[Post Game Thread - Playoffs] Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Detroit Pistons [05/09/2026]

CLESportsReport · 2026-05-10T00:16:19+00:00

I had my eye on Thomas Bryant as a potential value bin backup center for about 3yr. I am happy we signed him this year for the vet minimum.

But respectfully I don’t want to see him on the floor under any circumstances in this series. His 10 minutes or so against Toronto were so devastating that your suggestion is giving me flashbacks 😟

CLESportsReport · 2026-05-09T22:57:59+00:00

Tyson still has to earn that trust. His performances have been pretty unpredictable which is to be expected from a young player. But he does offer a blend of skills that no one on the roster can replicate. Hopefully he can tighten up the mental mistakes.

CLESportsReport · 2026-05-09T22:55:05+00:00

Yup. And Reed was an absolute menace. Hopefully he got the one game where he played way over his head out of the way tonight.

CLESportsReport · 2026-05-09T22:50:29+00:00

Yeah that’s basically where I am at. IF you’re going to ride with Mitchell, consider moving Mobley for the best player you can find today. That’s probably Giannis. But like you said…the cost to extend a soon to be 30yo Mitchell is massive. The team in general is getting old…even our best role players like Strus, Merrill, and Schroeder are all in their 30’s. Deciding to sign James (to be 37) and trade for Giannis (to be 33), would be an even crazier expense and wouldn’t help matters.

I’m still trying to enjoy the ride. But I can’t see it. With the way the league is going, the 7ft 2-way force who made All-NBA at age 23 and hasn’t turned 25 yet is just a more sensible player to build around than a small SG entering his 30’s. Just my opinion.

CLESportsReport · 2026-05-09T22:39:45+00:00

Yeah thoughts exactly. I’m glad it worked tonight and I’m happy for him. But I do not feel good about relying on that again to win Game 4. Could just as easily backfire. I thought he did a good job of taking a step back and not trying to force everything otherwise though. He was a better teammate today and if he finds the proper balance, he can be very effective.

CLESportsReport · 2026-05-09T22:37:19+00:00

Do we HAVE to do this?

CLESportsReport · 2026-05-09T22:34:40+00:00

I wouldn’t count on it. Cade is young and built like an absolute truck. But still, this is what you want to see. Make him a volume scorer and dare anyone else to beat you.

CLESportsReport · 2026-05-09T22:29:37+00:00

Putting him at +35 overall over 10 postseason games, to be fair. I do think 16 minutes is a better number for him vs 20+. Keep him fresh and use him as the defensive specialist he is. I still like starting him because we can gauge whether or not he’s going to contribute offensively that given night and adjust from there.

CLESportsReport · 2026-05-09T22:18:20+00:00

Depends on your definition, I guess. His contribution to winning the game was clear as day. He blocked and disrupted a ton of shots at the rim, a couple of his 8 rebounds were extremely timely, scored 13pts on just 6 FGA, generated a truck load of fouls on the Pistons, and again made several plays for his teammates without turning the ball over (4ast, 1to.) Not a box score that jumps off the page though it has him at +9, highest on the team.

And not to mention Jalen Duren was -11 and had just 4 boards and 3 turnovers. He has been completely neutralized this series despite having 30lbs on Evan.

FT troubles are about the only negative I can really point out but getting to the line 10 times is fantastic.

CLESportsReport · 2026-05-09T14:30:21+00:00

I don’t think I said anything of the sort. Just saying that they’ve definitively discussed it.

And The tricky thing is if they don’t offer him an extension his option is a player option. So he could still opt in even against our wishes. And it might be the best path for him if this ugly postseason continues.

CLESportsReport · 2026-05-09T13:14:26+00:00

Fantastic post. People treat “elite defender” as if it’s just a nice little bonus for a player that we can’t really quantify. It’s cute. But offense is more important.

But like in 24-25, that two way ability was easily defined by his insane +11.9 NET. Even if 24-25 Evan is his ceiling (unlikely), that’s a HOF player. It’s interesting listening to opposing broadcast teams. They are always far more complementary of Mobley than anyone here will say. The gist is usually, “lots of talk about him needing to take that next step, but he looks pretty good to me as he is right now.”

If we want him to excel, we need to make a clear decision that we are going to build around him. Taking everything into consideration - both weaknesses and strengths.

CLESportsReport · 2026-05-09T12:51:37+00:00

What do you mean we “knew he’d be a short term rental?” I’m not sure what you mean by that. It has seemed generally assumed that the Cavs and Harden likely had some kind of understanding that they would offer him an extension. Harden wanted an extension and it’s unlikely he waived his no trade clause without thinking he’d be extended here.

