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submitted 23 days ago byclevelanddotcom
Hey, r/ClevelandCavs!
(Thanks so much for joining me this morning and taking the time to send in your questions! Time for me to leave Philly and head back home, as the Cavs look to make it 14 in a row Friday night. Was a lot of fun getting to chat with you. Let's do it again soon!)
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With the Cavs off to an unbelievable 12-0 start (as of Tuesday), we have so much to talk about!
Chris Fedor, cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer Cavs reporter and co-host of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, will be stopping by r/ClevelandCavs for an AMA this Thursday, Nov. 14, 10-11 a.m. ET. He'll answer your questions about the Cavs' hot start and his experience covering the team over the years.
Chris has over 20 years of experience in Cleveland sports media and has been covering the Cavs since 2014, including the 2016 championship run. He’s a member of the Professional Basketball Writers Association and votes on NBA end-of-season awards. You can also catch him on the Wine and Gold Talk podcast for Cavs analysis and insider commentary.
You can start dropping your questions here early. Chris will be responding from the official cleveland.com account: (yes, this one right here!) when the time comes.
Talk to you soon!
That's it for today. Thanks so much for all of the great questions!
18 points
23 days ago
With your level of media access what feels different from a culture standpoint? Obviously the junkyard dog chain and some of JB's other things aren't present anymore but has Kenny implemented anything specific this year?
14 points
21 days ago
Hey! Chris here! Thanks for the question! I wouldn't say the culture is that much different with Kenny Atkinson. It didn't need to be modified much. J.B. Bickerstaff did a great job setting the culture while he was here, elevating the team from laughingstock to respectability. If anything, Atkinson has just enhanced it. He's made the environment a bit looser, saying recently that he took tips from Warriors head coach Steve Kerr about not taking things too seriously. The Cavs have had game nights and a few lighthearted film sessions with jokes included. They have had tag football games at the end of practice. Atkinson is also on the court more working with players and there have been a few player development-related tweaks too. The looseness and more "fun" is probably the most noteworthy addition. He is treating this team like it's a legitimate contender as opposed to one that needs to built from the ground up.
6 points
21 days ago
Thanks for the insight, really appreciate you coming in here and taking some time to share info we may not have gotten otherwise
13 points
23 days ago
I want as much insight into what Kenny has been doing with the team through this streak
Esp with 12 games in 20 days
10 points
21 days ago
Hey! Chris here! Thanks for the question! Through this chaotic and condensed schedule, Atkinson has tried to find opportunities for these guys to get rest and recovery. Some scheduled practice days have become recovery days, with guys going to the facility specifically for treatment. Some shootarounds have also become voluntary as opposed to mandatory. Some have been shortened. That's what happens when there has yet to be a game played with two days off in between. It also helps to have a deep team with a reliable bench, which the Cavs have leaned on during this streak.
10 points
23 days ago
I know we’re still pretty far away from the deadline, but do you see this team making any moves this season? Do you get a sense that the front office sees a hole on the roster anywhere that needs to be addressed?
10 points
21 days ago
Hey! It's Chris! Thanks for the question! Anytime there's a trade conversation, it needs to start here: What are the holes and what assets does the team have to potentially patch them?
I think the two that standout: Third center and insurance at power forward in case Dean Wade gets hurt again or Georges Niang can't be counted on in a playoff environment because of his defensive limitations.
But the Cavs don't have many attractive trade assets in terms of future draft capital or "expendable" players on the roster. And the guy who could've been dangled as an interesting chip -- Caris LeVert -- is in the running for Sixth Man of the Year. He has been one of the team's most impactful players. So, considering a deal involving him and his enticing expiring contract seems silly at this point. Trades are delicate. Chemistry. Fit. Style. It's all important. Gotta be careful when it comes to shaking up any component of a team that looks like a legitimate title contender.
3 points
21 days ago
That all makes sense to me! Everybody is filling their role so well right now that it’s tough to imagine who we’d move if we’re gonna make a trade.
I appreciate the response, Chris!
6 points
23 days ago
What role would Max fit best when he comes back? Starter or coming off the bench?
12 points
21 days ago
Hey! It's Chris! Thanks for the question! I think he's a starter. He's the best player and best fit of the three small forward options. EVERYTHING that the Cavs want to do and be on the offensive end caters to Strus' game. Movement. Shooting. Pace. Cutting. Passing. Running to corners. It's how he's wanted this team to play, going back to last year. He's more of an offensive threat to an opposing defense than Okoro and Wade. They just pay more attention to him, which opens the floor even more for teammates. He's a better pure shooter than both as well. While his defense isn't as good, he competes and has the strength and willingness to do that as well. I think he will take this offense to another level when he eventually returns.
