After we were all good and bloodied, we lightened it up by going around the association and giving grades to every team in the league on their trade deadline day performance. We covered about a million other electives too. All in all, we'd give our personal evaluation (written in comic sans) 5 Fred McLeods for energy, three Fratellos for cogence, and an "I agree, Go Cavs" as our dissertation defense.

As a fair warning, this was recorded right before the Cavs' entertaining defeat of the Portland Trailblazers, Sunday night, which saw Jarrett Allen post the best game of his career: a 40/17/5, six stock, zero turnover evisceration of Portland's Donovan Clingan. To say that the Cavs seem to be suffering from the departure of Hunter would be a lie. The ball moved and everyone played more free.

To decide whether trade was good for the Cavs, and whether it might lead to something larger, we broke down Ellis' and Schröder's gamea and how they mesh, and the best (and worst) case scenario for their Cavs' tenure. We got into a lot of other topics too, including the All-Star selections, the possibility of LeBron returning to Cleveland next summer, whether the Cavs will be able to swing for the fences in another trade, whether Giannis gets moved at all this season, Koby's talent development pipeline, news from from around the Association, and so much more.

Donovan Mitchell and Sam Merrill turned in monster second halves, helping the Cavs briefly go up 1 in the fourth with 23 and 16 respectively, while Mobley dropped 22/8/3 on the night. Jarrett Allen played soft as triple ply Charmin, and Jalen Tyson shook like he was haunted in his first start in the bright lights. Meanwhile, CPJ no-showed, and Tyrese Proctor looked like a player unafraid of the big city in his NBA regular season debut, with good handle, feel, and some nice dimes to complement a team high +11 with zero turnovers. OG Anunoby started his quest for DPOY with a 24/14/2 line with three stocks, while Brunson scored 23 on 13 (mostly bullshit) free throws. It was a frustrating loss with some bright spots, and as some commenters noted, the Cavs were missing 50 ppg worth of injured players.

Nate Smith and Chris Francis made a long overdue return the podcast booth to break it all down and go around the NBA with some instant reactions, over-under win total predictions, and a look forward to the coming six games in nine days stretch for the wine and gold.

Eli Kim joined us for the second session, and we rode my stalking horse for 6/30: a Darius Garland for LeBron James trade before the 2024 fiscal year ended. Obviously that didn't happen, and there was a lot of meditation on LeBron's weirdness and the mess of the Lakers. The general tone of the pod was muted frustration and reluctant patience before we went around the rest of the moves in free agency and their impact on the Cavs. Oh, and Eli tried to trade for Giannis again (another thing that is obviously not happening).

Finally we figured out who could be out there for the Cavs, busted a whole lot of chops, asked Eli what was for dinner, explored the details of his impending move, and discovered who his favorite hockey team is. It was a pretty fun 100 that saw us return to the podcast quality you've come to know and love.

To kick it off we got into why the Cavs lost highlighted by some major criticisms for Kenny Atkinson, the Cavs' perpetually injury mismanagement, the Cavs' lack of punch, and the NBA officials. Up next we got into slop season with no one off the table in our discussion of how to reconstruct this Cavs roster. The conversation revolved around a few key points key points: the Cavs have one last shot to make a major move before the end of June, before they're locked in salary cap purgatory, above the dreaded luxury tax apron; there are no perfect deals out there, and there aren't any clear paths for improving the roster; the Cavs might be stuck with what they have; Cleveland desperately needs some longer wings, better secondary ball-handling, and a guard set that complements both each other and Cleveland's bigs; and finally, the luxury tax apron is going to act as a hard cap and make it very hard for teams over it to operate.

After that we got into the finals, celebrated a big birthday, and looked forward to the summer. It was an entertaining podcast, even if it was a little rough around the edges.

To tip off our coverage of the NBA playoffs, we called on our best 3-on-3 squad: Nate Smith, Chris Francis, and Eli Kim (affectionately .known as "The Korean Channing Frye" around these parts). Our trio broke down the series so far and all the latest Cavalier news: Evan Mobley's Ddefensive Player of the Year award, Kenny Atkinson's Coach of the Year from the NBA Coach's Association, and Payton Pritchard's theft of Ty Jerome's 6th man trophy.

The guys got into contract talk a bit: discussing who might be a threat to sign Jerome, and the odds of the guys outside of the "core four" being on the team next season. Mostly, though, it was a celebration of the Cavs playoff run so far, with expectations that the best is yet to come.

Finally, our guys went around the rest of the playoffs and put our spin on each series with some prognostication all the way to the finals. Affter the first sign-off brought, we brought it back for a little bonus as Eli spun the tale of his and and Chris' experience at Cavs vs. Clippers in the player family section and how much fun they had. I know I was pretty touched by how well they repped CtB, and I think you will be too!

With 15 games left in the next 26 games, to say the Cavs schedule is "back loaded" would be an understatement. The Cavs kick off a five game road trip in a week and have a compressed schedule to close out the year. Everyone right now from the coaches, to the players, to the fans, just want the Cavs to get through the regular season with their focus in tact, and all their players healthy. If it means dropping some games, I think we're here for it. To that end, Nate and Eli talked about managing the rest of the season, how they'd like the Eastern Conference playoffs to stack up, and who's in and out of the Cavs' playoff rotation. Finally the guys asked if there were any more bigs to be had in free agency, and didn't find many answers on that front. Mostly, the guys just rubbed their lucky rabbits feet to make sure the Cavs get through the next four weeks healthy and unbored.

Cleveland found a way to win the possession battle and the game again Wednesday night when they notched perhaps their ugliest win of the season. Despite three frustrating turnovers in the last two minutes, Cleveland clung to a 110-107 lead after a Mobley lob and a Hunter floater as the roll man put them up three with 1:20 to go. Tight defense, and exceptional SLOB D (sideline out-of-bounds) forced a Miami timeout, and then a cross court heave to Duncan Robinson who stepped half an inch out of bounds.

Nate Smith and Chris Francis broke down this game and the last few from the CtB podcast studios where the topics ranged far and wide: the possession battle, Max Strus and Donovan Mitchell's struggles with biofeedback, De'Andre Hunter's sublime offensive and defensive fit, Evan Mobley's defense, Max Strus' gluey-ness, Ty Jerome's sixth-man cred, who scares us in the playoffs, Kenny Atkinson's coaching brilliance, Koby Altman's roster construction, Nate's bowling addiction, shout outs, the SNL 50th, and the Cavs' march to history are just a few of the threads.

Join us as we revel in this season of gravy that is your 2026 Cavaliers.

After, the guys graded the moves from around the ssociation over the last couple weeks, slung some gossip, wallowed in some buyout slop, and then looked forward to a Cavalier heavy all-star weekend. Finally, with the sun setting over the hunting grounds, the huntsmen went over the post ASB schedule, made some predictions, and tossed out their NBA finals picks. It was a tight 75, and no animals were harmed in the making of this podcast, with the possible exception of some pissy Raptors. ("They should all be destroyed.") Go Cavs.

To document it all, Nate Smith, Eli Kim, and Chris Francis hopped into Ye Olde Podcast Boothe and broke down the game, the impending trade deadline, the team, and the news from around the league. After recapping, the guys got into slop season with what they think the Cavs should do, and what they think the Cavs will do with the trade deadline less than 36 hours away. Inspired by Devin Vassell's unorthodox jump shooting form, our intrepid bloggers asked "do the Cavs follow the Medieval tenets of biological warfare, and jettison any of their underperforming players via trade as if they were cadavers launched by trebuchet?"

Did our podcasting yoemen said "yay," or "nay?" Does this team has too many good vibes to mess with right now, or do the Cavs need to make a change to compete for a championship? You'll have to listen to find out, but we all gave some names of guys we think might be able to help, and though we want to see some of the guys on the floor a lot less *cough cough - Georges Niang - cough cough* we'd be heartbroken to say goodbye to any of them and see them depart this special team entirely. We'll see what the next two days hold, and in the mean time, enjoy your favorite CtBers slingin the slop around and making fun of the Mavericks.

The gents gushed more than a little over the last couple games, the season so far, how well Kenny Atkinson is coaching, how the Cavs have Donovan Mitchell and the three most underrated players in the association, and the teambuilding template that the desk of Koby Altman has architected. The emperor's subjects marveled at the beauty and lack of BS in the Oklahoma City matchup, stood in awe one of the best regular season games you'll ever see, and looked forward to the next meeting with OKC.

After breaking down the wins, amazing at the depth, and laughing at the haters, Chris and Nate went around the NBA and pondered the fate of Jimmy Butler. They got into a little slop-talk about who would be sellers, and what the Cavs need to be complete. Nate got nostalgic about the beers he won't drink and why and regaled Chris about going to college in Alaska. Finally, the guys had pitches that were a little foggy at 1:30 in the morning. It was a much welcome return the podcast booth for both, even if it did get a little long in the tooth.

