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.
It was the most nerve-wracking first round series to ever involve LeBron James wearing wine and gold, but the Cavs survived their matchup with the Pacers. In Game 7 on Sunday, LeBron was LeBron, but his supporting cast finally came through, too. Tristan Thompson looked like the Tristan Thompson of old as he crashed the glass, and George Hill returned after a three-game absence to steady the squad through the final 19 minutes. The guys discuss how the Cavs ultimately outlasted a better-than-expected Indiana team, and then look ahead to another series with the Raptors in the conference semifinals. Every adjustment Toronto has made in the past year has been with Cleveland in mind, and for the first time, the Raptors are favored to win the series. But, ultimately, will this year’s edition of Cavs-Raps be any different than the past two?
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.)
Down 15 points at the half to the Eastern Conference-leading Raptors. Playing without Kyle Korver, Larry Nance, Tristan Thompson, Rodney Hood, Cedi Osman and head coach Ty Lue. At another point in the season, this was the kind of night in which the Cavs would unravel. But on Wednesday, LeBron James and Co. had different ideas. The guys discuss one of the team’s most stirring wins of the year, as well as Kevin Love’s return to the lineup, the surprising emergence of Ante Zizic and what’s left of the regular season. After a number of false starts, is this finally the time the Cavs turn the corner? … Plus: Appreciating Joe Thomas’ incredible playing career at one of football’s most hard-to-appreciate positions, a quick survey of the latest buzz around the NFL draft, and a shout-out to the UMBC Retrievers for ridding March Madness of the least watchable major conference powerhouse.
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.
Another NFL Draft is in the books, and as usually is the case, the Browns gave us no shortage of stuff to talk about. The guys discuss whether it was the right move to trade down from No. 12 and draft Jabrill Peppers, DeShone Kizer vs. the rest of this year’s QB class, and other notable picks around the league. … Plus: What to watch for when the Cavs play the Raptors in what might be their biggest challenge in the Eastern Conference.
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.
The Cavs are showing no signs of slowing down on this postseason run, relentlessly attacking the rim en route to a blowout of the Raptors in Game 1 of the East finals. Is there any chance this series can become interesting? (Spoiler: Probably not.) … Plus: The guys were both leery of what a documentary about Cleveland’s history of sports heartbreak would look like under the auspices of ESPN. Did the “Believeland” 30 for 30 documentary do our city justice? Sort of, but there were some definite sticking points.
