Driving with Ethan: Reacting to the Cavs’ uninspired play — and the newest problem that is impossible to ignore: Wine and Gold Talk podcast
ATLANTA — In this episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, host Ethan Sands, stuck in late-night Atlanta traffic, turns his car into a rolling think tank. He breaks down the Cavs’ 130-123 loss to the Hawks, which knocked Cleveland out of the NBA Cup and wonders how a team that just had a Thanksgiving recharge still looked like it needed a nap.
Takeaways:
1. Hunter’s Contentious Homecoming Sparks and Sputters Cavs
De’Andre Hunter’s first game back in Atlanta since being traded was the central storyline. Before the game, Hunter confidently stated his former teammates couldn’t stop him, prompting a pre-game retort from Atlanta’s Onyeka Okongwu. This tension materialized in the second quarter when Hunter dunked on Mouhamed Gueye, leading to a scuffle and a double personal foul. The incident provided a necessary “jolt” for the sluggish Cavaliers, sparking a 16-point quarter for Donovan Mitchell and helping them take a two-point lead into halftime. However, this energy proved to be temporary, as the team could not sustain the momentum in the second half, highlighting a concerning reliance on external events to generate intensity.
2. Elimination from NBA Cup Highlights Deeper Issues
The Cavaliers’ 130-123 loss to the Hawks officially eliminated them from the NBA in-season tournament. This marks the second consecutive year that Atlanta has ended Cleveland’s tournament hopes. Despite having several motivators — avenging last year’s elimination, playing for Hunter’s return, and coming off a three-day rest period — the team appeared “slow” and “uninspired.” The failure to perform in a high-stakes scenario, even with their projected starting lineup on the floor for only the third time, raises significant questions about the team’s mental fortitude and ability to rise to the occasion when it matters most.
3. Alarming Breakdown in Transition Defense
A critical factor in the loss was the Cavaliers’ porous transition defense, a recurring weakness that the Hawks deliberately exploited. The host noted that long rebounds from the Cavs’ own missed 3-pointers consistently fueled Atlanta’s fast break, leading to easy scoring opportunities. The issue was not a complex schematic failure but a fundamental lack of effort. Post-game comments from players like Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley, as well as Kenny Atkinson, all pointed to the simple need to “just get back.” This breakdown of a basketball fundamental is indicative of a crumbling foundation and a lack of heart and hustle.
4. Frustration Mounts Over Inconsistent Performance and Coaching Repetition
The game followed a frustratingly familiar script for the Cavaliers: a slow start, a brief surge of intensity in the second quarter, followed by a second-half collapse. The inconsistency is a major theme, with the team unable to play 48 minutes of focused basketball. The host expressed growing irritation with hearing the same post-game verbiage from Kenny Atkinson about being “outplayed” and “outcoached” without seeing meaningful adjustments from the players. The sentiment is that while the coaching staff and players hold themselves accountable verbally, the same on-court mistakes continue to plague the team, preventing them from making tangible progress.
5. Lack of Physical Toughness and Assertive Personality
The podcast highlights a potential disconnect in the team’s personality and its need for physical and mental toughness. De’Andre Hunter’s confident pre-game trash talk and on-court aggression are contrasted with the “soft-spoken” nature of cornerstone big men Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. Hunter has repeatedly emphasized the team’s need to be tougher, and his actions in Atlanta provided the spark the team otherwise lacked. The observation suggests the Cavaliers may have too many passive players and need more of the assertive, chippy attitude that Hunter brings to avoid being reactive and consistently generate their own intensity in physical matchups.
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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 today’s gonna be a little bit different. We’re gonna see if I can record this entire episode from my phone via voice memos while driving home. So let’s get into tonight’s matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Atlanta Hawks. First and foremost, we understand that when the Atlanta Hawks came away with the 130-123 victory that they eliminated the Cleveland Cavaliers from the knockout round contention for the NBA Cup. This is the second year in a row that that the Atlanta Hawks have taken the Cavs out of contention, knocking them out of the NBA Cup. And they did it again in Atlanta. But we already knew coming into tonight’s game that this one was going to be interesting because of two reunions, homecomings for two players from the Cleveland Cavaliers. Larry Nance Jr. Of course, being the slighter one, just playing one year in Atlanta. But but then DeAndre Hunter also made his return to the city of Atlanta for the first time since being traded in February of last year. It was a funny conversation with DeAndre Hunter before the game even began at shootaround because he was very clear that it was going to be fun to be around old teammates. It was going to be an interesting situation all around. But he actually came into Atlanta a little bit earlier than some of the other Cavs players because he has family in the area. He was able to have an entire Thanksgiving, sit down, have breakfast, lunch and dinner with his family, and then get to reunite with some teammates on the hardwood. But before that could even take place, I asked DeAndre Hunter during shoot around if this would be a challenge for him to because he would be facing off against players who not only trained against him, but were fully aware of the moves that he likes to go to the different counters, that he likes to use, all of these different things. And DeAndre Hunter did not shy away from this question. He said it was not going to be a challenge and they can’t stop him and they already knew that coming in. Well, that lit a fire under some players of the Atlanta Hawks, particularly Aneko Okongwu, who is in his pregame press conference said that he was not even hoping for DeAndre Hunter to get a tribute video for his return to Atlanta. All that he could expect from an towards DeAndre was a hard foul. Obviously this is all in love because these two guys have known each other for a long time, played with alongside each other. But what actually came to fruition was a little bit of that DeAndre Hunter put a player, Muhammad on a poster and had some choice words as they ran back down the court. And while this was taking place, Muhammad was not a fan of what was being said, the taunting his way, and shoved DeAndre Hunter to the ground. This ended up turning into a double personal foul for DeAndre Hunter and a technical foul for a guy. So it was an interesting situation in that, but the Cavs kind of needed that jolt. Obviously we talked about the Thanksgiving break and that allowed the Cavs to get like three days off. And we talked a lot on this podcast about how this Cavs team has been dealt one of the most grueling schedules in the NBA. Now it is game 20 already nearly a quarter of the way into the season, and it felt like this Cavs team should be coming in rejuvenated healthy flowers. They were getting Jared Allen and Dean Wade back in their lineup, but that was not the case. They looked sluggish, they looked slow, they look uninspired. And when it comes to a team that needs to focus on the mental fortitude and toughness every given night, that’s something that cannot be the case. Particularly as Donovan Mitchell mentioned after the game, after getting so much rest in time to recuperate, and that little spark from the scuffle with DeAndre Hunter in the second quarter kind of lit a fire under some of these Cavs players and awoke Donovan Mitchell as well, who came out and had 16 points in that second quarter. He was blazing once again and it’s interesting to think about how that can kind of change the momentum for a team because we know going into that second quarter the Cavs were down and yet the they ended up going into halftime with a two point lead because of how they were able to respond. This gave the indication that the Cavs were going to be able to make adjustments along the way. But that was not the case for the rest of the contest and we saw it throughout the entirety of the game. The Atlanta Hawks have been using the transition offense all year long, playing with pace. I believe they came into the game ranked 14th in the NBA. But against the Cavs seems that transition defense has struggled against it was clear and evident that that’s a part of their game that the Atlanta Hawks wanted to focus on and simply get into transition as quickly as possible. And as we all know, that long rebounds from the Cleveland Cavaliers three point shooting tends to play into the hands of the opposing team. If this Cavs team is not knocking down shots that allowed for open runs to the lane, that allowed for transition lobster and the Cavs simply were not getting back on defense. And that again goes into hand in hand with this notion that they had some time to rest. So you shouldn’t be slow getting back in transition. You should not have any feeling of being lagging or heavy legs or any of that. But the Thanksgiving dinner that they might have had the night before seem to have still been weighing on them when it came to tonight’s contest against the Atlanta Hawks. And I think it’s interesting because when we keep talking about this team, they continuously talk about