WFNY RoundTable: Playoff Edition
As we finished the NBA regular season this past Sunday, we can use this week of play-in tournaments to take a look back at the fantastic campaign the Cleveland Cavaliers put together. So we thought we’d run a roundtable of questions through our staff!
Question 1: If it can only be one, which award do you most want to see go to the Cavs this season; Ty Jerome (Sixth MAn of the Year), Evan Mobley (Defensive Player Of The Year), Darius Garland (Clutch Player Of the Year), or Kenny Atkinson (Coach Of the Year)?
Andrew: I was going to say Kenny Atkinson for COY because I think he deserves it the most out of any of these guys. There is just zero question who the NBA's COY is. But then I heard Evan Mobley on Brian Windhorst's podcast talking about how badly he wants DPOY and how he's still bummed about missing out on ROY. And I now I want Evan to get it. For Evan's sake.
Seth: While Kenny deserves all of the flowers for unlocking this Cavs offense, I want to see Evan get rewarded. He's so humble and I'm convinced there's not a defensive metric that encapsulates how impactful he is to this Cavs team. I want him to put this one on the board while he can, because DPOY might be damn near impossible to win over the next decade if that Wemby fella stays healthy.
Matt: For me, Evan Mobley has to win DPOY. Why? All to spite Draymond Green and his slimy media campaign tour and whining on his podcast that has tricked some media members into getting him into a conversation he doesn’t deserve to be in. Evan Mobley has the stats, the impact, and the team success; he shouldn’t need to cosplay as a politician on the campaign trail to take back the popular vote for an award he rightfully deserves just because narratives too easily swing NBA media members. He already got stiffed for ROTY for similar reasons. Let’s not let history repeat itself.
Gerbs: I’m not gonna go with something different just because: Mobley deserves the DPOY trophy. Get Draymond Green out of the NBA entirely, let alone this DPOY race that he is in the midst of simply because he started campaigning himself like an actor trying to salvage their career and taking Oscar bait. You can’t watch a Cavs game and not see the impact Mobley has defensively on a game, whereas the sucking Spurs just went at Donkey Kick Draymond at the end of a game the other day. Give it to the big man.
One final point about Atkinson, who thoroughly deserves the COY: the Cavs went from a team flirting with the Eastern Conference Finals to one recording the 8th most points in a season, a point shy of 10k. The impact of Atkinson on the roster, unlocking Mobley, making Donovan Mitchell a more passive participant in the offense, rehabbing Darius Garland’s mojo…it is all baked into the record and shows what he’s been able to do with a talented roster.
Assuming a win in Round 1, rank the potential opponents in Round 2 from who you'd most want to see to the least - Pacers, Bucks, and Pistons
Andrew: No question in my mind the team I want to see the least is the Bucks. Milwaukee is such a flawed team, the Cavs played them well this year. I get it. But Giannis would be the unquestioned best player in that series and I still believe that matters a lot in the NBA playoffs. So I just would love to avoid him. With Indy and Detroit, it's not as clear who the best player on the floor would be. The Cavs have struggled a bit at times with Indy over the years, including one of the uglier losses of the year at home against them in January, so I put them second-least. Famous last words, I know, but I would have no problem with facing the Pistons in round 2. Sign me up!
Seth: The Pistons are the easy choice here for who I want to see most. They can muck up the game, but they simply cannot score with the Cavs. Next is tough. I'd most want to see the Pacers next, but, it's not by a large margin. They're playing much better as of late and have the type of offensive upside variance where I could easily see them taking a couple of games from the Cavs. I least want to see the Bucks. If nothing else, Giannis will beat the ever living shit out of you, even if I'm confident the Cavs win that series by Game 6.
Matt: The Pistons would be my top choice to face, preferably. Pacers next, and I’ll fall in line with the Bucks for the team I wouldn’t want just due to the Giannis of it all. That doesn’t mean I don’t think they’ll handle Milwaukee in the second round due to Damien Lillard being out with blood clots and the roster being flawed, making it easier to zone in on him. Still, Giannis will give the Cavs headaches just because he’s one of the best players on the planet.
Gerbs: It’s really hard to not just agree and say the Bucks would be my least favorite opponent, but they have fallen off a cliff since Lillard went out with his deep vein thrombosis. I’m scared of Tyler Halliburton, easily a top five guard in the league, and while Cleveland has done much to help with it’s perimeter defense, his passing is off the charts and helps a roster that lacks up front. Detroit is probably the most favorable, as we all agree they seem to be a year or two away, and while the Bickerstaff return would help the rock fight the Pistons would put Cleveland in, they just don’t have the juice to move up this season.
Which bench player will have the most impact on winning this playoff run?
Andrew: This is a tricky one. I am the world's biggest Ty Jerome fan and it seems like he would be an obvious answer. When he's healthy and playing well, the Cavs just look totally different. And Dean Wade seems to always have surprising impact on games (although we've learned we can't rely on him to be healthy for the playoffs). But I think the answer is De’Andre Hunter. I still kind of wish he was starting, but whatever. The Cavs acquired him at the deadline for a reason. Hunter was a massive part of the Cavs' comeback win in Boston recently, including getting his hand on a late Tatum three attempt. That's what Hunter was brought to Cleveland for. As much as I love Ty Jerome, I think the Cavs need Hunter to be great for the team to get to their ultimate goals.
Seth: We have so many good choices here. Okoro has been doing all the little things well, cutting, creating extra possessions, and being a pest. Wade is an advanced stats darling. Then, oh yeah...we have two guys in the 6MOY race in Jerome & Hunter. I'm going to side with Hunter here though. I think it's more likely than not he's in some closing lineups against Boston, and we're going to need his size on the wing to win that series.
Matt: DeAndre Hunter. I believe his skill set is what the Cavs have needed, and whether he's coming off the bench, starting, or closing games, he’ll help be an equalizer at the wing that the Cavs sorely missed in the Core Four Era.
Gerbs: This time, I will go against the grain and say Ty Jerome is one of the keys to this team. Atkinson has done amazingly well at managing minutes for his players this season, and Jerome is a big part of that. His efficiency this year has been astounding while playing lockdown defense on opposing guards and allowing for one of Mitchell/Garland to rest without much dropoff in production. Yes, playing minutes expand in the playoffs, as starters are asked to play longer and more frequently, but having a player like Jerome on the floor allows for a higher floor on those breather minutes for Spida and DG.