DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Cavs/NBA 2.0

We are all pretty bummed about the way the Cavs season ended.
Do we feel better if the Pacers win the Eastern Conference championship?
Do we feel better if the Pacers win the NBA title?

I feel pretty validated now in that I said the team with the next best chance of toppling OKC after the Celtics is probably Indy. They were the team we least wanted to play prior to the Celtics. They have the pace (no pun intended) and depth to give OKC fits.

The same truth about the Cavs last year is the truth this year, mentally too fragile. Indy is anti-fragile. They’re rarely ever totally out of it and they often come back in important games. They have that magic core-level hubris that the Cavs just didn’t. I just never felt like the Cavs had that bedrock level self confidence and toughness. The Knick’s actually have it but they’re just a notch less talented and deep than the other 4 teams. Cleveland has the talent but not the playoffs head-set.

I think Indy’ll give OKC a much better run than the Knicks or Cavs would have given them. I hate Indy but I want the promise of OKC’s dominance over the next decade to be shaken.

Cavs' Darius Garland has toe surgery, out 4-5 months - ESPN
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45480086/cavs-darius-garland-toe-surgery-4-5-months

Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star guard Darius Garland had surgery Monday to repair the left big toe injury that troubled him during the playoffs and is expected to miss four to five months.

The Cavs said in a statement that they expect Garland to "make a full recovery and resume basketball activities by the start of training camp" in October. But Garland is likely to miss time to start the regular season, sources told ESPN.

Garland was first diagnosed with the injury on March 23 in Utah but missed regular-season just two games. He aggravated the injury during Cleveland's first-round series against the Miami Heat and ended up missing four playoff games.

e returned during the series against the Indiana Pacers but was slowed at times by the nagging injury.

The procedure was performed by Dr. Nicholas Strasser at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in consultation with Cavaliers team doctor James Rosneck of the Cleveland Clinic and Dr. Bob Anderson of OrthoCarolina.

Garland was one of two players to average 20 points, 5 assists and 40% shooting on 3-pointers this season, along with Denver Nuggets' star Nikola Jokic. He made 212 3-pointers this season, third most in team history.

Cavs being the 4th most followed sports franchise in the U.S. on social media is pretty wild.

And the Top 7 being all NBA teams is interesting. I would have guessed more NFL teams in the Top 10 mix.

Lebron is barely a top 15 player and will probably retire next year or the following IMO.

j/c...

$10B. Damn.

I don't know what is crazier.... that they're asking that much, or that someone is actually paying it.

That was a sad way for the Pacers run to end .. not that I had a rooting interest, but it killed the game 7 vibe

Do you see any Pacer trades after losing in the finals? Anybody they want to dump? Anybody they are looking to acquire? I do not know them much. How about you?

I would bet that they'll be in the market to acquire a PG to replace Haliburton for next year, maybe a vet type guy who can create (that's what they miss most without him).

But, they have some nice depth that they could part with - Nesmith would be intriguing as a two way guy. Myles Turner, but he's soft and would be redundant in cleveland with Mobley and Allen

Thanks. Are you happy with production from their bigs?

The Pacer and Cavs bigs are in a very similar spot - they are skilled but soft. You saw it really cost both teams in the series that they lost ... offensive rebounds and physical play in the paint was a disadvantage.

That was my feelings season's end. Our missed 3's gave up long rebounds. We were often slower getting back on O. Not cutthroat inside. Not sure Mobley wants the contact enough, just content to be a sniper outside away from the paint. Given our height we didna go indoors much to challenge a number of opponents. We need an enforcer type down under. Thanx!

NBA draft tonight?

Looks like we do not have a first round pick but two in round 2
#49 and #58

2nd round. I think we will lose Jerome. Maybe a guard. Duke had a taller point guard who played off Flagg..I can't think of his name.

For the 2nd player....maybe some unknown from eastern Europe or some dude who's name we can't pronounce from some African nation?

Wow.

That’s a great trade for the Cavs if Ball can stay healthy. I never thought anyone would take Okoro with his contract.

Especially since this trade seems to be simply player for player with no added draft picks. Huge win for us.

Cleveland is getting a WNBA team. Dan Gilbert landing Caitlin Clark in her first year of free agency. 😏

Not a surprise at all.

https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2025/07/cavs-agree-to-one-year-contract-with-larry-nance-jr.html

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Larry Nance Jr. is coming home.

Sources tell cleveland.com that the Cavs and Nance agreed on a one-year contract for the veteran’s minimum early Tuesday evening — a deal that brings the 32-year-old Akron native back to the franchise where his father became a legend and where Junior spent three full seasons before asking for a trade in the summer of 2021.

Following his three-year stint in Cleveland, Nance has bounced around the league, playing with Portland, New Orleans and, most recently, Atlanta. But even during his time elsewhere, Nance often returned home and stayed in touch with various members of the Cavaliers organization.

A 10-year NBA veteran who has played with five different teams, Nance will provide frontcourt depth, versatility and leadership for a team that is coming off back-to-back Eastern Conference semifinal losses and enters the 2025-26 season with championship aspirations.

During his career, Nance has averaged 7.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals in 23.1 minutes, serving primarily as a backup, the role he will have with the Cavaliers.

After the offseason opened with a trade for Lonzo Ball, a four-year agreement with sharpshooter Sam Merrill and Ty Jerome’s departure, the Cavs turned their attention to roster reinforcements, targeting Nance because of his familiarity with the organization, multi-positional skill set, improved 3-point shooting, stylistic fit and first-class attitude.

Given the current roster construction and salary cap situation, Cleveland could make at least one more low-cost free agency signing.

Lonzo staying healthy is a huge "if."

Glad to see Nance back. Always a fan of the family.