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

[basketballRob]

I say Magic close this out in 6.

I wouldn't let jb get on the plane back to CLE.

Can you leave Mitchell in Orlando, too?

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No, we need to get some return assets fot him. He just need to stay healthy these next 2 losses so we can trade him when he declines to extend for the second summer in a row.

We have 5 1st-round picks in the next 3 years.

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[Rainwater]

Mobley/Allen just doesnt work in the playoffs. You cant have that lack of spacing and Mobley just isnt a full time C yet. Cavs need a stretch 5, but losing Allen would hurt their defense too much.

Tough decisions to make. Mobley becoming a great shooter would solve all these problems, but thats living too much on hope.

Allen is clearly the better player.

No matter what we have to move Mobley.

I'll give JB another chance if we win the series.

If we lose, he's gone and I trade Mobley and then likely Mitchell too as I can't imagine he would want to stay.

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Trading Mobley would be stupid. Keep him and hope he continues to develop his three point shot.

Why would they trade Mobley? Lol. If you had to chose between Mobley or Allen I would think the move is Mobley, he is younger and has more potential.

[Message Boar]

How come Evan Mobley isn't developing into that guy?

I mean he's 22 years old and missed half the season with injuries, but the Magic having WCJ, Mo Wagner, Issac is tough. Tougher still that they've been allowed to be physical with Mobley in Orlando in a way that the Cavs have not been allowed to be physical with either Banchero or Frantz.

Cavs were allowed to be very physical with Banchero (and other Magic players) without having a foul called on them.

Other than that yeah this is just a tough series to score in for, well, just about everybody. On both sides.

[Raps in 4]

This is why I didn't want the Raptors to trade a decade of picks for Chokovan Mitchell. This dude as your best player caps your team's potential at second round fodder.

[JujitsuFlip]

Can you leave Mitchell in Orlando, too?

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No, we need to get some return assets fot him. He just need to stay healthy these next 2 losses so we can trade him when he declines to extend for the second summer in a row.

We have 5 1st-round picks in the next 3 years.

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You all want him? Knicks didn't want him after they kicked our butts last year. Doubt the Magic will want him after you all finish kicking our butts this year.

[DowJones]

I would start Morris for Strus.

I think Thompson is the better call. Thompson is an outstanding offensive rebounder and I trust him to bang in the post more than Morris. I would play Morris, just give him all of Niang's minutes.

We don't need 3 guys out there who can't shoot. Scoring is our issue.

Scoring will be a massive problem regardless of what we do. It’s not like starting washed up Morris over Strus is a move to help our offense. I am saying Tristan would be us leaning all the way into winning games that are played in the 80’s.

[JujitsuFlip]

This is why I didn't want the Raptors to trade a decade of picks for Chokovan Mitchell. This dude as your best player caps your team's potential at second round fodder.

And the Cavs can't even get to that level lololol

It was a terrible trade and i hated it from the start.

[DowJones]

Can you leave Mitchell in Orlando, too?

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No, we need to get some return assets fot him. He just need to stay healthy these next 2 losses so we can trade him when he declines to extend for the second summer in a row.

We have 5 1st-round picks in the next 3 years.

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None of them are good. I don’t think the Magic can put together a competitive offer without Franz.

[Last Guardian]

Magic went down 20 in first two games but never gave up. Cleveland is not showing much spirit.

[jkvonny]

Magic has one of the cutest mascots in the league.


What the hell is that anyways? I think a dragon of some sort.

Read on Twitter

[JujitsuFlip]

I think Thompson is the better call. Thompson is an outstanding offensive rebounder and I trust him to bang in the post more than Morris. I would play Morris, just give him all of Niang's minutes.

We don't need 3 guys out there who can't shoot. Scoring is our issue.

Scoring will be a massive problem regardless of what we do. It’s not like starting washed up Morris over Strus is a move to help our offense. I am saying Tristan would be us leaning all the way into winning games that are played in the 80’s.

Morris is a 40% three point shooter, what do you mean? Having him muck stuff up and beat up on Paolo for 6 fouls allows Mobley to try and contain Franz.

Strus can't guard Franz, especially with the touch fouls he was getting whistled for today.

[JujitsuFlip]

Magic went down 20 in first two games but never gave up. Cleveland is not showing much spirit.

They're getting pummeled out of halftime which speaks directly to a garbage head coach.

[Magiclee]

Does anyone else think Paolo is showing a little too much reverence to Mobley? He attacks the rim strong all the time but he won't even challenge Mobley. Not sure why.

He had a bad game today but he was all over Mobley last game.

