key moments has been reassuring. I have been underwhelmed with Max, but his hustle/defense/rebounding has made up for his bad offensive play. Now the big test of winning on the road is next.

Based on how the Cavs matchup with Boston, I can see Strus and LeVert playing bigger roles in that series. It would be great if Wade was available, but I am not going to hold my breath there.

[jbk1234]

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

Been saying this.

It's nice to have most everyone available for games and practices, but how healthy do you think they are?

Consider, Mitchell has scored only one 3pt shot outside of the first quarter so far in the series (1 for 12).

There are certainly degrees to health, but few Cavs fans grappled with just how few minutes our starters actually played with one another. As far as Mitchell, he's not really being left open from 3.

[toooskies]

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

Been saying this.

It's nice to have most everyone available for games and practices, but how healthy do you think they are?

Consider, Mitchell has scored only one 3pt shot outside of the first quarter so far in the series (1 for 12).

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.

[JonFromVA]

Been saying this.

It's nice to have most everyone available for games and practices, but how healthy do you think they are?

Consider, Mitchell has scored only one 3pt shot outside of the first quarter so far in the series (1 for 12).

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.

[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.

[jbk1234]

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.

If you think he's mindlessly dribbling, you're seeing something very different than I.

[toooskies]

It's nice to have most everyone available for games and practices, but how healthy do you think they are?

Consider, Mitchell has scored only one 3pt shot outside of the first quarter so far in the series (1 for 12).

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.)

[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.