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Cleveland Cavaliers: 2009 NBA Draft

Jason Tomassini — Wed, 06 May 2009 10:46:09 -0400

2009 NBA DRAFT: NBA Team Needs/Capsules - NBA Mock Draft - Top 100 Prospects

- We’ll update our Team Capsules with more specific info once the lottery is complete.

Cleveland Cavaliers

2008-09 Record: 66-16

Draft Picks: 30, 46

Key Free Agents:

Zydrunas Ilgauskas (ETO)

Joe Smith, Wally Szczerbiak

Anderson Varejao (PO)

Lorenzen Wright.

How They Got Here:

By being extremely good at basketball and having a player that is a freak of nature. But seriously, this team took one of the best individual seasons ever and matched it with an incoming all-star (Mo Williams) and surprisingly great seasons from Delonte West and Anderson Varejao to basically save basketball in Cleveland by giving Lebron a potential reason to come back. And that they did it on defense, with some guys not really known for D (Ilgauskas, Szczerbiak, Daniel Gibson), is a testament to Mike Brown and of course, Bron Bron.

What They Need:

If they could possibly draft a top-notch butler or chauffeur for Lebron, someone that makes him really comfortable in Cleveland, I’d go that way. Maybe Eric Devendorf is available. But seriously, the Cavs frontcourt doesn’t look so hot right now, so they need to sure up some depth there. Varejao should be back, but expensive, Joe Smith is likely gone, Ilgauskas should be back but is old and Ben Wallace has the unfortunate situation of being Ben Wallace. JJ Hickson, by all accounts, was a nice pick, but they are going to need an experienced big man that can give them immediate minutes.

Who They'll Take:

This is an atrocious draft for big men, especially centers, and even the top guys, besides Griffin, look very suspect. So they need to just find a guy that can play solid defense and maybe knock down open 15-footers. Taj Gibson, Jeff Pendergraph, Dante Cunningham and Jeff Adrien seem exactly like the kind of guys that could flourish in Brown’s defensive system and overcome their lack of ideal NBA size by playing alongside Lebron. Josh Heytvelt would even be tempting, as long as they don’t ever let him hang out with Lebron.

Cleveland Cavaliers Draft History (since 2000)

2008: JJ Hickson (19)

2007: No Picks

2006: Shannon Brown (25), Daniel Gibson (42), Ejike Ugboaja (55)

2005: No Picks

2004: Luke Jackson (10)

2003: LeBron James (1), Jason Kapono (31)

2002: Dajuan Wagner (6)

2001: DeSagana Diop (8), Brendan Haywood (20), Jeff Trepagnier (36)

2000: Jamal Crawford (8)

2009 NBA DRAFT: NBA Team Needs/Capsules - NBA Mock Draft - Top 100 Prospects

Top Prospects

Stephen Curry - PG/SG - Davidson

Tyreke Evans - PG/SG - Memphis

Blake Griffin - PF - Oklahoma

James Harden - SG - Arizona State

Jordan Hill - PF - Arizona

Ty Lawson - PG - UNC

BJ Mullens - C - Ohio State

Ricky Rubio - PG - DKV Joventut

Brandon Jennings - PG - Arizona

Hasheem Thabeet - C - UCONN

NBA: Cavs More Than Just LeBron

Hoopsworld — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 11:13:58 -0500

By: Bill Ingram

The NBA's Eastern Conference used to be the whipping boys of the league. Beyond the top two or three teams, the Eastern Conference used to be the place Western Conference teams went to get a quick break from playing their grueling Western rivals.

Not any more.

The East was noticeably tougher last season, but offseason moves that brought Elton Brand to the 76ers, Jermaine O'Neal to the Raptors, and now Allen Iverson to the Detroit Pistons have made the East almost as tough as the West.

Fortunately, the Cavs made a move of their own, bringing in point guard Mo Williams to help carry some of the scoring load.

"I think the pieces are in place here," says head coach Mike Brown. "I really like this team. Once we're where I think we need to be we'll have a good chance. I'm looking forward to it. It's not going to happen right away, but I always take things one game, one practice, one day at a time. If we take that to heart then come playoff time we'll be ready to go."

"We have some very nice pieces," agrees LeBron James. "I think with Mo Williams and the veterans guys in Ben Wallace and Z (Ilgauskas). . . .Daniel (Gibson) has gotten better every year, and Delonte (West) is a very good piece . . and Andy (Varejao). We have some depth, and then you're always going to have a chance as long as I'm in uniform. We're always going to be a team that you have to worry about."