The podcast chefs also recap the Cavs' last two games, discuss surprises around the team and the NBA, and look ahead to the next week and the NBA cup. The gents also perform some pretty exciting internet searches live for you all to experience and take you into the numbers behind this Cavalier win streak. As if that's not all, we reveal who hasn't washed their underwear since the Cavs started winning and look forward to the Cavs stretch over the next couple weeks including a thanksgiving eve matchup that could feature a CtB reunion. It's a pretty fun 90 minute trip to the all you-can-eat Cavalier content buffet.

The guys went through the Cavs rotation, wondered at their still quizzical roster construction, and made some crazy predictions for how the season will play out while expressing appreciation for Kenny Atkinson and his new pace and space. The consensus was that the Cavs are all business to start the regular season, and that they could give two craps about pre-season since they are no longer a rebuilding team, but a contending one.

Stick around for pitches, fat guy jokes, and wondering who on earth would take the over on the Atlanta Hawks. It should be a fun one, just don't count on us to make you (too much) money with our picks.

To process all this, Nate Smith, Eli Kim, and Chris Francis rotated through the CtB podcast Studios in late June fashion (casually). The trio discussed the hiring, why the Cavs passed on other candidates, and who Atkinson may add to the fill out the Cavs' staff.

The crew then dug into as chaotic an NBA draft as any of us have ever seen, with no clear cut number one, or even clear cut top five. It's safe to say that anything could happen Wednesday night (... and Thursday afternoon) as the now two day event unfolds with the Cavs holding onto the 20th pick. The gents broke down who they liked, who they didn't, and some of their theories around old wings, stiff centers, and stupid names. Top that all off with a random tour of Boston, some novel picks, and some gushing over the Guardians, and you've got a pretty good podcast.

To take stock of it all, Chris Francis, Elijah Kim, and Nate Smith booked some time in the CtB podcast studios and broke down the series and the players and what went right and what went wrong in the post-season. As is tradition, the post-season was yet another referendum on J.B. Bickerstaff's coaching tenure with the Cavaliers. After a respectful period of time breaking down the series, the gents put their pig noses and ears on and started gorging on some puerile slop that dripped down into the hog trough from the Athletic's Shams Charania, Jason Lloyd, and Joe Vardon no less than 30 minutes after the Cavs were drummed out of the playoffs. 

The Cavs went through all the rumors around all the guys: Donovan Mitchell's dissatisfaction with his teammates, Darius Garland's purported need of a scenery change, Jarrett Allen's ribs, J.B.'s ineffectiveness, Mobley's desire not to be drafted by Cleveland, and most importantly whether Spida was inclined to sign a contract extension. The CtB boars wallowed into all the muck and mud and garbage and came to conclusions on L.B.J., J.B., D.M., both D.G.s, and J.A - some more concrete than others. It was a fun and cathartic 90 as the gents even got to pitching some cool Akron haunts, some Cinci legends, and a trip down vinyl lane. We think you'll find it to be an entertaining season coda with just enough delicious slop to keep coming back for more.

After taking a commanding 2-0 series, lead, the Cavs have collapsed the past two games in Orlando during the third quarter. Notable issues have been an absence of players understanding their roles, understanding what made them successful, an utter lack of confidence by the team in their leadership, an an inability to deal with success or adversity productively.

To break down whether the Cavs need to lo-fi it up, or glam it up by launching threes, Nate Smith, Elijah Kim, and Chris Fancis hopped into the CtB independent label studios.

After a good bit of cathartic bitching, our Indie Rock trio tried to focus on the now, which is what the Cavs should be doing: no talk of this season, or the summer, or even the series. What do the Cavs have to do to win game 5? Everyone agreed that Darius Garland needs to be shooting more, especially from deep, and that Evan Mobley needs to be shooting a lot less from anywhere other than dunks and threes. So really it's a mix of the glitz and the grind that needs to happen for Cleveland.

What other adjustments in terms of personnel? Well, we all want to fire Georges Niang into the sun, and play a whole lot more Sam Merrill and Max Strus at the four. Do the Cavs have what it takes to hold serve and win this series? Decisions are split, so you'll have to tune in to find out who thinks they have the juice.

Has the Cavs' season all come down to injuries? Is the Cavs' perpetual injury misfortune worthy of an inquest? Can this coach get this team out of the first round of the playoffs? Will that be enough to keep his job? Who do the Cavs even want to play in the playoffs? Which teams scare you? Have the Cavs done enough to keep Donovan Mitchell? Do the Cavs need to move Darius Garland? Why isn't CPJ playing more? Was Dune 2 worth seeing in the theater? The jurists judge all these things and more in this week's Cav's the Podcast.

To celebrate, Chris Francis and Elijah Kim took over the podcast studio for a technically deficient Nate Smith, and gushed about the Cavs win. Merrill's blistering shooting, the Cavs' sudden proclivity for the three ball, the Cavs inspired play without their stars were all topics for the guys. Then they got into some trade slop and some retrospective of 300 episodes! Merry Christmas, Cavs fans!

The gents detailed their list of grievances: a near decade long inability to coach NBA offense from this millennium, an insistence on giving minutes to and removing competition from players who he seems to like but simply aren't good, a maddening inability to make good tactical and strategic decisions, a penchant for running guys into the ground and playing short rotations, and most damning of late - an inability to get consistent effort from his players. 

The last one may not be his fault. Eventually, everyone gets tired of the voice in the locker room, and sometimes teams just need a new one. That seems to be the consensus in the podcast booth and the fan base at large as even the most ride-or-die Cavs fans are turning on him. I hope it doesn't affect J.B.'s cookies.

Nate and Chris discussed the interim and longer term options for Cleveland, and whether Koby deserves to stay too. They discussed the future of Donovan Mitchell in a Cavs uniform, the struggles of Darius Garland, re-litigate the Lauri Markkanen trade, and try to find some solace in their pod-ending pitches. There isn't a lot of positivity here, but there is entertainment and humor in vitriol.

Cleveland delivered a convincing victory against Denver Sunday, and most importantly, Jarrett Allen looked healthy and explosive again. JA outplayed Jokic with a 15-5-5 night, and sent Jokic to the bench in the early third. Jarrett was clearing getting under the big man’s skin, and after scoring on Jokic four straight times to start the third, Allen drew two consecutive offensive fouls – one of them flagrant – which earned the Joker five fouls and a seat on the pine. It was great to see JA back to his old self and the big-to-big game was in full effect, starting out with Evan and Allen in a 4-5 pick and roll.

Elated about the win streak and Kevin Love’s and LeBron James’ return to Cleveland this week, Nate, Chris, and Eli piled in the podcast booth to gush over the win and take stock of the week. First up, Max Strus who came into Sunday night’s game leading the NBA in on-off differential, and has been a very solid starter all week. Add to that Mobley who’s averaged 16/11/4 over the last week with two stocks. Darius Garland has similarly turned a corner too, shooting over 40% from deep over the last five games, and is hopefully getting his turnovers down.

The guys discussed the key to the Cavs turning the corner, and many theories were floated. Did the Cavs just need to beat up on some scrubs to get their confidence back? Is it just Garland (26/3/6 Sunday) and Allen getting health? Have the Cavs been winning because Craig Porter Junior and Dean Wade have been supplanting Garland? CPJ was a monster, Sunday: 21/4/4 on an array of moves to the basket and pull-ups. Add three stocks and one turnover in 25 minutes, and Craig looks like a keeper.

Meanwhile, Dean Wade quietly put up a double digit rebounding night, and the Cavs killed Denver on the glass. Everyone seems to be doing their part to rebound, and its showing. Dean wade though has been a huge key: he gobbles up rebounds and hits corner threes. The guys discussed whether Okoro should be in the rotation when he returns, whether that rotation should include Niang, and if Ice can play the four.

Finally, the guys looked ahead to the coming week, which features some Cleveland royalty returning to the shores of Lake Erie. A regular 2015 reunion might be in the offing with TT, LeBron, and Kev all in town within a day of each other. The guys roasted Nate about his wife’s Kevin Love obsession, gave us their favorite thanksgiving food, and picked their MVPs for the week. All-in-all, we have a lot to be thankful for.

Fortunately, the wine and gold won enough of those battles to win the game, and come away with an improbable victory despite still missing starters Garland and Allen. The Cavs held New York to 35% from the field, but helped New York by turning it over 18 times.

Fortunately, Spida Mitchell led the way with 30, including 24 in the first half, while Caris LeVert added 19. Georges "Rolling Donuts" Niang, a surprise starter grabbed 10 rebounds and shared the night's Junkyard Dog award with Tristan Thompson.

Elijah Kim, Chris Francis, and Nate Smith hopped in the podcast booth to explicate the game, and analyze the Cavs and their recent play, the NBA as a whole, and what lies ahead for the team.

The guys end up with some lawnmower talk, regale each other with tales of summer, and discuss cocktail recipes. It's a casual slide into Cavs season and a preview of things to come in the next few weeks as we ramp up for the NBA.

