Cavs: the Podcast

Full of righteous indignation, Nate Smith and Chris Francis trudged into the podcast booth to write a sternly worded letter (podcast) to the Cavalier organization with one conclusion: this team isn't going anywhere with J.B. Bickerstaff as its head coach. 

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.

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What a difference a week makes. After a moribund loss to the Kings last Sunday, the Cavs bounced back in a big way, winning three straight. To be fair, two of those wins were against two of the worst teams in the Association: Portland and Detroit, but it all becomes moot when you win against the defending Champions without killing the poor soul doing the Man vs. Nuggets challenge.

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.

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After a listless performance against the Knicks in Cleveland on Tuesday, the Cavs went into MSG with a bit of a cloud hanging over their heads Wednesday. What ensued was some of the ugliest basketball since the late 90s, and one of the most anachronistic games you'll see all year. The Cavs and Knicks traded rocks all night, with both teams struggling to score and the game coming down to rebounds, loose balls, and defense.

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.

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In the early 80s, NBC and Marvel dropped a Saturday morning series called "Spider Man and his Amazing Friends," which added obscure mutant "Firestar" and less obscure but no less conventional "Ice Man" to Peter Parker's retinue. Similarly, our own Spida Mitchell was helped by some unexpected friends, "Ice Man" Okoro, and Max "Firestarter" Strus. Saturday morning cartoon fanboys, Elijah Kim and Chris Francis swung into the podcast booth to help us make sense of it all. The Korean takeover of the CtB podcast studios (Chris's words, not mine) breaks down the game, the surprising come-from-behind victory, and what lies ahead for Cleveland.

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The Cavs lost a squeaker, Tuesday, 107-108 to the Hawks. To review, Nate, Chris, Eli, and Eli's bespoke keyboard made a trip to the podcast both. They broke down the game, and what went wrong (the first half and the starters' minutes) what went right (the Cavs' developmental players and the second half), and what improvements we're hoping to see in the coming weeks (rebounding and playing guys in appropriate positions). Then, the guys went around the association and picked against the Vegas lines for wins totals this season. Who is going to underachieve? Who is going to overachieve? Where do the Cavs fall on that spectrum? The CtB brain trust went through every team in the league, and even managed to get some of the new coaches names right.

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David Wood makes his return the CtB podcast studios, as he joins Nate Smith to give insta-reactions to the Damian Lillard/Bucks trade. The good news? Both guys come out on the side of "this helps the Cavs." The guys break down the impacts for Portland, Phoenix, Milwaukee, and Cleveland and then rank the East in oh so casual fashion. After, they muse about which city Harden end up playing for, give some random NBA predictions, and wonder how they'll watch Cavs games and Ganley Kia commercials this year.

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.

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Chris Francis and Nate Smith hop back in the podcast booth to cover some much needed business for the Cavs. First up? Breaking down Darius Garland's recent interview with Chris Fedor. Then we embarked on yet another review of free agency. Are the Cavs done? Or are they holding out a roster spot or two for an end of the summer free agent? Nate and Chris pitched the guys they'd like to see, and then they delve into a little Cavalier trade slop centered around Jarrett Allen.

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!

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Eli Kim and Chris Francis analyze the off-season so far for the Cleveland Cavaliers including the draft and free agency.

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Our silent mourning for the 2023 Cavalier Season over, Nate Smith, Elijah Kim, and Chris Francis broke our vow and shuffled into the the podcast booth to break down this wild ride that was the Cavs' season. The guys look over the year everyone had and try to figure out who's going to stay, who's going to go, and who the Cavs should bring in. Who would fit well under the Cavs idiosyncratic coach? Who improved? Who didn't? What do the next few years look like. The erstwhile podcasters take stock of it all.

[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.]

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Nate and Chris (unsuccessfully?) channel their inner Bob Marleys as they break down a Game 4 and preview Game 5. What do the Cavs need to do to win? Who is coming up short, and who needs to keep doing what they're doing?

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.

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