NBA Offseason: Cleveland Cavaliers

Are They Relevant Again?

Why in God's name am I writing about the Cleveland Cavaliers right now? They were so terrible they ended up with the first pick in the draft, again. Here's a quick step down memory lane. Now that you've watched the video you can realize that three years have passed, LeBron James has won two rings and the Cavaliers have won the lottery twice. Seems like David Stern did Cleveland a couple of good deeds after LeBron left Cleveland for dry to hang out with Dwyane Wade and Little Foot in South Beach.

With the first pick in the 2013 NBA Draft the Cavaliers went out and drafted Anthony Bennett. Not the name anyone expected besides ESPN's Tim Legler. Then they made two signings that have potentially set them up well going forward in Andrew Bynum and Jarrett Jack. Jack basically left a Golden State team where he was the sixth man behind two young stud guards for Cleveland which is basically the same thing, just slightly younger. Don't be shocked if Jack's the sixth man of the year this year.

The Cavaliers went out and signed Andrew Bynum after he didn't play a single game last year. As much as I think you stay away from players that have injury problems the year before he was arguably one of the top five centers in the NBA when he posted 18.7 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. In eight seasons he's only played more than 60 games only twice so if they can get 70 games out of him this season then I think the Cavaliers could be headed for a spot in the playoffs.

I might be getting ahead of myself, but I'm guessing that come April they won't be worrying about what lottery pick they are getting. They might actually be heading for the playoffs again in Cleveland.

The Draft:

When the Cavaliers got the first pick in the draft most people wondered if it would be a smart decision to draft Nerlens Noel number one. Noel had surgery to repair his knee after getting injured at Kentucky and will miss half of this year's NBA season. The Cavaliers along with 4 other NBA teams all passed on the chance to draft him and when he finally got drafted he was traded so it's starting to appear as most teams weren't big on a guy who already has an injury history.

If you told me the Cavaliers weren't going to draft Noel I would guess they'd go with either Ben McLemore or Victor Oladipo who both have the potential to be great shooting guards in the NBA. Oladipo is the better defender and McLemore is the better scorer, and either would have been good picks at number one, just not if you are Cleveland. The Cavaliers already have Irving and Waiters at guard so it made plenty of sense for why they passed on the both of them.

With the first pick the Cavaliers shocked everyone especially ESPN's Bill Simmons when they drafted Bennett. I'm going to be completely honest, I hadn't actually heard of him until about two weeks before the draft. I didn't watch a lot of UNLV during the year as they aren't showed all that frequently and come March  I didn't have a lot of time to get to know him as the Running Rebels were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by California.

With the little that I have seen of Bennett he reminds me a lot of another former UNLV player, Larry Johnson. Both were drafted with the first pick of their NBA Drafts, both could play either forward position, and they are almost the exact same size (Bennett is 6'8" and weighs 240, Johnson was 6'7" and weighed 235).

Was this the right move? At the time it didn't look like it. Now with the roster they have assembled by adding Jack and Bynum, it looks like going with a combo forward was the best choice for them. I don't really know how good he is or how good he might end up being, but if the best he ends up is Larry Johnson, I think the Cavaliers made the right pick for what they have on their roster.

The Coach:

Timeline:

June 2005: Cavaliers hire Mike Brown as head coach

May 2010: Cavaliers fire Mike Brown as head coach

April 2013: Cavaliers rehire Mike Brown as head coach

Sometimes teams actually realize that maybe it wasn't the coaches fault that the team didn't succeed like they wanted to and it looks like the Cavaliers finally realized that with Mike Brown. Brown was fired after the Cavaliers were knocked out of the playoffs in 2010 and may have been fired to hopefully convince LeBron James back to stay in Cleveland.

LeBron ended up leaving anyways and Brown is then hired by the Lakers a year later. Brown struggled to do as well as the Lakers expect and was fired after the first five games of last season (Who the hell fires a coach through five games in a season by the way? Why couldn't they fire him in the offseason if they didn't want him to come back). Then the Lakers made the great hire of Mike Antoni (if you don't coach D you don't deserve the D in your name).

So when Byron Scott got fired it took the Cavaliers only a week to re-find the man that got them to the NBA Finals with LeBron James and ... (I'm not a LeBron fan but the man played with nobody in Cleveland, this is the first time I think I'm actually admitting it.).