Next up, a long overdue Summer League wrap-up. Chris and Nate broke down all the the main guys' summer performances and their odds of contributing to the Cavs' varsity squad this coming season. Emoni Bates was top of mind as the whole CtB staff was impressed with Emoni's game and improvement over two weeks in Vegas. Isaiah Mobley, Sam "the elder statesman" Merrill, Craig Porter Junior, and Sharife Cooper all got good grades while the reviews were controversially mixed with some upside on Diop, Travers, and Nance the Younger.

We laughed at the Donovan Mitchell click-bait that spread through Cavs' online discourse last week, concluding - among other things - that a year was a long way away.

Finally, we pitched some pizza recommendations, including the jarring juxtaposition mentioned in our title (Nate says it's a revelation, but you've got to check out the ingredients that go with it). All-in-all, it's a fun midsummer catch-up with your favorite Cavs: the Blog bloggers!

[Editor's note, this podcast was recorded last Wednesday night, but due to some technical issues wasn't able to post till today. Content, aside from some commentary on games in progress is all still very topical.]

The guys try not to delve into negativity or the blame game, but don't succeed too well as they discuss lineups, substitution patterns, tactics, and whether the Knicks are good or not.

Having hashed the Cavs to death, the guys break down playoff series around the league.

Forgive us for stealing from Soundgarden, but instead of looking California and feeling Minnesota like most of the NBA is before tonight's Lakers/Wolves matchup, we dove deep on the Cavs' season and the pending matchup between the Knicks and the Cavs.

The Cavs are one of the weakest defensive rebounding teams, and New York is one of the best offensive rebounding teams. That discussion loomed large as we all picked a close series, with a lot of x-factors in play: rebounding, officiating, rotations, shooting, health (Okoro's and Randle's), RJ Barrett, Evan Mobley, Young Thibs, Old Thibs, and home court advantage. There was a lot to unpack, but one thing was clear: we all wanted to see less Lamar and more Dean and Cedi, as the Cavs' simply must improve their three-point proclivity in the playoffs. It all led to one question with surprising answers: how many games does J.B. Bickerstaff have to win to keep his job?

After that the guys went through the other play-in and playoff series, handed out their post-season awards, and by the time we were done, it was midnight.

Finally, Thanks to our friends at FOCO (Forever Collectibles) for sending us some Cavs gear and this unique Bobblehead featuring Donovan Mitchell in the City Edition Jersey (title photo)! For any sports fan looking for unique collectibles, check these guys out! 

https://twitter.com/cavsthetweets/status/1636744913361551365?s=46&t=OSMDysb6Gu07qAfJAd8rpQ

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First up, an all-star game that left us all pining for more competitive contests of yore. Then we waded into the Kevin Love departure. ChrisBOT, NateGPT, and ELI 3000 sputtered over stats and fury as they ranted and raged over the poor handling of the situation from a teambuilding, reputation, basketball, and historical standpoints. The takes were firy, and the CPUs were heating up until Nate's head started leaking fluid like an android in a Ridley Scott film. Tom countered by taking on the Analytics movement as a whole and what it's done to the game of basketball, mainly to get keep Nate from drifting even further off baseline.

Next up, the CtB server farm picked the winners and losers from the trade deadline, went through the Cavs schedule and what we'll see coming out of the All-Star break, and fomented another CtB civil war over Caris LeVert. Things got wild as the topics drifted away from basketball and the guys got into tech, construction, video games, Cavs lore, Ayesha Curry, and Olive Garden commercials. Steven Hawking made an appearance, and we all laughed at Skip Bayless.

Nate, Chris, and Eli slogged into the podcast booth to sing Tom Thumb's Blues after this one, and a big early conversation was whether Donovan Mitchell (16/3/9, four steals +2) put on any airs when walking down Rue Morgue Avenue. Mitchell shot 3-13 this game from downtown on a bevy of jab-step and pull-up Js that really played into the Heat defense. Chris liked the shot selection, while Nate felt like they were bailing out Miami's matchup zone, and not moving defenders to set up passing lanes and offensive rebounds. Speaking of rebounds: Miami won that battle 45-39, with the nine offensive rebounds gouging Cleveland. They got some ugly women there, and they'll really make a mess out of you.

If you see J.B. Bickerstaff, please tell him thanks a lot. After Darius Garland went out at the 3:00 mark of the third quarter with foul trouble, Caris LeVert came in and played the next 12 straight minutes, and after a brilliant chase-down block of Victor Oladipo near the end of that stretch, Caris moaned, I cannot move, my fingers are all in a knot / I don't have the strength to get up and take another shot. Caris was mercifully subbed out, but re-appeared just three minutes later and played 18 minutes in the second half to middling efficiency. At the very least though, he's doing better than Vic Oladipo who has zero lift anymore after all the injuries, and who when interviewed after the game noted, my best friend, my doctor won't even say what it is I've got.

I hate to be Sweet Melinda, who the peasants call the Goddess of Gloom, and yeah Ispeaks good English as I invites you up into her room.  But, much of this game came down to three point shooting: the Heat took good ones when they were open and in the flow of the offense (against a yet again overhelping Cavs' D), and finished 14-31 from deep to the Cavs' 11-40. Additionally the Cavs the free throw disparity was galling too, as the Cavs were in the bonus at the 9:40 mark of the 2nd quarter and got just a pair of freebies out of it, as they repeatedly settled for the three point chucks I described earlier. 

Jimmy Butler (23/1/5) was lookin to get silly as he grifted his way into 15 free throw attempts, including a galling early three point foul where he basically kicked Garland to sweep the leg and ended up at the free throw line. J.B. finished a game with a challenge in his pocket yet again, and this would've been a prime one to use it on, but J.B. saved it for the end and then didn't' use it. Maybe coach Bickerstaff just thought to himself about the challenge, "You better go back to from where you came. Because the cops don't need you and man, they expect the same."

Now, all the authorities, they just stand around and boast about how Eric Spoelstra blackmailed official David Guthrie into leaving his post: giving the Heat a 18-25 to 6-12 free throw advantage.

And you'd think J.B. Bickerstaff would have been picking up Angel, Ricky Rubio, who just arrived from the coast a few games ago, but despite Ricky's 8/5/5 line, 2-4 from deep, and +6 in 17 minutes, J.B. played Okoro and a two center lineup in key moments of crunch time and ended up with an Ice turnover when Isaac stepped out of bounds and a Darius Garland miscue when he forced the ball into a packed paint for another turnover.

Then on one of the most half-assed OOB plays you'll ever see in the Association, the Cavs almost turned it over again when the Heat deflected the ball into the back court and Mitchell was forced to retrieve then kick to Mobley in the left corner for a brick at 1:23. Rubio would've looked a lot better in that corner. Man, J.B. looked so fine at first when he took over for Beilein, but after moments like these, John Blair's left looking just like a ghost.

As you might be able to tell, after this one, Chris Francis started out on burgundy, but soon hit the harder stuff. This might have been one of our most liquid podcasts in a year or so. A big point of contention was LeVerts's negativity don't pull you through (14/5/3, -19), which is a hell of a shift when Mobley puts up a 19/6/4 +16 line. As the author of #CarisLeVertAgenda, Chris was particularly despondent about the pairing of LeVert and Rubio, who don't seem to play well together, and the maddening lack of shooting on the bench lines. A blood feud between Eli and Chris ensued over what grade to give Caris this game.

Chris and the guys pulled up a whole lot of lineup data to prove the point that the Cavs' aren't optimizing their lineups, and that the Cavs' should make every night Turkish Heritage Night, so Cedi Osman can play second halves. Because after an 0-fer seven minute stretch in the first half, Cedi, despite leading his team this season in net rating and being second in the association off the bench in that stat, has to think the coach won't, "stand behind me when the game got rough." Chris pled for J.B. to go do some research on stats.nba.com. But when it comes to Cedi, J.B.'s so kind and careful not to go to him too soon. Bick takes your voice and leaves you howling at the moon.

Finally, the pod got very long in the tooth in the second hour when we wallowed in some trade slop. While not looking at a lot of options for the Cavs, the guys went through, I kid you not, every roster in the NBA to examine who where the buyers and sellers and who have the worst contracts in the NBA. Up on Housing Project Hill, it's either fortune or fame. You must pick up one or the other, though neither of them are to be what they claim. (I'm looking at you Ben Simmons, Evan Fournier, Trae Young, DeAndre Hunter, and Gordon Hayward. 

A whole lot of teams want a king's ransom and multiple first rounders for role players, as the Minnesota Rudy Gobert trade broke the Association. But as we get closer a lot of teams will figure out "the joke was on me, there was nobody even there to bluff." A lot of orgs will be left holding the bag with flawed rosters and even more flawed contracts.

The Cavs take on the the No. 2 team in the West, the Grizzlies, Thursday, and, despite big wins against the Ty Lue's JV squad, the Wine and Gold haven't won a game against a healthy team since December. After the Grizz, the Cavs have five games in seven nights, part of a seven game in 10 night stretch before the all-star break. Something has to change, because the Cavs have been a .500 team or worse since their early season win streak, and right now they possess zero ability to win close games. The question remains, can J.B. coach himself out of this hole? If he doesn't the Cavs may have to make a coaching move before Donovan Mitchell decides."I'm goin' back to New York City, I do believe I've had enough."