Yeah he had a bad game, but this has been all series long. When he went off it was with fadeaway jumpers. I want to see him put his shoulder into Mobley's chest like Mo's done and take it at him.

[jbk1234]

Bad game by Paolo and quietish game by Suggs on offense. And ORL still got the blowout win.

Not going to lie, I didnt think ORL was going to be able to pull together 4 games of enough offense to win this series. Im starting to walk that back now. Im not going to be shocked now to see ORL make it to the 2nd round.

My thoughts too. Now it feels like ORL's offense is more sustainable than Clevelands. Shades of las years playoffs where Cavs offense is an eyesore. Mobley/Allen doesnt work in the postseason. Hard to score with 2 non-spacers on the court (Mobley can shoot some but ORL plays him like a non-spacer, like the Knicks did last year)

Ya Garland just isnt showing up and CLE really doesnt have much better spacing than ORL right now. And when you look back so far in this series, 4 games in and CLE has yet to crack 100.

Now ORL needs to show up on the road, and that is a huge question mark for them. But ya before the series I had CLE in 6. I think Im at the point of officially flipping that. I think ORL in 6 right now.

Outside of Mitchell I just dont see where CLE is going to get consistent offense. And he's got Suggs on him all game long so its not like he's going to have these easy days. He can still go off like he did game 1. But ya I kind of like how ORL is playing better as of right now.

Mitchell had 4 more points than Garland in this game with 3 more attempts. They both had 6 assists. Mitchell had 6 turnovers to Garland's 2. The Cavs have to stop staggering their minutes as much as they are, because when one of them is off the floor, the Magic are just completely collapsing the paint.

[Magiclee]

We don't need 3 guys out there who can't shoot. Scoring is our issue.

Scoring will be a massive problem regardless of what we do. It’s not like starting washed up Morris over Strus is a move to help our offense. I am saying Tristan would be us leaning all the way into winning games that are played in the 80’s.

Morris is a 40% three point shooter, what do you mean? Having him muck stuff up and beat up on Paolo for 6 fouls allows Mobley to try and contain Franz.

Strus can't guard Franz, especially with the touch fouls he was getting whistled for today.

Paolo would drop 30 on Morris by the time he fouled him out in the 2nd quarter.

[Residual-Heat]

Magic has one of the cutest mascots in the league.


What the hell is that anyways? I think a dragon of some sort.

Read on Twitter

That is Stuff the magic dragon.

[Message Boar]

Magic has one of the cutest mascots in the league.


What the hell is that anyways? I think a dragon of some sort.

Read on Twitter

Yeah it's Stuff the Magic Dragon. I do believe he's won mascot of the year in the nba multiple times.

(edit: name is a vague reference to a 1963 song, somehow)

[zaymon]

Franz finally waking up. Cavs just broke after Magic raised the aggression.
I never understood Cleveland team building. Two small guards and two non shooting bigs. They still are favourites but it cant work long term.
Only negative is Paolo but he is useful just with his size and frame opposite to Mobley who is weak.

[Iwasawitness]

To be clear, this is still Cleveland’s series to lose. The fact of the matter is, Orlando did not once lead at any point in games one and two. Cleveland can at least say they did at Orlando, hell they had the lead going into the half.

As long as Cleveland’s still got homecourt, there’s no reason to panic. But with that said, there’s definitely reasons to be very concerned. I’m not even talking in terms of what’s to come next, because I fully expect Cleveland to lose to Boston if they advance. But Mitchell has been pretty bad offensively after the first game where he scored 30. He’s part of the reason as to why we’re losing right now. In my opinion, if this continues, I am still of the belief that he is the one we need to cut ties with, not Garland and sure as hell not Mobley.

Also, I’ve defended Bickerstaff, but this is the second straight playoff series where he’s very clearly getting out coached. It will be third straight if we make it to the second round. And if we somehow make it past Boston, that would be number four. Doesn’t matter how far we make it, the guy needs to go.

[ForeverTFC]

I think Bickersatff is a bit handcuffed tbh. The best 2 man lineup is clearly Mitchell/Allen. But the future - especially if they’re not confident on Mitchell coming back - is Garland/Mobley. They’re essentially the same duo, one is just 5 years younger. Yet he has to play them all big minutes. There’s so much you can do with schemes if 4 of your highest minute players are pretty much written in in pen and the pairs pretty much bring the same skill set to the table.

I still really think a Garland for Siakam or OG trade would have been a great outcome for Cleveland but they just can’t make that move if there is a risk Mitchell is out.

Especially bc both those players are on expiring deals.

Neither of those teams needs a PG.

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I meant when they were on the Raps. Neither is going anywhere at this point.