And, Lloyd says, it was that unique perspective of being with the team every step of the way these past seven years – coupled with the many remarkable things that have happened during that timeframe – that led him to make the decision to write it.

AD

AD

“I am the only person who has covered this team every day, home and road, been with them every day, from the time LeBron left to the time he came back,” Lloyd says on the latest episode of “Posting Up,” The Washington Post’s NBA podcast. “It’s just me. So I have the whole story, and I’m the only one who lived it every single day.”

The result is a brilliant book, one that takes the reader back through the many momentous moments over the past several seasons in Cavaliers history. From the trade that landed Cleveland the draft pick that became Kyrie Irving to how the organization settled on drafting Irving and Tristan Thompson, the players that laid the foundation for James to eventually make his return, to the disastrous selection of Anthony Bennett with the No. 1 overall pick in 2013 (which you can read about in this excerpt), Lloyd masterfully tells a truly compelling story of the fall, and subsequent rise, of the Cavaliers.

But that doesn’t mean the story has stopped being interesting. The current version of the Cavaliers have the potential to be the newsiest team yet, with James entering free agency next summer and Cleveland having a roster full of veterans capable of grabbing headlines with their play on the court or their words off of it.

AD

AD

That means Lloyd has his hands full with the current team, as exhibited by a bizarre opening week that saw Cleveland win against the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks – two of the better teams in the East – only to get blown out by the Orlando Magic, barely beat the hapless Chicago Bulls and then lose to the Brooklyn Nets.

“They’ve changed over half the roster,” Lloyd says, “yet nothing’s really changed. This is still a team that just sets its own house on fire just to have the opportunity to put it out.

“That’s what I said about them all last year, and that’s the way that they are again. They’ve given up 17 three-pointers in three straight games to the Magic, Bulls and Nets. This is not exactly the Rockets, Warriors and Spurs they’re playing. This is the bottom feeders of the East, and they can’t bother to defend for more than six or seven minutes of a game.

AD

AD

“It looks a lot like last year looked even though they turned over eight of the 15 guys on the roster.”

In addition to Cleveland’s current defensive issues, the conversation also touched on Dwyane Wade’s being moved from the starting lineup to the bench this week, and why that was the right move in the long run; Tyronn Lue’s ability to handle Cleveland’s many disparate locker room personalities, and why that’s one of many reasons he’s become one of the NBA’s most underrated head coaches; and why LeBron James – at least for now – seems like he might be sticking around Cleveland past this season after all (though Lloyd is the first to admit anyone who thinks they know about what James is going to do is fooling themselves).

“A lot can happen still, it’s too early to say one way or the other,” Lloyd said.

AD

AD

“But if you ask me today right now, if I have to guess where LeBron is playing next season, I would have to say back in Cleveland.”

Please subscribe to the podcast at any of the places you can get your hands on it, including Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, TuneIn, RadioPublic and iHeartRadio. And, when you do, please give it a five-star rating and review. It is helpful and appreciated.