Now that the Cavaliers have Brown back I think he might be the right coach to get this young team going in the right direction. He took the Cleveland LeBron's to the Finals so expect him to turn this young team into something good in a couple of years. I'm not expecting them to do too much this year, but just imagine a playoff series against the Miami Heat.

This Season:

Potential Cavaliers Starting Lineup:

Point Guard: Kyrie Irving

Shooting Guard: Dion Waiters

Small Forward: Anthony Bennett

Power Forward: Anderson Varejao

Center: Andrew Bynum

Key Bench Players:

Guard: Jarrett Jack

Guard: C.J. Miles

Forward: Alonzo Gee

Forward: Tristan Thompson

Center: Tyler Zeller

2013-2014 Cleveland Cavaliers = 2012-2013 Golden State Warriors. Yes I know this is a bit of a stretch but look at the rosters and tell me why I should think any differently. On paper they also look like they are a better defensive team compared to the Warriors of last year (Addition of Iguodala makes Golden State a much better defensive team now).

The main question Mike Brown will have with this team is who sits between Anthony Bennett, Anderson Varejao and Tristan Thompson? I know neither Varejao or Bynum are going to be healthy all season long, but when they are one of those three is going to have to come off of the bench. My guess is that Thompson will end up being the guy off of the bench for now as the Cavs might look to trade Varejao down the road.

^

I hope he never gets rid of this hairdo.

Bennett won't likely come out and be the Rookie of the Year this year, but I still see him being a 12 points and 5 rebounds a game guy from the start. He will be splitting too many minutes to get enough looks to average 15 a game as a rookie.

If the Cavaliers are able to play as well as I expect them to then Irving and Brown might have to be in consideration for MVP and Coach of the Year respectively. Here's a look at his stats from his first two years in the NBA and what I'm projecting for the next.

Uncle Drew's Stats:

2011-2012 - 18.5 pts, 5.4 ast, 1.1 stl

2012-2013 - 22.5 pts, 5.9 ast, 1.5 stl

2013-2014 - 25.0 pts, 7.0 ast, 2.0 stl (Projected)

If Irving and the Cavaliers can get this team back to the playoffs it will definitely help Cleveland move back in the right direction and help them forget "The Decision" all that much more. With how bad the Browns are and how likely the Indians are to fall apart in the second half of the season, the Cavaliers are going to have to be the team to bring the city of Cleveland back to their feet. I couldn't imagine being from Cleveland and rooting for all three of those teams over the last 25 years.

But, if for any reason that the Cavaliers end up in the lottery again next season, Dan Gilbert better have his son ready to go when the lottery comes around. He's either really good luck or the lottery might already be predetermined. 

Other NBA Offseason Posts:

Boston Celtics

New York Knicks

Brooklyn Nets

NBA Finals Game 7 Preview & More

82 regular season games. 3 best-of-seven series. Six NBA Final games. Now the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat are playing in the last game of the 2012-2013 NBA season for the NBA Championship.

Game 6 Recap (Heat won 103-100)
With 28 seconds left in the fourth quarter of game six and a five-point lead it looked as if the Spurs were about to walk out of Miami with the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Then LeBron James hit a three-pointer, Manu Ginobili missed one of two free throws, and Ray Allen hit the game-tying three-pointer to send the game into overtime.

Most people thought that the game was over when the Heat were down five including a good amount of Heat fans who were seen leaving the AmericanAirlines Arena. The Heat had just come back from a five-point deficit within 30 seconds and still had hopes of repeating as NBA Champions.

With 2:42 left in overtime the Spurs took a 100-97 lead and then failed to score for the remainder of the game. The Heat were able to make key buckets late in both the fourth quarter and overtime, while the Spurs struggled from the field, especially behind the arc.

The Heat would go on to score six points and win the game 103-100 and many fans and journalists were left blaming the referees after a couple of no calls for the Spurs. The two plays that are being talked about the most are when Manu Ginobili was driving to the lane for a layup and Danny Green's possible game-tying three-pointer.

While I agree that Ginobil and Green were both fouled on their shots, neither of those calls should be made in those situations. Ginobili traveled before ever being fouled so you can erase the idea of the call. When Bosh bodied Green on the last shot he had his hand on the ball for the most part and in that circumstance almost every time the referee will not blow their whistle. Does that foul get called in the earlier moments of the game? Absolutely, but the referees will allow the teams to play more at the end of games and it has always been that way.

