Cavs Still A Little “Short” On Height

The Cleveland Cavaliers got off to a better start than most people expected, winning four of their first nine games, and then lost by one point on the road to the 76ers, one of the NBA’s better teams.

They’ve lost the last four games by 11, 19, 18, and 24 points, and the first of those losses, at home to Miami, wasn’t as close as the final margin indicates.

The Cavs don’t have a deep roster, and it is well known they have plenty of very young players, and injuries have started to creep up, and that hasn’t helped the situation.

Especially when the squad’s big men, of which there aren’t many, are the people who are missing games.

Larry Nance Jr. is out with a sore thumb, and Kevin Love missed a loss to the Knicks with a sore back, and Tristan Thompson missed last night’s contest in Miami.

Thompson is the tallest of the trio at 6’9″, with Love at 6’8″ and Nance a small forward like 6’7″

Remember that two other tall men, John Henson (6’9″) and Ante Zizic (6’10”) have been available for four games combined in the 2019-20 campaign.

This is a continuation of the past few years where the wine and gold simply don’t have enough size on the roster, whether it be due to injuries or just not having the players.

Cleveland has gone with a three man rotation at center/power forward most of the year with Love, Thompson, and Nance. Since Zizic has returned, either Nance, Love, or Thompson, or two of the three have been out.

Henson appeared in one game, giving Cleveland four big men, and the Cavaliers won that game.

And it’s not just up front that the Cavs are small. Cedi Osman is the small forward and he’s 6’7″, and is backed up principally by rookie Kevin Porter Jr., who is listed at 6’4″.

Cleveland is also starting a pair of 6’1″ guards in Collin Sexton and rookie Darius Garland. Jordan Clarkson (6’4″) and Matthew Dellavedova (6’3″) are the reserves.

So, the Cavs’ backcourt is very small, and their frontcourt isn’t exactly huge either.

Look at the defending champion Toronto Raptors. They start veteran Marc Gasol (6’11”) at center, Pascal Siakam (6’9″) at the 4, and OG Anunoby (6’7″) at small forward.

When Love and Nance were out against the Knicks, coach John Beilein started Osman at PF and Porter Jr. at SF.

New York, with three long players in the starting lineup, dominated the wine and gold in the paint.

Being short (no pun intended) of length, Beilein needs perfect execution offensively, which he isn’t getting, and defensively, he has a problem.

Thankfully, Love and Thompson were excellent rebounders, so Cleveland doesn’t get beat too badly on the boards when they are playing.

What can Beilein do?

He can change his combinations to have more size. He could start by bringing Garland off the bench, replacing him in the starting lineup with Porter. That would give the Cavs a more traditional lineup with a bigger guard.

He could also give Alfonso McKinnie (6’7″) more time, perhaps shrinking Dellavedova’s minutes. And when Henson can play again, you could play Nance some at small forward too.

And sending Garland to the bench doesn’t mean cutting his minutes either. It just means limiting the minutes where he and Sexton are on the floor together.

We believe Beilein will make the adjustments. After being very competitive in the first nine games, his team has been blown out four straight games.

Also, the Cavs rank 5th from the bottom in three point shooting percentage. Shorter teams that can’t shoot doesn’t seem to be a blueprint for success in today’s game.

How long is the coach’s patience? We may find out soon.

First Impressions On The Wine And Gold

We understand the NBA schedule is just two games in, so it is very early to make definitive proclamations about any team, and that includes the Cleveland Cavaliers.

However, we have seen some things we have liked in the first two contests, and we hope they will continue as the season goes on.

The first is defensive improvement. It would be hard to be worse that last year’s complete crap show, organized by “defensive” assistant Mike Longabardi, so there’s that.

However, the first thing we have noticed is no longer are we seeing opponent coasting down the lane for dunks without any resistance from people wearing a Cleveland uniform.

The Cavs have not allowed 100 points in either game, a vast improvement. Last season, for the entire 82 games, the wine and gold allowed less than 100 points just nine times. Nine games out of 82!

