Post by plax on Jun 4, 2013 21:57:14 GMT -5
July 8th, 2010.
This was the date that changed Cleveland Sports, and possibly the entire sports landscape, forever. 25 year old All-Star Lebron James announced to the world that he would be leaving Cleveland and taking his talents to South Beach to play with fellow All-Stats Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. Not too many were content with the decision with the exception of Miami Heat fans. Everyone else despised them in what many thought would be the start of a dynasty.
The Cleveland Cavaliers were hit the hardest, however. Not only did they feel lied to, but they did not receive any compensation for LeBron James' departure. They were left in the dust with an aging Antwan Jamison and on-and-off PG Mo Williams. The first season King-less season for the Cavs was anything but royal. Just a wreck. They struggled to win consecutive games, as LeBron did with the Heat at the beginning of the season. However, both teams took different paths from there. Miami started to find some of the chemistry that was bound to show up eventually. And Cleveland? Well, they decided to stay where they were on the road, and continued a mediocre season.
February 24th, 2011.
Before the trade deadline, there were rumors of the Cleveland Cavaliers dealing Mo Williams for an expiring contract and some help for the future. There were a couple of suitors, but one stood out to Cleveland: The Los Angeles Clippers, another struggling team. They had an almost-expiring contract in Baron Davis, and were willing to give their pick that year to Cleveland. Many Cleveland fans were upset as they liked Mo Williams a lot, but they had to accept the fact that Cleveland was not the same team anymore, and to tell the truth, Mo Williams needed a star to help him succeed. No one knew that this dink-and-dump trade deadline deal would be a blessing in disguise for Cleveland.
May 17th, 2011.
The Draft lottery in Secaucus, New Jersey. Cleveland had two lottery picks, one from the Clippers and their own. The Clippers pick had a 2.8 chance of winning the lottery (10th best chance out of a possible 14 picks). Cleveland's pick was a higher selection, having the 3rd best shot of claiming the number one pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. After a short period of time announcing the order, everyone discovered that Cleveland would have the Clipper's pick as a top three selection. Well, Cleveland's actual pick wound up being the 4th pick in the draft. The LAC pick still remained. "The third selection in the 2011 NBA Draft will belong to the...Utah Jazz". Could it happen? Could Cleveland claim the first pick in the draft from a pick that was involved in a Baron Davis/Mo Williams trade!? "The second selection in the 2011 NBA Draft will belong to the...Minnesota Timberwolves". Amazing. The Cleveland Cavaliers would hold the first and fourth pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, one that was filled with very good talent. Was it fixed? No one is sure, but no one can deny the fact that Cleveland had a lot of luck in that drawing. After only one season after LeBron's departure, in which the Miami Heat came up short against Dallas, the Cleveland Cavaliers would have a chance to rebuild the franchise.
June 23rd, 2011.
The 2011 NBA Draft. Who would it be? The breakout star forward Derrick Williams from Arizona, who possessed a good combination of shooting and rebounding? Or would it be the "mystery" Kyrie Irving, the injury-riddled but talented point guard from Duke? Many were split on who Cleveland should have went with. They had two routes to go with in terms of their decision regarding the first and fourth selection: Take Derrick Williams with the opening pick and then take point guard Brandon Knight with the fourth selection, or take Kyrie Irving with the first pick and go for a big man, such as Enes Kanter or Jonas Valunciunas. While no one knew for certain, Cleveland knew what they wanted. They wanted Irving and Kanter. So the pick was made to start the night. "With the first selection in the 2011 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select point guard Kyrie Irving from Duke University. The second pick was easy. Everyone knew that the Timberwolves would select the player Cleveland passed on between Williams and Irving, and with Cleveland taking Irving, Minnesota selected Derrick Williams. Cleveland was hoping that the Utah Jazz would take anyone but Kanter. Though Cleveland had its way the past couple of months, not everything worked out as planned. The Utah Jazz select potential-filled center Enes Kanter with the third selection. To this day, no one is completely sure if Cleveland panicked after the Kanter selection, but they wanted to go for a big. Many assumed Valunciunas, the 7'0" center from Lithuania. However, Cleveland went a different route, going with power forward Tristan Thompson from Texas. He was undersized for the power forward position, but Cleveland must have loved his potential.
Cleveland was now relying on these two players to lead the future of their franchise post-LeBron. They had two players gushing with potential, but as most picks, there was a risk. Would Irving stay healthy? Would Thompson live up to his potential? Whatever would lie ahead was uncertain, but the blueprint was laid out for the rebuilding process.