Then the guys got to the pleasant and unpleasant surprises of the first half for the Cavaliers. Nate tried to re-litigate the Donovan Mitchell Trade one more time with an unexpected substitution, drawing a swift rebuke. Then the trade slop wallowing commenced, energized by everyone's favorite lightning rod, Caris LeVert. The guys broke down the ridiculousness of the Malik Beasley rumors, and then really got muddy talking about the guys that might be available for the Cavs limited trade assets.

More transcendently, we discussed what may have been the greatest regular season offensive performance since Wilt scored 100: Donovan Mitchell scoring 71 and dropping11 assists against the Bulls Monday. Elijah Kim was in the building and gave Nate Smith and Chris Francis a first hand account of what it was like to experience immortality first hand. The gents also talked about the free throw putback at the end of regulation, the Bulls' whining, and the surprise that the officials got it right in the moment and wrong on the two minute report. The trio also discussed the burden of having "one of the only players that matters" on their team and whether the teams owes it to Donovan to do everything they can to win now.

The guys brought up our old friend J.B. Bickerstaff and whether he's optimizing winning with his coaching style (the last two thefts notwithstanding), and threw out the obligatory trade targets. Finally, crew went around the league and discussed what is wrong with officiating and right with the scoring, looked at the Cavs upcoming schedule, and just reveled in immortality.

Nate and Eli both sang the ballad of Darius Garland's right hand, which the young guard held as he winced in pain after a nasty strip attempt by Oshae Brissett resulted in a foul. Our intrepid hosts were even more shocked when Garland returned to the game with a thumb brace, clearly in pain, and unable to even make free throws down the stretch. 

The podcast got low down as they played the 12 bar blues for Lamar Stevens who remains a starter despite his offensive shortcomings being a boon to opposing defenses, and Smith and Kim wondered what the hell Cedi Osman ever did to get so far into JB's gog house. Ultimately Nate and Eli went back and forth over why J.B. is so danged stubborn and whether he is the right fit for this team long term.

The guys also discussed whether this team can win in the playoffs as constructed or with this coach, and what could be done to change those fortunes with proposed new years resolutions on and off the court. Finally, Eli soloed over his experience behind the bench at a recent Cavs game and what the vibe, coaches, and players were like down home at the Rock.

Chris and Nate puzzled over J.B. Bickerstaff's rotations (yet patience with Okoro), pondered the coming schedule, went deep on the Caris LeVert conundrum, fantasized about life with Rubio, and even tackled some more outlandish questions. Is Dean Wade a top five NBA small forward? Is Lauri proving the Mitchell trade was a bad one? Was losing Collin Sexton addition by subtraction? And do the Cavs need another small forward?

Finally, Nate shared his own tale about rec specs and (lack of) respect from his wife and kids while Chris verbally shakes his head in disbelief. 

Our Newtonian trio takes you through every part of the Cavs' rotation, paying special attention to Donovan Mitchell's defense, Caris LeVert's similarities to Ricky Rubio, Darius Garland's defensive skills and shortcomings, and his otherworldly passing and shooting. What ails Isaac Okoro, Cedi Osman, Kevin Love, and Jarrett Allen? What's got Donovan Mitchell playing such good defense? Which lineups are working the best? Are the Celtics worth worrying about in the east? It's as in-depth a look at a 24 hour old game as you'll find anywhere.

In the second hour, the gents discuss reputations of a different nature, notably Kyrie Irving's and the NBA's. Our NBA Science Academy scholars ask "Where is Adam Silver?" "Why is Kyrie such an oppositional dope?" "Is the NBA discipline committee basically Charles, Shaq, and Kenny?" It's an in depth look at narcissists and bad faith actors. Fortunately, our men of letters wrap this one up some solid recommendations, and shout out some of the giants on whose shoulders CtB stands.

Most perplexing was the complete passivity on offense of Isaac Okoro who looked like he wanted to be anywhere but on the court, offensively. Slightly less perplexing: the minor struggles of Evan Mobley who has been "ok" the first few games of the season. In Mobley's defense, missing training camp and youth can explain things. In the Okoro's case, the CtB crew were completely baffled. Fortunately, when the lights are on in the regular season, the truth comes out, and all the pre-season fluff pieces about young guys are overwritten by the play of the vets and stars in their prime. Donovan is definitely finding his, Caris is providing necessary secondary ball-handling, playmaking, and defense. Jarrett Allen comes up with a couple spectacular blocks per game, and Cedi Osman has exceeded all expectations with stellar performances the last two games.

Nate Smith and Chris Francis break down the game, go over the Cavs' rotation, digest the news from around the NBA, and probably overanalyze the muscle mass of more than a couple Cavs. To top it all off, Nate shares a story about abusing his own body during a rough night in Vegas pretending to be a dentist.

Chris and Nate go through the roster from the stars, to the vets, to the potential "superstar," all the way down to 2-way guys and the guys fighting for that last roster spot, as they dig through media day highlights, and think about what might be, during the most exciting pre-season since 2014, and the arrival of the most anticipated non-LeBron Cavs season since before Shawn Kemp ate his way out of Cleveland. This pod was a blast.

It's a pretty loose and casual conversation between guys trying to dust the rust off their vocal cords.

So grab a fork, pull up to the trough, and dig in....

Then the gents talk Top Gun: Maverick, Stranger Things Season 4, Eli's squeaky dishwasher and the best and worst movies of late!

First order of business was an extensive look at cleveland.com's Chris Fedor's chat with Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype to react to all the rumors swirling around about potential offseason moves for the Cavs, including a bunch of would-be senior citizens. Fedor drops a ton of names and CtB has all the reactions including a brief canonization of "St. Weirdo" Dion Waiters, one of the most beloved of recent Cavs' lore. The legend Mike Conley Sr.'s dunking prowess continues the gerentological theme of the chat.

Chris and Eli give a quick update regarding NBA draft rumors post-combine. The league is starved for wings, how will the Cavs fare in the draft finding that elusive two-way wing?

Tom, Nate, and Chris give reaction to the elder statesmen Golden State Warriors entering the Finals picture with their win over the Dallas Mavericks. It appears that the Boston Celtics are headed on a collision course against GSW, how do the guys think it will shake out?

And of course, last but not least "Lawn Mower Chat" and CtB pitches! Shoutout to all the old guys turning back the clock, may this podcast inspire you! And also, shoutout to all the seniors across the country and world who are graduating, it's summer time in Cavsland!

On the foremost of Mr. Francis' mind was the upcoming draft and how the Cavs' might approach it. Secondly, the trio dives into the Conference semis, with particular attention from Mr. Smith to the spectacular collapse of the Phoenix Suns and the cooler talk aftermath. The guys riff on the very contemporary subject of video games, which are ubiquitous in the world of Gen Z or "Zoomer" generation. Mr. Lyden takes the guys and audience down the fascinating rabbit hole of DeAndre Ayton's video gaming habits.

The trio quickly covers the disturbing reports regarding Rajon Rondo, while ending on a high note by talking next steps in the development of the Cavs. Of course, no Cavs: the Podcast is complete without some pitches, and there are some delightful ones if you're a fan of music and TV

One of the features of 21st century communications is the so called "group chat." It enables people, regardless of their location, to instantly communicate with each other in a social way. In this episode of Cavs: the Podcast, Nate Smith, Eli Kim, and Chris Francis have staged an "avant garde" performance of their most recent discussions regarding the post-mortem 2021-22 Cleveland Cavaliers. Listeners can dive in and "peak behind the veil" of CtB to discover how the guys are processing the Cavs' season now that the playoffs are in full swing.

There's a little bit of coach talk, PBO talk, player talk, trade talk, draft talk, join in on the friendly banter below. And most importantly, Nate comes through with the most important pitch in CtB history, below.

So I'm currently fundraising for a school in Uganda that my cousin runs that we want to fund through the year (at least). It is a school for very poor children which would not have a school if this did not exist. If you ever felt grateful for the years of free content that this site has provided, please consider giving back by donating to this school. I'm going to come up with some way to thank the donors, but I will start by just saying, everyone who donates $50 gets a sweet T-Shirt (no details yet, but you know I'm good for it). Read about it here. Donate here. The charity is a 501c3 and fully deductible.

 

The Story

Our dear friend Shannie in Uganda, the Director of Precious Ones, has been running a school for years for the orphans and the poor in her village. When I met her she was paying for the teacher's salaries out of her own salary (she works for a church in the city) and running the school out of a garage. Some land was donated to her and she would literally buy a brick every time she earned enough money to buy one. She knew one day God would provide a school building! Talk about faith!! We were blessed to be able to help build the school.

Another organization was helping pay for the food and school fees. She also had support from some kind individuals. However, the pandemic shut the school down for two years. The support ended during that time.

Fast forward to now. The school opened back up in January with almost no support. Shannie is really struggling to keep the school open. The school has 200 students and 10 teachers. It also has the only well in the area with clean water. They also feed the kids lunch at School. School in Uganda is not free, nor does the government help in any way. She is short $1000 a month.

