CLEVELAND, Ohio — In this episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, Ethan Sands and Chris Fedor react to the Cavs’ 133-107 dismantling of the Philadelphia 76ers, a performance that looked and felt like the most complete showing of the season.
The question isn’t whether Cleveland is capable of nights like this — it’s whether they’re willing to hold themselves to this standard moving forward.
Takeaways:
1. A “Complete Game” Sets the Standard for Consistency
The Cavaliers’ win was described as their most complete game of the season, defined by high energy, intensity and execution on both offense and defense for a full 48 minutes. The performance was a direct and powerful response to a recent poor loss to the Utah Jazz and a challenge from head coach Kenny Atkinson. The offense was particularly impressive, recording 41 assists on 50 made field goals, just four shy of the franchise record. The hosts emphasized that the key takeaway is not just the single victory but the establishment of a performance standard. The next step for the team is to “stack” these high-effort performances to build a consistent identity, rather than fluctuating between dominant wins and baffling losses.
2. Jaylon Tyson’s Defensive Impact Solidifies His Role
The decision to start Jaylon Tyson in place of the injured Dean Wade was a major topic, with Tyson’s performance validating the move. His primary assignment was guarding 76ers star Tyrese Maxey, and his physical, aggressive, and “pesky” defensive style proved highly effective. Maxey was held to just 14 points on 31.3% shooting and appeared frustrated throughout the game, which disrupted Philadelphia’s entire offensive rhythm. The podcast concluded that the defensive tone set by Tyson or Dean Wade is superior to that of Sam Merrill in the starting lineup against certain matchups. With Wade nearing a return, Tyson has earned his place as the go-to starter at small forward whenever Wade is unavailable.
3. Donovan Mitchell Plays at an MVP Level
Donovan Mitchell’s performance was highlighted as being at an MVP level, full stop. He controlled the game’s pace, punished every defensive coverage, and elevated his teammates, finishing with 35 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds on 50% shooting. The discussion pointed to his unquantifiable value, noting the team’s significant drop-off when he is not on the court. A critical moment came in the second half when Darius Garland left with an injury; with Philadelphia mounting a comeback, Mitchell went “supernova,” scoring and creating for others to balloon a fragile 11-point lead to 30, preventing a collapse and demonstrating the leadership and impact that defines an MVP candidate.
4. Evan Mobley’s Growth Is About Influence, Not Volume
The conversation shifted to Evan Mobley’s development, framing his growth not as becoming a 25-point-per-game scorer, but as evolving into a “complete offensive player” whose value is measured by influence and basketball IQ. His stat line of 17 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists underscored this point, continuing a trend of high-assist games. This evolution shows him learning to read the game, make quick decisions, and find ways to impact winning without needing high usage. The podcast posited that on a contending team, this type of versatile, high-IQ support player who can facilitate the offense is ultimately more valuable than a “empty volume” scorer, representing a different, more mature kind of leap in his career.
5. De’Andre Hunter Must Prove His Consistency
De’Andre Hunter’s strong performance in his hometown of Philadelphia was a positive sign after a significant slump, but it came with a major caveat: he must now prove he can deliver consistently. While Hunter used the opportunity to publicly shut down rumors that he wants to be traded from Cleveland, the podcast stressed that the situation is two-sided. The organization invested significant assets and salary-cap space to acquire him, and one good game does not erase the inconsistency he has shown. For Hunter to quell trade speculation and solidify his role, he must stack similar impactful games to prove he is the reliable player the Cavaliers believed they were getting, or the team may be forced to look at other options near the trade deadline.
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Transcript
NOTE: This transcript was generated by artificial intelligence and could contain misspellings and errors.
Ethan Sands: What up, Cavs Nation? I’m your host, Ethan Sands, and I’m back with another episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast. And joining me today, Chris Fedor cleveland.com Cavs beat reporter and insider on the Cleveland Cavaliers based out in the in Philadelphia tonight after the Cavs latest win, 133-107 over the Philadelphia 76ers. And Chris, we knew coming in that this was a must win kind of game. And the Cavs played that way. They had energy, intensity for a full 48 minutes. This might have been the most complete game that they played this season. And it started with the ball and body movement that they had from the very beginning to the scoring. Offensively, we know that’s what it came into, what they have done this season, but also defensively, and I think that is what makes this game complete. The both ends of the ball. How the Cavs reacted to losing in Utah, Kenny Atkinson challenging them in that way, what did you take away from tonight’s contest?