2011 NBA Season.
Kyrie Irving showed a lot of promise in his rookie campaign with Cleveland, looking like a natural on the court. He looked like a savvy veteran on the floor, and gave the fans of Cleveland hope for the future. Tristan Thompson showed out to be really raw, as expected, but as Irving, he showed glimpses of hope for upcoming seasons. The team would end up having another bad season, and would have a good shot of getting a good pick in the upcoming draft, one centered around can't-miss prospect Anthony Davis.
2012 Draft.
Cleveland was clearly set at point guard and power forward, so they needed to address the other three positions: shooting guard, short forward, and center. Cleveland really wanted to get a guy to play alongside Irving to help his development. And seeing as how Cleveland had center Anderson Varejao, grabbing a center was not as a big a priority for their top selection.
For the second year in a row, the Cleveland Cavaliers would hold the fourth selection in the NBA Draft. And for the second year in a row, the first two picks were locks. The New Orleans Hornets, who won the lottery right after their own loss of their star player Chris Paul, took can't-miss prospect Anthony Davis, the power forward who played for the National Champion Kentucky Wildcats. The second selection saw the Charlotte Bobcats taking Davis' college teammate Michael-Kidd Gilchrist, who had an amazing motor. The third selection went to the Washington Wizards, and after a lot of speculation concerning who they would take, it ended with Bradley Beal's name being called.
Cleveland had a couple of great options to choose from, which included Georgetown center Andre Drummond and North Carolina's standout short forward Harrison Barnes. However, for the second straight draft, Cleveland went with potential and took shooting guard Dion Waiters from Syracuse with their selection. Dion Waiters was a great player for Syracuse, but he was not even a starter for the Orange, which led to questions such as "Can Waiters be a starter in the NBA after being a bench man in college?" Valid question, and all anyone could do was wait. Cleveland also had the 23rd selection in the draft. They still wanted a big man in the draft, and they saw North Carolina center Tyler Zeller falling down in the draft big time. They wanted him, so they then made a trade with Dallas, in which Cleveland would receive the 17th pick in the draft for their 23rd selection and some fillers. Cleveland got their big man, and they came out of another draft very strong.
2012 NBA Season.
Cleveland had assembled a nice core of young players, with Irving at point guard, Waiters at shooting guard, Thompson at power forward, and Zeller at center. They were going for the Oklahoma City Thunder approach to rebuilding, which was through the draft and being smart. However, once again, Cleveland did not fare too well during the season. Irving was injured a lot, and a blood clot to Anderson Varejao, who was averaging 14 points and 14 rebounds a game, ended his season. Cleveland was crumbling and everything was being put on hold. The bright side was that when they were healthy, they showed a lot of promise. Cleveland would have the third best chance of landing the top pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.
May 22nd, 2013.
The 2013 Draft Lottery. The teams holding the later lottery picks stayed pat, holding their selections. There were a couple of surprises, however, with the first being the Washington Wizards, who would own the third pick in the draft after only having the seventh best odds out of 14 teams. After only two years, Cleveland would have a chance to have the first selection in the draft. And only minutes later, the world saw that the Orlando Magic would hold the second pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, meaning that Cleveland struck gold once again.
June 25th, 2013.
With the draft being only two days away, Cleveland has its biggest decision yet. There have been rumors of LeBron James, the King who beheaded Cleveland, possibly returning to Cleveland in 2014 if he decides to opt out of a player option. LeBron had already won the NBA Championship for the first time last year, and it was "about damn time" according to James. And after an inspiring performance throughout the playoffs, LeBron James has conquered the NBA again, capturing his second ring in two years. James is just reaching his peak, and now the GOAT discussion can get serious if this kind of play continues for James.
Now there are rumors that Cleveland is looking to unload some of their picks for proven players to help mentor the young guns. A lot of names have come up in trade rumors, and are as follows:
LaMarcus Aldridge: an all-star for the Portland Trailblazers, Aldridge would provide Cleveland with a great presence up front and would give Irving a second-hand man to rely on if needed. Cleveland has recently offered the first and 19th selection for Aldridge, and was denied. Though Aldridge wants to be traded, sources say, a deal for Aldridge seems slim at this point.
Kevin Love: possibly the biggest name in rumors this offseason, Love is not even on the block, according to the Timberwolves braintrust. It has been rumored that Cleveland has recently offered Minnesota the first selection along with Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson for Kevin Love, and like the 'Blazers trade, was denied. There is virtually no chance Love gets traded this offseason.
