Carr: Kenny Atkinson Is Biggest Reason For Cavaliers Turnaround

Mr. Carr, thank you for joining us. How you doing? How's it going?

Very well. I got no complaints. I know the Cavaliers and their fans have no complaints at all. What are your thoughts on this dismantling that they just they just handed the heat? Yeah, it was really surprising to me, because in the past, the heat in that situation that they were in, they usually bounce back. But I just think personnel wise, they just don't have enough to make it happen. And we're in the past, really missing Butler really was, was used for them because he would be the one that would balance it all. But without him, they really, I mean, they put a lot of pressure on Hiro and Adebayo to really handle the whole thing.

And that was a little bit too much for just two guys. When you take a look at the Cavaliers, we see the additions and the growth from prior years. You have the explosion of Ty Jerome.

We see the acquisition of Deontre Hunter. Is there one thing that you look at specifically that's really changed and taken the Cavs to another level from prior years where like they got eliminated by the Knicks? Yeah, I think I think the coach has a lot to do with with with the resurgence.

I think basically, he empowered more than the normal guys. And by empowering everybody to get involved, we play 9, 10, 11 guys every night. And I think, and when you have nine or 10 guys that can produce now it's different to have nine or 10 guys, but some of them are iffy. But most of our guys are producing and, and they've been going through this for a whole season now.

So they understand, you know, that they don't get upset when things don't go their way. They kind of just keep plugging away and keep playing this style. And the coach again, he's empowered these guys to, to, to be who they are. And they have gotten into a good rhythm as far as when to back off and when to attack. And what the one thing I was concerned about going into the playoffs was at the end of the season, we had kind of lost our is as far as attacking on the defensive end of the floor. But when they pick that up in this series, and I'm anxious to see how we're going to handle because the paces are going to be a whole whole lot to handle and defensively is going to be the key for the for us against them. We got to the be able to deal with their open court play. And when they get back, when they get out on the break, we got to be able to handle them and slow the ball down.

If we can do that, and force them to shoot over the top is you give them a lot of driving lanes, you're in trouble against that team. Austin cars here with us coast to coast on the infinity sports network, you sit down and you call all the Cavs games you talk about defense, we just see Evan Mobley walked away with defensive player of the year. Can you talk about his growth from what you saw as a rookie kind of hesitant didn't know what he was doing, and what we have now both offense and defensively. Well, I think his biggest advancement has been the fact that he has more confidence in who he is. I mean, because he would always sit back and let the other guys go now and what the coach has done and what Donovan everybody has done is encouraged him to go out and be who you want to be instead of being who you think you should be. And that to me, has really taken him to a whole nother level because a guy his size and who has to guard him, the the fluidity has with the ball getting up and down the floor shooting threes now, it really puts their defensive pick people in a lot of areas that they don't want to be in.

And that is where he started to really understand that. And when you see him get the ball in the wing, man, he now where he, he wouldn't do that before because he didn't have the lower body strength, he still needs a little bit more that I think but he still has enough now to where when he makes that dribble to the basket now you bump him. He doesn't really get off pace he can stick that takes that next dribble. And when he takes that next dribble he has the advantage. He didn't have that last season but he has it now.

Mr. Mr car when you played for the Cavaliers you out there at the shooting guard position. We see what Donovan Mitchell has been able to bring to the team over the past couple of seasons. And there was a point in time where it was just like can can both he and Darius Garland, you know, can they coexist in the same backcourt. What adjustments have you seen there because obviously Donovan Mitchell leads the quote unquote star that that came and join this team. Well, I think, you know, when we talk about the difference in last year and this year. The difference has been Donovan had to back off and had to understand how to back off which, when you look at the way the league is now guys like him. They don't back off, they just keep going but Donovan backed off and his scoring is gone down but it's efficient now is his scoring now has a direct effect on the game, and you know so it's not like he's run up and down the floor, trying to do his thing and he understands that he and Garland have have have found how to play together because one, I mean, the Garland has become here here catching shoot now, whereas before Garland wouldn't catch and shoot. As soon as he catch it, put it on the floor, and now he understands when he should catch and shoot, when he should attack, and all those little nuances like that, that's what really makes the game better for them now because they know how to play off of each other, as opposed to playing against each other and now it is to the point now where the Garland has become very effective, especially in closing the game out I mean because he has he's such a good. His his quickness with the ball is putting the ball on the floor understanding what to do with the ball.

When he gets in the compromising position. All that is, has improved because they he has an understanding of what the team needs now and how to do it and he, I guess the best way to explain it is, he knows when to be a point guard and he knows when to be a shooting guard. And that's the difference between him and Donovan plan together. They know how to play off each other now, the Cavaliers legend and broadcaster Austin cars here with us. And we all assume that the Pacers are going to be the next team I think we'd be hard pressed to see the Bucks bounce on back. When it comes to the east it's pretty much been a thought that the Cavaliers and the Celtics are going to be the last two teams standing. Do you see the possibility a realistic one where the Cavaliers represent the east in the finals.

I just want to be a battle as I look at it this way. I mean, they had a, they push during the season two and two so I look at it this way, getting past it to the patient is going to be the key, because the patients have been there. And they got a bit in their mouth because they didn't make it. So they're going to be ready so it's going to be this will probably be a great series I don't think it's going to go. It should go at least six, it's gonna go at least six I know that. I mean, from the way the two teams have gotten to this point, but it's going to be a battle and then no telling what's going to happen against the Celtics because, again, they are the reigning champions. They know what they're doing they've been there before. And that's going to be the difference in the whole series is, if we get to that point, how we handle the way the Celtics, because the Celtics know what they're doing because they've done it before.

And we have to get to that point. If we can do all that in one season, that'd be something that you have to take your hat off to because it's tough to do it without going through it before. You've seen the Cavaliers do the ups, the downs, the highs and the lows. How has the fan base, does it feel a little bit different to feel like a championship contender and know that LeBron James has nothing to do with any of this right now? That's a good point because that is what I think has got everybody all excited because getting to this point now with the way the team we had without LeBron, it's been a big accomplishment because that always hangs over your head when you have a player of LeBron's ilk.

To get there without him is huge. The fan base is going crazy. The team is understanding now that quick starts in our arena puts us in a whole different area as far as the opposing team is concerned. They're starting to understand quick starts is what gets us going. I'm anxious to see how it's going to go. Like I said, the Pacers are game and they're going to be ready to play.

No doubt about that. We've been joined by Austin Carr, Mr. Cavalier himself. I guess now that the Cavaliers just took care of the Heat in the first round, do you get a little bit of a break now? No more broadcasting?

What's the deal? We're going to be able to do some pre and post game shows. We're going to do those before and after the national people. We'll get a chance to do a little bit, but that's about it now. This is the last year anyway for the local teams to broadcast anything during the playoffs.

Because next year, starting next year, the national people will take over from day one. The first round all the way through now. The only thing we're going to be able to do will be pre and post game shows and that's what we're working on now. Mr. Cavalier, Austin Carr, I appreciate you taking the time to join us. People can follow you online at MrCavalier34. Austin Carr, I appreciate you for coming through and lending your expertise.

No better Cavalier to come through and chat with. Thank you. I appreciate that and take care. Have a good day.