LeBron James delivered an epic, wire-to-wire performance, the Cavs’ role players—led by Jeff Green!—provided just enough scoring support, and the Cavaliers are Eastern Conference champions for the fourth straight year after winning Game 7 on Sunday night in Boston. The guys get together a night later to look back on a dramatic, draining closeout game and its most memorable moments.
Baffling coaching decisions, blown defensive assignments, bad shooting and a battered jaw for one LeBron James have left the Cavs halfway to getting swept in the Eastern Conference Finals. With the next two games at The Q, the Wine & Gold aren't completely in dire straits just yet. Still, it’s been ugly so far. The guys discuss Ty Lue’s decision to ride with JR Smith over Kyle Korver in the starting lineup, the struggles of the newer members of the roster, the “organizational fatigue” plaguing everyone who has been around for the long haul, and the weight of trying to fight back in a series knowing what would await in the Finals (and *not* knowing what awaits this summer).
With a ridiculous running floater off the glass last Saturday night, LeBron James broke the spirit of yet another Eastern Conference franchise, as the Raptors bowed out meekly on Monday and fired head coach Dwane Casey four days later. A transcendent postseason for LeBron continues in the Eastern Conference finals, where the depleted-but-not-defeated Boston Celtics await. Aside from LeBron’s shot-making abilities, the Cavs were steadied in Round 2 by the presence of point guard George Hill, the outside shooting of J.R. Smith and Kyle Korver, and a devastating two-man game from Korver and Kevin Love. The guys preview the conference finals with the Celtics, air grievances about Boston, and quickly set up the West series between Houston and Golden State.
Mike Zavagno of FearTheSword.com and the Cavalytics podcast joins the show to help the guys get ready for the NBA playoffs. It was a strange season—or maybe even four or five seasons rolled into one—for the Cavs. But as they get ready for the Pacers in the first round, the Wine and Gold appear to finally have their full lineup available for the first time since the trade deadline. The guys discuss players like Jeff Green and Jose Calderon going from afterthoughts at the beginning of the year to key members of the playoff rotation, how the players acquired at the deadline—Larry Nance Jr., George Hill, Rodney Hood and Jordan Clarkson—will fit into the Cavs’ plans, familiar faces who could have reduced (or entirely eliminated) roles, and what more to expect from LeBron James after a tremendous 15th regular season. Plus, a rundown of the rest of the playoffs: Are the Sixers the Cavs’ biggest threat in the East? Was Golden State gifted a path to the Western Conference finals? And can anyone challenge the Rockets or Warriors in the early rounds? ... Oh, and there's also a story in the first five minutes about the time Mike encountered Taylor Swift at customs in the U.S. Virgin Islands and ended up in tabloids around the world. (Yes, really.)
As you may have heard, The Nail is joining up with Waiting For Next Year. The guys welcome Craig Lyndall of WFNY to discuss that news, the NFL and Craig's #SellTheBrowns mantra, and the state of the Cavs one month into the NBA season. Are the Celtics an actual threat in the East or another in a long line of media creations stemming from LeBron fatigue? What in God’s name possesses fans to defend Derrick Rose? Plus: Thoughts on Jae Crowder, Jeff Green, Dwyane Wade and the almighty Brooklyn pick.
It's a new season in the NBA, and the Cavs have a lot of new faces as they look to make a run at a fourth straight Finals. The guys discuss the good, bad and ugly from the team's opening night win over Boston, dealing with the growing pains that come from replacing half your rotation, and ignoring the endless noise that will be sure to surround the team with LeBron in the final year of his contract. ... Plus: A few minutes on uniforms (Ohio State, what are you doing?), and a quick peek ahead to OSU-Penn State next week.
Kyrie Irving has been traded to the Boston Celtics. The guys get friend of the show Mark Meszoros on the line to discuss the blockbuster deal that is bringing Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, the Nets’ unprotected first-round pick and a prospect to Cleveland, sort through the Cavs’ options moving forward, and ponder the ever-present question: What, if anything, does this mean regarding the team’s future with LeBron?
Justin Rowan, writer for Fear the Sword and co-host of The Chase Down podcast, is back on the show as the guys salute Kyrie Irving for a 42-point performance on Tuesday night that put the Cavs back in control of the Eastern Conference Finals. We also start peeking ahead to Cavs-Warriors, Part 3.
On the eve of the Eastern Conference Finals, the guys ponder what, if anything, the Celtics can do to stay competitive in this series, how the Cavs will look to take away Isaiah Thomas at one end of the floor and get Kevin Love more involved at the other, and whether Ty Lue gets his proper due as an NBA coach.
With an alley-oop off the backboard from Kyrie to LeBron 3 minutes into Game 1, the Cavs were on their way to dismantling the Raptors, and they never relented en route to a decisive and dominant four-game sweep. The guys discuss LeBron’s transcendent play through the first two rounds, the Cavs’ switch officially having been flipped, and what’s ahead after the team’s next lengthy layoff.
With the Cavs heading to Indiana looking to finish off the Pacers, Mark Meszoros is back on the show to help us get ready for Game 3. Will the Cavs throw down the hammer over the next two games, or will they let the Pacers hang around and send the series back to Cleveland? Other topics covered: Overcoming fourth quarter issues, Ty Lue’s adjustments through two games, Kevin Love wrecking Indiana in the post, and the Celtics and Raptors having their hands full in their respective series.
Whether they’re ready or not, the Cavs begin their NBA title defense on Saturday when they open the playoffs vs. Indiana. The guys sift through a strange and mostly lackluster regular season and figure out what, if anything, can be applied going forward. Can the Cavs stay focused long enough to handle their business in the early rounds? Does anyone on Indiana scare you besides Paul George? Which team is the Cavs’ biggest threat in the East? And for that matter, does a threat in the East even exist?
Regardless of your geographic beliefs, the Cavs remain high atop the mountain in the Eastern Conference after the NBA trade deadline, and they could have more reinforcements on the way in the form of Deron Williams and Andrew Bogut. The guys discuss whether the Celtics did the right thing by passing on a proposed trade for Paul George and how the Cavs’ and Warriors’ dominance has deterred teams from making deadline deals. Plus: A look at the Cavs’ surprisingly effective super-sized second unit and some proposed rules changes for Major League Baseball.
It was a more competitive series than many anticipated, but the Cavs were able to close out the Pistons in a first-round sweep. The guys discuss the big winners from the series, including Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and Coach Ty Lue. … PLUS: An assessment of the Browns’ decision to trade down from the No. 2 spot in the draft – and potentially trade down again on draft night this week.