There was only one time all of last year where the Cavaliers allowed less than 100 points in consecutive games, November 7-13, when they held Oklahoma City, Chicago, and Charlotte under the century mark in three straight.

The last time they did this period, was March 3rd when they held Orlando, this year’s opener opponent to 93 points.

The Cavs’ defensive rating was a league worst 117.6 in 2018-19, and after two games, they sit at 97.1.

Now no one thinks that will continue all season, but it is a good start.

Last night, there was a stretch in the third quarter where new coach John Beilein had John Henson, Larry Nance Jr., and Matthew Dellavedova on the floor together and the defense was suffocating.

When was the last time you could say about the Cavs?

Also, the offense is working more inside out.

Last season, Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson led the Cavs in shots per game, combining for 29.3 per night, about 1/3rd of the team’s total.

After two games, Cleveland is averaging 84 shots per game, with Sexton and Tristan Thompson leading the way. Yes, we know Thompson hit a three last night, but most of his shots are in the paint.

And Beilein said after the opening game that Kevin Love should be getting more shots, which we were happy to hear. Love is the team’s best player, and he should be getting the most shots.

The offense should run through Love, Sexton, and Darius Garland, and Love getting nine assists last night is another example of the coaching staff stressing points to the players.

We have complained over the years about Tristan Thompson’s lack of development on the offensive end, so we are happy to see some improvement. No, we don’t need Thompson firing too often from beyond the arc, but when he gets the ball inside now, he is putting the ball in the basket.

And, Darius Garland has some range. Sexton has made more three after the first two games, but the rookie can knock it down. As he gains experience, we can see him being the type of player who other teams will have to guard from five feet beyond the three point line.

Whether or not these trends can continue, who knows, but we were a little concerned during the exhibition season about the offensive structure, and that could still rear its ugly head.

However, it looks like the coaching staff isn’t going to let any thing slide thus far. And that’s a good thing with a young team.

Injuries Impeding Cavs Progress?

The Cleveland Cavaliers open their 50th NBA season Wednesday night in Orlando, and the big question for the team right now, is will they be the worst team in the league this season.

Last year, they won 19 games, the second worst mark in the NBA, but they didn’t have Kevin Love for much of the campaign, he played in just 22 games.

Having him back healthy would seem to make the wine and gold better just on its own merits, but add in a year of experience for Collin Sexton and the fifth overall pick in last June’s draft in Darius Garland, and you would think an improvement would be likely.

Unfortunately, the injury bug has already bit the team hard, leaving new coach John Beilein very frustrated.

Two big men who figured to see a lot of time in 2019-20, John Henson and Ante Zizic, have missed a lot of time early, and likely won’t be ready for Opening Night.

That leaves Love and Tristan Thompson as the only experienced big men on the roster, and makes using the former at center at times a must.

The Cavs’ organization has ignored big people in the past, and this year, there still isn’t depth at that spot.

Cleveland does have only 13 players on the roster right now, so a move or two will probably be made before Wednesday night.

Sexton and Garland should be the starters at guard Wednesday, but injuries have hurt the depth. Brandon Knight has missed time in camp, and Matthew Dellavedova sprained his thumb in the last exhibition season, making his availability questionable.

This means a lot of minutes for Jordan Clarkson, who also seems to be the back up for Cedi Osman at small forward. This means Kevin Porter Jr., who is another rookie may have to get meaningful time early in the season.

Another injury has put the Cavs’ other first round pick, four year college player Dylan Windler out of the lineup. The shooter would probably have been Osman’s primary back up, but with him out, that role falls to Clarkson and Porter.

The front office claimed Tyler Cook from Denver on waivers, and he is more of a stretch four, but although he is also a four year college player, he has no professional experience.

So, when the season tips off later this week, Beilein has two veterans to count on in Love and Thompson, two young players with some experience in Osman and Clarkson, and a bunch of guys who are either 19 or 20 years old, or are new to the NBA.

That’s a tough way to try to win games right away. Hopefully, Henson, Knight, and Dellavedova will be back fairly soon to lend some wise heads to the mix, and the coaching staff has no option to ease a kid like Porter into the fray.

