Zach Weiss, host of the “Across the Cavs” podcast, is back to provide Loren an update, and boy, is it an exciting one! As the Cavaliers ready to host the 2022 NBA All-Star game, they just received word that Darius Garland will be playing in the showcase event for the first time. On the heels of an 11-4 January, Cleveland is still playing excellent basketball, yet not satisfied with its roster. In fact, one-third of the way through this very interview, Zach learned in real time that Caris LeVert was on his way to Cleveland to improve the already talented squad. Among other topics, Zach opines on the acquisition, the Cavaliers’ postseason chances and why their three-7-footer lineup has worked so well.

2:55-3:01 – “Garland’s All-Star selection basically says, ‘Yeah, we’re hosting the game. We’ve got players in the game. We are real!’

14:39-14:55 – “Justin Rowan of the Chase Down [podcast] – we had him on Thursday of last week; this would be February 3. He was big on Caris LeVert, who proceeded to drop 42 points, including 20 on just one miss in the first quarter in Indy’s last game, so he’s an option as well.” (Not even two and a half minutes later, Zach learns that the Cavaliers did indeed acquire LeVert, so be sure to listen to his excited, real-time reaction from 17:29-17:51.)

21:02-21:17 – “We get a guy who can create, he has playoff experience from Brooklyn, he dropped 50 in the Bubble, he’s got a lot of talent, he’ll have good nights, he’ll have bad nights. But finally [much-needed help has arrived]! We talked about Darius [Garland] carrying too much weight.”

26:17-26:35 – “When you put him [Lauri Markannen] with two rim-protecting, mobile bigs, I think you scare teams. You go at them even if they’re ready for the fight. Not many teams have figured us out. The Cavs are 32-21, and that includes a five-game streak without their bigs, so they’re really 32-16.”

30:37-31:04 – “It’ll be Darius and Caris, which kinda rhymes. LeVertland. Vertland, Vertland! There we go. Vertland. So take the pressure off Darius now. And they’re not gonna have that much tape to follow us ‘cuz Lauri’s not coming back until after the All-Star break, so for now you’ll probably have LeVert and Okoro starting together. And so when you consider everything here, they’re only gonna have 15 games of tape probably to watch.”

39:59-40:34 – “I don’t see a weakness [with the Milwaukee Bucks], and they’re gonna have [Brook] Lopez back in the playoffs, even if he’s only playing 15 [minutes per game]. He was incredible last year when they needed him to be, and when he was out, you put in Bobby [Portis]. This is a scary team. I don’t care they don’t have PJ [Tucker]. I don’t know how we beat them. I could be wrong because I said the Cavs weren’t ‘this,’ and then on October 1, I said we were a 12th seed. In November, end of the month, maybe even early December, I said we’re not even a top-six. So don’t take my word for it, I guess, but the Bucks are the team I’m the most scared of, more than Miami, more than Chicago, more than anyone else in the conference. Anyone!”   

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