Luol Deng: the Chicago Bulls have toyed with dealing Deng for a while now, and with Deng having one year left on his contract, now might be their last chance to let him loose and acquire something for his services. Cleveland is said to be interested in the great defender, but no one is sure what Cleveland is willing to part with to acquire him. Rumors have surfaced that the Wizards are willing to deal their third selection, so it can only be assumed that Cleveland would have to part with their first selection. A Deng trade is possible, but with what Chicago seems to want, Cleveland seems better off to back off.
Paul Pierce: Boston had a great run with its big three in Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen, but it is time to break up the band. Longtime Boston coach Doc Rivers has been traded for the Los Angeles Clippers, and Boston is officially in rebuild mode. Pierce is going to make a staggering 15 million this upcoming season, and Boston does not want to pay that hefty amount to Pierce. As of this moment, Cleveland has offered Boston its two second round picks (31st and 33rd overall), but Boston has since claimed to want at least a first round pick for Pierce. A Pierce trade is uncertain at this point in time, but it would easily give Cleveland a veteran to help the young core develop.
Danny Granger: Indiana had a great run this past postseason in large part to Paul George. And now the Pacers have their star, and unfortunately for Granger, he is the odd man out. Granger will be making 14 million this year, and is easily expendable to the Pacers. Cleveland needs a short forward badly, and could use someone like Granger to help them get to the next level.
A trade for a proven player would definitely show that they are trying to win now and are willing to build the team with great talent, which would definitely appeal to LeBron James in 2014, who would be given the chance to play on the best team he ever would up to the date. James would have a chance to play with star point guard Kyrie Irving, a proven commodity in Aldridge/Deng/etc., young guns in Thompson, Zeller, and Waiters, and much more.
Can it happen? Cleveland is already on the brink to break out with so many young players. If Cleveland can shake things up on draft day, and if they can make some noise during the upcoming season with possibly a winning record, LeBron will have no choice but to consider a return to the place that spread his wings.
The ball is in Cleveland's court to make something happen in the next year. They have a chance to right the wrongs they made by having LeBron leave in the first place by having him come back.
Are we witnesses or bystanders?
This was the date that changed Cleveland Sports, and possibly the entire sports landscape, forever. 25 year old All-Star Lebron James announced to the world that he would be leaving Cleveland and taking his talents to South Beach to play with fellow All-Stats Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. Not too many were content with the decision with the exception of Miami Heat fans. Everyone else despised them in what many thought would be the start of a dynasty.
The Cleveland Cavaliers were hit the hardest, however. Not only did they feel lied to, but they did not receive any compensation for LeBron James' departure. They were left in the dust with an aging Antwan Jamison and on-and-off PG Mo Williams. The first season King-less season for the Cavs was anything but royal. Just a wreck. They struggled to win consecutive games, as LeBron did with the Heat at the beginning of the season. However, both teams took different paths from there. Miami started to find some of the chemistry that was bound to show up eventually. And Cleveland? Well, they decided to stay where they were on the road, and continued a mediocre season.
February 24th, 2011.
Before the trade deadline, there were rumors of the Cleveland Cavaliers dealing Mo Williams for an expiring contract and some help for the future. There were a couple of suitors, but one stood out to Cleveland: The Los Angeles Clippers, another struggling team. They had an almost-expiring contract in Baron Davis, and were willing to give their pick that year to Cleveland. Many Cleveland fans were upset as they liked Mo Williams a lot, but they had to accept the fact that Cleveland was not the same team anymore, and to tell the truth, Mo Williams needed a star to help him succeed. No one knew that this dink-and-dump trade deadline deal would be a blessing in disguise for Cleveland.
May 17th, 2011.
The Draft lottery in Secaucus, New Jersey. Cleveland had two lottery picks, one from the Clippers and their own. The Clippers pick had a 2.8 chance of winning the lottery (10th best chance out of a possible 14 picks). Cleveland's pick was a higher selection, having the 3rd best shot of claiming the number one pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. After a short period of time announcing the order, everyone discovered that Cleveland would have the Clipper's pick as a top three selection. Well, Cleveland's actual pick wound up being the 4th pick in the draft. The LAC pick still remained. "The third selection in the 2011 NBA Draft will belong to the...Utah Jazz". Could it happen? Could Cleveland claim the first pick in the draft from a pick that was involved in a Baron Davis/Mo Williams trade!? "The second selection in the 2011 NBA Draft will belong to the...Minnesota Timberwolves". Amazing. The Cleveland Cavaliers would hold the first and fourth pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, one that was filled with very good talent. Was it fixed? No one is sure, but no one can deny the fact that Cleveland had a lot of luck in that drawing. After only one season after LeBron's departure, in which the Miami Heat came up short against Dallas, the Cleveland Cavaliers would have a chance to rebuild the franchise.