It’s easy to say just throw the kids in and see what happens, but that makes for one helluva learning curve.

And sometimes, that ruins a player or severely retards their development. That’s why you see a lot of first round picks not put it all together until they go to a second team, or go back to the G League to get playing time.

Patience is going to be a key for the coaching staff to be sure, and early on, the Cavs should lean on Love, and try to run as many set to get shots for Love, Garland, and Sexton.

It may be a couple of months before we see any definitive progress for this year’s Cavaliers.

Curious To See These Cavs

When you really think about it, there is no place to go for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but up.

After four straight Eastern Conference championships, the wine and gold won just 19 games a year ago, a season in which their best player, Kevin Love, played just 22 games.

You have to think having Love active for even 60 games (the whole load management thing) makes the Cavs better in their 50th season.

Many speculate the organization wants to move Love, and maybe they do. But it only makes sense if the Cavaliers get a premium for his services. As long as the veteran is happy and isn’t causing any problems in the locker room, why trade him just to move him?

There is no evidence the big man from UCLA wants out. And why not have some veterans for the young Cavs, there are six key players with under three years experience to learn from?

Besides, it’s not as though the wine and gold need more young players. They will likely have three rookies, a second year player, and two third year guys getting a lot of time in 2019-20.

One thing we have praised Koby Altman and his staff for is the type of people they have brought in here. The veterans are willing to teach and groom the younger players, and the youth on the team has been very willing to work hard in order to get better.

We saw the leap last year’s first round pick, Collin Sexton made within the season, going from 15.1 points and 2.9 assists in the first half to 20.8 points and 3.2 assists after the All Star Game.

His shooting went from 40.8% to 47.7%.

We expect quantum leaps from Sexton, as well as Cedi Osman and Ante Zizic.

New coach John Beilein is a teacher, and he is indicated he will use Love at center, but we also believe that will depend on how veterans Tristan Thompson and John Henson will play. If they are productive, Beilein may use a traditional starting five with Love at power forward and Osman at small forward.

If Larry Nance Jr., another player who improves his game every single year, out plays Thompson and Henson, then Love will shift to the pivot.

The coach has indicated he will start Sexton and top draft pick Darius Garland at guards, and we would guess Brandon Knight and Jordan Clarkson will back them up.

As for possible trade speculation, we would predict Thompson and Clarkson are bigger candidates to be moved than Love.

With Love, Nance, and Henson (who has to prove himself after missing most of last season) getting time, and Zizic needing to play, it would seem Thompson is the odd man out, and his experience and defensive prowess would seem to make him desirable to contending teams.

As for Clarkson, he doesn’t seem to be a fit. He doesn’t move the ball, he’s not a particularly strong defender, and if and when Kevin Porter Jr. is ready to get time, he would seem to be the odd man out.

We are anxious to see Garland, because he has a reputation of being a good passer and he has some range on his shot. Remember, he only played a handful of games in college at Vanderbilt.

Beilein would seem to be the right coach for a very young roster. And with the work ethic of this team, perhaps they can be better than expected.

It’s a season of curiosity for sure.

Cavs “Greatest 8” After 50 Years

The Cleveland Cavaliers will be celebrating their 50th season this season and it is the only franchise in town where we can say we have been there since the beginning.

Before that, NBA basketball in Cleveland was limited to the visits the Cincinnati Royals made each year to our fair city.

In the last year before the Cavs existed, the Royals made four stops at the Cleveland Arena, the final game was played on February 3, 1970, a game won by the Los Angeles Lakers, 124-114.

Jerry West led the way for the Lakers with 38 points, while Tom Van Arsdale had 36 for the Royals.

The Cavaliers entered the league at the same time as the Buffalo Braves and Portland Trailblazers. The league probably thought they were doing the expansion teams a solid by scheduling them for 12 games each against each other.

Obviously, LeBron James is the greatest player ever to wear the Cavs’ uniform, leading the franchise to not only their only championship, but was also the focal point for all five Eastern Conference titles won by the team.

