00:00The Cavs dropped another one to the Thunder last night and here's the thing you know I'm in the
00:06midst of no sweat November all right I want to see how you do this today and the whole point
00:10of that
00:11was I want to get back in touch with my inner Cavs fan that the way you know we we
00:17did such a
00:18weird pinging back and forth from the hardened trade last year to and the hardened wars that
00:23came of it to the the kind of peaks and valleys that happened in the postseason then finally
00:29getting over the hump in the second round to get to the Eastern Conference Finals to look like you
00:33were going to win game one to then be have your ass kicked in the Eastern Conference Finals and feel
00:38like you really made no progress and then Kenny with the analytical comments and then like the
00:45LeBron thing when LeBron decided not to sign here and he went to Philly I thought to myself all right
00:49well I felt like that was the path to getting a championship now let's just get back to enjoying
00:55this and if they get back to the Eastern Conference Finals where they go farther than I could imagine
00:59let me just enjoy that right I'm still there you're turning on no sweat November you're clearly
01:07turning on no sweat November there is no sweat no sweat on this brow right now but I can tell
01:13you
01:13the kind of thing that would make me sweat is if I watched a game where the Cavs looked apathetic
01:19where they looked disinterested and if they look like they don't really like their head coach that
01:25would be the kind of thing I don't know what they do or don't at this point I don't it
01:29doesn't look
01:29good no sweat November has turned into no fun at November and I don't love it Nick but I'm not
01:35going to overreact to a couple games here but it is obvious something's happening with this team and
01:40Kenny Atkinson yeah and I think why this matters is obviously the the video going around from
01:45yesterday's game was James Harden uh on the defensive spot of a three-point line and he and
01:51Kenny Atkinson were just drawing at each other to make of that because half the people online want
01:55to tell you that this actually wasn't them yelling at each other it was both them collectively yelling
01:59at the refs and so like I I really don't even know I don't know I don't know if that's
02:03them
02:03actually both yelling at each other or them yelling at something that happened on the play you get
02:08that defense when um when you're up not when you're losing that game sure and here's the thing like
02:15the reason why again I'm not sweating but the reason why that this matters is the number one
02:21thing with Kenny Atkinson is the number one issue with Kenny Atkinson is can he coach a superstar
02:27laden team it is what got him fired in Brooklyn when Katie and Kyrie turned on Kenny Atkinson
02:34I don't have a problem if somebody sees what has happened specifically last night and wonders if that's
02:40the case here because I think there have been rumblings about Kenny and his relationships
02:47with a superstar specifically James Harden previously and like I think it's interesting
02:52like some of the things that I have heard going back to uh the uh opening night like I had
03:00heard
03:00that Dan Gilbert wasn't exactly thrilled with playing that game being up and then losing it the
03:06way you did and it didn't help that it was to LeBron James so I don't think that helped I
03:10also
03:10think Dan Gilbert wasn't happy with how I know the Cavs presented the United Front right of hey we
03:16made it farther than we ever had I think behind I think behind the scenes Dan Gilbert was much more
03:23displeased with getting swept in the Eastern Conference Finals than anybody wants to give him
03:26credit for sure I mean especially when you look and see what this next team is they're not that that's
03:31not a juggernaut team that's not an unbeatable team that it was a good team that got hot for
03:35five weeks yeah and again it's not that you lost it's that you got swept and then I don't think
03:40listen I don't think Kenny has made it easy on himself in a myriad of ways one the three and
03:47one
03:47we're up three and one analytically comment really well that destroyed him really stuck with him and I
03:54I think it stuck with him internally too I had to I think there were people who were embarrassed by
03:58that comment yeah he became a laughingstock of the NBA he became a meme for everyone on Twitter
04:03to laugh at anytime any sort of situation happens uh where you blow a massive lead you think of Kenny
04:08Atkinson but I also think Kenny's openness about the LeBron saga I don't think has helped him either
04:16so I don't know that necessarily was the summer league comments where he's like hey we're in the
04:20running for this guy and it's going to be great I do think when you get blown when you have
04:25such a lead
04:26in the first game you lose that game to LeBron where LeBron specifically was as good as he was
04:30and then the comments to come out of that game were I was really depressed that uh that because I