the mental fortitude, the mental focus, the necessity to play 48 minutes of tough basketball. But as I mentioned, the first quarter was slow, sluggish, then you get the spark in the second quarter, then the third quarter comes around. And I’d have never been a part of a basketball game at any level, whether it’s middle school, high school, college ball, when the hoop shot clocks, the main court shot clocks were not functioning on either side of the court. So neither team had a good impression of how much time was left on every given possession down the floor. Kenny Atkinson even mentioned that there was a timeout and he didn’t know how much time was left for him to draw up a play because the shot clocks were malfunctioning. And this could have played a little bit into it because the second half started very late. It allowed them to cool off the Donovan Mitchell from that second quarter. And I think that is something that can’t go overlooked. But it’s not the major thing of tonight’s game. It’s being able to be resilient in these different situations in, as Donovan Mitchell likes to say, fight through adversity. Because we talk about a team that had all the motivation coming in again, the NBA cup being in contention to go to the knockout round for the first time since, since the in season tournament began and knowing that the Atlanta Hawks had bested them last year in the same scenario. So this all should have been motivation or Simply playing for DeAndre Hunter should have been enough motivation as is. But it was not for this Cavs team. And I think that shows where this Cavs mental fortitude is and where it could be lacking. Because in this pendulum swinging game, as I mentioned, and then comes the fourth quarter and while the energy in the arena would blast with every Atlanta Hawks made basket and State Farm arena may be one of the most annoying arenas to play or work in simply because the crowd is much like a high school crowd for basketball Football games, if you have ever been in attendance. These guys are chanting the entire game and it can get nerve wracking. But this fourth quarter comes around and the Cavs are hanging around from double digits all the way to a tie ball game with less than 90 seconds remaining. With less than 90 seconds remaining and still the Cavs were unable to find their way to a victory. This is again a situation where teams around the league are starting to find a blueprint to destruction what the Cavs defensive identity has become. And we know them as a great rim protecting half court defense. But in the actual opposite, they want to be a fast paced transition offense, which is ironic because it’s difficult to do both of those things. And when we talk about this Cavs team, I think this is where things and the schemes, all these things that are being slightly tweaked this season are becoming more difficult for the Cavs players to, to be organized. And it was very frustrating for the players. You could tell in the locker room about how their defensive adjustments and their defensive schemes were not being met. They had had conversations. Kenny Atkinson had said that he had brought out film tape during halftime to show that they were simply running by them. And it wasn’t necessarily a scheme, it was just heart hustle and determination and the cows just weren’t able to match what they did. And to me as a reporter, as someone who’s been around this team for a while now, I’m getting to the point of irritation of continuously hearing Kenny Atkinson use the same phrases, the same verbiage when he’s talking about these losses, talking about they outplayed us, they out coached us. And I think there are too many teams that keep doing that and haven’t had enough adjustments. And not necessarily coaching adjustments, but sometimes the player adjustments. And the sentiment in the locker room was for the transition defense simply you gotta kick back. And to me it was like you’re at a YMCA or LA Fitness run and you are the lone defender back with 1, 2, 3 offensive players trying to score. And even if you get one stop, if there’s nobody else coming back to help defend, then the offense is allowed to grab offensive rebounds and able to create in that way and get easy second chance looks. And I think that can be debilitating for a defense or just a guard who would work to get back there, get a stop and then to see another offensive player be able to contribute. Even though that shouldn’t have been the case. I talked to Evan Mobley, I talked to Darius Garland, I talked to Donovan Mitchell, and they all said the same thing, you just gotta get back. And that’s one of the most simple things of a basketball game, right? Get back on defense. You hear that at the lowest levels of, of this game. And I think one of the most interesting pieces of this Cavs team thus far this season is the fact that they have not been able to get the fundamentals. They’ve been trying to add tweaks and add different things to their defensive principles and their offensive schemes to make them a better team. But the foundation of who they are and what they were able to do last year was based on doing the little things. And I think that is an area in multiple different capacities this season where they have fallen short. We had this conversation about free throws, right? And free throws are supposed to be the easiest shot in the game. They’re free. They’re the only time that a defender is not guarding you. They’re the only time where the only disruption could be between your ears. And I think the Cavs not getting back on defense is also telling of how their foundation is crumbling at this point in the season. Right? They’re now 12 and 8. And obviously Donovan Mitchell still said this is a process, it’s give and take a day by day basis. But there’s too many themes and too many recurring ideas that are happening with this team to make me think that they are capable of making these adjustments on the fly. And we keep coming back to these injury related excuses at times for this team. And tonight might not have been one of those nights you had your, your projected starting lineup for just the third time. It’s sure you can talk about, hey, that was just the third time that they had Heman Mobley, Jared Allen, Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell and DeAndre Hunter on the floor together. But that’s supposed to be your depth lineup. That’s supposed to be a lineup that takes over. And it didn’t feel like that. Obviously they got off to a 70 start in the first quarter, but the Atlanta Hawks came back and roared back. So I think you have to keep having these conversations internally about what is going on and what can be fixed. Because obviously Sam Merrill wasn’t there, Max Struas wasn’t there, Craig Porter Jr. Wasn’t there. But you are reliant on these guys that are not only your core four players but your starting unit to hold themselves accountable and hold each other accountable. And I think they’re doing that. But I don’t think that they’re making adjustments and fixes quick enough for the fan base to be a positive mindset of this team, especially when the games continue to look as ugly as they do, as sloppy as they do, as uninspired as they do. Because this is a team that was reliant on the power of friendship last year, the power of joy last year. And I think there is not a lacking of it, but it’s not to the same level. And I asked Kenny Atkinson pregame because Donovan Mitchell and DeAndre Hunter were talking about how there was a balance between the team of players who talk smack and players who are more poised and controlled and don’t necessarily need to use their words, but their actions speak for themselves. Evan Mobley obviously falls into this category. Jaron Allen falls into this category as well. But Kenny Atkinson didn’t want to say that he had a good amount of smack talkers on the team and of course he made the joke that Darius Garlandtov smacked at him during games and all this other stuff. But. But I think you need players like that. Naquan Tomlin is a guy like that. Donovan Mitchell named a few players. Jaylon Tyson, right, Donovan said that he even talked smack two not necessarily to start it, but to finish conversations. And there’s a gap between the understanding of what the organization needs, what the coaching staff thinks that they want of the players and what this team might actually need when it comes to the personalities, the manner, rhythms and, and just the thought process, the confidence of the players on the court. Because I thought it was a very good thing that DeAndre Hunter came out and said that the Atlanta Hawks players that he used to go up against in practice and training camps and all these things couldn’t guard him because that showed a different level of confidence than we would see. And if you go through social media, you can see Atlanta Hawks fans saying that he didn’t act or talk like that when, when he was in Atlanta. And I think DeAndre has in multiple points this season shown that the Cavs team need to be tougher, not only mentally, but physically as well. And sometimes that comes along with just being able to know who you can rely on when things get chippy. And DeAndre saying things throughout the season about toughness and about who he is or about who the team needs to be I think is extremely telling of what he thinks this team might need in Persona. And I don’t want to go as far as to say as the Cavs have too many players that won’t stick up for themselves. But their two biggest players, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, are two of the more soft spoken, non physically demonstrative players that can be underwhelming when it comes to these playoff scenarios, when it comes to these playoff games, because you, you have other teams that are willingly throwing bodies at you and willingly throwing their centers, power forwards, big men who have their roles of being physical. We saw it with the Houston Rockets, right? We saw it with how this team is constructed and we have seen it in passing, in surges and verse where players can be chippy, right? We saw it with DeAndre Hunter in the playoff series against the Indiana Pacers. He wasn’t backing down for Benedict Mathurin. He actually went after him. And while everybody else was kind of looking around, you could feel a sense of this is what we need right now to jolt a spark. And you again saw in the second quarter when DeAndre Hunter dunked on one of the Atlanta Hawks players and then the Cavs offense got rolling. And I think that’s a negative connotation of the Cavs is that they need a jolt that from something to get going rather than solely playing for each other and for themselves. They need something to actually happen to jolt them into some kind of intensity. And I think that is something that can’t happen, especially when we’re talking about a playoff scenario and that’s being more reactive, right? And we have talked about this dating Back to when J.B. bickerstaff was coaching this team. The Cavs needing to punch first, needing to be the aggressor rather than being reactive. But with all that being said, that’ll wrap up today’s episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast. But remember to become a Cavs insider and interact with Chris, me and Jimmy by subscribing to subtext. 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