One thing you'll notice as you take in a Cavaliers game this season is that this is no longer the LeBron James show. Sure, LeBron's going to be called upon to make big plays at big times, but much like the Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant, the Cavaliers have tried to surround LeBron with enough quality pieces that he won't have to carry the team for 48 minutes every night.

"With a guy of his capability, his role is whatever he wants to make it for the day," says Delonte West, smiling. "If he wants to go and get 50, that's just what he decides to do. The biggest think is just for the guys around him to take advantage of opportunities, play solid basketball, and put him in the best position to close the game out for us."

"That's basically the way this team was built," agrees Daniel Gibson. "You have guys that on any given night can come out and perform well and take some of the pressure off of him so he doesn't have to carry us every night. He'll have his nights where he goes off for those 30's and 40's, but I don't think he feels like he has to do that with the guys we have on this team."

"When you have more options on your team you don't have to score as much," says LeBron. "On this team I don't think I have to worry about going out and scoring 30 and putting up a lot of shots. I've never been a guy to go out and put up a lot of shots, but I don't have to score 30 every night on this team. My ideal stat line is 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists."

"I just think everybody has to be able to play like they're capable of playing," adds Mike Brown. "The two games we lost on the road to a very good Boston team and a very good New Orleans team, I was OK with our defense and I was OK with our offense for the most part. We had some turnovers where guys were cutting and the pass was a little late or a little early or something like that. If we cut our turnovers down, I think we have not just a decent chance to win - I thought we had a decent chance anyway, considering our turnovers - but I think we have a real good chance to win it all. That's a fixable problem. AS we go along, when we get it fixed, we should - knock on wood (knocks on his own head) - we should be a tough team."

Not only do the Cavaliers expect to be a "tough" team, they expect to be a championship team. Yes, even with the Boston Celtics looking to repeat and the improvements made across the Eastern Conference . . . not to mention the improved LA Lakers, Houston Rockets, and New Orleans Hornets . . .the Cavaliers believe they have the pieces in place to win a championship this season.

"We're still contenders, without a doubt," agrees Gibson. "We still have LeBron James, and when you have him on your team you're capable of playing with and beating anybody. I think as a team we have the right group, the right pieces to be competitive and win a title."

"There's no question we're a championship team," says West. "It's still early and there are a lot of teams in the East that have improved, and I think there will be a lot of surprise teams this year, but the first step to winning a championship and that's what we're doing here. We're not looking any further than tonight's game. We have to take it - really - one day at a time."

"We're still trying to make some adjustments, having a new point guard and having a new offensive system," admits LeBron. "Our defense has been great. That's one thing we're not worries about. Offensively we just have to try to limit the unforced turnovers and execute what we need to do on the offensive end. It's early, but we're going to get it together."

There's no question they'll get it together, The only question is, once they get it together are the best team in the NBA? Fortunately, the Cavaliers have about six months and around 80 games to go before they have to start seriously answering that question. For now, it's enough for them to know that they're looking more and more like a team with each passing game.

NBA: 50 Bold Predictions

Hoopsworld — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:28:03 -0400

By: Joel Brigham

Last year I wrote this same column and it was far and away the most commented upon piece I've ever written for HOOPSWORLD. That, of course, means it was a rousing success (even though I got a whole bunch of my predictions wrong), so I'm doing it again hoping to improve upon last year's record.

The following are 50 predictions for the upcoming NBA season. The comments and opinions expressed in this article are mine and mine alone, but that means you get to tell me how wrong I am in the comments section below. Enjoy the read for what it is, and I look forward to hearing from everyone.

This could also be good fodder for my chat this Thursday at 5:00pm Eastern. Okay, enough self-promotion; onto the predictions…

Statistics and Individual Achievements

Kobe Bryant, after averaging fewer than 30 points per game last season for the first time since 2004-2005, will fail to meet the 30 ppg game mark again this season.
At the same time, he will average a career-high in assists (his previous high is 6.0 apg in that same '04-'05 campaign).
LeBron James will once again lead the league in scoring, but will see a rise in ppg by at least 1.0 points. Last year he averaged exactly 30.0 ppg.
James's rebounds and assists per game both will be in the 8's (they were 7.9 and 7.2 last year, respectively).
That also means that LeBron will be this year's MVP. The Cavs might not have as much team success as other candidates, but his stats will be just too good to ignore.
Deron Williams is an All-Star this year as long as he stays healthy.
When both Jermaine O'Neal and Chris Bosh are healthy the Raptors are going to be very good, but O'Neal will end up missing at least 20 games due to injury this season.
Bosh, on the other hand, will be much healthier, playing 75+ games.
So will the oft-injured Dwayne Wade. He'll go 75+ as well.
Kevin Martin of the Sacramento Kings will finish the season among the league's top five in points per game.
Just like last year, Chris Paul will lead the league in assists.
Deron Williams will jump Steve Nash for second place in that same category.
Also just like last year, Dwight Howard will lead the league in rebounds, but his average will jump up to at least 15.5 rebounds a game (compared to 14.2 per game last season).
Jerry Sloan will be Coach of the Year. The Jazz are always fantastic and he never wins. Maybe this year.