LeBron is Taking the Next Step
When I look at that game two days after it happened I make sure not to think about what didn't happen, but what did. LeBron James had probably one of the best games of his career as he carried his team in the fourth quarter while both Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh were invisible.

LeBron is a player that over the years I have never really respected due to some of his career choices, and after game six I'm starting to change my mind. I won't put him on the same level as Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant until he wins a couple of more rings, and if he wins game seven tonight he will at least be making me consider it.

When LeBron and Bosh joined up with Wade in Miami I looked at it as a complete cop-out. The three of them were on the "Redeem Team" and rather than competing against each other in the primes of their careers, they took the easy way out and teamed up two years later.

At the time of "The Decision" I thought that LeBron wasn't the best guy on his team, but I will now agree with everyone that he is the best player on the Heat. LeBron has had to carry this team due to both Wade and Bosh not playing up to their potentials. Wade seems to be on the decline in his career as his age and injury history are catching up with him. Bosh just seems to have never really deserved mentioning in any "big three," as he was only the best player on that Canadian basketball team.

When Bill Simmons wrote the updated version of "The Book of Basketball" in 2010, LeBron didn't have any rings at the time and Simmons ranked him as the 20th greatest player of all time. After losing in the 2011 Finals and then winning the 2012 Finals you can't really have him any lower than 15 (15-19 before his jump: Elgin Baylor, Julius Erving, Bob Pettit, Karl Malone and Charles Barkley).

With a win tonight I would have to push LeBron even further up that list with him passing Moses Malone and John Havlicek which would leave LeBron as the 13th greatest player in the history of the NBA. Anyone could argue he deserves to be higher on the list already, but I'll wait until he wins a few more rings.

Where do the Spurs go from here?
While it isn't being talked about at all really, this is more than likely the last time we will see either team's "big three." Bosh will likely be the Heat scapegoat and be traded for two or three players to save the Heat some money and make them a deeper team.

When you look at the Spurs you see three old guys playing in what will likely be their last chance at a title. A couple of days ago Ginobili talked about possibly retiring at season's end and I actually think it will happen after this game, win or lose. Ginobili has not been his same self at all besides game five and this will likely be his last hurrah with the two guys he spent the last 10-plus years playing with.

Without Ginobili that would leave the Spurs with Duncan, Parker and the rest of their supporting cast trying to make another run at a title after this. By losing Ginobili they would free up cap space and be able to bring in another young body or two. The way that Popovich has been coaching over the years, I'm not too worried about who he brings in as he's made Bruce Bowen, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Gary Neal and others look great after being relative nobodies beforehand.

The Spurs big three will all end up in the Hall of Fame along with head coach, Gregg Popovich. At this point this last championship might be what pushes Parker and Ginobili into consideration for Simmons' next update and actually have them included in the top 100 as well as possibly move Duncan into the top five greatest players of all time.

I think that Popovich might be the greatest coach in the NBA today and with a win tonight the greatest coach in the history of the NBA. I know people think of Red Auerbach, Phil Jackson and Pat Riley as far as the greatest coaches of all time but just look at everything he has done as far as drafting, coaching and winning and this last championship might actually make everyone else realize it. I am guessing that when the last of the big three retires Popovich will likely hang up his whistle so this will likely be his last chance at winning a championship.

Tonight's Game 7 Preview
I thought this series would be over in six games with the Spurs hanging up their fifth NBA Championship banner. After game six some people are changing their minds, but I am sticking with the Spurs as I think this being their "last ride" might be what gives them the little extra they'll need.

At the beginning of the year I had the Spurs losing to the Knicks in the NBA Finals and if it wasn't for me changing my mind and joining the Grizzlies bandwagon I would've at least looked a little smart.

I'm not too sure what to expect in tonight's game except for Tim Duncan to end with 25 points and 15 rebounds and LeBron James to end with 30 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Other than that I don't know which players from each team will show up and give their team the extra push to win the title.

