Two Big Questions: When Could Max Strus Make His Season Debut and What Should the Cleveland Cavaliers' Priority Be for the Rest of the Season?

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On today's show, two big questions about the calves.

When is Max Drew's going to make his season debut and should this be a team fighting for

seeding or prioritizing rest down the stretch of this season?

We'll talk about it on this bonus edition of Lockdown Caves.

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We will be talking about Max Trues, who practice with the Cleveland charge a couple of times

this week.

And we will also be talking about whether or not the cabs should be prioritizing seating

or rest down the stretch of this season.

But the first big question that I wanted to address on today's show is the one with

Max Trues.

When could Max Trues make his season debut for the Cleveland Cavaliers?

And I think the answer to this question is as soon as Sunday at home against the Dallas

Maverick.

So I would be surprised if Max plays on Friday in Dallas.

But I do think Sunday at home is the first real opportunity we could see Max.

I'm not going to sit here and say that that is the thing that is for sure going to happen.

But at this point, I would be very, very surprised if he does not play within the next four

games or so.

You've got Friday in Dallas Sunday at home against Dallas Tuesday in Milwaukee.

And then next Thursday the cabs are on the road in Chicago, which of course is where

Max is from.

I don't think it drags out that long.

I do think that we see him potentially on Sunday.

And he of course is recovering from a Jones fracture.

He injured his foot, his left foot back in August had surgery to repair it back on August

26th, the original timeline was three to four months to return to basketball activities,

which is to be fair, not in game activities.

Obviously, at some point, the cabs did need to slow him down a little bit throughout

his rehab process.

They said that the bone was not necessarily fully healed the way that it was originally

anticipated.

And that's now why we find ourselves on March 12th talking about when Max troops could

finally play.

And I do think the cabs miss him.

I think that getting Max on the floor could be something that is a game changer.

But I do want to caution, Max is not going to come back in one, I think instantly look

awesome.

Like this is going to be a process.

And I know I talked about this on the show the other day that there needs to be a ramp

up period for Max, where right now the cabs are sitting there and they, I believe, have

16 games left and he's not going to, I imagine he's not going to play on Friday and Dallas.

Not saying that for sure, but I would be surprised and that doesn't mean he can't, but I would

be surprised if that's the case.

So you're looking at 15 games remaining from when Max potentially makes his season debut

on Sunday, potentially on Sunday.

And from there, is he going to play in all 15 games?

Probably not.

I would imagine he's not going to play in back to backs and the cabs have a couple of

those left.

They have one with the first night is at home against Orlando.

The second night is at home against Miami coming up later this month.

They have one between I believe Utah and the Lakers when they go out west.

And I think those are the only two they might have a third, but I believe those are the

only two back to back save left.

But right there, that chops down two games.

So you go from having 15 games to 13 games.

And the time remaining in the season is important because the cabs are trying to figure out a

lot of things, right?

They don't look like a team that is clicking on all cylinders right now for the most part

because they're a group that is new and it is easier to incorporate somebody that has

been there and played with a lot of these guys and has built up a lot of equity with

guys like Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley and Jared Allen.

Like they have spent a lot of time together on the floor in game situations and high leveraged

situations.

Max has been somebody that has consistently showed up I think in big moments for the cabs.

So I'm less worried about that, but it's not as if all of this group has played basketball

with Max Truce before at the level required.

You think to okay, the guys I named Donovan, Jared, Evan Mobley, Dean Wade certainly

has, but James Harden hasn't, Keanu Ellis hasn't, Dennis Schroeder hasn't really Jalen

Tyson for the most part hasn't like maybe a few minutes here and there, but not necessarily

a high leverage moments.

So this is kind of like incorporating a new player.

And that's why I think if he can be back on Sunday and I do think it was obviously a very

good sign that Max was practicing with the G league and I noticed it yesterday on the

transaction log and he actually also practiced with the charge earlier this week too.

He was assigned to the Cleveland charge on the ninth, which was Monday.

I believe in practice then and then he was also assigned to the charge on Wednesday to

practice.

We'll have to wait and see.

He was then recalled later on Wednesday and on the transaction log and the G league.

He was not assigned first thing Thursday morning.

So maybe he was assigned later in practice.

I don't know as I record this at 12, 30 in the afternoon on Thursday.

I don't have those answers.

But I do think the fact that he's practicing with the charges, something that should be

looked at as a sign that he's very close.

This is not also the first time that the calves have done this earlier this year.

Darius Garland actually was assigned to the Cleveland charge for a practice or two.