Depending on your point of view, he is one of the three best players to ever play in the NBA.

As soon as he retires, his #23 will hang from the rafters, and we would presume a statue will be erected outside Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.

Who else would be on the Cavaliers’ top eight players (starters and first subs) in franchise history?

We would start with the only other Cavalier besides James to achieve first team all NBA honors, and that would be Mark Price.

Price is still 5th in all time scoring and 2nd in assists and steals in club history. In addition to his first team All-NBA accolade (1992-93), he was third team three times (’88-’89, ’91-’92, and ’93-’94). He was on the second Cleveland team to lose in the Eastern Conference finals.

Kyrie Irving would be the other guard. It’s really a no brainer to add the four time (with Cleveland) all-star and the guy who made the biggest shot in franchise history. He also was third team All-NBA in 2014-15.

The center was so close we kept two as both Brad Daugherty and Zydrunas Ilgauskas make our “Great 8”.

Both had major injury problems throughout their career (Daugherty’s back issues caused him to retire at 28, while Ilgauskas battled foot problems), but Daugherty was a four time all star and is still 3rd all time in scoring and rebounding, and as a center, is 7th all time in assists.

Ilgauskas is a distant second to James in scoring, and also ranks as the runner-up in games played and rebounding. And he was a starter on the franchise’s first trip to the NBA Finals.

The other forwards, besides James, were mainstays on the early 90’s teams which couldn’t get over the Michael Jordan hurdle: Larry Nance and Hot Rod Williams.

Looking at numbers, you forgot how good Williams was. He ranks 5th in games played, 7th in points, 5th in rebounds, and 2nd in blocked shots in Cavalier history. He was a reserve mostly because Lenny Wilkens loved him as a weapon off the bench, backing up both Daugherty and Nance, and at times playing with them.

Nance is 9th all time in scoring, 8th in boards, 3rd in field goal percentage and blocked shots. He was the final piece in making those teams title contenders. The Cavs were 42-40 the year Nance arrived in a mid-season trade, they won 50 games in three of the next five years.

The last spot on our list goes to franchise icon Austin Carr, whose career was hampered by knee injuries, but was the team’s first star.

Carr was the first overall pick in the draft in 1971, and made the All Star team in his third year with a 21.9 scoring average. He was around 24 PPG the following season when he injured his knee, and became a valuable reserve for the Cavs’ first team that went to the conference finals in 1976.

Those are our Cavs’ “Greatest 8”. The best players Cleveland basketball fans have seen wearing the wine and gold.

Still No Love For Kevin Love

It is a yearly rite of passage for Cleveland professional basketball fans. Each and every year after the playoffs end, there are those who talk about trading Kevin Love.

And we keep thinking that mostly, this makes no sense.

Yes, Love is injury prone, the most games he has ever played in a season with the Cavaliers is 77, and that was in his first year here. He played 75 the following season, and from there it has gone downhill: 60, 59, and last season, 21, although he could have played more if the Cavs were trying to make the playoffs.

And yes, the game has evolved too, and the sport where Love once averaged 26 points and almost 13.5 rebounds per contest is no longer being played. Teams want big men who can defend on the perimeter now, to contest the three point shot, and that isn’t Love’s strength, although he does make an effort.

However, Love is still unquestionably the Cavaliers best player. Shooting a career low 38.5% from the floor, he still scored 17 points and grabbed almost 11 boards per game.

Part of that came from getting to the free throw line with a greater frequency (5.2 per game) than he ever did wearing the wine and gold, his best figure since his last year with Minnesota (8.2 per game).

Many people forget that Love has two second team All NBA honors during his career, which is one more than Kyrie Irving, who made second team this season, and a third team honor with the Cavs.

These “experts” think there is only one way to build an NBA team these days, and that is by tanking and being successful in the draft. Of course, there is plenty of evidence to the contrary as Golden State and Toronto, who have won the last three titles, have not tanked to win.

We aren’t saying we would keep Love under any circumstance, in fact, there are very few players in that category, LeBron James being one of them.