If the school closes, these kids will not be educated. That's just the reality. Most of their parents received little-to-no education (we are trying our best to educate the women in our program, but most have never had formal education a day in their lives).

To keep the school open and to step into this partnership, we would need people to give $1000 a month. That's 10 people willing to give $100 a month. Or 40 will to give $25 a month. All donations to this go through Precious Ones Ministries and would be tax deductible.

Will you help us keep the school open?

The boys also go into the Nets' playoff prospects, and some erudite conversation flows. Lastly, some NBA awards are handed out and if you love hometown picks, this pod's for you. Last but not least, we have some hot off the presses music recommendations for your listening pleasure.

They break down the latest Cavs games against the Magic and Bulls, break down where things have gone wrong and right this season, hold yet another referendum on JB Bickerstaff, look forward to the regular season stretch run, make some bold post-season and off-season predictions, look at the rest of the NBA, and praise Elijah Kim and his Amazing Technicolor Cavs Coat. it's a long podcast for a very long month!

The CtB brain trust tried to nail down the origins of the Cavs' 90's mascot, Boomer, played a game of "who he play for?" with an early aughts Cavs squad, Tom penned an ode to Bill Fitch, Eli (the Korean Channing Frye) regaled us with the details of his Sunday night pick-up glory, Tom and Nate traded epic tales of bureaucracy and wisdom, and then the old men sang the praises of the OG computer store, Micro Center. What a night. What a win. What a trade. What a season.

Nate also lobs Mr. Francis a softball to wax poetic on the inaction of Cavs' GM Koby Altman. For those who can his pain, join him.

Finally, the trio dives into All-Star Reserves nominations, which should be coming out shortly this week! There's the strong possibility Cavs fans will see some of their own during All-Star weekend in Cleveland...?

Conspicuously absent from the CtB trademark rap session was trade talk because, why ruin the good vibes? One of the most underrated aspects of team building is chemistry, and the Cavs have found something special. Just watch NBA Champion Kevin Love's postgame comments, he knows what winning at the highest level looks like. So no trade talk, just good vibes...

The theme (shoutout to legendary local rap group, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony) that emerged from this exciting discussion: Have the Cavs reached the Crossroads? The Cavs have found their franchise pieces and their title window. But how do they go from feel good playoff story to legitimate contention? Are the Cavs the team that beat the Nets or the team that lost to the Bulls? Where will Dan Gilbert, Koby Altman, and J.B. Bickerstaff lead this organization? Are there moves that they should make now? Or do they play the long game? Enjoy the discussion and sound off with your thoughts on CavstheBlog.com.

The trio lists their Favorite Things about the first half of the season. They dream a little dream about the improvements they're looking forward to for the second half of the year. But let's be honest, the buzz is growing about trade deadline 2022. So hop aboard the Trade Express if you dare, and let the dulcet tones of Cavs: the Podcast take you on a NBA odyssey through the long winter's night...

The vibes were incredible with Tom back on, bringing some great new insights to the team this year and of course "Tales from Americana." Mr. Lyden and Mr. Francis were armed and ready with spreadsheets, calculators, and box scores to contextualize this amazing start the Cavs have had, Mr. Francis' hot take about championship caliber basketball got Tom juiced up and comparing this team to the underrated 2014 San Antonio Spurs squad. The CtB gang dreams big... but the real ones know, there's something special brewing with these Cavs. Also! Don't miss Nate Smith properly hazing Tom with the legendary and rousing game, "Who he play for???" GO CAVS!

Chris, Chris, and Nate break down all the angles of the game, plus the All-Star candidacy of Jarrett Allen, the DPOY campaign of Evan Mobley, the renaissance of Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio, and the growth of Darius Garland and Isaac Okoro. The trio asks and answers the question of the night, "was this roster luck for Koby, or was it skill?" Another important question loomed large: "do the Cavs need to make a move this year to sustain the success or take it to the next round?" And as always of course, stick around for the CtB pitches... GO CAVS

Obviously, the big news recently for the Cavs is the recent four game losing streak and the loss of Collin Sexton for the year to the knee injury. The trio breaks down both and takes a wider view of the season as a whole.

The other hot topic in Cavs-land is Isaac Okoro and his early season struggles along with his sudden role change as Young Bull’s replacement. Chris has his calculator handy while Nate and Eli bring the eye test heat to break down the early returns.

For a bit of fun, the trio also breaks down the second Koby Altman missive of the season, “From the Desk of Koby Altman.” What’s up with that?

Lastly, since it is the holiday season, don’t miss the favorite Thanksgiving food pitches and a quick recap of the gang’s holiday plans. To everybody who reads and/or listens to CtB, have a safe, joyful time with people you love, Happy Thanksgiving! GO CAVS!

The CtB trio are also gonna make you understand the grit and grinders such as Dean Wade, Cedi Osman, and Jarrett Allen and the rest of the squad who were never gonna give you up, and never gonna let you down if you're a Cavs fan. Nate and the Chrisses also cover some the surprising stories around the NBA, who’s up? Who’s down? Spicy takes? Who's gonna run around and desert you? They're all here as the trio rides high into the night celebrating a victorious occasion. Don't tell me you're too blind to see it. They don't say goodbye and hurt you if you either, when you stick around for some excellent pitches (especially if you love beer!). We know the game, and we're gonna play it, so as always: GO CAVS!

The CtB duo also reminisce on the week that was in Cavs-land, discussing the brutal schedule and how competitive the Cavs have looked even at their worst. They also discuss the stench coming from Portland, which began well before the season kicked off. Nate and Chris also take a step back with a survey around the NBA, discussing some of the surprises so far in the early going.

And finally, it wouldn't be a Cavs: the Podcast without the pitches. Chris and Nate discuss the cinematic phenomena that is Dune, and Nate finishes with a deep cut documentary on the Sparks Brothers, one of the great unsung musicians of pop and rock scene for the last 50 years. So sit back, relax and enjoy... the Cavs have found a spark!

For a nice coda, Nate and Chris also do a little “around the world” of the NBA, including waxing poetic the greatness of Giannis Antetokounmpo, the somewhat surprising spryness of the Golden State Warriors, and whether the Lakers or Nets should be concerned. And as always, stick around for a hilarious “pitches” segment, because CtB is nothing if not fun!

And for the main course, the CtB trio completes the tour around the NBA with the Eastern Conference edition of Over/Under. Who's up? Who's down? You won't want to miss the Cavs' predictions! Also, Nate, Eli, and Chris give the hottest of takes in their NBA end of season awards (admittedly, Chris may have been doing a bit).

Lastly, it wouldn't be a Cavs: the Podcast without the pitches. Nate pitches a show inspired by the cultural touchstone that is "Love Island," while Eli gives his full endorsement to the Korean drama and global phenomenon, "Squid Game." Chris wraps it up with a heartfelt shoutout for the rock act, Des Rocs.

The duo also gives a nice little preview look into the upcoming Eastern Conference Over/Under episode, with a couple of quick assessments of the Bulls and Hawks’ offseason moves. Lastly, Nate and Chris discuss the weirdness of Cavs’ coverage by the television networks, which apparently isn’t just a problem with the Cavs… Adam Silver if you’re listening, hopefully you’ll take a look!

For the main course, the CtB trio plays the classic game of Over/Under, with tonight's subject the Western Conference. Join in the conversation below with all of your Western Conference hot takes!

And of course, no Cavs: the Podcast episode is complete without the gang's trademark pitches. Nate reminds the world of the greatness of the band R.E.M. especially in live form. Dani, in true Chris and Eli fashion, salutes the glorious land of South Korea name dropping Park Chan-Wook's "The Little Drummer Girl." Chris also reveals his own personal TV obsession, "Lucifer" which is based on the graphic novel series "The Sandman" by Neil Gaiman. So sit back, relax and enjoy two of the intellectual heavyweights of Cavs' world duel in a battle of (t)wits...

The trio also lightly touch on free agency and thoughts before the Cavs' training camp begins in a mere three-ish weeks. Be sure to stick until the end for the Tom Pestak tribute "Dad talk" as told by Chris, who offers his own version of "Uncle talk" that'll be sure to make all the parents of teenagers out there laugh, or shake their head in bemusement. Nate and Eli take everyone home with covering the topic de jour, the Bishop Sycamore football team scandal.

Eli and Chris cover all aspects of the trade, what the Cavs lost, what did the Cavs gain... leaving both CtBers wondering if there could possibly be more moves on the horizon? The duo also hits on the other "big" NBA news of the weekend, the buyout standoff between NBA champion Kevin Love and the Cavs front office. According to Adrian Wojnarowski, Love has no interest in a buyout. Chris Fedor of cleveland.com reports that the Cavs are also uninterested in any buyout without Love giving back significant money. Eli and Chris venture some guesses as to what these reports mean as we approach the beginning of the 2021-22 NBA season.

And since CtB traditions are sacrosanct, Eli and Chris pitch some of their favorite things, with Chris name dropping his favorite tequila to drown his Larry Nance Jr. trade sorrows and Eli checking in with the Cavs fandom of South Korea.

