Cavs the Blog Podcast

The ole’ ball coach Nate Smith rounds up Eli and Chris for a Cavs the Podcast double album entitled, “Larry Nance: if he’s not a Cav, what’s the point?” Nate’s stirring soliloquy on the virtues of Larry Nance Jr. will melt even the most jaded of Cavs fans’ hearts.

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.

Elijah Kim and Chris Francis stole the keys to the CtB Podcast lair, which led promptly to a 2021 NBA Draft extravaganza!

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!

On this hot midsummer night, with only two weeks until the 2021 NBA Draft, Nate Smith, Elijah Kim, and Chris Francis gathered in the global CtB bunker to process the Cavs’ news which seems to be the current hot topic among NBA circles: are the Cavs trading Collin Sexton? According  to reports, the Cavs and Knicks seemed to have serious discussions on trading the 22 year old guard but the talks broke down. Eli is on top of  the case, giving everyone a break down of possible destinations.

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.

Cavs-mas came late in the evening as the Cavs were able to move up to the third pick in a loaded 2021 NBA draft. Nate Smith gathers Elijah Kim and Chris Francis to Santa's studio to break down the monumental night. They dive into the possibilities which are seemingly endless. They also continue a fantastic discussion regarding Ben Simmons, with a hat tip to CtB veteran Ben Werth. They also break down the winners and losers, and the surprises we might see in the playoffs and offseason.

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

'Twas the night before Cavs-mas...

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.

On day three of the 2020-21 NBA Playoffs, the ole' ball coach Nate Smith brings together grizzled veteran Elijah Kim and the rookie Chris Francis to wrap up what has been one of the weirdest seasons in Cavs' history. It started with the the joy of seeing Cavs' basketball after the long dark night of the COVID cancellation and NBA bubble, then after a decent start of the season, the craziness and tumult kicked in. Kevin Porter Jr., gone, the big trade for Jarrett Allen, the Andre Drummond drama, the Kevin Love drama, then the full-on tank... CtB covers it all in this epic podcap.

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!!!

The Cleveland Cavaliers took the best team in the Association, the  Phoenix Suns, into an overtime battle, finally running out of gas at the  end 134-118. The Cavs were greatly undermanned with only a seven man  rotation, but that didn’t stop Isaac “Ice” Okoro, who went toe-to-toe  with one of the brightest young stars in the NBA, Devin Booker. Ice  turned in a career performance tonight with 32 points on only 16 shots  and six assists, while chipping three rebounds AND taking on the  defensive assignment of Devin Booker.

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.

The Cavs hosted the Bulls Wednesday night with a new coach at the helm (at least for one night). Greg Buckner, a longtime assistant, got his first shot at being in charge... and his team responded with a wire-to-wire impressive victory over the team just ahead of them in the race for the play in tournament. Sexland led the way with 55 points on blistering 19-30 shooting (7-9 from deep), and the Cavs played some of their most stifling defense of the season in the first half to earn Coach Buck his first victory... and subsequent icewater dousing.

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.

Old friends Nate and EvilGenius squeezes into the podcast booth and looked over the games and more importantly the coming decisions for Cleveland this week and into the future. We discussed whether Andre Drummond would get moved this week, whether we'd see much movement in general, if we'll ever see Kevin Love in a Cavs game again, and the big decisions the Cavs would have to make this offseason. Do the Cavs extend Sexton? How much do they pay Jarrett Allen? Is this "core" sustainable? Is J.B. Bickerstaff the long term answer as head coach?

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.

Cavs looked much more prolific from three in this one: 10-32 to the Bucks' 7-22. It was a marked improvement to Wednesday's 10 free throw night, but while the Cavs improved in offensive diversity, they regressed in rebounding: losing that battle 54-36. Between that and trying to stop Giannis (33/12/4) and his ability to take three steps on every dribble, it was tough for the Cavs to keep pace in a fourth quarter that saw them outscored by 15. In that frame, the Bucks turned off the cruise control and hit the gas enough to keep Cleveland at bay.

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.

