Fear the 'Fro: A Cleveland Cavaliers Podcast

The long layoff is almost over.  Fear the 'Fro empties out the mailbag, lets the masses vent, and tries to put a positive spin on what COULD get better.  Then we talk about Giannis trade rumors.  PLUS... two songs and spotify wrapped results (comes with a contest).

It's been a week.  But the Cavs are back in the win column, after making short work of the Pacers.  Donovan Mitchell exploded with another 40-point effort, and Jaylon Tyson played perhaps the best game he's ever played.  Bob Schmidt, of Fox Sports Radio, breaks down the recent woes, empties the mailbag, and talks the state of the Cavs.

Zubac got his, but the Cavs handled the Clippers with relative ease to close out the home stand.  Donovan Mitchell had another incredible game, as he achieved some history from outside the arc in the process.  Bob delivers a recap of the weekend, and leaves you with a song which will surely be the conclusion to a feud.  Right?  CHALLENGE ISSUED.

The Cavs struggled with their shooting and free throws in a loss to the Houston Rockets.  We re-assess where we're at with the Evan Mobley leap year, and the continued impact of Nae'Qwan Tomlin and Craig Porter Jr. And then... the Junkyard Pod attacks my integrity.  Slander will not go unanswered.

Fear the 'Fro kicks off the week celebrating wins, and leaning into podcast feuds.  Bob Schmidt, of Fox Sports Radio, breaks down their win over the Grizzlies, and then addresses the ongoing assault upon the sanctity of "The Road to 301" from the Junkyard Pod.(0:00) Cavs Vs. Grizzlies And The Return Of The Defense(15:58) The Junkyard Pod: My Rebuttal

CRAIG. PORTER. JR.  What a game!  The Victory Cigar Lineup ended up salvaging this game in the 4th quarter.  Craig Porter Jr. had a career-defining performance, while Jarrett Allen hung 30 on the Heat, and the Cavs pulled away late to shock Miami on the front end of a back-to-back.  Bob Schmidt, of Fox Sports Radio, breaks it all down.Join The Discord: https://discord.gg/gSaj9Wn66

Fear the 'Fro celebrates the rise of Jaylon Tyson, and the Cavs climbing back to the top of the Eastern Conference, and the ascent of the role guys.  Then Bob discusses some slanderous cowards who have sullied the Cavs podcast of record, and more specifically the sound board.  WE RIDE AT DAWN 'FRO FAITHFUL!

Fear the 'Fro celebrates the Cavs victory over the Sixers, as Donovan Mitchell gives us another MVP-level scoring display.  Multiple players stepped up including Jarrett Allen and Sam Merrill, fresh off the injury report.  Sophomore Jaylon Tyson put forth another strong outing, and the Cavaliers offense showed glimpses of it's once dominant form.

Woof.  That was a less than optimal display of basketball by the Cavs, but let Bob cheer you up with some postgame reactions to what the Cavs did, what the Celtics did, and what those monsters over at the Junkyard Pod did.  

Fear the 'Fro reacts to the Cavs knocking off Giannis and the Bucks in their home openers.  Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell led the way for the Cavs, but they were not without their troubles, as the zone defense gave the Cavs fits in the 3rd quarter.  Sam Merrill continues his flame throwing ways, and De'Andre Hunter is back!  Bob Schmidt, of Fox Sports Radio, breaks it all down.Discord Link: https://discord.gg/gSaj9Wn66

The Cavs have opened the season with a loss.  Cleveland fell to New York at Madison Square Garden, as Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell combined for 53 points, but were let down by the defense.  Bob Schmidt, of Fox Sports Radio, hits the highlights and the lowlights before the Cavs regroup for a Friday matchup with Brooklyn.

The preseason is done.  The regular season is here.  Bob fires up the Fear the 'Fro mailbag at cavspod.com and recaps the preseason.  We go over what the takeaways should be for Cavs preseason hoops.  Plus we talk about the final 2-way spot, and what players the Cavs might be interested in filling the third 2-way with.Discord Link: https://discord.gg/gSaj9Wn66

Fear the 'Fro is ready for the real hoops.  Preseason kicks off with a familiar preseason foe, the Chicago Bulls.  Joining Bob to breakdown the squads and revisit expectations for Lonzo and Isaac Okoro is Big Dave, of the CHGO Bulls Podcast.  Plus, a conversation on the disaster that is the restricted free agency system.