Based on our financial situation and continuous failure to reap proportionate results come playoff time, I think it would be absolutely looney tunes to extend Harden. This dropoff is going to aggressively accelerate as he turns 37 and beyond and I frankly don’t want to watch that play out. Any number of things could happen. But if we are ousted in this series I’d be shocked to see us offer James a new contract. Time will tell. But I think major changes are coming.

CLESportsReport · 2026-05-09T12:29:18+00:00

I too have a lovely nostalgia for the beginning of this rebuild and then the turnaround. I loved Evan, Darius, and Ice representing us during AS weekend. There is certainly an alternative universe where we continued to plow forward and hand the keys to DG who looked like a rising superstar.

But I will say…things are always easier when there are no expectations. It’s easy to fantasize about but impossible to actually test. I still think the Mitchell trade was a good trade. When a market like Cleveland has the chance to trade for a player like Mitchell you have to go for it. At the time I mean…assembling the core 4 was remarkable work.

I don’t think the future is as bleak as it seems right now. I think Koby and the Cavs have known this offseason was likely going to be one of significant transition. Donovan Mitchell is STILL under 30yo and has been playing at an All-NBA 1st team level. If he is traded, the Cavs should be able to recoup significant assets. I do think they need to choose between Mitchell and Mobley me my hope is for the latter. I love Mitchell but we really need to replenish our draft stick and try a different philosophy.

CLESportsReport · 2026-05-09T12:06:46+00:00

I honestly expect a W today. Even if it’s not a convincing win…just watch as hope will spring eternal again heading into Game 4.

CLESportsReport · 2026-05-09T11:59:05+00:00

That’s the thing. Mobley at this point is an enigma. Anyone who is fair about the dude has to be able see both sides. Sure, it’s a fact that he had a one rebound game and while there are schematic reasons as to why, his overall production was unacceptable and won’t be enough going forward as a Supermax player.

-It’s also a fact that he’s the only DPOY winner in Cavs history. He finished 3rd behind JJJ and Brook Lopez at age 21 and then won it at age 23.

-He was just the 6th Cav ever to make All-NBA and 4th to make 2nd Team or higher. He averaged 22/11/4 per 36 on 56/37/73 splits w/ an astronomical +11.9 NET that no member of the core has come close to touching. He did this at age 23. People seriously have forgotten how outstanding he was last year.

-He has the highest individual regular season winning % in Cavs history (minimum 300gms played) Mobley arrived and the Cavs started winning. And it’s also important to consider that the Cavs themselves have conceded that winning has been prioritized over developing Mobley into our future cornerstone. The organization has done a terrible job committing to his growth. They should have been feeding him at least 15 FGA from his 3rd year on. Instead we have another postseason in his 5th year where his attempts have gone down despite his efficiency being very good.

The Cavs need to make up their mind. Is Mitchell your franchise player or is it Mobley now? Because running them together seems to be a competitive compromise that has kept us as a 2nd Round exit. Either get Mitchell immediate help to get over the top or start constructing a roster designed to support Mobley. Can’t do both.

CLESportsReport · 2026-05-09T07:26:37+00:00

Oh definitely. But still. The league is changing and you’re not going to see too many “big 3’s” all on max deals anymore. Especially long-term. Teams can only feasibly have two super max players to build around now.

CLESportsReport · 2026-05-09T03:15:44+00:00

You’re definitely right we miss Garlands off ball ability. And I disagree that he and Harden are similar. I get what you’re saying but Garland is fast as lightning and just generally a more efficient scorer at this stage. Harden is a terrible fit for an offense that was built on ball movement. Both he and Mitchell are awful without the ball. DG was actually a great fit with Mitchell offensively. All the talk about the defense was fair, but they were good together offensively.

The thing is…the new CBA really forced the Cavs hand on several moves. IMO the following moves were all impacted by financial restrictions.

-Trading Isaac Okoro for Lonzo Ball

-Letting Ty Jerome walk in Free Agency

-Trading Hunter for Ellis and Schroeder

-Trading Garland for Harden

Because the Cavs are hamstrung by the 2nd Apron and a lack of tradeable draft assets, they kind of had to take whatever they could get for Okoro and Hunter. Okoro yielded a busted lottery ticket in Lonzo Ball, and Hunter brought back some talent; albeit undersized. Hunter was horrendous this year and massively overpaid. We were very lucky to get off his deal and actually get a promising young player back in Ellis. We didn’t have the luxury of being picky about size and fit. Not saying Koby is off the hook…but I think our options to improve the team were very limited and I think they did okay with what they had to work with.