The Cavs rolled into Madison Square Garden Friday, clearly thinking they could just flip the switch on the Knicks, yet they found themselves outworked, outplayed and outhustled on defense for one of the few times this season. Not to mention, they had real issues hitting shots both in and out of transition. It’s hard to win games where you log a 33 point half of basketball, or shoot 35% from the field. Yet, the Cavs had a chance to turn this game around following a monster run to start the second half… that is, until poor offensive execution and Immanuel Quickley caught up to them.

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!

Tom and Nate hopped in the booth to instapod and gush over what we just saw: the best performance in the best game by a Cav since the James' trip to La La land. We explored the meaning of "Scary Hours" like two Dads would do and dreamed about whether the Cavs should cash some chips in to chase a playoff spot this season.

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.

Any time you Podcast with Tom Pestak, It's like you're waking up Bucky Barnes from the cryo chamber as you fill him in on everything that's happened in the NBA since the last time he was on a podcast. Wednesday night was no different, Elijah Kim and Nate Smith filled him in on today's blockbuster trades, out of which the Cavs acquired Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince. It was certainly a lot of fun as we went long on the implications of this trade, where the Cavs stand, and whether the Cavs will make any more moves.

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.

The Cavs ran out of gas against Orlando for the second game in a row, Wednesday. A consistent theme of this game was injuries, as the Cavs were down six guys going into the night, and could be down seven after an ankle injury to Dameyan Dotson limited him to just 15 minutes. But the worst injury of the game came on a fairly innocuous play in the first quarter when Markelle Fultz blew his ACL driving on Isaac Okoro. It was a heartbreaking moment for the kid, and the Magic took it out on Cleveland for the rest of the night.

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!

After a late scratch by Joel Embiid, the Cavs boat raced the unsuspecting Sixers Sunday, and posted another monster second quarter (35 points) to spring to a 14 point halftime lead. They won the final two quarters as well, with their lead ballooning to as much 32 points in a game that may open some eyes around the Association. If there is one thing that has excited Cavs fans in this 3-0 start it's the play of Darius Garland, whos' been absolutely scintillating averaging 19 points and 8.3 assists a game, and leading a team that is second in the NBA in assists.

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.

Frohe Weihnachten, Cavs fans!. It's a Christmas Miracle! Ben Werth joined Nate Smith in the podcast booth after a three year absence! Ben, a resident of Germany joined us from Berlin, and we talked all things Cavaliers. The biggest discussion: what will the starting lineup look like. We both concluded that if the Cavs want to win, they'll start Cedi and Okoro over Sexton or Garland (we were split on which one to bench). But since they likely don't want to win, the Cavs will end up starting a pair of tiny Elves at the guard spots.

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.

Isaac Okoro has captured Cavs fans' imaginations with his stellar play so far: the economy of his game, his defense, his ridiculously overbuilt NBA body, and most importantly, his ability to make winning plays look effortless. As such, the winning slogan of the 1952 presidential election is also the titular theme of this podcast.

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, Nate, and Eli make a long awaited return to the podcast booth! This was a fun one, as we discussed a whirlwind NBA offseason, the Cavs' draft and free agency, and all the news from around the NBA. Tom Pestak has been decidedly out of the loop when it comes to NBA news, so we added a couple games to make the proceedings more fun, and to get Tom up to speed. Tom took a swing at the game made famous by the Chuckster on Inside the NBA, "Who He Play For," as Tom tried to  guess some of the NBA free agent moves. In "Real or Fake" he tried to figure out if some of these NBA names like Facundo Campazzo were real or made up.

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.

THE CAVS WIN THE LOTTERY AGAIN! Ok. They didn't technically win the lottery. But hopefully all the players I hate will be gone by the time they pick at number five. David Wood, Elija Kim, and Nate Smith live-podded the lottery, and then Jude Elysiam (Ryan) subbed out for David to mock the whole draft. That was just the start of the marathon as we broke down the Cavs roster and figured out who would remain a Cav after the coming off-season and at the end of the next season. Then we picked the current playoff series. WHEW. It was a marathon.

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

If you want an in depth discussion around Covid-19 from someone who actually knows what he's talking about, this is the podcast for you. Long time CtB die-hard, Simmo, just happens to be a viral immunologist, and we saved up a couple weeks worth of questions and topics around Covid-19 to bounce off his brain. This is our least basketball-centric, and most educational podcast ever. Buckle up for Covid-19 homeschool. 

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!

We were joined by long time listener, first time caller, Jason as we discussed the TP situation in the Pestak household, what's it like to homeschool, and how we're all keeping sane.

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.

Wow. What a few weeks it's been for the Cavs, as they've gone 5-6 since the all star break and have played their best ball of the season... a season that likely will be cut short by a global pandemic. Yep. Talk of "the Roni," as some of the kids are calling it, featured heavily in our first podcast in a month. Tom and Nate desperately needed to get into the podcast booth to talk about the surreal times we're living in, and we hope you're jonesing for some content to get you through the long hours of social distancing.

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.

To celebrate a rare victory, Nate Smith and Tom Pestak welcomed our prodigal brother Eli Kim back to the podcast booth after an eight month absence! Yep, the fingers behind @CavsTheTweets was in studio and we covered topics ranging as far afield as a Trae Young three point attempt. We covered the brutal Clips loss, and the jubilant win against Atlanta, and then oscillated wildly: Korean cinema (go see Parasite!); what players have been in the dunk contest and the three point contest; how we see the playoffs shaping up; why do the Cavs keep nominating Collin Sexton for player of the month; what makes The Office so good; why is Vince Carter on the Hawks; the Cavs being a top ten revenue team; and so so much more.

Nate Smith, David Wood, and Tom Pestak slunk to the podcast boost and lamented the lost opportunity against the Knicks. Nate spent a lot of time ranting about John Beilein. David Wood wondered whether coach was a plant to lose games. All agreed that Kev really was playing his butt off to get out of dodge. We complained about the game's horrendous officiating full of moments that literally would've been personal fouls in the NFL. We growled at the Knicks pinball bumper lineup of power forwards that seem straight out of a 2K video game.

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.

No fan base in American sport ever loved a player the way Lakers fans loved Kobe. We grieve for them and all the families who lost so much today. Tom Pestak and Nate Smith got into the podcast booth and mourned the death of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and all the victims of the tragic helicopter crash in California today.

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.

Tom talked Nate off a blogging ledge as they briefly touched on the game and then spent a good 90 minutes talking about everything. Why do we do these things we do, like write, blog, play music, perform standup comedy, or podcast about Cavs games? What is the point? We Dad-bitched about how much it work it is to have a full time job, kids, and to do something you love, and if it's worth it. Tom Pestak's grounded nature came in handy as we went over the NBA, the Cavs, personal finance, bitcoin, having a five year plan, realism versus romanticism, and why we see ourselves in professional sportsmen. We went over officiating, the existential crisis caused by instant replay, why NBA coverage denigrates its own game, how (not) to withdraw large amounts of cash from the bank, the CoCoMelon basketball song, and so much more.

Nate Smith and David Wood got in the podcast booth to break down Tristan Thompson's big game and the state of the Cavs as a whole. We went over TT's monster night, Beilein outcoaching Dwane Casey, the slugs/thugs debacle, Andre Drummond, "yay" or "nay?", who should be in the all star game, what it's like to get cooking appliances for Christmas, and our favorite topic, the infuriating Collin Sexton.

G'Day! Since acquiring Dante Exum to join his countryman Matthew Dellavedova, the Cavs are now tied with the Sixers for the Association lead in Aussies. What better occasion to post a podcast that is 50% Aussie!? Nate Smith was joined all the way from Perth, Australia by long time commenter Simmo, and the half Australian EvilGenius. We told the John Dory about what got Simmo into the Cavs in the first place, what it's like to watch the NBA in Australia and who the most popular Aussies in the association are. Rapt in our early impressions of Dante Exum, we took a squiz at the sports scene in Oz (it's a Dog's breakfast), and had a sook over the sweltering heat of the down under summer.

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.