Chris Fedor: Very similar to you. I mean, I feel like they came out tonight with the right focus, the right intensity, the right effort. A very, very different than than what it was the other night against the Utah Jazz when they went down 21 to 4 in a blink. It was a complete game for the Cavs. And I think the good thing, Ethan, is that we’ve had a lot of these different conversations lately. And yeah, there have been some terrible losses mixed in, but a lot of the conversations that we’re starting to have about this team is complete victories. Both ends of the floor looking more like Cavs basketball. And it did feel more like Cavs basketball. 41 assists on 50 made shots is outrageous. It’s four away from tying the most assists that this franchise has ever recorded in a single game. It’s the most that the Cavs have recorded in the Kenny Atkinson era or the ball was moving around. They made their first four shots. A lot of different guys were being involved. It wasn’t just one guy dominating possessions. So it was just a really complete basketball game. And I thought the kind of response that that you want from this team and I think the kind of response that Kenny was hoping for from his team, as you mentioned, he did say post game that he challenged the guys. He said, how are you going to respond? I know it was a terrible loss the other night against Utah and there’s no excusing that and we talked about that a bunch. But Donovan Mitchell has talked throughout the course of this season. It’s how you respond what do you do after those kinds of things happen and the way that they responded? It was a championship level response. It was nearly 48 minutes of dominance. It was a complete game. The 76ers led for 24 total seconds. 24 total seconds. That’s it. Given the way that the Cavs played the other night, this is the kind of performance that they needed. And in the words of Donovan Mitchell, now they gotta go out Friday and do it again and then see what happens Monday against Oklahoma City at some point. Ethan, the next step for these guys seems weird to say the next step for them because of all the expectations coming into this year, but because they haven’t played to that standard, because they haven’t played to that level. For them, the next step is stacking these kinds of performances, stacking these kinds of outcomes. They haven’t done that consistently enough. They have an opportunity to do it Friday here in Philly against a 76ers team that’s going to be pretty angry about the way that they played.
Ethan Sands: Let’s stick there, Chris, because I think you said something really important. They don’t necessarily need to stack the wins, which is also very important. They need to stack the performances, these kinds of games, the effort level, the energy level, all of that. We can regurgitate that a thousand times because we know that this Cavs team has not played with that. And I’m not trying to be funny when I say this, but the Philadelphia 76ers looked like the Cavs tonight. They looked tired. They. They’re coming off a long road trip. This is their third game in four nights. All of these different implications, and then you turn around and you say, oh, the Minnesota Timberwolves series. Hey, hey. Two games back to back. The Cavs lost the first one, they won the second one. Philadelphia looks really similar. This is where the Cavs need to show themselves. I wasn’t surprised that they responded in this kind of way on a night where they needed to, on a night where they knew they were going to play the same team twice in a row. For me, especially with Kenny Atkinson saying Darius Garland and Sam Merrill are doubtful for Friday’s game against Philadelphia. How are the Cavs gonna play then? The key word for this season has been injuries have ruled the entirety of the year. And sure, you can point to Jared Allen being injured for strengths, Darius Garland being injured to start the season, Dean Wade still being injured. Max Struf’s not playing the entirety of the season to this point. All of these things are true, but the Cavs have fluxed and waned when it comes to their identity, based on the personnel that they’ve had. And I need them to come out with the same level of effort, intensity and energy on Friday, no matter who is available on the court.
Chris Fedor: Yeah, there’s no doubt about it. You know, I think we’ve gotten to a point in the season, Ethan, where the how, the how and the why matter. It is not just about the end result. And I think that’s the thing that, that Kenny was most excited about from tonight’s game. I think that’s the thing that Donovan Mitchell was most excited about. Jaylon Tyson, I talked to him after the game. That was the thing that he was most excited about. Because the how and the why, that’s ultimately going to determine your ceiling. That’s ultimately going to determine how far you go when the playoffs roll around, if you do become a playoff team, all those different things. And you know, when you think about how the Cavs want to play, the kind of product that they want to put out on the floor, the kind of identity that they want to have, you know, tonight wasn’t perfect, but tonight was pretty much a portrait of that, right? They made things difficult on Joel Embiid. They made things difficult on Tyrese Maxey. 76ers missed a bunch of open threes, but the Cavs had more of an attention to detail on who was getting those open threes. So from that standpoint, you can argue that they guarded the three point line better. They crashed the offensive glass. Kenny said he wants that to be a part of who they are. Like I said, they moved the ball around. If you think about it, it wasn’t just Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell getting everybody involved. There were nine different guys with at least one assist. Lonzo Ball came off the bench and he played well. He had four assists. He made three threes. It is not a coincidence that the two times in the last month that Lonzo has looked good and capable, it’s when he’s gotten a long layoff in between and his body has gotten more time to recover. And I think part of the bigger picture plan with Lonzo is to continue to give him four straight DNPs, three straight DNPs. So he just gets added time to recover and his body isn’t worn down. I. I think he’s at a point in his career where his body is going to wear down quickly, and I think the Cavs have recognized that and it was good for them to see Lonzo come off the bench and provide a nice Lift both offensively and defensively. Because if Darius misses any amount of time, yeah, more responsibility is going to go on Donovan. More responsibility is going to go on Craig Porter Jr. But you have to have somebody else that can organize, that can run the offense, that can get them into sets. And if Lonzo can continue to be effective and impactful, then it’s at least something that Kenny Atkinson can consider. So I think there are a lot of different things about the game tonight, but I think the biggest thing, like you said, Ethan, is that how they went about it and the identity that they played to. It’s. It’s what they have been preaching. It’s what they have said. It’s closer to what they have said. They, they. They want to be. I mean, Holden 76ers to 18 points in the first quarter and forcing Joel Embiid into four or five turnovers. He was uncomfortable. Tyrese Maxey was uncomfortable. It started from there. And, and you have to give the Cavs a lot of credit for that level of defensive intensity, that level of defensive effort, and I think that level of, of following the game plan the way that they did.
Ethan Sands: Yeah, Chrissy, and you mentioned that first quarter, so. And there’s a lot to cover in tonight’s game, aside from the energy that the Cavs play with. So let’s start here. The start the decision to put Jaylon Tyson in the starting line with Dean Wade being out. I think this should not be a conversation anymore. I think Jaylon Tyson, when Dean Wade is not available. Jaylon Tyson is your starting small forward. He is the player that comes out with the intensity. He is the player that comes out with the spacing. He is the player that comes out with the defensive acumen and the body type to be able to guard players like Tyrese Maxey. Kenny Akinson knew Sam Merrow would have struggled in this kind of situation defensively. Not to take anything away from Sam, he has been great defensively this season, but especially after that Minnesota Timberwolves two game series, you notice some things. Anthony Edwards, a little bit bigger body, Tyrese Maxey, a little bit quicker body, all these different things. And I think Jalen Tyson has earned that right this season, not only with how he’s played when he’s been given the opportunity, but how he’s responded when he’s been taken off the floor. He fits, he spaces, he competes defensively, and most importantly, he doesn’t just hijack possessions. Look at how he guarded Tyrese Maxey. I cannot preach this enough. Tyrese maxey had 14 points on 31.3% shooting. Tyrese maxey came into the game averaging more per game than Donovan Mitchell, if that should tell you anything. This is a player that is known at least this season in the NBA for torching defenses like the Cleveland Cavaliers. Jaylon Tyson turned that conversation on its head and I think that is important to note when it comes to the decisions going forward. And sure, we don’t know when deanway is going to come back, but Kenny Atkinson needs to rely on the guy that has adamantly put himself into that starting small forward conversation.
Chris Fedor: First things first. Dean is close. Dean has conducted about four different workouts since he re injured his knee since he’s been absent with this knee contusion. I saw him work out earlier today at Temple. He was going through an on court workout where he took a little bit of contact. Actually it was with coaches and trainers, but he did take a little bit of contact. I saw him in the locker room. He was moving well. I don’t think it’s going to be Friday from what I like it could be, I wouldn’t rule it out, but the feel that I have is it’s, it’s more likely Monday against Oklahoma City. So he is nearing a return. And earlier tonight Kenny Atkinson was asked about, hey, are you sticking with Dean in the starting lineup when he’s ready to go? And he said probably, if I’m a good coach, if I’m smart. And he made a snide comment about, well, you know, there’s some debate about that lately. So I think he’s been hearing a lot of the chatter about some of his lineups, some of his rotations, things, things along those lines. But Dean is close in saying that I think you’re right if, if Max isn’t ready, if he’s unavailable, the, the debate should be between Dean and Jaylon Tyson because there’s just a different tone that is set with those guys on the defensive end of the floor. And I give Sam Merrill a ton of credit for the way that he has improved defensively. His metrics across the board defensively are not what his early career reputation was and he deserves credit for that in saying that he’s just not Jalen and he’s not Dean. Those guys have an ability to play with a level of physicality, to play with a level of aggressiveness, to pick up full court and just bother opponents. That was the thing that it looked like as the game was unfolding, that Tyrese Maxey just didn’t want to be involved in the Offense, he was exhausted. He was annoyed. Jalen was everywhere that Tyrese was. Every time Tyrese Maxey turned around, Jalen was there grabbing him, putting his shoulder on him, putting his forearm into him, doing all these things that some of the peskiest defenders in the NBA. Aaron N.E. smith, Andrew Nemart, D.J. mcConnell, Lou Dort, Kason Wallace, all these annoying defenders do on a nightly basis. And it just took Philadelphia out of their rhythm completely. It seemed to frustrate Tyrese Maxey. And that’s the kind of tone that Jalen can set when he’s in the starting lineup. It’s a different tone than Sam Merrill. Jalen and Dean can set that kind of tone. They can let whoever it is on the other side know this is what it’s going to be all night long. This is what you’re going to have to deal with for 48 minutes. And quite frankly, it didn’t look like Tyrese Maxey wanted to deal with that. There were times that he just waved at Joel Embiid and said, you go, or waved at Paul George and said, you go. Or waved at Quentin Grimes even, and said, you go. And that’s because of Jaylon Tyson. So that’s what Kenny wanted out of the starting lineup change. The other part of it was, you know, he wanted Sam coming off the bench, and he wanted some spacing and some shooting coming off the bench, but he wanted the positional size, the toughness, and the annoyance factor that Jaylon Tyson brings to the game. And it worked because Tyrese Maxey just never got comfortable. And when you take the head of the snake away and they all of a sudden have to go to these different options, it just changes what they’re capable of doing offensively. It changes the tone of the game.
Ethan Sands: I agree. I agree. I’m trying to do a better job of not expanding on one topic for 30 minutes. So we’re going to move on Donovan Mitchell. He’s playing at an MVP level, full stop. If Donovan Mitchell isn’t already in your top five MVP conversation, you’re watching highlights like you’re simply watching highlights instead of the game. He controlled the pace, he picked his spots, and he punished every coverage that Philly threw at him, and that included how he was getting off the ball and creating for his teammates. And Donovan Mitchell, to me, continues to raise his game to exactly what the Cavs need. Obviously, Sam Merrill and Darius Garland are off the court, so you need more shooting and you need more passing. So that meant that Donovan Mitchell had to get downhill and. And create from the middle of the court like Darius Garland does. That meant that Donovan Mitchell had to knock down more threes, had to be more proficient, more efficient from deep. He had 5 of 12 from three point range. He had 35 points at the end of the game. He had nine assists and he added seven rebounds on top of that. Chris, he was 11 of 22 from the field, 50%. I just think Donovan continues to answer every question thrown at the Cavs when it comes to can he elevate the team that’s around him? And I think it’s hard for people to recognize this because when it comes to the playoff conversation, we all know conference semifinals has been the baseline. That’s as far as he’s gone. But still, if you were to ask the guys on the Utah Jazz, if you were to ask Rudy Gobert, if you were to ask the guys on the Cavs, Donovan Mitchell makes life easier, easier, and he makes those around him better. And that is what an MVP is.
Chris Fedor: It was good timing because tonight is the final night that you can vote for for all stars and for US media, our ballots had to be in around 6 o’ clock or at least before 6 o’. Clock. And there was another writer, a national writer that was in town to, to watch and cover this game between the CAVS and the 76ers. And we were having dinner before the game and I said, hey, did you fill out your ballot and who did you go with? He left Donovan off of his starters. And look, you know, I’m not sitting here saying how another voter should vote. I, I can just make my own case for why I voted for the guys. And I just looked at him and I said, did you look at the. The Cavs on off numbers with and without Donovan? Did you look at their point differential with and without Donovan? It might be third in the entire NBA behind Giannis and Jokic, maybe fourth. I think Wemby’s up there, too. I don’t know where it stands after what happened in Oklahoma City the night before, but, like, that’s how important Donovan has been to the success of this team. While Darius is still recovering from injury at the beginning of the season, more was put on Donovan while Evan Mobley was not playing to the level that so many expected coming into the season. Not playing like an All Star, not playing like an All N B A player. Who was it? It was Donovan who had took. He had to take on more with DeAndre Hunter having one of the worst seasons of his career. Okay, Donovan, take on more. You know what I mean, like, it has been hard for the Cavs at the beginning of this season. It has not been pretty for the Cavs at the beginning of the season. Collectively, this has been a group of underachievers. There are guys that have overachieved, there are guys that have surprised. But collectively, as a whole, for the most part, this has been an underachieving team with, with a bunch of underachieving players. And that meant that Donovan had to do more. And he did. He has delivered more. So it was surprising to me that Donovan was left off that ballot. I have him on my ballot. He was one of my five starters in the Eastern Conference. I think he more than deserves it. Kenny Atkinson has said over and over and over again throughout the course of, of the first half of this season, where would we be without Donovan Mitchell? They would be near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. That’s what the numbers say. He had that kind of impact, he made that kind of difference tonight against Philadelphia, the way that he has throughout the course of this season. And I do think that, you know, there’s just a belief, there’s a hope that comes from playing alongside Donovan Mitchell. Yeah, he makes everybody better. Yeah, he draws a bunch of attention, but there’s like an unquantifiable effect that he has on this basketball team. And you felt that in the second half. Look, in the second half, Philly was starting to make a run. Darius goes down. I mean, the Cavs were concerned. You could see the concern on the faces of the Cavs, coaches, players, trainers. They all ran out to Darius, who was just like lying on the floor clutching at his right leg. And you could sense the, the fear and the frustration. And then what happens after that? So Philly cuts the lead to 11, and then Donovan just goes supernova. And it wasn’t only scoring, it was breaking down the defense. It was getting other guys involved. And then before you could snap your finger, an 11 point lead for the Cavs ballooned up to 30 and Donovan was once again at the center of it. And, and that’s the kind of moment throughout the course of a game, Ethan, where, you know, you can be like, oh, geez, here we go again. Sam’s in the back. We haven’t seen him since the, the first half. And now Darius. It could be a significant injury that, that’s what it looked like with how long he was lying on the court. As a player, you know, you’re a human being. You have these natural reactions, you have these emotions that are attached to it. You have this sense of concern, it could have been a deflating moment for the Cavs. It could have been a moment where Philadelphia was like, hey, our chance. No Sam Merrill, no Darius Garland. Let’s make this run, let’s continue this run. Donovan did not allow it to happen. And that’s, that’s the kind of stuff that he has done basically on a nightly basis at the beginning of the season for, for, for the Cavs. And they’ve needed every bit of it.
Ethan Sands: On the flip side of that, there’s another player that kind of falls into this bucket. Not the MVP category, but telling you who he is, telling you how he is going to impact the Cavs, and I think tonight was a great example of that. Evan Mobley is not becoming a number one option offensively, but he is becoming and growing into a complete offensive player. That doesn’t mean he’s chasing 25 and 12 like some Cavs fans were hoping for coming into this season. No, it’s more so. His game is balance, reading and making decisions and finding the Knicks and crannies of the offense and where he can be successful, where he needs to be aggressive, where he needs to get off the ball, all these different things. And I think that is the type of player that Evan Mobley is growing to be. It’s a support player. And that also ties into the defensive end where Jarrett Allen, who didn’t have a huge stat line tonight but was tasked with guarding Joel Embiid and Beat, talked about this at length on this podcast. Chris Evan Mobley is best as a defender when he’s on the help side, when he’s a helper, when he’s coming in and cleaning up messes rather than being the initial deterrent, especially against these heavy handed offensive players like Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo and these kind of bigger size centers, powered forwards. That’s who Evan Mobley struggles against. That’s why Jared Allen is still on the roster in part. And I think Evan Mobley continues to show, especially on the offensive end, where his game is going. Tonight he finished with 17 points, 13 rebounds and six assists. This is another game where Evan Mobley has had more than five assists. It’s been a culmination of how he’s been able to impact the offense. And sure, sometimes it’s made us think why are you being so passive? Why are you getting off the ball so much? But it’s also him growing his IQ of the game and learning where he can impact the most and what the game calls for. And as someone at his age, at his young stature of the game, I think it’s important because this is a different level of evolution and leap that maybe is depicting where Evan Mobley’s career is going to go. Because honestly, on a contender that’s more valuable than empty volume. And it felt like a reminder that Evan Mobley’s ceiling isn’t about usage, it’s about influence and how he impacts winning. And I think that’s what’s most important. And sometimes lost in these conversations that we have, especially with the expectations and. And what he said about himself last year about wanting to be a top player in the league. But maybe that’s not reality and maybe this is the kind of player that he’s going to be for the entirety of his career. Sure, he’s not in his prime, Chris, but at least for this, this season, that’s been more so what we’ve been seeing than a dominant, aggressive minded, assertive player.
Chris Fedor: I think we have to start here. Um, the Cavs need more from Evan Mobley moving forward than what he’s given in the first half of the season. But there are positive signs that he’s starting to understand it a little bit better. I’ve been talking about and I’ve been writing about since Evan came into the NBA, he was always going to be defined more by impact instead of production, because I just don’t think he’s going to be this guy that has these gaudy stats over and over and over again. But do you feel him on a possession to possession basis? Does he make his mark offensively? Does he impact the game in a positive way defensively? Is he involved in a lot of different aspects of what is supposed to make this team great? And you’re starting to see more signs of that. The Minnesota game over the weekend tonight against Philadelphia. But I’m going to continue to say it. Ethan, he is a supermax player. That’s what he is getting paid. There are expectations that come with that. There is scrutiny that comes with that. There is pressure that comes with that. There is a certain standard that comes with that as well. In games like this past weekend against Minnesota and tonight against Philadelphia, they have to become more of the norm. They have to become more of the norm than what they have been in the first half of this season. And if they do become more of the norm, then I think maybe some of the criticism will subside. Maybe some of the pressure will be alleviated. Maybe he can play with a little bit more freedom. It’s just, you know, because he struggled at the beginning of the year. There were some people saying different things about him, wondering things about him. But I do think as this season has progressed, he is showing more maturity, more basketball related maturity. And I think that’s a positive for the Cavs. And him and Jared Allen together, like when it clicks, when they both play well, when they both make an impact, that is something that is felt at both ends of the floor and that turns the Cavs into a different cat kind of team. The other guy tonight, and we cannot not talk about him back home, had his Delisandro’s cheese steak last night. DeAndre Hunter, with People in the crowd supporting him. He didn’t get a chance to play in Philadelphia last year. So this first time playing in Philly back home in about two years, DeAndre was really, really good. Even the shots that he was missing for the most part felt like they were good. They were in rhythm, they weren’t forced, they were barely missed. And when they get this version of DeAndre Hunter, that takes them to a different kind of level, that takes their bench to a different kind of level. And I think one of the differences tonight is that they got him involved early. They wanted him to be a part of the game. They wanted him to feel like he was a necessity. Kenny Atkinson talked throughout the course of the off season about going to see DeAndre learning about DeAndre. And they’ve had some heart to heart conversations during this slump that, that DeAndre has been in. And I think because of that time they spent together this past off season, that has kind of helped Kenny understand, okay, what can I say to DeAndre to try and get through to him? Like, what kinds of things might he need from me when he is going through good times? What kinds of things might he need from me when he’s going through bad times as well? And whatever it was that that has happened over the last couple of days, you know, DeAndre just felt like a different player. He looked like a different player. Maybe it was being back in Philadelphia, being back home, playing in front of friends and family, being around friends and family during a rough stretch that he’s going through, having that level of support, having that level of family alongside him probably helps him a little bit. He told me earlier today that when he’s going through difficult times, he leans on, yes, his teammates, yes, his coaches, but his family members as well. So maybe having them here was helpful. Whatever the reason was, it was a better version of DeAndre. It was a more complete and impactful version of DeAndre and that’s the guy. He even said it after the game tonight, he’s like, I’ve got to be better. I’ve got to be more consistent. And just like they, they need Evan Mobley to have more games like tonight, more games like over the weekend against Minnesota. They need this version of DeAndre Hunter. They need more games like this one. And if they continue to get those kinds of games from DeAndre, then maybe the speculation will die down. Maybe the noise around DeAndre and whether he’s happy here in Cleveland, what he, whether he wants to be traded, maybe that will die down as well.
Ethan Sands: Not to backtrack, Chris, but I just want to put some stats to the topic of MMO really quickly. Over his last eight, eight games, Evan Mobley has had at least three assists. In the last game against Utah, he had eight assists. Obviously, again, as I mentioned, he had six tonight. He had five against Indiana, he had five against Detroit, he had five against the Venus Suns. You’re just seeing his ability to make decisions and his game processing quickly. And we talked about it with the younger guys a little bit earlier in the season, like Jalen Tyson and Naquan Tomlin having the game speed slow down for them and that importance. And I think we’re seeing that at a different kind of level for Evan Mobley and how he’s able to process and make decisions. But to your point for DeAndre, and this is the last point I wanted to make for today’s podcast because I think you’re right, the family portion I think was the most important. Him being around friends and family and then also being in the same city for two nights, two, three nights, you got to see, even when he was having an on court interview after the game with Serena Winters, you could see him look into the crowd and start smiling. And obviously there’s been speculation about him being unhappy. But if you look at like the pictures of DeAndre Hunter when he’s just at practice, when he’s just at shoot around, when he’s around his guys and even when we’re in the locker room, Chris, and they’re joking and kikiing and all these things, they’re having a good time. Obviously he can get stale around the media because he wants to be very politically correct. And Donovan Mitchell has even mentioned that in a conversation with me in previous talks about just like DeAndre, I’d be surprised if he said something. It’s the same day DeAndre was like, Atlanta can’t guard me. Everybody was surprised. But to this point, I just think him having this different look when he’s around us, and him having this relationship with the guys that cannot go overlooked because he’s around Craig Porter Jr. And Jaylon Tyson and Naquan Thompson all the time. And I think that energy is helpful for him in being connected to this group because they’re young, they’re funny, they’re goofy, they’re energy centric, all of these different things. And I think obviously tonight his performance kind of backed up the idea and what he said to you, Chris, in a exclusive interview before the game, that he shut down the idea that he wants out of Clip Cleveland, saying, why would he want to be traded?
Chris Fedor: Right.
Ethan Sands: This is not only a great roster, but again, to my point, about Evan Mobley and Jared Allen, he gets to play with two bigs behind him that protect the mistakes that he makes. That’s one of the first things that DeAndre Hunter said when he got here in Cleveland. When he first got here, I asked him about that defensive acumen that we talked so heavily about on this podcast and he was like, well, you know, I used to hate guarding and going up against Jerry Allen and Evan Mobley because it made my life hard. Now he has them as backup. He knows that they have his back, and I think that’s something that the overall organization and the players have as well. We talked to Donovan Mitchell a couple of days ago about DeAndre Hunter, saying that we have his back. We have the idea and the thought that he is going to get out of that. And especially when we see the work, him coming in early, leaving late and doing all these things necessary is extremely important because that’s who The Cavs need DeAndre Hunter to be. And especially when coming off the bench and being a part of the second unit and having that scoring role and having the ball in his hands, being decisive but still passing the ball when necessary and having the trust in your teammates. I think that is the dynamic that is being created. And sure, it might have had a bumpy ride getting here, but that’s what we’re talking about. This team having hard conversations, having accountability that lead to players understanding the goal to a different standard than just saying, oh, yeah, we all have the same goal. No, you understand what it’s going to take and you’re willing to sacrifice to get there. And I think DeAndre Hunter might been the first domino to fall when it comes to this. But even if it’s the loudest domino to fall, you’re going to see this kind of matriculate through the entire roster. And I Think it’s very important.
Chris Fedor: But here’s the thing. He’s in trade conversations are two sided here. DeAndre can say the things that, that he told me earlier today when we were talking after shoot around and that was great. I wanted to give him the platform to address those things. I wanted to give him an opportunity to say what he wanted to in response to that. But he also has to prove to the Cavs that, that he is going to be closer to the guy that he was tonight against Philadelphia. So that the Cavs aren’t saying to themselves, hey, like how much can we trust you? How much can we rely on you? Do we need to start looking toward the trade deadline and asking ourselves what about Naji Marshall? What about Bobby Portis? What about Rui Hachimura? Like whoever it may be, you know what I mean? Like, Dean is somebody that they like they believe in, they’ve rewarded with a contract, but they have to ask themselves the same question about Dean. Wait, like how reliable are you? So DeAndre has to find a way not to make himself invaluable but to prove to this organization that he is still the guy that they traded for last trade deadline that, that he is the guy that this passed off season, they said off season MVP in line for a huge year, going to have a huge role on this team. He does have to show them that there’s no reason for them to start looking at at additions elsewhere because he’s going to be better than what he has been at the beginning of this season. And I know slumps suck and shooting struggles are not fun. And when you’re not playing to the level that you believe that you’re capable of and you’re not playing to the standard that you’ve set for yourself, it’s hard and it wears on you mentally and you don’t have a lot of fun playing the game of basketball. But like I said, you know, trade conversations, rumors, speculation, it’s two sided, one game doesn’t change and say to yourself like, hey, this slump from DeAndre Hunter is over. Just like the Cavs have to stack these performances, DeAndre has to stack these performances and he’s got to show a different level of consistency so that you know, if there is is any belief that has waned a little bit from this organization, from Kenny Atkinson when it comes to lineups and combinations and stuff like that, that starts to come back because I mean, if we’re being honest, you know the guy that the Cavs traded for at the deadline, how often have the Cavs seen that guy even last year. It was up and down. And you said, okay, we’re going to give him a little bit of grace. No practices, new team, new environment, new teammates, new system, new usage, new everything. All right. It’s going to take some time. It’s almost been a year at this point, and it’s hard to say that the Cavs have gotten the reward on that investment, especially when that investment came at the cost of two pretty important players, some draft capital. You’d say what you want to about the draft capital. It’s a trade asset that they no longer have, and it came at the expense of, you know, their salary cap. Basically, when they traded for DeAndre, they’ve locked themselves into a roster essentially, and they were willing to do that because they believed that he was worth it. He needs to continue to prove and show that he was worth it, that he can be, you know, an integral piece of this team winning a championship. It was a good performance against Philadelphia. Gotta stack them over and over and over again because the consistency, that’s the thing that has a chance to kind of separate DeAndre from the other wing options that the Cavs have already on this roster or potential ones that they would have to look at at the trade deadline.
Ethan Sands: Consistency has been the word for the entire team, Chris.
Chris Fedor: Yeah, you’re right.
Ethan Sands: I mean, we’re here 42 games into the season, that has been the biggest buzzword. We talk a lot on this podcast about buzzwords and what was said this week at a press conference or over the season. Consistency for us has been the main one or inconsistency for the Cavs sake. But Chris Woo, a year since DeAndre Hunter almost got here. Yep, time flies when you’re having fun, or in the cows case, when you’re stressing. But the Cavs already know the energy, intensity and all these things that they’re going to have to come in to. Friday night’s game with the Philadelphia 76ers will be more rested than they were coming into tonight’s game. They’re going to have a better opportunity to see who’s on the floor. Who knows if Joel Embiid and Paul George are going to be active. All these things are still up in the air. But if we know how the Cavs play against teams after wins, they need to come out with the same vigor that they had in tonight’s game because Philadelphia, on their home court in game two of a playoff series, once again is going to want to get their get back against the Cleveland Cavaliers, especially.
Chris Fedor: After they got booed off their home floor.
Ethan Sands: That’s a big one. And the calves know that feeling and they don’t like it at all. But with all that being said, that’ll wrap up today’s episode of the Wine and Goal Talk podcast. But remember to become a Cavs insider and interact with Chris, me and Jimmy by subscribing to subtek Tomorrow. Chris is still going to be in Philadelphia and we’re going to handle our hey Chris, Chris episode for the week. So if you want to know which cheesesteak spot Chris is hitting up, if you want to know what the Cavs plan is going into Friday night’s game, whatever hit us up. And the only way to do that is signing up for a 14 day free trial or visiting cleveland.com Cavs and clicking on the blue bar at the top of the page. If you don’t like it, that’s fine. All you have to do is is text to word stop. It’s easy, but we can tell you that the people who signed up stick around because this is the only way to get insider information from Chris, me and Jimmy on the cabs. This isn’t just our podcast, it’s your podcast. And the only way to have your voice heard is through subtext. Y’ all be safe. We out.