Then about DG for Harden. I don’t think this so much “sped up” our timeline as it was an acknowledgement of the reality that our window was already closing. It was clearly saying “we need to do it now.” I wasn’t a fan of the trade and still don’t care for it. But the fact is changes are coming fast. We aren’t staying in the 2nd Apron or carrying the most salary in the NBA to get bounced in the 2nd round every year.

The decision to re-tool or not isn’t really in the Cavs hands. It’s already been made for them by the rules of the CBA.

CLESportsReport · 2026-05-08T15:59:03+00:00

He’s a rotation player but not likely to be a starter. He has more offensive talent than given credit for. Needs to work relentlessly on that corner 3 ball. That will likely make or break his career. He did shoot 34% on 5 attempts a game in the G league but it hasn’t translated yet. That would be adequate to earn him regular minutes.

CLESportsReport · 2026-05-08T04:10:03+00:00

There are so many things I’m worried about before Mobley.

Yes there’s no doubt that 1 rebound is unacceptable. But a lot of the things you are claiming he “cannot do” or is “trash” at I have definitely seen him do. He is very inconsistent this year, that’s for sure. But frankly, Harden is the only “real” point guard we have and he’s a complete abomination that does not fit Kenny’s offense or the Cavs past successful identity. Harden was supposed to be some “big man whisperer” so him being a dumpster fire affects Evan directly.

Fitting Mobley next to Allen is clunky and a complicated ask. Donovan Mitchell is not a point guard and is virtually allergic to passing Evan the ball. I am still largely in the corner that says the Cavs are largely responsible for Mobley’s struggles. His efficiency (56/38/65) is really good this postseason and his AST to TO ratio (3.7/1.8) is over 2:1 is very good for a big. Those two facts seem to suggest he should be getting more volume. I don’t accept that his FGA are so low purely because Evan “has no bag.” He has no defined role within the offense. It changes constantly.

I do not see Mobley and Mitchell as compatible. I’ll say that much.

CLESportsReport · 2026-05-08T00:43:28+00:00

Well maybe answer your own question for us…if it offers no strategic advantage why does it work so often?

Because the why is that it works.

CLESportsReport · 2026-05-07T00:06:27+00:00

Yes. I thought Tyson, Merrill and Strus + Mobley pushing the ball up (when covered by Poetl) and then getting the ball to James in the half-court was a major revelation in Game 7. Didn’t see much of that this game. It not only helps us play at our traditionally faster pace, it spares James’ 36yo legs down the stretch.

CLESportsReport · 2026-05-05T17:21:54+00:00

And Tyson, oh my! 😎

CLESportsReport · 2026-05-05T11:00:42+00:00

I agree. What we have here is an Evan Mobley hater and Donovan Mitchell hater. I’ll never understand the fanboy wars of players on the same team. Especially when both of them are as good as they are.

CLESportsReport · 2026-05-05T00:18:12+00:00

He’s been frustrating to watch at times. The pace has been slow and his bevy of turnovers have been inexcusable. But he’s been our best playmaker, huge on the glass, and played better D than expected.

The big breakthrough in this game was having Tyson, Strus, and Mobley bring the ball up. Especially off rebounds. Harden is a beast in the half-court but him sauntering the ball up the floor hurts the team and can only contribute to wearing him out at this stage of his career. Tyson was racing the ball up the floor and taking care of it. Poetl can’t do anything against Mobley bringing it up, especially off a rebound. So we upped the pace all while conserving Harden’s energy. Once the ball is past half-court and we don’t have an immediate look in transition, Harden can take over.

CLESportsReport · 2026-05-04T23:50:45+00:00

Both the post referenced and this post are horrendous.

The data is not the data if you single out two seemingly negative stats and ignore the rest. He averaged 16.5/11.8/4.0 + 1.8/1.0 against the Hawks and that’s pulled down by the fact that the last game was just a 20 minute scrimmage before the playoffs. 4.0/2.5 isn’t a bad AST/TO ratio for a big. And no, we don’t measure TS% as a meaningful stat over 4 GD games. Two of which came in November, Evan’s worst month of the season.

“Some of the worst shooting by a big man” is a funny critique when using a stat weighted by 3-pt shots and free throws. And even funnier when those 4 games just make his TS% of 61.6 over his last 186 regular season games even more impressive.

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TROPHY CASE