Continuing with HOOPSWORLD's "Fixing the …" series, today we will examine the Cleveland Cavaliers. We'll look back on highlights and lowlights from the past six months, and then shift our gaze forward towards the future…
What Went Right?
So much of this season went beautifully right for the Cavs and the Cleveland faithful this season. In fact, up until May 29th, 2009 (the date of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals) the season followed what amounted to, basically, a fairy tale script. Thus, for this section of the piece, we'll focus on October 28th thru mid-May…
As opposed to the acrimony and uncertainty surrounding the start of the 2007-2008 season (which was sullied by Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavolvic's prolonged contract disputes), the Cavs came into this season prepared, focused, and ready to stake their claim as legit contenders for the crown. As they stormed out of the gates, they served immediate notice to the rest of the league. After dropping two of their first three, Cleveland went on a tear, losing only twice over the next two months – compiling a remarkable 25-2 record over that eight-week stretch. The Cavs skyrocketed up power-rankings across the land. Talk of LeBron capturing his first MVP trophy began in earnest. And GM Danny Ferry's most significant offseason acquisition, point guard Mo Williams, was fitting in seamlessly.
By the time the All-Star Break arrived, the Cavs had established themselves as one of the League's elite superpowers. LeBron was putting up mind-boggling numbers, and was joined on the East's All-Star Team by his new sidekick, Mo Williams. Even with some nagging injuries, Cleveland was neck-and-neck for the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference. And during the season's second half, Cavs fans only got more to cheer about. The regular season was all but a six-month Cavalier coronation. Cleveland finished the '08-'09 campaign with a franchise-best 66-16 record. Multiple players turned in career years. Statistically, they were the best defensive team in the Association, allowing a league-low 91.4 PPG, while limiting opponents to shoot just 43.1% from the floor. Mike Brown was awarded the NBA Coach of the Year, for guiding Cleveland to a league-best 66 wins (only the 12th team in NBA history to win more than 65 contests) and the #1 overall seed heading into the postseason tournament.
And, of course, the legend of LeBron continued to grow. James' exploited earned him the franchise's first MVP trophy. LeBron's ridiculous stats speak for themselves: He was the only player in the NBA to average at least 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists per game. Leading the Cavs in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, James became just the fourth player ever to lead his team in each category. And he helped Cleveland improve its win total by 21 games from 2007-08 (45-37), tying the 1971-72 L.A. Lakers in NBA history for the second-largest improvement in wins of all teams that won at least 45 games in the previous season… The historical magnitude of the season LeBron crafted in 2008-2009 has been discussed and dissected in depth both on this site and elsewhere - suffice it to say, it was a regular season performance for the ages.
And after all that success, it appeared the Cavs were just getting started once the playoffs rolled around. Cleveland buzz-sawed through the Pistons in the first round, eliminating Detroit in a tidy four-game sweep. Next up were the Atlanta Hawks. Atlanta, who pushed the champion Boston Celtics to seven games in the first-round last season, had just eliminated Dwyane Wade and the Miami HEAT and were considered a team on the rise. However, they proved no match for the steamrolling juggernaut that was the Cleveland Cavs. LeBron and company swept the pesky Hawks away in four quick games. At that point, the Cavaliers were 8-0 in the postseason and had won each and every single one of those eight contents by double-figures. Cleveland had now played a total of 40 games since the All-Star Break in mid-February and had lost only five (including the regular season finale in which the starters sat out.)
The Cavs looked poised to fulfill their season-long quest: advancing to the NBA finals and capturing the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Cleveland was eerily confident. And why not? The Cavs were firing on all cylinders. There was grandiose talk of a 12 straight wins on the way to an ultimate showdown with the Kobe and the Lakers. Commercials with puppets and flying chalk, and ESPN documentaries profiling the inevitable dream battle between LeBron and Kobe were plastered all over the TV.
But a funny thing happened on the way to L.A. Forum (er, Staples Center…)
What Went Wrong?
"The NBA season is a marathon, not a sprint" is one of the NBA's most common clichés. Unfortunately, when your sole stated goal is winning a World's Championship, and expectations are ratcheted up on the heels of a dominant regular season, many people will tend forget the first 26 miles of the race, and instead focus on just the last 0.2 miles if the journey ends in a disastrously disappointing fashion. So, despite six months of incredible basketball, record winning streaks, raucous home crowds, MVP and COY awards, countless chalk-claps, and imaginary pre-game team photos filled with toothy grins; the one lasting, indelible image from the 2008-2009 Cleveland Cavaliers season may very well be LeBron James slinking off the court after the Game 6 beat down in Orlando.
After such a promising and enjoyable season, it is hard to consider the final result an abject failure. But speak with any member of the Cleveland organization, from players, to coaches, to front office executives; and the disappointingly biter taste left in their mouth is undeniable. This was the first time during LeBron's career where his team lost to a lower-seeded team in the playoffs. And the Cavs are just the third team in NBA history not to advance to the Finals after winning 65 regular-season games
Other than LeBron, who patched together one of the most impressive individual postseason stretches in recent NBA history (averaging an unthinkable 38/8/8), the rest of the Cavs didn't show up. After a playing such stellar defense all season long, the Magic's multi-pronged attack ripped Cleveland to shreds. Dwight Howard simply owned the paint the entire series, as he relentlessly hammered home dunks over whomever Mike Brown trotted out there; Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Varejao, and/or Ben Wallace provided very little in the way of resistance. And when Brown sent his other forwards and guards to dig down and double Dwight, Howard found wide-open three-point gunners who mercilessly torched the Cavs from downtown. Not only were Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu firing away at will, it was the Magic role players - Mickael Pietrus and Rafer Alston - that stuck countless daggers in Cleveland's corpse.
And while the Magic's role players and bench came alive and carried the team at times, the Cavs' reserves and supporting cast were alarmingly ineffective. (In fact, Mickael Pietrus, by himself, outscored the entire Cavs bench during the series.) After an All-Star caliber regular season, Mo Williams made more guarantees than big shots. Big Z, who scored just two points in the Game 6 debacle, looked to be on his last (hobbled) legs. Daniel Gibson, Joe Smith, Ben Wallace, and Wally Szczerbiak were badly beaten to the punch time and again.
As good as the Cavs looked for the better part of the year; they looked completely overmatched during the most important games of their season. Was it simply a bad matchup, or were the Cavs exposed?
What Do They Do Next?
This is where things get interesting. It became clear during the Conference Finals that the Cavs need to upgrade their roster in order to go into next season feeling confident about winning a championship. LeBron's supporting cast proved itself inadequate. And with the Summer of 2010 lurking ominously in the foreground, immense pressure is being heaped upon Danny Ferry to surround LeBron with a team King James feels confident and comfortable with going forward.
The first order of business will be awaiting decisions from Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varejao; Ilguaskas has an Early Termination Option and Varejao has a Player Option. Zydrunas is owed $11.5 million next season, and there is no way on earth he'd see that type of money on the open market, so we know he'll choose to return to Cleveland (plus, he said he wants to). Varejao, on the other hand, is due $6.2 million and will likely exercise his option to become an unrestricted free agent. Andy is coming off his best season as a pro, averaging career-highs in points per game (8.6), blocks (0.8), starts (42), and field goal percentage (53.6%). He'll be able to secure more guaranteed money if he opts out.
The biggest issue facing Cleveland is the fact that they have very little salary cap flexibility with which to work. Even if Varejao bolts, the Cavs are still flush up against the cap. However, they do have their mid-level exception to use. Also, they could look into a sign-and-trade with Varejao should he choose to leave town. The other option would be trading one of their expiring contracts. (The good news is the Cavs will be well under the cap in 2010, which means they can add plenty of FA's to fill out the roster should LeBron stick around.)
A principal priority this offseason has to be landing a big man that can deal with the rest of the league's power centers. The Cavs simply had no answer for Dwight Howard in the ECF. In the series' deciding game, Superman punished the Magic interior to the tune of 40 points and 14 boards. And even if the Cavs had been able to advance to the Finals, how would they have faired against Pau Gasol, or even Andrew Bynum, down low? The Cavs were a combined 3-9 against the Lakers, Magic, and Celtics last season. Good teams with a low-post presence ate them up. And Dwight Howard, just 24 years of age, isn't going anywhere. Cleveland is going to have to find a way to beat the best if they want to win that elusive Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Ferry and company purportedly attempted to trade for Shaquille O'Neal at last season's trade deadline, but never pulled the trigger. The Suns may be willing to revisit talks if the Cavs sweetened the deal. Another trade target could be New Orleans center Tyson Chandler, who the Hornets are clearly looking to move. Chris Bosh and Amar'e Stoudemire are names that have been bandied about, but the Cavs don't have the pieces to get that type of deal done. (The Suns and Raps are going to want promising prospects, high draft picks, and expiring contracts in return, if they are even considering moving their stars.)
Armed with their mid-level exception, there are a few other lower-tier centers the Cavs could potentially make a run at. One such player would the Dwight Howard's backup, Marcin Gortat. Gortat will be a restricted free agent this summer, but the Magic likely won't be able to afford him and also re-sign Hedo Turkoglu. Another intriguing option would be Denver's Chris "Birdman" Andersen. The colorful Birdman, who led the league in blocked shots per minute last season, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Zaza Pachulia, who spent the last few years in Atlanta, will also be unrestricted and up for grabs come July 1st.
Some other (cheaper) free-agent big men in this summer's bargain bin include: Mikki Moore, Johan Petro, Rasho Nesterovic, Chris Mihm, Jamaal Magloire, Melvin Ely, Chris Wilcox, Robert Swift, Theo Ratliff, Stro Swift, Channing Frye, and Ike Diogu…
In addition to getting younger and bulkier up front, the Cavs need to supplement their scoring with a shooter who can consistently knock down open jumpers, and bigger guards who can defend the perimeter. The smallish Williams/West/Gibson backcourt proved woefully ineffective against the taller Magic sharpshooters.
Again, Ferry has limited means with which to work, so creativity will be key…
***
Obviously, the franchise's vital objective is keeping LeBron James in his home state of Ohio. This disappointing loss to the Magic stings, but it will not be the deciding factor. The Cavs still have 14 months and a full season to show LeBron that Cleveland is where he needs to be, because it is the place which will provide him with the best opportunity to win rings and build a dynasty. The ball is in your court, Cleveland.
