CLEVELAND, Ohio — In the latest episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, cleveland.com Cavs beat reporter Chris Fedor and host Ethan Sands delved into one of the most significant coaching decisions of Cleveland’s season so far: the benching of veteran guard Lonzo Ball in favor of rising talent Craig Porter Jr.
Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson framed the decision as multi-layered, with the schedule providing the initial entry point.
The Cavaliers are in the middle of a grind-heavy stretch with no back-to-backs but games every other day through Jan. 18 — the first time they’ll have two consecutive off days before a matchup with Oklahoma City.
In Atkinson’s view, that reality creates opportunities to manufacture rest in unconventional ways, even if those nights don’t show up on an injury report.
Coming off two bruising, physical games against Houston and New York, Atkinson believed Monday in San Antonio made sense as one of those moments. Sitting Lonzo Ball wasn’t about a formal rest designation as much as recognizing the cumulative toll of the schedule and finding pockets to manage it, something Atkinson has been intentional about all season.
Still, that explanation only accounts for part of the decision — and not the driving force behind it.
“I think the higher tier is that Lonzo just was underperforming and that everybody could see it and that we’re at a point in the season where numbers aren’t as noisy as they once were and numbers are more informative,” Fedor explained on the podcast. “And I think Kenny understands the kind of impact that Craig Porter Jr. has had compared to Lonzo is just different, and everybody can see it.”
The discussion highlighted how this decision represents a delicate balancing act for Atkinson.
On one hand, Ball was specifically acquired via trade to contribute to this team. On the other, Porter has undeniably outplayed him, creating an organizational dilemma about prioritizing performance over status.
What makes this situation particularly fascinating is how it reflects the Cavaliers’ broader organizational philosophy.
As Fedor pointed out, Atkinson has been consistent in his message to young players like Porter and Jaylon Tyson: perform well, and you’ll be rewarded with opportunity.
“Well, if you have these guys that are doing them and doing them to a higher level and you don’t reward them, that is a very, very bad look, and that ruins relationships, and that can create some kind of problems behind the scenes,” Fedor stated emphatically.
The podcast conversation went beyond just the performance metrics to explore how this decision impacts team chemistry.
Fedor emphasized that open communication becomes crucial in these scenarios: “The way that you kind of massage the situation is you have open ended communication, you tell Lonzo why you’re doing what you’re doing, you explain to him beforehand what’s going on and you hope that he understands it.”
What’s particularly interesting is how the podcast frames this decision as part of a larger playoff-readiness evaluation.
The Cavs aren’t just concerned with regular season wins — they’re focused on which players can contribute when the games matter most in April, May, and potentially June.
Porter’s impact was immediately felt in the game against San Antonio that followed this rotation change.
As Sands noted in the podcast, Porter’s “ability to, even if he doesn’t get an offensive board, to either deter the ball handler at the point of attack as soon as they grab the rebound or simply take the ball from them as they try to get it out of their hands is something that not a lot of players in the NBA are capable of.”
While matchups and situations may still dictate some rotation flexibility, the podcast made clear that Porter has earned his opportunity through consistent impact.
As Fedor concluded, “This version of Lonzo on this basketball team under these circumstances, has not been as consistently impactful as Craig Porter Jr ... At some point, you just can’t ignore those things, right? At some point, you have to follow the evidence wherever it leads you, even if it’s not where you thought it was going to lead you to.”
Here’s the podcast for this week: