On this episode of Locked On Cavs, Danny Cunningham (The Inside Shot, Cleveland Magazine, 92.3 The Fan) evaluates the Cleveland Cavaliers' first two weeks of the 2024-25 season through their 4-3 start. Danny organizes his analysis into three categories: what's working well, what's concerning, and what needs more time to assess. He highlights the team's defensive transformation, ranking 6th in the NBA with a 111 defensive rating and 2nd in forcing turnovers at 18.7 per game, noting this represents a genuine shift to being a defense-first team unlike last season. Danny praises Jaylon Tyson's emergence as a legitimate rotation player following the Isaac Okoro trade and emphasizes the need to appreciate Donovan Mitchell's consistent superstar performance. The episode addresses significant concerns including the team's 26th-ranked offense and 20th-ranked rebounding, though Danny urges patience on offensive struggles until Darius Garland returns from injury. He examines Evan Mobley's offensive role adjustment, noting only 35.2% of his shots are coming at the rim compared to 63.8% last season, and discusses Lonzo Ball's integration challenges as he adapts to a different playing style than Cleveland's guards are accustomed to. Danny concludes by previewing the upcoming matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers while maintaining an optimistic outlook that many early season issues will resolve as the roster gets healthy and develops chemistry.

Check out Danny’s Substack, The Inside Shot: https://theinsideshot.substack.com/

Email the show: LOCavsmailbag@gmail.com

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