I don't remember if it was one or two about a week before he came back from his injury.

So if Max is first assigned to the charge on Monday of this past week and plays six days

later, that's kind of along that same timeline.

So I look at this and think he's very close.

And as I mentioned on the show the other day, the calves in these situations, they do tend

to prefer to bring guys back from extended pier extended absences when they're at home.

That's not always the case.

But with Darius Garland earlier this year, could they have brought him back prior to that

game against Philly?

Maybe.

Could they have waited a little bit and brought him back on a road game that the calves had

coming up?

They could have done that too.

Now, am I saying that the calves are for sure going to bring him back on Sunday at home?

No, but after that, their next three games are again in Milwaukee in Chicago, which is

where Max is from and is that is worth a fact worth bringing up in this conversation.

And then in New Orleans before they're back home the week after next.

So they have only one home game in their next five games.

So I do think that that is something just to think about and that like if I had to place

a wager on when Max makes his season debut for the calves, Sunday would be the date that

I would pick.

I don't necessarily think it's like, I don't know that it's a for sure thing.

But Sunday to me is the one that just makes the most sense logically given the fact that

he has practiced now twice with the charge this week.

I think that we're very close.

If it's not Sunday, I'd be surprised if it's later than the game in Chicago.

I think that we're entering a window to where we could finally see Max Drew's play for

the calves.

I think that they miss a lot of the connector stuff that he does.

I don't think he's going to work his way into the starting lineup because he just does

not have a long runway.

But if the calves can find a way over the final 15 games of the regular season to get a good

version of Max Drew's out on the floor for them, I think it's something that would help

them tremendously because I think a lot of what they're missing right now, a lot of the

things that Max Drew's can do now.

The calves currently sit in fourth place.

They're a game and a half behind the New York Knicks and they have a three game lead over

fifth place.

Should they try and move up the standing?

Should they try and prioritize rest?

What should the play for the rest of the regular season be?

We'll discuss it next right here on mocked on calves.

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Thank you again for making this edition of Lockdown Caves your first watch on YouTube

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And this second question on today's two big questions edition of Lockdown Caves

is should the calves prioritize rest or seeding the rest of the regular season?

So I do think there's a way to prioritize

both. Now, the seeding priority, as far as I'm concerned,

should be to lock in a top four spot.

Having home court advantage at least in the first round is paramount.

It's very, very rare.

I know the Dallas Mavericks did it a couple of years ago,

but it's very, very rare for a team to be able to be a road team

to open up every series on the road and get to the finals.

It just does not happen all that frequently.

Again, I know Dallas did it a couple of years ago.

So it's not as if there's not precedent here,

but I think that's something the calves would be wise to try and avoid.

And as things stand right now,

the Orlando Magic are in fifth and there are three games behind the Cavaliers

in the standings. The calves lead that season series two games to one.

So if the calves win their final game against Orlando,

which is on March 24,

which is also conveniently for the calves,

a second night of a back-to-back for the magic.

That's something I do think is worth mentioning there.

And the calves will also clinch the tiebreaker.

And that would for all intents and purposes lock up a top four seed

in the Eastern Conference.

Now, the Miami Heat are also 10 games back,

or excuse me, three games back,

the calves are 10 games back, a first place.

And that season series is tied one to one.

The calves play the heat two more times.

Both are this month, both are in Cleveland.

The first of those matchups is on March 25th,

the day after the game against the magic.

So obviously that is the second night of a back-to-back,

a bit of a schedule disadvantage there.

But the seeding aspect of things is getting the top four.

And I know that there's the line of thinking out there

that is, well, you should want to be the number four seed

because if you look at the bracket,

everybody right now is of the belief.

And I share this belief that the Boston Celtics

at the current moment are the best team

in the Eastern Conference.

I think they're better than Detroit.

I think they're better than the calves.

I think they're better than the next.

Now, I think the calves are the second best team.

But if you are the calves and you can avoid

seeing the Celtics in the second round,

that could be beneficial.

But I also look at this and say,

you're going to have to go through Boston at some point.

And I do think that styles make fights in the postseason.

And I think the Celtics are a tough matchup for the calves.

I don't think that they are unbeatable.

But I do think that the calves would have an easier time

beating Detroit in the second round.

I think the calves match up better with the pistons,

the calves strength really can take advantage

of the weaknesses that Detroit has on both ends of the floor.

And I think that is something that's worth thinking

about as the postseason approaches.

And I do think the calves also match up well against the next.

The fact that New York doesn't necessarily

have great secondary creators.

And the fact that the calves have two really strong defensive

bigs to neutralize Carlisle into the towns,

I do think makes New York a little bit lesser.

And like if you go back and look,

and I know that the next one on Christmas Day,

and I know that the calves team that played on Christmas

is a much different team than the team they are right now.

But over the past 96 minutes that the calves

have played, the calves have led for roughly 80 of them.

Like they have kind of dominated the last two games.

They just choked away an 18.4th quarter lead

against the next on Christmas Day.

But I think that you want to, yes, get in the top four.

You want to make sure that you're fresh

and healthy in the postseason.

But the thing I think the calf should actually be prioritizing

down the final 16 games of the regular season

is reps together.

It is.

And maybe that comes at the expense of rest

and they will have roughly a week off.

If they're in that four or five matchup,

they probably will begin their postseason on April 18th,

which is a Saturday.

So that's one last day off that they had last year,

where they wrap up the season on a Sunday

and then played the next Sunday.

They'll probably, they will wrap up the season on a Sunday.

And if they're in the four or five matchup,

they will most likely begin the postseason

on a Saturday on April 18th.

And that means you have one last day off

that is what it is.

But that's a week off and that's practice time.

And that is plenty of time to be rested and refreshed.

And, you know, looking down the stretch of the calf schedule,

like it is a very easy schedule for them.

And I don't know, like they're last three games.

Two of them are against Atlanta.

Atlanta's playing awesome right now.

I bet the Hawks are probably playing for something

in those games.

And then the final game is against Washington.

And the Wizards are going to try to lose that basketball game.

I feel very strongly about that.

But it's not just those games.

It's the next five games that the calves have.

At Dallas, home against Dallas, at Milwaukee,

at Chicago, at New Orleans, Dallas and Chicago

are trying to lose games.

The pelicans stink and the box have been a disaster lately.

Like those are five games that the calves should win.

Now does that boost them up into third?

The nicks also have the calves have the easiest schedule left

in the Eastern Conference.

The New York Nicks have the second easiest schedule

remaining in the Eastern Conference.

So like, I don't know that there's going to be a ton

of opportunity to move up, which again,

could ultimately be a good thing.

I don't think that the calves are in a position

where they should be trying to necessarily manipulate

the standings, like they need to get these reps.

And I think that manipulating the standings

instead of prioritizing getting time together on the floor

with Don of the Mitchell, with James Hart.

I'm not saying run these guys into the ground,

but they need to have reps on the floor.

They need to get better.

And James has set it in multiple media abilities

that he's had since being acquired by the calves.

They don't have a ton of time for practice.

Like, if you look at because the calves

very rarely hold practices when there are not two days

between games.

So like the calves practiced last on Saturday.

They played Tuesday.

They were off Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday

before that Celtics game.

They practiced before the Celtics game.

The next time they have two days off

is not until this upcoming weekend, excuse me, next weekend.

So they played New Orleans on the road on a Saturday.

They will most likely be off on Sunday.

Then they could have a practice on Monday.

That's an opportunity to get those reps.

And then they have two days off.

They play Miami on the 27th.

They play Utah on the 30th, but they have to travel there.

Are they going to practice before that?

I don't know.

And then after that, I do not believe they have two days off

consecutively for the rest of the regular season.

Maybe one other instance.

Oh, they do have one other instance

when they come back from the West Coast,

but I don't know if that makes sense to have practice there.

So there is just limited opportunities for the calves

to have practice time.

So I think that, yes, seeding matters.

And being in the foreseat is probably

the most advantageous place the calves can be.

Being rested matters.

You want to feel fresh and ready and healthy

to go when the postseason arrives.

But the thing that matters more than both of those to me

is the calves need to find a way to build camaraderie.

They need to find a way to build chemistry.

They need to find a way to click on all cylinders.

And then maybe they do that over the next couple of weeks.

And you feel OK about things.

It's like, OK, we can start prioritizing some

of those other things.

But I think above seeding, above rest,

it's the calves need to find ways

to get opportunities to play basketball together,

because these games for them, they might not

matter a ton in the standings.

Maybe they get up to third.

Maybe they are locked in at fourth.

But these games matter to them because they

need to find a way to build chemistry

and play basketball together, because that

is going to be a thing that matters quite a bit

when they get to the postseason.

That's why you very rarely see teams

that make huge changes during the season,

get to the finals or win the finals.

It doesn't happen often.

The calves have an opportunity to change that.

But I think that they need to attack the rest

of the regular season with that in mind.

Now, that's going to do it for this two big questions

edition of Lockdown Caves.

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