We talked about Chris Fedor's Dylan windler article, talked through any last takes on the Cavs' summer league, teased Tuesday's Evan Mobley article by a mystery writer returning to CtB, said goodbye to Taurean Prince and hello to Ricky Rubio, lamented the Cavs lack of free agents (again), talked Collin Sexton extension (again), and surveyed the landscape of Cavalier beat writers.

It's a fun escape during the dog days of summer!

Eli and Chris cover all aspects of the game, waxing poetic about the virtuosity of Evan Mobley's passing, the feats of strength of Isaac Okoro, the rock solid play of Lamar Stevens, and the Cavs' bench mob stepping up big time. The CtB duo also surveyed the lay of the NBA Summer League land and the latest Cavs' news/rumor about the a possible Collin Sexton extension??? And to top it all off, Eli takes Cavs the Podcast international with a glorious shout out to the Cavs fans of South Korea!

That's right, CtB is joining the Fansided podcast network and Minute Media! We celebrated by going deep on the Cavs penchant for centers and guards as if they're trying to exploit some market inefficiency that no one else knows about. We also lamented the Cavs' lack of productivity in the free agency market. Then we went around the league to go over our favorite and least favorite offseasons. Let's get it started, and as always, go Cavs.

On a slightly more serious note, the trio also covers everything else under the basketball sun at the CtB “beach side” podcast studio including Evan Mobley draft buzz, trade rumors, the Olympics, and even a coda on the 2020-21 NBA Season with the Milwaukee Bucks’ championship. If you are starved for content, they won’t leave you wanting.

With the ole' ball coach Nate Smith in Dan Gilbert/Wizard of Oz mode, CtB veterans Eli and Chris take charge to check in with a live update on Team USA's final game against Spain before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Then they break down the Bucks' victory in Game 5 of the NBA Finals and pay homage to one of the greatest in the game today, Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Then for the main course, the guys reveal their 2021 NBA big boards. Eli has the scoop on all the consensus top picks, while Chris demonstrates the beginning of a possibly unhealthy obsession with finding the elusive unicorn, "two way playmaking wing."

So sit back and relax with your favorite beverage, and get all the info you need about the 2021 NBA Draft... GO CAVS!

Chris starts to get onboard with Nate’s “Cade Cunningham and Josh  Giddey” draft agenda as the CtB crew touches on all the Team USA and  FIBA basketball action with more than a few current and former Cavs  enjoying the FIBA spotlight. Eli has the scoop on Jonathan Kuminga and  Evan Mobley, who apparently have just had private workouts with Cavs’  brass. Also for your listening pleasure, Nate gives everyone a few  choice shows that should be on the binge list. So sit back and relax, and kvetch.

So sit back, relax, and join in on the conversation below. GO CAVS!!!!!!!!

Yes, Virginia, the draft lottery  has really been the Cavalier Christmas over the last couple years. As such, Nate, Eli, and Chris gathered in Santa's podcast studio, hoping to cook up some Cavs-mas magic on Cavs-mas eve. The trio discussed their hopes and fears for the draft, the prospects they have their eyes on, and the possibilities that exist should the Cavs' luck take a fateful turn.

For the second half, Nate and Chris chat by the fireside and reminisce about what has been an exciting and mind boggling NBA playoffs. Have we witnessed the obliteration of four franchises in this past couple of weeks? Are we witnessing the emergence of a changing of the guard among the NBA's elite? Is building a superteam of stars the only way to a ring? Nate and Chris also pay tribute to the greatest championship in NBA history, the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers (RIP to the late, great Fred McLeod).

So sit back, relax, and enjoy the Pod before Cav-mas Eve, and be sure to leave some milk and cookies for Adam Silver.

They discuss the whereabouts of Dan Gilbert (Dead or alive? Did he even exist at all???). Will we ever hear from Koby Altman again? Does JB Bickerstaff get a mulligan? What will the Cavs do to the roster? The biggest question, were the Cavs actually trying to win this season? and only one way to find out the answers...

And to provide a sonic chaser to the Cavs talk, Nate, Eli, and Chris hand out some hardware to put a 2020-21 season to bed. Nate reveals his the team he's secretly rooting for. Eli reveals who's secretly behind the success of his sister's golfing career. Chris reveals where he lurks on the internet when he's not on Cavs the Blog, and we hand out our 2021 awards and playoff predictions. You're not going to want to miss this episode of Cavs the Blog Podcast, enjoy!!!

Nate “the Podcap Shaman” Smith shepherded first time (ever!) podcast  guest Chris Francis into a deep dive on all things Cavaliers, covering  all aspects of one of the more entertaining games of the year in a  manner that would hopefully make the late great Cavs legend Joe Tait  proud. They pay tribute to the man they call “Ice,” Nate allows Chris to  nerd out on all the obscure stats, and they cover recent Cavs’ news  regarding Anderson “Wild Thing” Varejao’s return, Love’s buyout/trade  prospects, and a status report on sometimes controversial Cavs’ figures,  Collin Sexton and JB Bickerstaff (#FREEBUCK shoutout to EG!). And of  course, it wouldn’t be a complete CtB Podcap without some  recommendations for your entertainment.

To revel in the outcome, Nate, David and the prodigal EvilGenius piled into the podcast booth for a couple hours. We hit all the highlights, spent some time chewing the NBA fat, musing about playoff scenarios and favorites and doing a deep dive into classic sit-com territory for some reason. Your patience will be rewarded if you make it to the end for some DW hot takes on Bea Arthur.

We went around the league to discuss coaching fits, and delved into the Cavs' disastrous head coach hiring history. We pitched a couple albums, picked out current NBA favorites, and decided Larry Nance Jr. and Isaac Okoro really shouldn't share the floor anymore. It was a fun, if slightly ominous time.

This podcast kicks off with the late Michael Stanley's team theme song from the 80's, "Let's Go Cavs," and plays out with Ryan playing guitar on 2012's "Everything I Wanted," by the band Good Touch, Bad Touch. Ryan played in many Cleveland bands in his decades long adventure in the Cleveland music scene, and we hope to share more about his life in the coming days.

The Euro classically trained musical CtB contingent, Adam Cathcart and Ben Werth joined Nate in the podcast booth, and we think this podcast is what Ryan would've wanted, an in depth review of the first half of the Cavs' "corkscrew season." We kicked it off with the ridiculous Larry Nance Jr. trade rumors, whether the Cavs could get anything for Andrew Drummond, and a breakdown of the good, the bad, and the ugly from the first half. Then we got into the players: Nance, Drummond, Allen, Garland, Okoro, Windler, Stevens, and Collin Sexton. Ryan, who always pitched the silver linings in everything, would've loved the glimmers of hope and excellence we've seen from them all.

Finally, we looked at the NBA at large, with reverence for the professionalism that the players have shown in this meat grinder of a season, and picked out some of the highlights. We hope we did you proud, Ryan. We miss you.

To break it all down, Nate and Ryan braved the cold to man the podcast both. We talked about the last two games, JB's problems coaching offense, the Cavs' poor out of bounds execution, whether the Cavs are tanking, and whether or not  Andre Drummond should be fired into the sun. Towards the end we rebound to get into a little discussion of lizard breeding, twee pop, and Wanda Vision. It was a fun way to spend a Friday night.

All in all, it was a very forgettable outing for this young Cavs team, who still have some growing pains to go through on their way to regaining relevance in the NBA… but Nate and EG hopped in the podcast booth to remember the good and the bad of tonight’s game and the previous game against the Pistons. We also delved into the upcoming brutal stretch of February games, what the Cavs should do with Andre Drummond leading up to the trade deadline, and how things are different in this Covid-impacted season. Hang out to the end for some solid documentary and musical pitches, and insight into the joys of international travel!

Collin Sexton might have stolen his new nickname from Drake and the Nets' big three. With Kyrie Irving joining James Harden and Kevin Durant for the trio's first game together, the Cavs paid no attention, Wednesday, to the names on the jerseys, going on a 16-0 run to close the first quarter behind the hot shooting of Cedi Osman. Despite nurturing and watering a lead to a 14 point cushion in the third quarter, the Cavs let the Nets hang around and then paid the price as Brooklyn tied it up, and used shoddy officiating to deny the Cavs a final shot to win it before overtime.

In the first OT, all seemed lost when the Cavs trailed by five with about a minute left before crucial jumpers from Jarrett Allen and Larry Nance Junior kept Cleveland close and then Collin Sexton put the game on his back. After putting back an airball to cut the Nets lead to one, the Cavs played the free throw game before Collin Sexton burned and annoyed Kyrie Irving by tying the game on an iso left wing three point dagger.

Larry Nance shut down KD's left baseline J with 1.2 seconds left to force double super secret overtime before Sexton exploded in the second OT. Youngbull kept backing up and kept swishing threes, going 4-5 from deep and dropping a whopping 15 in the final five minutes. It was the most exciting explosion of basketball talent trying to express itself since LeBron Raymone James suited up for the wine and gold.