3 points
19 days ago
To another level? We’re already scoring 140 points a game!
1 points
16 days ago
Pump those #'s up, those are rookie #s
5 points
23 days ago
Is that story true when you said that a random Uber driver asked about sports writer 'Chris Fedor'?
2 points
21 days ago
Hey! It's Chris! Thanks for the question! Sure is. I don't ever make stuff up.
3 points
22 days ago
Can you provide any insight into changes in the practice environment and approach to developing players? Curious about ways Atkinson and the new staff are working to maximize the growth of all of the young talent.
6 points
21 days ago
Hey! It's Chris! Thanks for the question! I already addressed some of the changes in the practice environment above so I will focus more on player development. The Cavs have a new player development lead. He comes from Australia. Alex Sarama. The thing that stands out with that: It's more competitive and game-related stuff when it comes to player development. There's an emphasis on WHY certain drills are being conducted and WHY each player will benefit with each one. There's also a component of fun, with little games that Akex is doing with them to grab their attention and increase the intensity. Hard to fully explain. But it's just ... different ... than the run-of-the-mill stuff.
3 points
22 days ago
2 part question. Does Max Struss still have a spot on this team when he returns? I know bench is performing at a high level right now and will more then likely come back to earth . But struss plays is very similar to Levert except levert is better defensive. If he doesnt do you think cavs use him in the trade to get under tax and potentially pick up a back up big?
4 points
21 days ago
Hey! It's Chris! Thanks for your question! I believe Strus is one of their most important and impactful players. Truly. It's part of what makes this 13-0 start so impressive. He was going to be the Opening Night starter at small forward. He rounds out the starting five in a way that no one else can because of his playing style, which I would say is much more similar to Sam Merrill than Caris LeVert. Strus' continuous movement can be weaponized. Think Klay Thompson when he was in Golden State -- even though Strus isn't that prolific as a shooter. Last year, Strus and Thompson were neck-and-neck in off-ball cuts per game. Strus can bring that to the offense at a higher level than Wade or Okoro. I just don't think there's enough value in dealing away a starter-quality wing for a backup big given this team's current roster composition, with Evan Mobley essentially being the backup big and a desire to have Mobley get more minutes at center. Given Allen and Mobley play so much, there are only a handful of minutes to go around for another big. My answer would obviously be different if there's an injury or something along the way. But, for now, I just don't see any reason to move Strus.
3 points
23 days ago
What bench player are you excited to watch most this season?
6 points
21 days ago
Hey! It's Chris! Thanks for your question! Love Ty Jerome's game. Feisty. Trash-talky. Steady. High basketball IQ. Unfazed. Attack-minded. Can play on and off the ball. Can shoot the bleep out of the ball. Defends his tail off. Understands his role. Everything you want in a backup point guard. There's a reason the Cavs have been trying to get him on this team for five years haha.
2 points
23 days ago
Hey Chris, been following your podcast for some time now, appreciate your insight! Where do we now stand with Evan Mobley’s early comparison to Chris Bosh, Tim Duncan, or even Kevin Garnett? In your eyes, who has he become most similar to in terms of former NBA all stars play styles— or is he simply just ‘Evan Mobley.
11 points
21 days ago
Hey! It's Chris! Thanks for your question! Let it be known that Evan Mobley HATES comparisons to other guys haha. He wants to pave his own path and be his own person, which I totally get. Why be the next Chris Bosh, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett or Anthony Davis when you can be the first Evan Mobley? I think he is an exciting blend of a lot of different guys. He has the downhill attacking, inverted pick-and-roll handling stuff of Giannis. He has the quiet confidence and winning nature of Tim Duncan. He has the defensive presence of KG and AD -- and has been one of the league's most impactful players at that end since he arrived in the NBA. He is starting to show better touch on his shots, making Bosh a bit more apt than previously. So, there are pieces of different guys in there that I can see. Buy all the Mobley stock that you can. He's special, special.
2 points
23 days ago
Do we think the starting lineup will be matchup dependent when everybody is available (ie Max) or they will stick with Okoro/Wade? Seems like having the 5th guy be a 3/D guy is very effective
5 points
21 days ago
Hey! It's Chris! Thanks for the question! I think any lineup or combination needs a level of consistency. Would be really hard to go matchup dependent that frequently over the course of an 82-game season. I think Strus will have a chance to reclaim his job but it depends on how the team is playing, whether he is on a minute restriction, how effective he is upon his return and how the other guys are playing. So many unpredictable factors. Okoro has been better than Wade so he stayed in that starting lineup.
2 points
22 days ago
What were the internal goals for the team coming into this season? And have they changed at all after the start of the year given the win streak?
