Cavs: the Podcast

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!

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

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.