Cavs The Blog Podcast

Nate Smith and Chris Francis dropped into the podcast booth and sussed the Hawks game and the Miami game out, dropping kudos to all the guys. In depth looks at the two game and the second overtime of the Hornets game fueled the discussion of this three game win streak.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. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Chris Francis and Nate Smith jumped into the podcast booth, and then subbed in Elijah Kiim in the second quarter. Eli quickly coined the subtitle of this pod: "Reputational Gravity." The Cavs have a lot of it right now, getting respect from around the lead as they are now top three in net rating. The term also applies to the respect Cavs' shooters get (or don't get) even when they're not hitting their shots, which opens up the floor for the rest of the team. The trio break down this topic and so much more as they recap the Cavs' thrilling victory over the Celtics.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 worki

This was a weird one. But Donovan Mitchell, "you got the touch! You got the power!" Donovan Prime arose and lit our darkish hour with a 37-point virtuoso performance, has already picked up the mantle as the on-the-court leader of the Wine and Gold. Running out of Energon, Mitchell got pretty tired late, coughed up the ball a few times, and let the Wizards back into a game the Cavs had won. Fortunately, Donovan, Caris, Cedi, Dean Wade, and Jarrett Allen rallied, and took a small deficit in overtime to a double digit lead to knock out Washington. Chris, Nate, and Eli break down all the action, look at the first three games, evaluate the JB Bickerstaff coaching experience, and take a look around the NBA for your listening pleasure. 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'

Nate, Chris Francis, and a scribbled cocktail napkin from the the Desk of David Wood, break down the latest development with the Cavs, the NOAH shot analysis system, Lament the Guardians' loss, and pick over/unders around the NBA.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Cavs won their first pre-season game of 2022, Wednesday. Despite a slow start, Donavan Mitchell, and Darius Garland combined for 47 points and 15 assists, off a prodigious 47 shots. Jarrett Allen added five blocks, Isaac Okoro got a start for a resting Caris LeVert, and put up a very solid 16 points and three steels with some nifty drives, and silky shooting. The Bench starred Cedi Osman with 16 and Mamadi Diakite who is making it hard for the Cavs front office to keep him off the roster, with a monster 13 point, 11 rebound, three stock night as he helped seal the deal for Cleveland.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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This pod finds Nate Smith and Chris Francis paraphrase the words of Kevin Love: "I've never been around a team this deep with young talent." Lamenting a Monday pod that blew up midstream, Nate and Chris managed to recapture the energy in the podcast booth and gush over Cavs' Media Day, all the young talent on the roster, and how much fun it's going to be to cover the team this year. Most palpable to Chris was the return of Basketball Jesus, Ricky Rubio, and the sense of "unfinished business" from Ricky's first stint with the Cavs. 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.Advertising

Nate Smith, Eli Kim, and Chris Francis take an early Labor Day vacation to the Cavs: the Podcast resort studios to hash out the big news of the week, Donovan Mitchell is a Cavalier. CtB has you covered with every angle of the trade. Chris pushes his Donovan pills on Nate and Eli. Eli walks his dog mid-podcast. Nate regales the listeners with stories from Trivia Night. This one is a must-listen...Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Chris Francis and Nate Smith dust off the podcast microphones after an almost two month absence. While they were convalescing from viral and life injuries, they've been jonesing for some Cavs Basketball. To slake the roundball thirst, the CtB faithful have been catching up on youtube videos, pro-am highlights, and international play of all your Cavalier favorites. Chris and Nate go through most of the roster and talk about what the next season holds in store for these guys. Topics include: is Okoro's rumored upskilling real?; what will Collin Sexton's role (and contract) be?; is second-year Mobley going to shoot like a young KD (in results or form)?; who plays backup point guard?; who gets cut or traded? (we're looking at you Dylan, Cedi, and Lamar); and are there minutes for rookie Ochai Agbaji? It's a pretty loose and casual conversation between guys trying to dust the rust off their vocal cords.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.c

