Every time the Cleveland Cavaliers win a game, a portion of the northern Ohio fan populace starts to panic.
They claim it is not in the franchise’s best interest to win, they need to get back into the NBA draft lottery and claim another great young player to lead the wine and gold back to the upper echelon of the league.
Of course, they don’t take into account that:
A). Just because you get into the lottery, it doesn’t mean you will get a great player and
B). Perhaps the Cavaliers already have their new franchise player in rookie point guard Kyrie Irving, who certainly looks like the real deal.
They are also overlooking some recent NBA history.
In 2008-09, rookie Derrick Rose took the Chicago Bulls, who finished 33-49 the year before, into the first round of the playoffs, where they lost to Boston in seven games.
The following year, they were eliminated by the Cavs in five games.
After those two first round departures, the Bulls made some roster changes, despite not being in the lottery, and finished last season with the best record in the league.
This year, they are among the squads who are legitimate contenders to bring home an NBA title.
In 2007-08, rookie Kevin Durant joined the Seattle Supersonics, who finished 31-51 the prior season, and the Sonics went 20-62 and left the northwest for Oklahoma City.
Russell Westbrook joined the team the following season and the new Thunder went just 23-59.
The next season, they won 50 games and were eliminated in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Last year, they went to the Conference finals and this year have bolted out to a 16-4 record and are another team favored to bring home the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
The point is this: Both teams’ first playoff experience resulting in getting bounced out in the first round, yet they overcame that to become one of the game’s best teams in just a couple of years.
Yes, Chicago signed Carlos Boozer before making the quantum leap, but most felt the former Cavaliers was a disappointment last year.
The Thunder did draft Westbrook after getting Durant, but he was not the first pick in the draft, he was 4th, and after the initial playoff disappointment, they improved the team with trades.
It’s not likely the Cavaliers are going to make the post-season this season, but if they do, it will be because Irving continues to improve, showing he’s on the brink of all-star status.
Let’s face it though, even if the wine and gold gets into the lottery, they probably won’t be picking in the top five because there are so many bad teams in the league.
Certainly, these teams will all have better odds of getting one of the top five selections than Cleveland: Charlotte, Washington, Detroit, New Orleans, and Sacramento.
In addition, unless a series of injuries befalls Byron Scott’s squad, it is unlikely they will fall behind all of these teams: New Jersey, New York, Toronto, Phoenix, and Golden State.
So, it looks like Cleveland will fall to around picks #6-10 this season. It is a deep draft, so GM Chris Grant, who seems to have a good eye when it comes to identifying talent, should be able to get another piece to the puzzle.
However, the people who want the Cavs to lose are looking for a top five selection and that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen.
This basketball team should continue to try to win games, because winning is a learned skill. If you don’t think so, watch the Wizards play.
So relax, Cavs’ fans. Hoping the team wins is alright. Adding another solid piece will help continue the process of building back to a strong playoff team.
Finishing in the seventh or eighth spot several years in a row is being stagnant. Getting that spot and using it as a springboard is what Scott and his guys are trying to accomplish.
JK
Cleveland Sports Perspective 