04:36thought we had him and then we didn't but uh but then I got undepressed because we got Peyton Watson
04:40I don't think that would have just upset Dan where I think honestly if I was an NBA head coach
04:46trying to coach the Cavs I just wouldn't ever publicly comment on LeBron anything that might
04:53intersect LeBron and Dan's relationship because I think that relationship remains as complex today
04:58as it was you know 15 years ago 16 years ago when LeBron left the first time so here's the
05:02reality
05:03though he was always going to get more of a benefit of the doubt when it comes to it to
05:07to Dan only
05:08because Dan is the one that chose him right like Hobie Altman wanted your buddy Borrego and he didn't
05:13that's not the route that Dan Gilbert wanted to go and so Dan Gilbert stuck his neck out on the
05:17line
05:17as he can as an owner and he got his guy but there's two people in this organization that you
05:21have to
05:21really try to impress day in day out it's Dan Gilbert and then it's Donovan Mitchell we've seen
05:26Donovan run JB off we've seen him be able to call his shot when it comes to who the head
05:30coach is and
05:30isn't on this team and so if Donovan's getting frustrated and Donovan with James Harden both
05:35looked miserable last night but if Donovan starts to get frustrated that's not great for the for the
05:40likelihood that Atkinson gets to stay I think the more concerning part is I I think there I do think
05:46there was some deliberation about running uh Kenny off after the Eastern Conference Finals
05:51and I think there is some lingering whatever and I think that it's not just the players from how
05:59things ended last year I think it is with leadership I think specifically with Dan because you mentioned
06:03it it's not just Don Don last night look Donovan looked like a guy who is not really interested in
06:09playing for Kenny or at least in that moment wasn't you add to it if Dan Gilbert seems is uh
06:15maybe
06:16disgusted with the way things went last year how the summer went some of the comments that is the
06:21perfect storm yeah I tend to think yeah all right it's eight games into the season your work this is
06:27the most turnover you've had outside of you I mean even James Harden can still be part of the turnover
06:32here but at the same point like while while you can make the case of continuity and let's let this
06:39one
06:39figure out you can also make the case of well Donovan's 30 James Harden's 37 they're not getting younger
06:45these guys are getting old in NBA terms now here's where so here's the thing I think Kenny has put
06:50himself as the easy fall guy if the Cavs want to take it and I do think while I think
06:55he is a very
06:55good offensive head coach and a really bright guy that one of the number one things that they wanted
07:01when they were hiring a head coach two years ago was we need somebody who can help Jared and Evan
07:06fit together offensively anyone can make them fit together defensively with the layered rim protection
07:10we need somebody who can help Jared and Evan and that's gone the way of the doubt and his response
07:15to that is with five minutes left in the game Jared Allen go grab go grab some bench yes and
07:19and by the
07:19way uh Jared's probably the last guy you're gonna want to alienate because when you one of the nicer
07:25guys on the court starts to think you're a bleep hole that's gonna be a problem too Kenny now here's
07:31where I do go though because again I don't like fall guy ism I think it is a sign of
07:36weak leadership I
07:37think it is a sign of weakness from the player side of things this is a player led league and
07:43so
07:43I would actually challenge Donovan Mitchell I would challenge James Harden I would challenge the the
07:49guys over there are you looking at Kenny and thinking we can just put it on that guy or is
07:55it
07:55really Kenny's fault yeah I mean the problems are obviously deeper than just Kenny Atkinson that's I
07:59mean it'd be silly to suggest that it all falls on him it's just not how the NBA works you're
08:03right
08:04it's a star league the stars have to be better that and that's that's Donovan that's James Harden
08:08that's Evan Mobley that's the stars have to be better yeah and here's the thing um you're not
08:13the Miami Heat you're not LeBron you're not Dwayne Wade you're not Chris Bosh and like yes yes you can
08:22get Kenny Atkinson fired but you have to own your own side of the street and I I think sometimes
08:27I
08:28think sometimes the Cavs true weakness is that they don't I don't think Donovan has it
08:34in him to be the best player in a championship we know James Harden doesn't have because he had
08:38multiple cracks to do it and Evan isn't there yet and he might never be there and those are the
08:43three
08:43guys that have to be it if you want to have the the team ascend to the levels we want
08:47to and I think
08:50listen I don't think Kenny's a perfect coach I think he has made himself expendable with how he