For example, the Cavs were said to entertain offers for Irving after the 2016 season, because if then GM David Griffin could have improved the team in a deal for the former first overall pick, then he absolutely should do that.

We understand Love makes a lot of money, but if Cleveland get under the cap, which they will even with Love on the roster heading into the 2020-21 season, they aren’t attracting big name free agents.

The Cavs played much better when Love was on the floor a year ago, so why not let Collin Sexton, Cedi Osman, Ante Zizic, and the three rookies, Darius Garland, Dylan Windler, and Kevin Porter Jr. play with a still very good player and learn good habits from a five time all star?

If you can make a trade that decidedly helps the franchise, then by all means, make the deal.

For example, we keep hearing Portland as a destination. Then 22-year-old seven footer Zach Collins would have to be involved along with at least one unprotected first round draft pick, preferably after the 2020 draft.

Getting a young big and a future first rounder can make a positive impact for Cleveland.

And if Kawhi Leonard winds up with the Lakers, it would be surprising to see anyone make a huge offer for Love.

If he doesn’t, we still think Love has more value at the trade deadline, where someone can use him, providing he is healthy, as a chip to put them over the top.

Until Koby Altman gets “wowed” with a deal, there is no reason to trade the best player on the team. Unless that player is about to be a free agent, or causing a problem in the locker room, there usually never is.

Cavs Add More Shooting, And That’s A Good Thing.

When LeBron James was with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the idea was to surround him with shooters, players who needed to be defended on the perimeter so James had driving lanes to the basket.

The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t follow that blueprint last year, but that’s another story for another time.

That theory was before the sport and the people who build teams within it started to embrace the three point shot, and that revolution culminated in Golden State’s three titles in four years, the first centering around the long range shooting of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

While the 2018-19 Cleveland Cavaliers were a bad team, finishing 19-63, they did rank 13th in the league in three point shooting, led by Nick Stauskas’ 43% mark, while recently retired Channing Frye and rookie Collin Sexton both hit 40%.

Last week, the Cavs adding even more shooting drafting Darius Garland, Dylan Windler, and Kevin Porter Jr. in the first round of the NBA Draft.

Garland only played five games at Vanderbilt, but made 11 of 23 attempts from beyond the college three point line, and he hit 75% of his free throws.

And at his workout for the Cavs in Los Angeles, apparently he put on an incredible shooting exhibition from long distance. We can’t wait to see his range when the exhibition games start.

Windler, a four year player from Belmont, shot 40.6% from three throughout his college career, and the last two seasons, hit 42.6% and 42.9% from long range respectively. He was also a career 76.1% maker from the line, with a high of 84.7% last season.

Porter also made more than 40% of his long distance shots in his abbreviated college career (he played just 21 games), making 28 of 68 attempts. Unfortunately, he hit only 52% of his free throws, a figure that has to improve in the pros.

As they say, the NBA is a make or miss league, and it looks as though the Cavaliers got a few more guys who can make shots. We have always said, anyone can be a shooter, what you really need are makers.

The next part of the puzzle is to add size, which Cleveland has seemed to ignore over the past five years.

Outside of Ante Zizic, the wine and gold really don’t have a legitimate big man, although we have yet to see John Henson.

Kevin Love is 6’10” and has been miscast at center at times, but he’s a scorer and rebounder, not really a rim protector or a defensive force inside.

Tristan Thompson is a good defender and rebounder, particularly on the offensive end, but he is very limited offensively, and is still just 6’9″.

Larry Nance Jr. has incredible hops, so he can block shots, but he’s struggles to handle bigger players in the post.

We understand that the game has evolved and throwing the ball in the post is no longer needed to be successful, but having players who demand double teams near the basket helps.

Love does, but that’s probably it at this point.

We would like to see Koby Altman add another bigger player before the season starts. With all the shooters he is bringing in, that could be very important.

Cavs Draft A Trio Of First Rounders

The Cleveland Cavaliers went with the best player available theory in last night’s NBA Draft taking Darius Garland, a 6’2″ guard from Vanderbilt.