June 23rd, 2011.
The 2011 NBA Draft. Who would it be? The breakout star forward Derrick Williams from Arizona, who possessed a good combination of shooting and rebounding? Or would it be the "mystery" Kyrie Irving, the injury-riddled but talented point guard from Duke? Many were split on who Cleveland should have went with. They had two routes to go with in terms of their decision regarding the first and fourth selection: Take Derrick Williams with the opening pick and then take point guard Brandon Knight with the fourth selection, or take Kyrie Irving with the first pick and go for a big man, such as Enes Kanter or Jonas Valunciunas. While no one knew for certain, Cleveland knew what they wanted. They wanted Irving and Kanter. So the pick was made to start the night. "With the first selection in the 2011 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select point guard Kyrie Irving from Duke University. The second pick was easy. Everyone knew that the Timberwolves would select the player Cleveland passed on between Williams and Irving, and with Cleveland taking Irving, Minnesota selected Derrick Williams. Cleveland was hoping that the Utah Jazz would take anyone but Kanter. Though Cleveland had its way the past couple of months, not everything worked out as planned. The Utah Jazz select potential-filled center Enes Kanter with the third selection. To this day, no one is completely sure if Cleveland panicked after the Kanter selection, but they wanted to go for a big. Many assumed Valunciunas, the 7'0" center from Lithuania. However, Cleveland went a different route, going with power forward Tristan Thompson from Texas. He was undersized for the power forward position, but Cleveland must have loved his potential.
Cleveland was now relying on these two players to lead the future of their franchise post-LeBron. They had two players gushing with potential, but as most picks, there was a risk. Would Irving stay healthy? Would Thompson live up to his potential? Whatever would lie ahead was uncertain, but the blueprint was laid out for the rebuilding process.
2011 NBA Season.
Kyrie Irving showed a lot of promise in his rookie campaign with Cleveland, looking like a natural on the court. He looked like a savvy veteran on the floor, and gave the fans of Cleveland hope for the future. Tristan Thompson showed out to be really raw, as expected, but as Irving, he showed glimpses of hope for upcoming seasons. The team would end up having another bad season, and would have a good shot of getting a good pick in the upcoming draft, one centered around can't-miss prospect Anthony Davis.
2012 Draft.
Cleveland was clearly set at point guard and power forward, so they needed to address the other three positions: shooting guard, short forward, and center. Cleveland really wanted to get a guy to play alongside Irving to help his development. And seeing as how Cleveland had center Anderson Varejao, grabbing a center was not as a big a priority for their top selection.
For the second year in a row, the Cleveland Cavaliers would hold the fourth selection in the NBA Draft. And for the second year in a row, the first two picks were locks. The New Orleans Hornets, who won the lottery right after their own loss of their star player Chris Paul, took can't-miss prospect Anthony Davis, the power forward who played for the National Champion Kentucky Wildcats. The second selection saw the Charlotte Bobcats taking Davis' college teammate Michael-Kidd Gilchrist, who had an amazing motor. The third selection went to the Washington Wizards, and after a lot of speculation concerning who they would take, it ended with Bradley Beal's name being called.
Cleveland had a couple of great options to choose from, which included Georgetown center Andre Drummond and North Carolina's standout short forward Harrison Barnes. However, for the second straight draft, Cleveland went with potential and took shooting guard Dion Waiters from Syracuse with their selection. Dion Waiters was a great player for Syracuse, but he was not even a starter for the Orange, which led to questions such as "Can Waiters be a starter in the NBA after being a bench man in college?" Valid question, and all anyone could do was wait. Cleveland also had the 23rd selection in the draft. They still wanted a big man in the draft, and they saw North Carolina center Tyler Zeller falling down in the draft big time. They wanted him, so they then made a trade with Dallas, in which Cleveland would receive the 17th pick in the draft for their 23rd selection and some fillers. Cleveland got their big man, and they came out of another draft very strong.