08:55has said things I also think it's a weak-ass move if they're actively trying to sabotage Kenny
09:02Atkinson which I think is a fair question I I really like I I know this is how long would
09:07they
09:07play it out for though is a question I have like I mean if this is some sort of stand
09:10against Kenny
09:11Atkinson how willing are they to take this and uh it could take months before they actually fire
09:16Atkinson I know like the morning show was joking around that he'd be fired this weekend and that's
09:19how quick they could do this whole thing I guys I it's we're eight games into this season it would
09:24be
09:24very very surprising if they got rid of him this early so if they got rid of him this early
09:28my thought would be they wanted to get rid of him and by they I mean either Donovan Mitchell
09:34or Dan Gilbert and by the way I don't know that Kobe Altman still likes I mean I think we
09:40got
09:40another LeBron game Friday yeah well and that's I'm going to that game I think that I think that
09:45is a potential powder keg for this Cavaliers team if you want to you want to do the you want
09:49to
09:49embarrass Kenny Atkinson the the stage is yours and well because who you're really embarrassing is Dan
09:54Gilbert yeah and if you embarrass Dan Gilbert if LeBron in the Sixers dog walk you which can
09:59happen even if you try to play on Friday because that's a really good team I mean if the the
10:05stage
10:05is there I would just challenge every one of those players all of whom I have well okay most of
10:10whom
10:10uh not you James Harden uh 14 of the other guys I've got a lot of love for and I've
10:15got a lot of
10:15respect for having watched them multiple seasons here I would just say to them man up because I got to
10:21be honest with you if you keep making people the fall guy Darius was the fall guy JB was the
10:26fall
10:26guy Donovan maybe you haven't won a damn thing yet in the NBA because you keep searching for fall
10:31guys Rudy Gobert was the fall guy there's a Quinn Snyder was the fall guy there's always a fall guy
10:35in the NBA and and and superstars that think that way don't win squat in the NBA Rudy Gobert had
10:43it
10:43coming I don't disagree but the point is sometimes fall guys also have it coming and I just I want
10:51more from these guys and I'm not saying that as a mad Cavs fan I'm saying that as like I
10:55challenge you
10:56to be better men than just put it on Kenny Atkinson Kenny Kenny's earned it if that's what happens
11:02okay you can't really defend Kenny with some of the things he said and some of the things that he's
11:06done
11:06though they had their chance to shake up the roster in a meaningful way this offseason and they
11:10weren't able to do it and weren't able to do it or didn't want to do it when it came
11:13to either
11:14trading Evan Mobley for instance and and trying to get Jalen Brown one of those type of they didn't
11:18want to do that and so this is this is the world they put themselves into they believed in this
11:22roster as constructed and so when it comes to Donovan Mobley and James Harden yeah they're
11:28going to turn on Atkinson they're going to turn on themselves we are like we're like five days away
11:32from Fat Harden showing up too and remember if Fat Harden shows up I'm out oh yeah yeah finally
11:37the courage I'm out the courage of you to turn on Fat Harden we told you that I've been telling
11:42this for a week now right a whole seven days no I'm gonna make you sit in it with Fat
11:46Harden
11:46if Fat Harden shows up you're gonna sit there in in your own filth with Fat Harden out gonna sit
11:52there with a bunch of hostesses and a bunch I don't mean actual hostesses I mean like the Twinkies
11:56well I would sit there with a bunch of hostesses Fat Harden yeah I don't regret the trade you've
12:01seen Darius Garland at this point I don't regret the trade that's not what I'm saying I am
12:05say I mean I'm saying if Fat Harden shows up don't want to be in the James Harden business
12:10anymore can both teams claim lemon law I'd like to leave the James Harden business I've been watching
12:14last night I might be getting on a plane earlier than I ever thought as a lifetime contract I might
12:19be hopping on oh boy was he bad last night yeah he's been bad all season there's no there's no
12:24way
12:24to sugarcoat that yeah he's been he's shown every bit of 37 right now also yeah it's almost like
12:29somebody called that out and like that could be a real concern but you still had to do it because
12:33again Darius Garland has nine toes yeah I think my point is basketball my point is if this is about
12:39flexibility you could have just not signed him well yeah you didn't have to sign that was an
12:43option James Harden although you did paint yourself into a corner by not having another point guard to
12:48go to so you have that going for you which is nice 216-474-0092 remember no sweat November
12:55I'm not sweating yeah nobody's sweating a bad I'm challenging I am challenging Donovan and the
13:01Cavaliers the players
13:02you