Nate, Ryan Yankee and EG congregated around the yule log with some egg nog and cookies. We discuss tonight's contest, the state of the roster post JC departure, and whether or not new Cav, Dante Exum, will make any sort of impact. We also give out our annual Santa's Wish List items to all the Cavalier players and front office members. Ryan apparently has a LOT of pH balanced water to give away, Nate went more traditional, and EG... well, let's just say EG probably just stands for Evil Grinch for this one.

David Wood, Tom Pestak, and Nate Smith were around to take in this very weird Cavalier game, and break down what went well and what went wrong. What's with the subtitle? Well, Tom spent a long time late in the podcast talking about the Linux distro "Peppermint" and a short time early in the podcast talking about Chris Parnell's tattoo in the movie Hot Rod. This one's weird.

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.

We took a tour of what ails the Cavs and the NBA we tooted our own horn a little bit that we're still here, and still fresh since 2008.  In an era where the media, players, and the Association itself seem flawed and unable to protect the game and their brand because of their inability to be honest with themselves or look beyond the hot take du jour, we're still fresh, unadulterated, and unsponsored: speaking our minds, staking out uncomfortable opinions, and not caring who we piss off. We're still pure... and completely full of ourselves.

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.

Nate, David, and Tom got in the podcast booth dissected the Cavs win over the Wizards and the NBA at large. Topics included a story of Tom raging about League Pass, a trip down Amnesia Lane to take a look at the 2007-2010 Cavs, David discussing how to really annoy opponents in rec league basketball with habits that include "touching their calves," and Nate explaining the rules to cockroach poker. We didn't want to go to bed. Like the Cavs, we were just having too much fun.

Nate Smith, EvilGenius, and Tom Pestak piled into the podcast booth with the World Series and a comical Rockets/Wizards 321 point basketstravaganza playing in the background. The three amigos broke down topics from around the Cavs and the Association, including Tristan Thompson's newfound offensive excellence, John Beilein's entertaining postgame analysis, Cedi Osman's evolving role, the Cavs young trio (Sexton, Garland, Porter Jr.), and the Italian Anthony Davis.

It's been over six months since we got to experience a regular season Cavs game. With the NBA tipping off tonight, and the Cavs getting it started tomorrow, Nate, Tom, and Ryan Yankee hopped in the podcast booth to preview the Cavs and the NBA. We went pretty long in the tooth on this one, talking all things Cavs: starters, Beilein, what success looks like, and even our thoughts on the Cavs' new play-by-play guy. We went deep on the NBA, taking on all the big storylines and going through all the over/unders, and the awards for every team. It was an NBA extravaganza. It's a fun couple of hours.

Get ready Cavs fans... with the leaves turning, a new season is just around the corner, and who knows what shades of wine and gold it might bring? So many things are new and different, from the head coach to the players the the very landscape of the NBA. And, while some things will never be the same, as with the untimely passing of Fred McLeod recently, there's a lot to look forward to, however uncertain the outcome might be.

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.

 As the slow NBA summer drips like molasses on a hot Ohio day, about the only new information we have regarding the Cavaliers is that they're predicted by most prognosticators to be the worst team in the League this season. The Worst? I mean... Kevin Love isn't exactly chopped liver... and the wine & gold do have some promising young talent. But, sure... maybe they really want to make sure that Atlanta trade never nets the Hawks more than two second rounders.

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.

 So long… Farewell… Aufwiedersehn… Goodbye!
I leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye…

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 possible 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…

Sorry we've been absent for so long this off season... but it's been one of the longest, slowest and most inactive in Cleveland Cavalier history. Sure, there was some flow on draft night... but the action has trickled to the point where even those new rookies barely saw the court in the Summer League. The one thing that did happen, is that the team at long last officially parted ways with J.R. Smith. The featured graphic pays tribute to the man with the pipe, as we fondly remember all of his contributions, hijinx and antics over the course of his illustrious stint in the wine & gold.

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?

Whew. That was a close one. Almost lost EvilGenius who pledged to ghost this team if they ended up with Bol Bol. Fortunately for us, the Cavs passed. Bol ended up lasting until the 44th pick, when the Nuggets traded with the Heat to grab the oddly proportioned human. After the 26th pick, the Cavs followed up their selection of Darius Garland at No. 5 by selecting Dylan Windler of Belmont. During the pod, they surprised us all by trading back into the first round and grabbing Kevin Porter Jr. from USC, who'd been rumored to the Cavs as early as the late lotter.

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.

Not a ton happening with the Cavs as we careen into The Finals, but that doesn't mean there aren't interesting things to talk about happening around the Association. So, if you'll forgive our Memorial Day weekend coverage lapse, as we spent more time hanging with our respective families in lieu of deep dive profiles into upcoming draft prospects, hopefully you'll enjoy some humorous deviations.

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!!!

Well... the Cavaliers weren't able to pull off another NBA Lottery bonanza tonight... in fact, they fell all the way to fifth behind the Pelicans, Grizzlies, Knicks and Lakers. Whether you believe in karma or conspiracy theories, in the end it looks like New Orleans got a potential lifeline back to relevancy as the almost assuredly winner of the Zion Williamson sweepstakes. Yet, there may still be some sneaky good talent available in the five hole for newly minted head coach, John Beilien to impart wisdom to this summer.

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.

Nate Smith and David Wood had a much needed reunion in the pod booth. There isn't much going on as far as the Cavs are concerned, so they hopped around the league. They went into James Harden's foul seeking Rockets and how their methods make them feel. They talked about the twiggy stature of this years draft class and their favorite players: De'Andre Hunter and Brandon Clarke. From there they hit on whether or not college players should be getting paid.

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.

Because they generally have nothing better to do on a Thursday night in late April... Nate and EG hung out in the podcast booth tonight to catch up. We spend some time touching on the NFL Draft (which the Browns aren't expected to participate in until tomorrow), recapping the first round matchups (that neither of us watched all that much of), keeping tabs on the Cavs' coaching search, and projecting where the league is headed with an increase of lawyer ball, 37 foot daggers, social media beefs and decreased viewer ratings. It's a remarkably short (for us anyway) podcast, but we promise more to come in the next few weeks.

 It's a strangely unfamiliar time right now for Cavs fans. With the regular season behind us, the draft ahead, and maybe only passing interest in this year's first round playoff matchups, it's time to wonder who exactly is in charge? The wine & gold don't seem to be in any hurry to hire their next leader, now that they've parted ways with Larry Drew... though, maybe it could be a former leader of the Charge? Meanwhile, over in Lakerland... is anyone calling the shots now that the Magic is gone? Or, are they just going to make the inevitable Ty Lue hire and hand the reins to LeBron? Full disclosure... we spend waaaaay too much time discussing the purple & gold. Who's in charge here anyway?!

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...

Welcome to CtB's 200th podcast! On Channing Frye's last night as a Cavalier, in the last quarter of the last game of the season, the smiling big man fired off one last flurry of fireworks... scoring 10 points in just seven minutes. He left the court to chants of "MVP! MVP!" from the adoring crowd at the Quicken Loans Arena Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (ay yay yay). The Cavs still lost by a wide margin, but you'd never guess given the rousing ovations bestowed upon Frye and his teammates.

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.

 The Cavs may have lost a meaningless game in April, but the real story of the night was that Nate and EG were able to defrost C:tB's "Winter Soldier" for an appearance on this latest podcap. Yes, Tom Pestak returns from his deep, frozen slumber to catch up on all the goings on from this past winter of NBA action.

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.

The Cavs had another growth spurt as they inched closer to respectability with an entertaining victory over the team with the best record in the NBA tonight. Granted, the Milwaukee Bucks were sans their Alpha and Omega, Giannis Antetokounmpo, yet the wine & gold still did what the purple & gold couldn't the night before. For once, the Cavs were the healthier team, as Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson and Larry Nance, Jr. were all back on the floor... while the Bucks were down to just eight able bodies. Still, it was their fourth straight win at home over a team that's either in or just on the fringe of being in the playoffs.

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...