By a minute and a half left, Sexton had assumed the "Scary Hours" moniker and single handedly put Steve Nash on the hot seat. But lets not ignore the the contributions of Collin's teammates. With seven Cavs in double figures and major contributions from new Cavs Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince, this was a total team effort with Sexton playing the role of ace closer. Eye popping lines like Cedi's 25/7/7, Larry Nance Jr's 15/8/5 with four steals, and Prince's 17/7/4 and +20 were the norm for a Cavs team that isn't fully healthy yet, and suddenly looks electric. Hell, Javale McGee didn't even play in this game. We can't wait to see the next one when Garland and Windler are back.

After that we went over the last two clunkers for the Cavs, discussed the veracity of the injury report, pondered the enigma of Kyrie Irving, and lamented the Cavs' absolute dearth of wings. After the NBA talk died down, we got into Nate's embarrassing video conference faux pas, Tom's MRI Journey to Mordor, and Eli's quest to find the Wizard of Za. Now if we can just get Tom back in the freezer and survive the coming polar vortex.

This game wasn't as close as the final score. Cleveland was down 19 by the end of the third quarter, and as much as 23 before garbage time started. As on Monday, Cleveland just didn't have enough scoring and competent NBA bodies to compete with Orlando's depth. Cleveland was running two center lineups and giving major rotation minutes to G-League rookies.

Ryan Yankee and Nate Smith broke it all down in the podcast booth: Andre Drummond's foul trouble, Cedi's bad shooting (0-7 from three), Collin Sexton's superior scoring (21 points), the Cavs' defense, Javale wondering where he was on the court, icing out Ice Okoro, and so much more. Finally we went through the list of current NBA free agents and debated whether the Cavs should dump any of their end of the roster guys to pick up some old Cavalier friends. It was a fun one!

But the real revelation has been Andre Drummond who is playing like a defensive player of the year candidate so far, and whose gravity around the basket is opening up the entire offense for the rest of the Cavs. He's got five blocks and eight steals already in three games to go along with 20/15/4 averages.

There's so much to love about this Cavs team so far, and in many ways, it's all falling into place in a "best case scenario" way most of us didn't expect. To break it all down, our own EvilGenius returned to the podcast booth with Ryan Yankee and Nate Smith. We talked about the game and how the Cavs ambushed the Sixers, as well as how the Cavs players all seem to have improved significantly since last season. Cedi, Collin, Darius, Andre, Larry, and more all seem better. Only Kevin Love seems to be struggling to return to form.

Given that, we dared to dream about whether this is sustainable, and if it is what the Cavs should do with Andre Drummond. Do they think about extending him? Do they make any trades? Who do they pay? It's an interesting and fun discussion as we dove into a pretty deep analysis of all the Cavs' players.

We snuck down and rattled the presents under the tree as we went through the Cavs roster and gave our thoughts on the coming NBA season: who starts, who sits, who makes the rotation. We also weighed in on all the Cavs youngsters: Sexton, Garland, Okoro, KPJ, Dylan Windler, and our not-so-tiny Tims at the end of the bench, Dean Wade and Thon Maker. There was a lot of Cavs to talk through before we even got to the NBA as a whole and walked through a season preview for the East and West.

We broke down who finishes at the top, who finishes at the bottom, and how they get there. We tried to to track some of the many movements in the NBA offseason. It will be good to open some of these presents when the NBA tips off on Tuesday, when we get to watch some real NBA action in empty gyms around the league. It's a fun listen, for Elven and Human ears.

Ryan Yankee joined Nate in the podcast booth to gush over the young rook and break down the Cavs preseason so far. (Though Nate stressed small sample size). We walked through the most recent preseason games, and analyzed the likes of Dylan Windler, Darius Garland, Cedi Osman, Andre Drummond, Thon Maker, and Dean Wade. We also made fun of Tom Thibodeau, puzzled over the Pacers, and gave big props to J.B. Bickerstaff.

It's a fun walk through the Cavs preseason and we can't wait for the the regular season to Kick off.

Tom topped that off with a Kafka-esque tale of trying to shop health care options, while Nate and Eli expressed their biggest regrets (Nate's involves a planetarium, Eli's a PS5). It was a fun and random ride as these long time compadres celebrated a return to NBA action.

Here's our mock draft. Tune in to listen to us break down all the picks.

1. Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards
2. Warriors: James Wiseman
3. Hornets: LaMelo Ball
4. Bulls: Tyrese Haliburton
5. Cavs: Deni Avdija
6. Hawks: Devin Vassel
7. Pistons: Killian Hayes
8. Knicks: Onyeka Okongwu
9. Wizards: Obi Toppin
10. Suns: Isaac Okoro
11. Spurs: Aaron Nesmith
12. Kings: Aleksej Pokuševski
13. Pelicans: Patrick Williams
14. Celtics: Saddiq Bey

For Tom, it's a pivotal member of the Cavs' championship. For Nate it's probably a Cleveland Brown great. We dove deeper into ranks, breaking down ESPN's top 10 and top 40 NBA all time list as we talked about the greats. We both thought Kobe was a leetle high at 9, and that Nash was way too high at 30. That led us down a road of ranking the all-time Cavs and reviewing how our 2014 #CavsRank list holds up. We discussed the rankings and how key guys from the Cavs' championship stack up with the guys on that list. Where do you put TT, Kev, and J.R?

Finally, Tom and I got into some stories of awful salesmen: Tom relayed a tale of a ridiculous door-to-door exterminator, and Nate learning to never give his number to a lending website. Consternation ensued and confrontation ensued. Stay safe everyone, and hopefully there will be more basketball in all our futures.

We started out with an update on the homeschool situation, the TP situation, and the Covid-19 situation in Simmo's native Australia and what the response there looks like right now (with a sidebar on Australian History and Politics). Then we got into what the curve looks like around the world. Then we plunged into the weeds, man.

• Transmission Rates (R values) and what the spread Covid 19 might look like and how our view of the virus could be changing.
• The thinking has really changed asymptomatic carriers being major spreaders
• The recommendation is to wear masks when out of the house now because of this.
• What's the difference between the innate and acquired immune system?
• For the ~20% who are symptomatic, the virus can be very dangerous. Why?
• The Cytokene storm: what causes some people to get extremely sick when their immune system goes into overdrive?

Unfortunately, the answer to many of these questions, is we don't know because the virus is so new and that testing and recovery are really hard. But it's an absolutely educational discussion as Tom and I asked Simmo a raft of questions. Then we talked about some good news around the virus and treatment, including.

• Convalescent Sera (antibody serum plasma) treatments
• How antibodies work and how they lose efficacy over time
• The BCG Vaccine (for Tuberculosis), could it really lower the mortality rate of Covid-19?
• Chloroquinine, the antimalarial drug. Real promise or a hoax? 
• How long are we going to be in this situation?

After all that, we got into some less serious topics.

• Could the NBA play in a bubble? 
• What's the latest the NBA could go?
• How long would it take players to ramp up?
• What's the stupidest thing you've done during quarantine?

Thanks to Simmo who put up with our questions like a champ. Stay safe. Stay educated. We're in this for the long haul. Go humans!

Next up, we talked about the economy and what the new normal might look like in terms of player salaries and the financial future of the NBA. We discussed what the playoffs might look like if they do occur for 2020. We got into our favorite Covid-19 memes, and then talked about the insanity that is the Netflix tour-de-force, Tiger King. After that we got into Mike DeWine, the DeWine family, and Greene county politics. It was a lot of fun. Stay safe out there, peeps.

First off, Tom's out of TP. Second, Nate's trying not to horde, but compulsively shopping whenever he can (though not excessively). Don't worry, though, your tapwater will be the same Monday as it was last week, and next week the shelves of your happy grocers will be stocked again. (Pro Tip: check out your local Asian grocery if you're short on supplies. And yeah, we just mostly just had some "WTF is going on, and why has Nate been so OCD about all this?"

We did manage to squeeze some NBA talk into the pod early, as we went over the team's solid play, the tragedy of Delly's resurgence being cut short, Larry Nance, and the polarizing Collin Sexton. We went through the NBA and looked at who was hurt and helped most by the work stoppage (assuming a playoffs will be played), and waded into the morass of the Utah and Rudy Gobert situation.

Then we got to talking about all the distractions of the last few days and the effect social media has on our brains. Tom pitched the book Deep Work and Nate talked about meditation, and his struggles with anxiety and mental health in the last several months. It was a choose your own adventure at that point as we steered towards Jamele Hill, the madness of Twitter mobs, Dan Gilbert, and... trees.

In brighter news, the Super Bowl brought good memories to Nate, and we spent a good deal of time reminiscing about the commercials, J-Lo and Shakira, Patrick Mahomes' brilliance. We then got on the subject of the insane pyramid scheme recruiting email Nate had received and how the folks at SOS Success Dynamics really captured the Zeitgeist of this Cavs squad. We're still hoping for "maximum spillover" and that the Cavs will "cycle" soon, despite having (as Nate alleged) destroyed this rebuild year with dumb movies that toxified their tradeable assets.

