Despite being eliminated in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers are probably a better team than they were a year ago, even though they lost in The Finals in 2007. The mega-trade at the deadline made the wine and gold a much-improved team come playoff time, although they struggled down the stretch of the regular season. However, there is still work to do. The Cavs still need to get better to compete for a title in the upcoming 2008-09 season, and that makes tomorrow night’s draft a big night for GM Danny Ferry.
Traditionally, the night of the NBA Draft is where the biggest moves of the off-season are made. Last year, the Celtics put the first piece of their championship puzzle together when they acquired Ray Allen from Seattle. The Cavaliers are also over the salary cap, so signing free agents probably is not an option, they need to make a deal to make a quantum leap, and more than likely that deal will happen tomorrow night. The asset that the Cavs have is expiring contracts, and those of Wally Szczerbiak and Eric Snow could come into play.
The team has plenty of places were it can improve. They definitely need someone else who can create his own shot. Too many times, LeBron James gets the ball with less than five seconds on the shot clock while being double-teamed. Having another creator would ease the burden on LeBron, and also allow him to finish at the rim more. It would be nice if that player was a point guard, but because Mike Brown does not like smaller guards, Ferry needs to find someone in the 6’3” range to play the point.
The Cavs also need to get younger, particularly at the center and power forward spots. Anderson Varajao is the only big man getting playing time that is under 30 years old, and he is a free agent at the end of the year, and likely to leave. Georgetown’s Roy Hibbert has been rumored to be available at #19, and he certainly is a physical specimen at 7-2. He was under-utilized in the Princeton style offense he played in college, sometimes going long stretches of time without getting the ball inside. He could be a diamond in the rough for the Cavaliers, because he should be good fundamentally on the defensive end.
Of course, the prize would be a trade for Milwaukee’s Michael Redd, who turned the wine and gold down in free agency a few years ago. Redd is a proven 20 point scorer, and he has shown the ability to take the ball to the basket as well. The downside is injury problems the past few years, notably a knee injury suffered in a game against the Cavs two seasons ago. However, he’s good enough to play on Team USA this summer, and is most definitely the all-star type player the Cavaliers need.
Tomorrow’s draft is an important day for the Cavalier franchise. Picking a project type player, one who won’t be able to contribute for two or three years is not an option. If Ferry stands pat, and doesn’t make a trade, he cannot use the 19th pick on a future star. The wine and gold need to get better now. They are built to win now. This is not a time for patience.
JK
Cleveland Sports Perspective 