4 months ago
- Cavaliers
- Updated: Jan. 05, 2026, 10:31 a.m.
- Published: Jan. 05, 2026, 10:30 a.m.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cavs’ chair has gone from a projected spot to a glaring weakness, and nan Wine and Gold Talk podcast addressed this alarming inclination aft nan Cavs’ 114-110 nonaccomplishment to Detroit.
“I deliberation nan different point that we person to talk astir present tonight, Ethan, is that nan chair is conscionable becoming a problem,” cleveland.com Cavs hit newsman Chris Fedor said connected nan podcast. “The chair scored 28 points coming for nan Cavs. The Pistons chair scored 51. That is simply a bulldoze successful NBA terms, NBA standards.”
The podcast speech revealed conscionable really dire nan business has become, pinch Fedor noting that Cleveland now has “the 2nd slightest productive chair successful nan full NBA.”
Perhaps moreover much stunning was podcast big Ethan Sands’ revelation astir a Detroit two-way player: “Daniss Jenkins vanished pinch 25 points. As you mentioned earlier, nan Cavs chair wholly had 28.”
While injuries person forced Kenny Atkinson to shuffle lineups — utilizing 19 different starting combinations truthful acold this play — Fedor questioned whether nan offseason moves to fortify nan chair person paid disconnected astatine all.
“The champion of that group? The astir accordant of that group has been Thomas Bryant. And he conscionable doesn’t play consistently capable to put that arsenic a feather successful your cap,” Fedor explained. “Larry Nance Jr. was ineffective earlier getting hurt. Lonzo is astatine nan constituent of unplayable against precocious level teams.”
- Are nan Cavs pretending to beryllium thing they’re not?
- How J.B. Bickerstaff’s Cleveland exit is fueling nan Pistons’ Eastern Conference rise
- Reacting to nan difficult truth many times exposed successful nan Cavs’ brewing rivalry pinch Detroit: Wine and Gold Talk podcast
Even Atkinson appears to admit nan severity of nan chair issues.
According to Fedor, Atkinson acknowledged aft nan crippled that they request to “reexamine” their approach, perchance looking astatine keeping 2 stars connected nan level astatine each times — a challenging but possibly basal adjustment.
The Wine and Gold Talk speech did supply immoderate discourse for nan chair struggles, pinch Sands noting that “the Cavs bench, erstwhile afloat patient should beryllium 1 of nan astir vulnerable successful nan NBA.” However, nan existent reality is acold from that projection.
Craig Porter Jr. was highlighted arsenic 1 of nan fewer agleam spots coming disconnected nan bench, pinch Fedor mentioning that his minutes “were productive tonight” and that he “helped them triumph nan San Antonio game” and contributed to “the 4th fourth comeback against Denver.”
The podcast makes it clear that Cleveland’s title aspirations cannot beryllium realized without solving their chair problem.
As players return from injury, Atkinson faces nan difficult task of uncovering effective combinations and determining which players merit minutes successful a perchance crowded rotation.
To perceive nan complete breakdown of nan Cavaliers’ chair crisis, including elaborate subordinate assessments and imaginable solutions discussed by Chris Fedor and Ethan Sands, perceive to nan afloat section of nan Wine and Gold Talk podcast now. The chat offers important insights into 1 of nan biggest hurdles opinionated betwixt nan Cavs and their title goals.
Here’s nan podcast for this week:
This article was produced pinch assistance from AI devices and reviewed by Cleveland.com staff.