Nate was ranty and took on the Cavs, the NBA, and commercials to task for their awfulness. While we pulled out the trade machine for a few trade scenarios for KLove. Finally, David Wood regaled us with his movie treatments: a basketball themed remake of the Cage/Travolta classic Face Off, but with Koby and Will Smith , or his Indie hit, Neck Tattoo Criminal 3: Fonzie Scheme, a crime noir about running out of stolen leather coats. Trust us. It's a wild ride.

Tom Pestak's basketball fandom was intertwined with years of sportshate for Kobe Bryant, and he'd spend hours trolling messsage boards and combing through stats: arguing with Kobe stans to prove that Kobe was the inferior player to LeBron. "Ringz was always their answer." As he and Kobe grew older, it seemed a silly pursuit and Tom gained a grudging respect for Mamba, especially for his never ending competitiveness, and his embrace of being a husband, father, and mentor.

Our best Kobe memories: Games against LeBron in 2008, the Game Seven against Phoenix in 2006 when he refused to shoot, and the last game of his career. In that game, Tom came full circle and was rooting Bryant on to 60 points.We went into Kobe's influence on LeBron and how his singularity of focus was why Kobe was the heir apparent who took the torch from Michael Jordan.

We got into some Cavs history and reminisced about the last twenty years and more, and how Kobe was there for almost our entire adult love affair with the NBA. There's so much history here, and so much lost today. Hug your kids and realize that life is precious. Via Con Dios, Kobe.

Since Australia starts the new year 13 hours before Ohio, we thought it would be great to have a go at our Cavalier and NBA new years resolutions. We had a Captain Cook at the roster, John Beilein, and the Cavs' front office as we tried to figure out how to deliver the goods to make the Cavs and their players better in the long term. This one's a ripsnorter and a great way to close out the greatest decade in Cavalier history.

We went off on the Cavs, John Beilein, Kyrie Irving, the midseason tournament idea, the rise of the upperclassman in the NBA draft, Kevin Love's defense, his untradeability, and whether teams would rather have Marvin Williams. And that was just the NBA talk. The non-NBA talk ranged from the the problems with teaching youth shooting and the dangers of playing "knock-out," the scourge of corporate email, the inefficiency of large organizations, Rocket league, e-sports Raspberry Pi, whether or not to tuck a t-shirt into your jeans, and rec league basketball.

Full of laughter, we three blowhards, Ryan Yankee, Nate Smith, and Tom Pestak, gathered in the podcast booth for our most disjointed podcast in years. As Tom and Ryan dropped in and out we took on an array of subjects: the game, Kevin Love, Depression, Pickup Basketball, Sexland, the Cavs' lack of size, the ridiculousness of the National Teambuilding Association, officiating woes, the scourge of flopping, and so much more. We had a long talk about the NBA's ratings plummet and what ails the Association and even forced ourselves to name a couple things we love. Tom spun a tale of home improvement disaster and Nate and Ryan tried to pick the Cavs' best starting lineup.

To wax unpoetically about topics ranging from these mystery Cavs to youth soccer adventures to the masked, brittle-boned philosopher Kyrie... Nate, Tom and EG filed into the podcast booth this evening. We do our best to keep things light, keep our expectations firmly in check... and speculate on what should be one of the more interesting seasons in the Association in recent memory.

To discuss the dismal view on the Cavs, Nate and EG spent a lazy summer evening in the podcast booth. We attempted to look for bright spots, but also wondered aloud about how much worse the US Men's Basketball Team can get, how much worse things could be for certain paper thin NBA benches this season, and much more. Nate included his search for a basketball worthy shoe, and EG started a re-naming contest for the Clippers. Yeah, we got waaaay too much time on our hands... pass the liverwurst.

For well and for true, the Mike Longabardi Era is finally at an end  in Cleveland as he joins Sashi Brown as part of the crack team of former  Cleveland sports icons Ted Leonsis has wrangled together. So, of  course, we had to jump in the podcast booth and talk about it.

Nate, Tom (for a while), Eli and EG gave the long and short of the  defensive “wizard’s” time here, and also hit on Kevin Love pulling out  of Team USA activities, the  probable issues of free  agency tampering in the NBA, and finished our marathon recap of the  offseason moves of the Western Conference. There’s also plenty of  irrational shade for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from EG, possibly  irrational love of Brandon Clarke from Nate, sharp So Cal criticism from  Eli, and out of context outrage about rice cookers from Tom. So, your  average two hour plus, insane content jammed Thursday night pod in the  dead of summer…possible

To further reminisce about JR's time with the team, Nate, Tom and EG shook off the summer doldrums and poured into the podcast booth. We also touch on the Cavs' summer of sloth, give our grades on how the rest of the teams in the East did on their summer vacation, and spend a bunch of time breaking down our top sports movies of all time. There's even bonus content of Tom explaining a physics book he's reading and Nate explaining what Stranger Things is to Tom. Yeah... so... how's your summer going?

Nate Smith, Evil Genius, Eli Kim, and Tom Pestak all squeezed into the podcast booth for a draft pod, and broke down all the Cavs' big swings: the pros and cons of Darius Garland (and his Jedi Robes), the surprise of J.R. Smith being moved on draft night, and the Cavs' and the NBA's focus on shooting. Then we  picked the biggest winners and losers of draft night. Winners included Atlanta, Memphis, Cam Johnson, and definitely New Orleans. Losers included Boston, Phoenix, and Jay Bilas' draft board. We wrapped it all up with some talk of NBA free agency, a tour San Diego's finest eateries, and tales of Tom Pestak's little league savants.

Nate and EG hung out for a spell in the podcast booth to muse a bit about the draft, reflect on a wild Eastern Conference Finals, discuss potential Finals outcomes... and, of course dish gleefully about Rob Pelinka's Dark Knight of the soul and dig through the newest layers of the raging dumpster fire that is the Los Angeles Laker franchise. We also finally have a long chat about Avengers: Endgame and a bit of Game of Thrones finale to boot... Spoilers Ahead!!!

To recap all of the Lottery shenanigans, as well as weigh in on the surprising and polarizing coaching hire, we jammed the podcast booth with three old men, your favorite millenial and his frisky, stereo-tipping canine. We fogged the glass for hours (we had a lot to cover), debating top five mock drafts, throwing down over the projections for Zion's career, mixing it up over the coaching decision and much, much, much more. In a pod that easily went to four overtimes, EG relates his epic witnessing of Game 3 between the Blazers and Nuggets in Portland, Nate regales us with his own Pablo Torres story, Tom spins a massive yarn about his daughter's confusingly overzealous softball coach, and David bodyslams us all with a pancake throwing wrestling metaphor... Seriously, you might be as old as Coach Beilien when you get to the end of this.

And, as if that last topic wasn't hot enough for you, they tackled a real dividing question:

Who is the tallest player in the NBA who can't Dunk. They might not know the real answer, but they know the heart and soul of the no-dunking team is Raymond Felton.....

Because if he could, there would be new rims left in the league.

Of course, there's NBA playoff talk too.

Speaking of not dunking? Why is it that Kyle Lowry seems to be a no-show every year? Can the 76ers real do some damage? Will anyone challenge the Warriors in the West and their enjoyment of the Nuggets-Blazers serious? Why does Al Horford get so much love?

If you survive all of serious topics, you get to hear their Game of Thrones thoughts and why Ohio independent wrestling is really alright.

To decipher those things, Nate, Mike and EG hopped into the podcast booth tonight for a spell. We prod through the rumors and purported truths of coaching searches, impending free agency moves, organizational directions, the already weird post season and much much more. Oh, and Nate finally gets to share a few more of his girls basketball coaching stories. We promise there will be nothing redacted...

To recap Channing's launch into retirement, Nate and EG fired up the podcast rocket and climbed inside. We don't just stop at his retirement celebration, but span the rest of the NBA to hit the DWade parade of long goodbyes in South Beach and the sudden (yet pretty expected and classy) Dirk Nowitski sayonara in Dallas. We also shoot over to Los Angeles where Magic hit the ejector seat button without apparently telling anyone... including LeBron, and examine the nearly final playoff picture. Stick around to the end to catch Nate's story about his very own Kobe experience... in of all places, his elementary school girls basketball team.

We pick up during the second half of this Cavs continued tank-a-thon, comment on the game, bounce around the NBA to forecast some potential summer moves, and break the news to Tom that Jimmer Fredette is in fact once again a member of the League. Though we'll have to wait for another day to hear TP's rants about the Real Estate Mafia in Dayton... Nate and EG filled up the remaining time discussing who might or might not be suiting up in the wine & gold next season.

To give some context on where these young Cavaliers are and how they stack up vs. expectations, Nate and EG hopped in the booth for a few measures of time. We got out the yardstick for the Young Bull and his new Cavs rookie record for most consecutive 23 game performances, used a compass and protractor to fully appreciate how well this squad are running their fast breaks lately, and took a look around the Association to see where some old friends might be falling a bit short. We cap it off with everything from the ever expanding MCU to Nate's difficulties crossing the border. The takes are measured... but the clock never is...