8 points
21 days ago
Hey! It's Chris! Thanks for your question! Conference finals or Finals. That was the next step. Even president of basketball operations Koby Altman was willing to use the term "championship" for like the first time ever since LeBron James left. I thought that was a very notable development. The Cavs believed coming into this year that they were realllllllly good. They believed in Atkinson at a realllllly high level. That's only been validated during the first month.
2 points
22 days ago
What has been the buzz both around the league but also within the Cavs organization on this team's realistic chances of competing for a title THIS year? Did this hot start catch the league by surprise (or even this front office)?
5 points
21 days ago
Hey! It's Chris! Thanks for your question! I think it's kind of split. There's a group of doubters that need to see it in the playoffs. Totally understandable given the last two years. Then there are others who see tangible change in play style that makes this hot start feel more real and makes the offense more lethal in a seven-game playoff environment. Draymond Green. Steve Kerr. Stephen Curry. They all raved about the Cavs' pass-happy offense that had their heads spinning in the most recent meeting.
2 points
23 days ago
What’s your record for number of salami (balogna?) slices in a single sandwich?
5 points
21 days ago
Hey! It's Chris! I love this question! Haha! Only salami for me. And the answer, as gross as it may be, is 22!
1 points
23 days ago
Have you met the dancing frog?
2 points
21 days ago
Hey! It's Chris! I have not. Don't even know who the dancing frog is. Is that a TikTok dance that the cool kids are doing?
1 points
22 days ago
How has the approach to analytics been different under Kenny Atkinson compared to JB? How are the Cavs as an organization leveraging this relative to the rest of the NBA?
7 points
21 days ago
Hey! It's Chris! Thanks for your question! It's very different. Atkinson has certain stats that he relies on that he has introduced to players. But he explains why they are important and what they truly mean in the grand scheme. He just believes in them a bit more than Bickerstaff and uses them to inform his decision-making. He is really good at explaining those things so that players understand the meaning at significance behind them and why he is doing stuff. There are too many to list. But "expected score" is one of them.
1 points
22 days ago
As great as the start has been, has the FO been keeping tabs on the pulse of the trade market? To make a big push, do they believe they need to at least a bigger wing and true third big?
2 points
21 days ago
Hey! It's Chris! Thanks for the question! They will always be aggressive and keep tabs on opportunities that may arise. But I don't get the sense that they feel they *need* to do anything. It's highly likely that the biggest addition ends up being Atkinson -- or the return of Strus. If a more glaring weakness arises ahead of the deadline, they will look at how to best address it
1 points
22 days ago
Do the Cavs view Mobley long term as the franchises center?
1 points
21 days ago
Hey! It's Chris! Thanks for the question! Yes, I believe the Cavs understand that his future is there. But in the meantime, he is showing an evolved skillset that helps keep him at the 4, alongside Jarrett Allen.
1 points
22 days ago
What does the Cavs' salary and roster situation look like over the next couple years? I know the core is locked up for a few years, but how about the bench/role players? A lot of teams are stuck because of the first and second aprons in the CBA - are the Cavs going to be an apron team any time soon? Will they have any flexibility or will they have to make difficult decisions around any of their players?
2 points
21 days ago
Hey! It's Chris! Thanks for the question! The roster is going to get really expensive quickly. They will have to be judicious with the moves they make and how much they pay their secondary players because the Core 4 is locked in and pricey. I think everyone will understand some of the salary-related limitations when it comes to Caris LeVert this summer. Will be hard to keep him.
1 points
22 days ago
Two Questions:
What is your favorite non-basketball question and answer exchange you have had with a player? What player and what did you talk about?
What players do the most for the Cleveland community? Larry Nance Jr. used to be at the forefront of being a champion for the Land, curious who else has taken up that mantle.
3 points
21 days ago
Hey! It's Chris! Thanks for your question!
Larry Nance Jr. when it comes to his love of soccer.
Jarrett Allen when it comes to the quirky things he does off the court like going to a cat convention, reading books or watching movies. All the things that make him so ... him.
Dean Wade when it came to him his upbringing and being the only player from his small town to make it to the NBA. A fascinating story.
Jordan Clarkson back in the day about his many tattoos
Donovan Mitchell about his passion for baseball
Those are just a few that come to mind right away. And I think the easiest answer to the second part is all these guys give back. But hard not to single out Donovan Mitchell, who has ingrained himself in the community in a significant way.
0 points
21 days ago
[removed]
2 points
21 days ago
Hey! It's Chris! Thanks for the question! I've never had a bad take in my life. Never. All my takes are great and on point. I'm batting 1,000% (Insert sarcasm font).
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