Zach Lowe

I want to start with Cleveland.

They got off to such a great start after swapping Garland for Harden.

And they're still playing well.

They're 10 and seven in their last 17 games.

That's kind of like, ooh, okay.

The defense has slipped.

I think they're like 15th, 16th overall, and worse than that in their last 20 games.

There was always going to be some slippage potentially with Harden and Jared Allen missing games.

Allen's now back.

You started against the Lakers the other night.

They got blown out by the Lakers and yet another Luka MVP.

Hey, remember me?

I'm still in this masterpiece performance.

Wasn't close.

Like they just got straight up outclassed by the Lakers who are absolutely, excuse me, absolutely humming and almost like on both ends of the floor.

all the chemistry issues they had early in the season are gone.

It's Lucas team and it looks amazing.

And so like,

Max Struth started that game as sort of the fifth guy alongside the other four.

I think Cleveland's dream outcome would be that Struth takes that spot.