2012 NBA Season.
Cleveland had assembled a nice core of young players, with Irving at point guard, Waiters at shooting guard, Thompson at power forward, and Zeller at center. They were going for the Oklahoma City Thunder approach to rebuilding, which was through the draft and being smart. However, once again, Cleveland did not fare too well during the season. Irving was injured a lot, and a blood clot to Anderson Varejao, who was averaging 14 points and 14 rebounds a game, ended his season. Cleveland was crumbling and everything was being put on hold. The bright side was that when they were healthy, they showed a lot of promise. Cleveland would have the third best chance of landing the top pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.
May 22nd, 2013.
The 2013 Draft Lottery. The teams holding the later lottery picks stayed pat, holding their selections. There were a couple of surprises, however, with the first being the Washington Wizards, who would own the third pick in the draft after only having the seventh best odds out of 14 teams. After only two years, Cleveland would have a chance to have the first selection in the draft. And only minutes later, the world saw that the Orlando Magic would hold the second pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, meaning that Cleveland struck gold once again.
June 25th, 2013.
With the draft being only two days away, Cleveland has its biggest decision yet. There have been rumors of LeBron James, the King who beheaded Cleveland, possibly returning to Cleveland in 2014 if he decides to opt out of a player option. LeBron had already won the NBA Championship for the first time last year, and it was "about damn time" according to James. And after an inspiring performance throughout the playoffs, LeBron James has conquered the NBA again, capturing his second ring in two years. James is just reaching his peak, and now the GOAT discussion can get serious if this kind of play continues for James.
Now there are rumors that Cleveland is looking to unload some of their picks for proven players to help mentor the young guns. A lot of names have come up in trade rumors, and are as follows:
LaMarcus Aldridge: an all-star for the Portland Trailblazers, Aldridge would provide Cleveland with a great presence up front and would give Irving a second-hand man to rely on if needed. Cleveland has recently offered the first and 19th selection for Aldridge, and was denied. Though Aldridge wants to be traded, sources say, a deal for Aldridge seems slim at this point.
Kevin Love: possibly the biggest name in rumors this offseason, Love is not even on the block, according to the Timberwolves braintrust. It has been rumored that Cleveland has recently offered Minnesota the first selection along with Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson for Kevin Love, and like the 'Blazers trade, was denied. There is virtually no chance Love gets traded this offseason.
Luol Deng: the Chicago Bulls have toyed with dealing Deng for a while now, and with Deng having one year left on his contract, now might be their last chance to let him loose and acquire something for his services. Cleveland is said to be interested in the great defender, but no one is sure what Cleveland is willing to part with to acquire him. Rumors have surfaced that the Wizards are willing to deal their third selection, so it can only be assumed that Cleveland would have to part with their first selection. A Deng trade is possible, but with what Chicago seems to want, Cleveland seems better off to back off.
Paul Pierce: Boston had a great run with its big three in Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen, but it is time to break up the band. Longtime Boston coach Doc Rivers has been traded for the Los Angeles Clippers, and Boston is officially in rebuild mode. Pierce is going to make a staggering 15 million this upcoming season, and Boston does not want to pay that hefty amount to Pierce. As of this moment, Cleveland has offered Boston its two second round picks (31st and 33rd overall), but Boston has since claimed to want at least a first round pick for Pierce. A Pierce trade is uncertain at this point in time, but it would easily give Cleveland a veteran to help the young core develop.
Danny Granger: Indiana had a great run this past postseason in large part to Paul George. And now the Pacers have their star, and unfortunately for Granger, he is the odd man out. Granger will be making 14 million this year, and is easily expendable to the Pacers. Cleveland needs a short forward badly, and could use someone like Granger to help them get to the next level.
A trade for a proven player would definitely show that they are trying to win now and are willing to build the team with great talent, which would definitely appeal to LeBron James in 2014, who would be given the chance to play on the best team he ever would up to the date. James would have a chance to play with star point guard Kyrie Irving, a proven commodity in Aldridge/Deng/etc., young guns in Thompson, Zeller, and Waiters, and much more.
Can it happen? Cleveland is already on the brink to break out with so many young players. If Cleveland can shake things up on draft day, and if they can make some noise during the upcoming season with possibly a winning record, LeBron will have no choice but to consider a return to the place that spread his wings.
The ball is in Cleveland's court to make something happen in the next year. They have a chance to right the wrongs they made by having LeBron leave in the first place by having him come back.
Are we witnesses or bystanders?