Many experts had Garland going higher in mock drafts, mostly at #4 to the Los Angeles Lakers, before they dealt the choice to New Orleans in the Anthony Davis proposed transaction.

As it stands, the Cavs will use a very small backcourt when they pair Garland with last year’s first pick, Collin Sexton.

Garland also played just five games for Vandy before injuring his knee, but he probably has more point guard instincts than Sexton, and probably is a better shooter than he was when he came into the league last season.

The problem could be on the defensive end, playing two guards who are both short. And we know the wine and gold have had issues on that end of the floor since winning the championship in 2016.

It’s not a bad pick, because the Cavs went with talent, it’s just difficult to see a fit, particularly when they could’ve chosen Jarrett Culver, a 6’6″ defensive minded guard, or a 6’5″ combo guard in Coby White.

New coach John Beilein is said to be intrigued with playing the duo or Sexton and Garland together, but as we have said before most of the players taken last night can score, where they are drafted comes down often to how they fit in the league defensively.

Contrary to what we thought, the Cavaliers stayed at #26 and selected a pure shooter, 6’7″ Dylan Windler from Belmont.

Windler is 23 years old, so what he is now is what he is, but he has a quick release and can certainly fill it up. He’s a good athlete, but isn’t known for his defensive prowess. He’s one of those guys who is constant movement on offense, hustles for loose balls, and plays off the ball well.

He seemed like a good fit for Golden State, where several mock drafts had him headed.

Then, GM Koby Altman took a bold step in moving four second round picks to Detroit to get back in the first round to take Kevin Porter Jr., who about six weeks ago was projected to be in the lottery.

Porter is a guy who probably should have stayed in college for one more year, because he has a lot to work on, but no question he is talented. If he can connect with Beilein though, and is open to coaching, he could wind up being a very good player.

It’s a great risk because of his upside, and the Cavs didn’t really give up a heck of a lot.

There were two things the Cavaliers didn’t do last night, though.

First, they didn’t cash in the JR Smith chip. Smith has to be moved by the end of the month for other teams to take advantage of his unique contract, so expect another trade by then.

Second, they still ignored height. They drafted a point guard and two wings, and we still feel they have a shortage of big men on the roster. True, they will get John Henson back, but that will give them only three players over 6’10”: Ante Zizic, Kevin Love, and Henson.

The latter two missed considerable time last season.

Let’s hope that is also on Altman’s agenda.

You never know with rookies, but the Cavs picked three players who have skills that are desired in today’s NBA.

Now we will have to see how it plays out when training camp starts in September. At the very least, the Summer League should be exciting.

Cavs’ Approach Is Refreshing

The NBA is unique in the professional sports landscape.

Because there are only five players on the floor at any one time, the great player makes a huge difference. We just witnessed the impact Kawhi Leonard, one might be the best player in the league right now, had on the Toronto Raptors, leading them to their first championship.

The association also gives the most power to the players. Since LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade in Miami, the star players have tried to form “super teams” to help them compete for championships, and team executives have tried to put their franchises into positions to attracts the stars.

So, if you didn’t draft a superstar, and you a not a destination for superstars, what do you do?

Obviously, in Cleveland, the Cavaliers benefited from James being from Akron and wanting to bring a championship to the area. It helped that Kyrie Irving was already here for James’ return, and they had assets to deal for another star, Kevin Love, who remains with the team.

But James left after the 2018 season, so GM Koby Altman has to try to rebuild the organization. He is doing things a little differently, and quite frankly, we have no problem with it.

Altman has put his eggs into the player development basket. If you aren’t in a position to draft superstars, then developing them yourself seems to be a good plan.

That why he hired a long time successful college coach in John Beilein, and this past week, hired University of California women’s head coach, Lindsay Gottlieb, as an assistant.

Beilein’s reputation is putting together very successful college teams without the five star recruits that Duke, Kentucky, and North Carolina usually get. He took good high school players and turned them into very good college players, some even became first round picks in the NBA Draft.

No doubt, it’s a gamble hiring a 66-year-old who has never coached in the NBA, and hiring a coach who led a Division I women’s program as an assistant. But why not?

If you are a team playing someone better than you, and you just rely on talent, you most likely aren’t going to win, right?

So, you try something different. Like Cleveland State did when Kevin Mackey became head coach, you full court press for the entire game, using waves of players.

That might be your best chance.

Or maybe Altman is copying the Raptors blue print. Not a lot of high draft choices there, but they developed players like Pascal Siakam (27th overall pick from New Mexico State), Fred VanVleet (undrafted), and Norman Powell (second round pick) into contributing players on a title team.

We have praised the Cavs for not taking on “knuckleheads”, players who can and will be disruptive when things aren’t going well. In addition, it appears they also have guys who aren’t afraid of working to get better.

And that means what Beilein, Gottlieb, and the rest of the organization will be teaching should fall on willing years, and it may just work.

The Cavs’ plan seems to be worth the risk because it isn’t the same old thought process NBA teams use. Why not get good teachers to teach the game?

The Disconnect Between Dolans, Fans

Cleveland sports fans have different relationships with the owners of their sports teams.

Since the early 1960’s, the Browns have been owned by out of towners. Sure, Art Modell moved to northeast Ohio, but he was a New Yorker. After he moved the team to Baltimore and the Browns rejoined the NFL in 1999, Al Lerner, another ex-New Yorker owned the team.

His son, Randy, sold the team to Jimmy Haslam, from Tennessee. None of these guys really had the trust of the fans of the team, for various reasons, although right now, Haslam gets a break because of the hiring of GM John Dorsey.

The Cavaliers were brought into the NBA by Nick Mileti, born in Cleveland.

At one point, Mileti owned (through partnerships) the Cavs, the World Hockey Association Cleveland Crusaders, and the Indians, as well as building the Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio, a world class sports arena.

Because he was from here, the fans warmed to Mileti. After all, he brought professional basketball to the area, and at the time, many thought the Indians were headed out of town before he bought them.

Mileti didn’t have a lot of money, but he had vision and passion for Cleveland sports.

Unfortunately, the baseball fans in the area have never bought into the current ownership, the Dolan family.

Dick Jacobs is looked fondly on by Tribe fans because he built a solid organization, which hadn’t been seen for years, and his teams won, for the first time in 40 years, the Cleveland Indians were among the best teams in the sport.

And with the revenue pouring in from the new ballpark combined with a contending team (and no football team), Jacobs signed off on adding players. The payoff was five straight post-season appearances and two American League pennants.

Those Indians were brash and cocky, and the fans loved it. Our baseball team was competing with the Yankees and Red Sox, and beat them in the playoffs.

Jacobs got out of the game before any rebuild had to be done. And that’s where the Dolans came in.

We believe that Cleveland sports fans want to see in their teams the same attitude they have, that of an underdog. The attitude that we can be as good as the bigger cities, a “we’ll show you” feeling.

The Dolans simply don’t exude that type of feeling.

Think about some of the things the fans and the media alike bring up in discussing their stewardship of the professional baseball team.

They talk about “windows of opportunity” and consistently remind the ticket buying public that Cleveland is a small market.

You never hear words like that coming out of Dan Gilbert’s mouth. Gilbert’s attitude seems to be screw you, we’ll win anyway.

And in our opinion, that’s why fans gravitate to the Cavaliers’ owner more, even though the Indians have been the more consistent franchise over the last 15 years.

Even though Gilbert is from Detroit, he displays more of the Cleveland spirit than Larry and Paul Dolan. They seem resigned to their situation, instead of fighting the big boys.

This year might be the ultimate test case. The Indians have a slim chance in the division race, but they have virtually the same record as the Boston Red Sox. And you know the Red Sox aren’t selling.

This might be the reason ticket sales suffer too. As we know, there is plenty of interest in the team, the local ratings are among the best in baseball, but Progressive Field isn’t the “place to be” for a variety of reasons.