Bob is joined by one of his favorite guests... TIM ALCORN!  Your radio voice of the Cavs joins Bob to talk about the outlook heading into this season, and how he views the acquisitions, what questions still need to be answered, and the pressure this team is facing this season.  Plus we touch on the rest of the East and the ongoing Clippers news.  Programming Note: The pod will return after Media Day with all a recap of all the news and discussions from the day.Survey Link: www.cavspod.com/survey

Fear the 'Fro is back with a data nerd edition.  We're talking analytics!  Specifically, Bob dives behind one of the biggest stats websites in existence, Bball-Index.com, as he's joined by the founder Tim (@Tim_NBA) to talk him through the methodology, the blind spots, and add some context to how our various Cavaliers performed last season.  Plus, a bunch of Draymond strays.  So there's that.(0:00) Bob Introduces A Deep Dive Into Analytics(4:27) Introducing Tim, Founder of Bball-Index.com(7:34) Tim Shares How Bball-Index Grew From A Spreadsheet To An Empire(12:49) Tim Discusses The Opportunities That Have Arisen And How He Maintains Autonomy(17:53) Examining How Analytics Can Challenge Fandom, Even For Kobe Bryant(22:03) Tim Explains The LEBRON Metric: Estimating Player Impact Per 100 Possessions(24:31) Analyzing Cavs' Players LEBRON scores(33:43) Distinguishing Rim Deterrence, Disruption, and Protection in Defensive Analytics(43:26) Exploring Defensive Roles, Perimeter Metrics, and Sam Merrill's Surprising Ranking(1:01:41) How Bball-Index Quantifies Matchup Difficulty and Coverage Aggression(1:07:02) The Nuances Of Fouling In Analytics and Draymond Green's Unique Case(1:09:27) Unpacking An Underrated Cav and An Overrated Cav(1:14:33) Tim Shares His Eastern Conference Pick and Thoughts On Lebron's Career(1:19:27) A Thank You And A Plug... Plus An Episode Tease

Fear the 'Fro talks about the Cavs acquisition of Thomas Bryant, Killian Hayes, and the press availability of Kenny Atkinson and Koby Altman, with a review of Bob's favorite answers and comments.(0:00) Cavaliers Bolster Frontcourt With Thomas Bryant Signing(4:24) How Thomas Bryant's Skills Enhance Cavaliers' Offense(9:35) Assessing The Cavs Roster Depth and Killian Hayes's Addition(13:10) Koby Altman's Strong Stance On The Core Four(16:13) Unpacking the Cavs' Ty Jerome/Sam Merrill Comments(21:07) Offseason Progress for Mobley, Hunter, and Garland(28:08) Addressing Jarrett Allen's "Toughness" QuestionsPlease, if you haven't filled out the Cavs Consensus Survey yet, you have until 10/6 to do so.  Just go to cavspod.com/survey to enter your thoughts and compete to win $500.

Bob Schmidt, host of the Fear the 'Fro pod is back, and he's joined by Mike "McNuggets" Lucas to launch into season 5 of the pod.  We go team by team reviewing best/worst/riskiest offseason moves, and set the stage for Cavs training camp with the 2nd annual Cavs Consensus Survey.

Bob Schmidt, of Fox Sports Radio, reacts to the start of free agency, and copes with the crushing news that Ty Jerome has agreed to sign with the Memphis Grizzlies.  It's a bleak listen, not gonna lie.  Come on the journey.(0:00) Ty Jerome has agreed to sign with the Grizzlies(18:30) Lonzo Ball is acquired - Bob's thoughts

Bob Schmidt, of Fox Sports Radio, is back to talk Cavs, finances, and the future outlook with capologist and host of the "Third Apron" podcast, Yossi Gozlan.  This week's podcast is focused primarily on the Eastern Conference landscape, and where the Cavaliers woes are shared.  We get into New York, Boston, Orlando, Indiana, and Milwaukee in depth, and then we touch upon the blasphemy that is trading Jarrett Allen.Check out the Third Apron podcast here.  Check out the Third Apron substack here.

The summer slumber is over!  Fear the 'Fro has returned to dive into the Cavs offseason in glorious fashion.  Bob is back with a special guest.... ESPN's Bobby Marks!  The cap expert joins Bob Schmidt, to discuss all the avenues available to the Cavs and clarify questions on the CBA.  This hour long conversation is a must listen for anyone into the financial weeds.  You can find the accompanying video and some amazing graphics on YouTube @fearthefropod.