"What are you doing, Dave?" With three weeks since our last podcast and a trade deadline, an All-Star weekend, and a franchise legend's exodus to discuss, Nate, Eli, and Chris had had a lot to cover. To help us out Tom Pestak joined us int the podcast booth from cold storage. The CtB neural net leveraged machine learning to create based hot takes to cover all the Cavs and NBA news of the last few weeks.

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.

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Channeling a little Bob Dylan with this one. The Cavs' ability to manipulate gravitational parabolas led to a game that was way too close at the end, and we all know that managing close games is not John Blair Bickerstaff's specialty. There was a lot of teeth gnashing post-game about the Cavs' inability to close yet again, when they were lost in the rain in Juarez, when it's Easter time too: two brutal turnovers and a trio of Heat offensive rebounds lowlighted the last 150 seconds of the fourth. 

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."

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Nate, Chris, and Eli jumped in the booth to commemorate the (roughly) halfway point of the season and to wade in the trough of trade of January trade slop. First, though, they had a couple games to recap: a solid, if (according to Nate) underwhelming win over the Pelicans. and a disappointing road loss to the Timberwolves. The gents held yet another referendum on JB Bickerstaff and his and the Cavs' penchant for playing guys while injured.

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.

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Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers have stolen their last two wins. Most recently, an utter grindfest Wednesday against Phoenix where they were limited to just 33 points in the first half, Wednesday, but absolutely willed themselves back in a game they shot sub 40%, got out-rebounded, were outshot, and turned the ball over more than the Suns. The Cavs only led for about four minutes of game time and trailed by seven With five and a half minutes to go before Donovan (20/6/9) , Caris (21/6/2), Cedi, and Evan grinded out a win against a feisty Suns team missing Devin Booker, but featured a vintage performance from Chris Paul (25/4/8).

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.

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The three game losing streak the Cavs find themselves on heading into the new year led to a lot of soul searching by Nate Smith and Eli Kim. They piled into the broadcast booth with a steelbody guitar and sung the blues for John-Blair Bickerstaff. As they were singing, the boys wondered if all this bad luck and trouble was because of J.B., who seems at loggerheads with his own public statements, his front office, and his players as they struggle to defend the three point line or score enough to keep up with their opponents. 

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.

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Sure the Cavs might have kicked butt in Philly Wednesday due to superior shooting, lockdown defense, and a sleepwalking Sixer squad, but we all know the real reason was the man in the building, our own Elijah Kim. At the quarter pole of the season, Eli joined Nate Smith and Chris Francis in the podcast booth to talk about the game, the last couple weeks, couture sweat suits, lineup data, rotations, JB, dawgs, dogs, and his upcoming sideline game where he'll be donning the undefeated gold jacket. It's a raucous ride full of laughs and insight.  

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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. 

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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 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.

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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'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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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...

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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.

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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....

 

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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!

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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 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!

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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 and TV

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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 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?

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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.

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