It is the 2022 NBA Draft eve, and you know what that means, CtB's Draft Appetizer season! Nate Smith, Eli Kim, and Chris Francis serve up a mighty helping of draft and trade slop to satisfy the basketball hunger (h/t to friend of the podcast TrillBroDude of You Know Ball Podcast for the term "slop"). There's a quick rundown of biggest stories hitting the media sphere, breaking news mid-episode, an appetizer draft (yes that's right), and last but not least a CtB Annual Mock Draft that leaves Nate and Eli so puzzled and confused that it could drive you throw your appetizer dish at the wall (Disclaimer: CtB is not liable for any damages resulting from their podcast) So grab a fork, pull up to the trough, and dig in....  Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Welcome to 1985. Nate Smith, Eli Kim, and Chris Francis have gathered again at the Cavs: The Podcast resort studios to serve the people another helping of offseason hooper content for the basketball-starved fans of Cavsland. The trio discuss the 2022 NBA Finals, John Hollinger's free agency guide regarding Collin Sexton, the NBA Draft now only a mere eight days away. The Cavs are "Running up that Hill" to build their roster, and the draft, trade, and free agency talk flies fast and furious. Then the gents talk Top Gun: Maverick, Stranger Things Season 4, Eli's squeaky dishwasher and the best and worst movies of late!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Cavs: the Podcast turns back the clock with Nate Smith, Tom Pestak, Elijah Kim, and Chris Francis to talk the latest in Cavs' rumors, draft musings, and a return of CtB's classic podcast bit "Lawn Mower Chat" featuring a homeowner's horror story 20 years in the making. 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

Nate Smith and the Chrises Mr. Lyden and Mr. Francis hopped into the Cavs: the Podcast studio resort to take the temperature of the NBA playoffs so far, the impending draft lottery, and the latest in Cavsworld. 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 a

Editor's Note: this Episode of Cavs: the Podcast is sponsored by Precious Ones Ministries, and our fundraising drive to "Save the School." It's simple. It's direct. See the details below, and give what you can. We're presenting this pod commercial free save our ask that you help us with this effort. 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 belo

Postgame the CtB trio of Nate Smith, Chris Francis, and Chris Lyden hopped into the podcast resort studios to recap the Cavs' loss against the Brooklyn Nets 115-108. They break down the game from all angles, who stood out, who stepped up, who disappeared? The gang goes down every Cavs' rabbit hole. 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.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Emerging from their winter hibernation, Nate Smith, Elijah Kim, Chris Francis, and Chris Lyden took a spring break trip to the Cavs: the Podcast resort studios to catch up on all the craziness of the Cavs' season post-All Star Break. In true CtB fashion, they push this episode as best as they could to the two hour mark. So don't worry, if it has anything to do with the Cavs, the quartet has got you covered. 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!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

To celebrate Sunday's win over the Pacers and the newly acquired LeVert, the CtB faithful squeezed into the podcast studios. Nate Smith, Elijah Kim, Tom Pestak, and Chris Francis kicked it off by holding a (Kevin) Love fest for what we'd all just witnessed. After breaking down the game and the Cavalanche, the guys got into the LeVert trade and broke down how he helped the Cavs, how he fits their timeline, and what other moves the Cavs might have considered or what they may be considering still. 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.Advertising Inquiries: https:

Nate Smith, and the Chrises (Mr. Lyden and Mr. Francis) gathered together in the CtB podcast resort studios for a Podcap Two-fer to cover the awful loss in Detroit and the gritty home win against the New Orleans Pelicans. The trio covers all aspects of both games, with a deep dive into Coach JB Bickerstaff's changes between the two games. 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...?Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Nate Smith and the two Chrises (Mr. Lyden and Mr. Francis) hop into the CtB podcast studio resort to bask in the glory of the Cavs' statement win against the Milwaukee Bucks, 115-99. The win puts the Cavs in 3rd place of the Eastern Conference and in the hunt for the first seed. The Cavs dominated the game even though they were easily the more shorthanded team and the Bucks came out like gangbusters in a fantastic first quarter performance. But NBA Champion Kevin Love and Cedi "the Jedi" Osman stepped up for the team and delivered MVP performances and serving a beatdown of the reigning champions. 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...Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.co

After the valiant effort the Cavs put forth in Chicago, losing to the Chicago Bulls 117-104 in a game that was more more hotly contested than the score suggests, Nate Smith and Chris Squared (Mr. Lyden and Mr. Francis) hopped into the CtB Podcast resort studios to take the temperature of Cavsland after a wildly successful road trip and signature win Monday against the Brooklyn Nets. The CtB trio break down the Chicago game, Brooklyn game, trade rumors, and hand out some Cavs' prognostications. 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

Tonight, a long winter's night in the dead of January, Nate Smith, the official train conductor of Cavs: the Blog, rounds up two of his best train engineers Elijah Kim and Chris Francis, both of whom with vast experience on the Trade Express, to take stock of three major stories in CavsLand: 1. the Midseason report card, 2. the extension of Koby Altman, and 3. the Chris Fedor tweet on possible trade targets. 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...Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy