Cavs the Blog Podcast

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Episode 160: "Today Was a Good Day" Feb 09, 2018

Show notes

We asked for a magic bullet… We got an entire clip. Though Ice Cube might disagree… today was most definitely a very good day for your Cleveland Cavaliers. It was so good that Nate, Tom, and EG were back in the booth for the second night in a row, and joined by Elijah Kim. To break down today's action. Gone are Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Derrick Rose, Iman Shumpert, Channing Frye… and even Dwayne Wade. The incoming new faces are George Hill, Rodney Hood, Jordan Clarkson and the son of former Cavalier great, Larry Nance, Jr. Suddenly, the clouds that had been hanging over this team for much of the past six weeks have parted. The sun is shining on new possibilities of a future that seems instantly and categorically brighter. While it was bittersweet to part with Channing given his tremendous personality, and DWade with his vintage swagger, and even Shump with his tie to the squad that won it all in 2016… the time seemed long past due to move on from the Crowder, Rose and IT experiments.

Episode 159 (Or, How You Remind Me...) Feb 08, 2018

Show notes

After reaching the lowest depths of doubt, denial and depression Tuesday in Orlando, the Cavs returned home and played possibly the game of the season in reminding us how good they can be when they try. There were contributions up and down the lineup in this unbelievable overtime shootout thriller with the Timberwolves, that saw both teams combine for an NBA record 40 (!!!) three pointers. LeBron James also reminded us of just how great he is... notching yet another triple double with 37 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds... the last few of which vaulted him past Zydrunas Ilgauskas and made him the all time franchise leader in all three categories. Yet, he saved his best for last... draining a turnaround jumper over Jimmy Butler as the final buzzer sounded. It was arguably his greatest game winning shot in a regular season game during the LeBron 2.0 era. It was great to see LeBron smile again. It was also great to see the Cavs free Cedi Osman from the bench, as he came up with some terrific and much needed hustle and defensive ability. But, did it change the narrative going forward? Will it be a turning point in the season when we look back? Does it alter what the Cavs do in the next 12 hours or so with the trade deadline looming? To try and answer some of these questions, as well as thoroughly break down this dramatic and genuinely enjoyable victory, Nate, Tom and EG piled into the booth to chop it up.

Episode 158: Napoleon and The Yeti Feb 01, 2018

Show notes

Tom, Nate and EG congregated in the virtual C:tP booth to breakdown this difficult win, as well as cover a wide range of things big and small. After discussing this week's games, Tom went on some epic rants that he’s been holding in for the last week… Nate delved into the complexities of little men with big chips on their shoulders… and EG compared championship fatigue with mountain climbing and mythical monsters. Needless to say, you may find it hard to get to the end… but hopefully it makes it easier to enjoy this game that was hard on the eyes. Talk about hard… this game was like Napoleon trying to win at Waterloo hard… like finding a yeti at the top of the mountain hard. Hard to play, hard to watch and hard to even recap in a reasonable amount of time. For 48 (thankfully only that) minutes which seemed like twice that (yet still shorter than this podcast), the Cavs and Heat took turns bricking threes at an insane rate, slogging through difficult trips to the free throw line, and making enough mistakes to allow the other team to steal a win. In the end, the Cavs prevailed, but it was hard to say that they stopped the Heat… so much as that they just made one more shot or one less mistake.

Episode 157: Approaching Critical Depth Jan 24, 2018

Show notes

LeBron hits the 30K points mark as the Cavs continue to descend to the hull integrity critical depth. We're standing in six inches of water, there's a radiation leak in the engine room, someone's dog took a had an accident in the cafeteria and when some Seaman tried scooping it up and flushing it down the toilet it just clogged... We talked about the game, Isaiah Thomas, whether Ty Lue is trying to get fired, George Hill, potential Trades, Woj the ultimate Cavalier troll, and how the only thing with a lower production value than the Cavs on court play was the Subnautica Live Stream event today. Beware the klaxon. Stay safe out there.

Episode 156 (or, Early Dreams… Late Nightmares) Jan 16, 2018

Show notes

Nate and EG jumped into their own lucid dream/recurring nightmare about how much of the current state of the Cavs is or isn't Ty's fault, how much longer he should be patrolling the sidelines, and whether or not he's even the one in control of things. They also delve into interpretations of what the Cavs can do to improve, read the tea leaves on whether or not the team will make a trade and try to determine why January basketball in Cleveland has to be so nightmarish at times. The good news is that we both think things will ultimately get better...

Episode 155: "One too Many Possessions." Dec 20, 2017

Show notes

Nate and EG hopped in the podcast booth after a wild Bucks game to podcap about what worked for the Cavs, what didn't, and why we didn't feel too bad about this loss. Kevin Love's fourth quarter absence seemed odd to both of us given his 21-10 line in just 30 minutes, the Cavs' inability to rebound, and Jae Crowder's 0-5 brickfest from behind the arc. But we marveled at LeBron's superior shooting (6-11 from three), Kyle Korver's tough night (1-7 from the floor), and Jeff Green's rim running relentlessness. We lamented the painful officiating that gave the Bucks a minimum of six undeserved points, and saw the Cavs beat up without consequences. Beyond the game, we, discussed the triple-double-esque MVP tear LeBron is on, the Kobe Retirement, the idle threat of the Laker recruiting, LeBron's ridiculous blocks, and the Cavs schedule going forward. We also talked about what TT means to this team, whether he should be playing over Frye, and how he affects the chemistry of the Cavs' second unit. We talked about the possibility of trading for Paul George, what we should name the Brooklyn pick, and wished everyone a happy holidays. Finally, we gave an appropriate spoiler alert and spent a good ten minutes reviewing The Last Jedi. Only one of us came off as a cranky old man.

Episode 154: "The Middle Gear" Dec 13, 2017

Show notes

Nate Smith, Tom Pestak, and Elijah Kim hopped in the podcast booth to discuss the game, the last week of Cavs' games, and what this "sustained period of excellence" means. We discussed LeBron's excellence, his ability to find the middle gear between chill mode and beast mode, and how he seems more engaged this season. We also talked about what the Cavs will look like when Isaiah Thomas and Tristan Thompson are re-integrated, the LeBron 2018 offseason rumors, and take a look at the standings around the NBA.

Episode 153: G.A.M.s Go Long... Dec 07, 2017

Show notes

What was supposed to be a short and sweet podcapping of the Cavaliers’ 13th straight victory to tie the franchise record, turned into one of the longest in the tooth… most winding… down the rabbitholiest stream of consciousness recordings in C:tB history. Sure, there’s plenty of discussion about how the Cavs woke from their slumber in the first half to fight and claw their way back against the Kings to avoid an ignominious loss at the hands of another lottery dweller… but then the topics get crazily random in a hurry (like checking out vintage crime shows from the library crazy). Nate and EG kicked things off in the booth, but once Tom joined them… they started issuing rants, hot takes and stories like the Grown Ass Men they are. And, speaking of Grown Ass Men, we spend a lot of time talking about LeBron and his legacy. We also touch on the soon to be returning from injury Cavs, deliberate who might still be on the team in April, and have an extended throw down on the value of Isaiah Thomas.

Episode 152: A Brief History of Time Nov 28, 2017

Show notes

Nate and Tom hopped in the booth to discuss many topics ranging from the win streak, to the unceremonious firing of David Fizdale, to who the Cavs might still target as a mid-season pickup, to the quantum physics of why Derrick Rose is a basketball black hole. Though EG also tried to chime in, he was thwarted by his own technology, ultimately having to resort to "Evil Hawking" mode with Nate translating. What does Stephen Hawking have to do with the Cavs' decisive victory over the Philadelphia 76ers tonight, their eighth win in as many games? Well, you'll have to listen to the podcap to fully appreciate and consummate the answer. Needless to say, just like time itself... the fortunes of these teams have followed a process (with a capital "P" for the Sixers over the past few seasons, and a lowercase one for the Cavs over the past few weeks). Note: big props to hero to millions and one of the foremost minds of 20th and 21st centuries, Steven Hawking. Much love and admiration to you.

Episode 151: Prisoners of the Moment Nov 21, 2017

Show notes

So, is a five game winning streak capped by this terrific showing on the road against a good team a sign of a righted ship? Did it show us what we all truly believed this current team should be capable of? Or, did it make us all give a collective sigh simply because our expectations have been so immensely elevated over the course of the past three seasons from repeated trips to the Finals? Have we all just been prisoners of the moment thus far in the throes of October and November? Stuck in a Twitter loop ruled by Celtic pride, Golden States of mind, the Process and Big Baller Brands? Nate and EG ponder these questions and more on this latest podcap... exploring the dangers of donning blinders that magnify every regular season high and low. They also examine the value of savoring every minute that remains in LeBron James' kingdom. Cause when he's done, we may never see his like again (of course that could just be the inmates in this moment talking...)

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