What I actually think this game will come down to is the coaching and when I look at the coaching there isn't even a comparison. The idea that Erik Spoelstra could win two NBA Championships as a coach shows that with enough talent in the NBA, coaches aren't exactly that necessary. Opposite him is the future Hall of Famer, Gregg Popovich, who has made every player that has come through his organization that much better.

While you might blame Popovich for a few mistakes late in the last game, there's no way in hell he makes those tonight. Expect "Pop" to stick with the guys that got him here and throw in Green, Neal, Leonard and Splitter depending on the match-ups that the Heat present in front of them.

Spoelstra will likely spend too much time getting Wade and Bosh minutes when the Heat have been a lot more successful without those two on the floor. If the Heat are going to win tonight it's because they have Mike Miller, Ray Allen and Chris "Birdman" Andersen on the floor. The three of them have been more important to the Heat's success in the NBA Finals than LeBron's other two members of the "Big Three."

As I said earlier I'm taking the Spurs to win tonight and grab their fifth NBA Championship. Don't expect to see Danny Green be held to only three points again tonight. San Antonio in four hours it'll be time to pop bottles.

Prediction: Spurs Win 99-97

Finals MVP: Danny Green

NBA All-Star Weekend: The Dunk Contest

Tonight we get to watch the NBA's skills competitions that have somewhat evolved over the years. There will be four events tonight including the Sears Shooting Stars Contest, Taco Bell Skills Challenge, Foot Locker Three-Point Contest and Sprite Slam Dunk Contest. How sponsors are so important these years. Now I told myself I would write about all four contests, but there's really only one that people actually care about.

25 years ago we watched Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins, 13 years ago we watched Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, and tonight we get to watch Kenneth Faried and Eric Bledsoe. 

Faried and Bledsoe aren't even the best two dunkers in the field this year, they just happen to be the biggest names in a field that is so weak, most people won't even watch the competition. Along with those two we are also graced with Gerald Green, Terrence Ross, James White & defending champion Jeremy Evans.

For those of you including myself that don't remember last year's dunk contest, Jeremy Evans apparently won it over Chase Budinger, Paul George and Derrick Williams. Why George and Williams weren't brought back this year after becoming bigger names just doesn't make sense.

While the contest always brings the best dunkers of the NBA together, the NBA just hasn't been able to get the big stars as much as they used to for the event. Which brings me to this one guy that still to this day hasn't done a dunk contest in the NBA which we've all been waiting for.

LeBron James is arguably the best player in the NBA today. As much as I hate to say this, right now I think he's the best player in the NBA right now. Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony are right behind him, but he's the MVP this year and has made his case for why he's the best in the game.

James has dodged the dunk contest every year since he's been in the NBA. For someone that most consider one of the best dunkers ever, to not ever take part in the competition is really robbing not only the fans of what could be greatness, but the entire NBA.

When I think about why he wouldn't take part in the dunk contest I just can't think of any logical reasons for why he wouldn't do it. The only thing that comes to mind with why he's never done a dunk contest is that he's actually afraid that he might lose in it. While losing a dunk contest doesn't sound like that big of a deal, both Kobe and MJ have won a dunk contest so this might stain his reputation a little bit. 

If LeBron does the competition he is supposed to win. The fact that fans vote on this almost ensures that he will win the competition just by name alone. If LeBron was to take part in tonight's contest it would make the contest that much more worthwhile. He's the name that everyone wants to see including ESPN First Take's Skip Bayless, who has done everything but beg LeBron to just man up and take part. Him taking part in the competition gives this whole night much more credit and I don't see why David Stern isn't begging the guy to make this thing worth watching. 

If anyone can move past LeBron actually not taking part we can look at tonight's field. Six guys are taking part and I think the competition will come down to three guys in Evans, Faried and Green. The reigning champion Evans should make a run at a possibly repeat tonight. Faried put on an absolute show last night in the Rising Stars game and was named the game's MVP. My pick for the event tonight though is Mr. Green.

I remember watching the 2005 McDonald's Dunk Contest and I was extremely impressed with Green's dunking ability. He won the high school dunk contest and then the 2007 NBA Dunk Contest as well before being the runner-up in the 2008 contest. He is at eye level with the rim for some of his dunks. His leaping ability is so amazing that how can anyone expect someone else to win this competition. He will be the guy to watch tonight as he has already done this on multiple occasions.

Slam Dunk Contest Winner Prediction: Gerald Green