Team Play

The New Orleans Hornets will finish the season with the best record in the NBA.
That best record will be right around 60 wins (I'll give myself 2 games either way).
Sacramento, Oklahoma City, and Charlotte will battle all season for the league's worst record, but ultimately it will be the Bobcats that win the league's fewest games.
The Eastern Conference will win more games in inter-conference play against the Western Conference this season than they did last year.
The Denver Nuggets will lead the league in team scoring.
The Toronto Raptors, who last year were 28^th in the league in team rebounds, will be in the top ten of that same category this season.
The New York Knicks will win over 30 games this year (compared to 23 wins last season).

Trades

Shawn Marion will finish the season on the Miami HEAT. He's not going to be traded.
Lamar Odom isn't going anywhere, either.
The Chicago Bulls will make at least one trade to cash in some of their smaller pieces for something bigger. If they can't make a big one happen, they'll still make at least one smaller trade to appease the fans.
Jamaal Tinsley will get bought out before he gets traded. Indiana just won't be able to find a taker for him.
The Golden State Warriors will go through the entire season without trading for another reputable point guard. They'll choose instead to just wait on Monta Ellis to get healthy and punished and maybe let Stephen Jackson run the point in the meantime.
Sacramento's Brad Miller will be moved right around the trade deadline in exchange for expiring deals and/or draft picks.
As much as the Knicks would love to trade Zach Randolph, nobody's going to want to eat his contract. As a result, he'll still be on the roster by year's end.

Rookies

Derrick Rose, despite being the most exciting player on Chicago's roster, will be among the league leaders in turnovers per game, somewhere between 3.5 and 4 a night.
The rookie that will score the most points in a single game this season is O.J. Mayo.
But Michael Beasley will lead all rookies in scoring.
Kevin Love, by most measurable benchmarks, will be considered a disappointment after his rookie season.
Brook Lopez, by most measurable benchmarks, will be much better than most people think.
Danilo Gallinari is going to look more and more like a bad pick as the season progresses. My best guess is he'll float somewhere in between injury and mediocrity.
Marreese Speights and J.J. Hickson will put up numbers similar to Luis Scola and Carl Landry did last year in Houston.
Chris Douglas-Roberts is the best the second round has to offer. He'll be as solid as a second rounder comes this year.
Greg Oden will be in the top five in the league for blocks per game.
Derrick Rose will be the Rookie of the Year (I'm only giving myself one homer prediction this year instead of the six or seven I threw up last preseason).
The rest of the All-Rookie Team will be Oden, Beasley, Mayo, and Hickson.

The Postseason

Top four teams in the East: Orlando, Philly, Boston, and Detroit.
They'll be up against the bottom four playoff seeds: Toronto, Cleveland, Chicago, and Indiana.
Top four teams in the West: New Orleans, L.A. Lakers, Utah, and Houston.
Up against the bottom four seeds: San Antonio, Phoenix, Denver, and Portland
That means the Dallas Mavericks and Miami HEAT will miss the playoffs.
The NBA Finals will be between the Boston Celtics and the New Orleans Hornets.
Boston will win their second straight title.
On a whim here—the Sacramento Kings win the first overall pick in the NBA draft.
The San Antonio Spurs won't make it out of the first round in June of 2009.
But the Houston Rockets will for the first time in Tracy McGrady's career.
No teams with a sub-.500 record will make the playoffs (two did last year—Philadelphia and Atlanta).

Let the angry comments commence! Last year I scored just over a 50%, but was pretty close on a lot of the ones I missed. This time around I'm shooting for 75% correct. One year older, one year smarter. At least, that's the way it should work, even though Lindsey Lohan is living proof that this is not always the case.

I can't wait for another great year of NBA basketball, especially considering how wide open the league is this year. The tide is changing from some of the older elite Western Conference teams towards a whole bunch of burgeoning success stories. That means fantastic basketball for the next several months. Get comfy, folks. The season's almost upon us.

NBA: Lebron Isn't Going Anywhere..

Hoopsworld — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 09:19:03 -0400

By: Steve Kyler

Keeping LeBron: Cavalier's owner Dan Gilbert expressed his frustrations with the national media for their rampant commentary regarding LeBron James pending free agency in 2010, saying he felt it was an insult to Cleveland. There is no questioning that the summer of 2010 will be an interesting time, as it will be one of the largest "Big Name" free agent classes in recent NBA history.

The reality is while everyone assumes that New York, New Jersey and Miami will all be big attractive players in the marketplace, the odds that any of the major names changes teams is remote. Most of the teams jockeying for cap space are teams that are rebuilding, teams that are hoping to re-shape their future after years and years of bad salaries.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have absolutely the best financial package for Lebron James, he has a history with the team and the team is committed to building a winner. Sure LeBron has done everything but blow kisses at New York, wait he did that too… The odds that LeBron leaves money on the table are slim.

There is hope that LeBron will be willing to do that, giving New York or New Jersey a shot at forcing a sign and trade, but in the NBA players do not leave money on the table and we no longer live in a world where market share matters. LeBron James is a global mega star from Cleveland; landing in New York does not make LeBron a bigger name. LeBron becomes a bigger name by winning, and that my friends is what will sway LeBron the most – where can he win and win big.

Dan Gilbert has a valid point, it's insulting to a market to believe they are somehow inadequate to support a star, LeBron has done OK for himself in Cleveland, and that's not going to change unless the Cavs head to the lottery. And for the record, Europe is not going to steal a mega star like LeBron, Kobe or Dwayne Wade. That's a huge step backwards for this level of talent.

The smart money says Dwayne Wade re-signs in Miami, Chris Bosh re-ups with Toronto, and LeBron James remains a cavalier until the wheels fall off. Why? Because those teams can pay them $20 million more than anyone else can.

NBA: Eastern Conference Franchise Players

Hoopsworld — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 08:16:28 -0400

By: Jason Fleming

Every team has one player who is the face of the franchise. Often this player also happens to be the best on his team, but not always. He is the player the coach talks to first about any issue, the player management may consult on possible roster moves, the one in the locker room after a game the local media congregates around because you have to get his sound bite, the player the fans think of first when talking about their team.

HOOPSWORLD takes a look at the Eastern Conference and picks the franchise player for each team.

Atlanta Hawks – Joe Johnson

Josh Smith and Josh Childress got all the headlines this summer, Al Horford had an outstanding rookie season, but Johnson is the player that stirs the drink for the Hawks. There were questions as to what kind of player Johnson could be when the Hawks gave him all that money in a sign-and-trade with the Phoenix Suns, but he has answered every one.

Boston Celtics – Paul Pierce

A case could be made for Kevin Garnett, but only to people outside of Boston. Pierce understands the legacy of being a Boston Celtics, understands what the Celtics mean to Boston, and puts that to work through hard work every time he steps on the floor.

Charlotte Bobcats – Gerald Wallace

Cases could be made for Emeka Okafor (the big money guy) or Raymond Felton (the point guard), or even Jason Richardson (the best score), but Wallace is the player Charlotte needs to win games. He isn't the franchise face as some other names on this list, but neither are his teammates. Now, if he could only stay healthy...

Chicago Bulls – Luol Deng

Few players exemplify team leader like Deng. A story was told on this site awhile back about Deng making himself late to a plane because two teammates – who wouldn't get the same treatment as him – were also going to be late. Who doesn't want that kind of guy as a teammate? Deng also happens to be Chicago's best player and involved in many community endeavors, as well as working as an ambassador to the 2012 Olympic Games.

Cleveland Cavaliers - LeBron James

No player in the NBA is more a franchise player than James. He's the team's best player, he is always in the spotlight, he's approachable, he's an icon – not just in the US but all over the world – and he makes it look so easy. Without James the Cavaliers are barely a playoff contender would become practically irrelevant.

Detroit Pistons – Chauncey Billups

Billups embodies the people of Detroit: hardworking, not flashy (Kid Rock aside), and full of perseverance. How many players get cast off by multiple teams and then become an All-Star and MVP contender? Billups, without question, has been the leader of a team who has become a mainstay at the top of the East.

Indiana Pacers – Danny Granger

One of the least experienced on this list, the choice of Granger is a nod towards the new day dawning for the Pacers. With Jermaine O'Neal now in Toronto Granger, as the team's best player, is undoubtedly the face of what the organization wants all their players to be like. You know, like Jamaal Tinsley is not.

Miami HEAT – Dwyane Wade

It doesn't matter how good rookie Michael Beasley becomes, as long as Wade is wearing the red and black on South Beach he is the Miami HEAT. One of the most respected players in the league by his peers, coaches and media alike, expect Wade to also get back into the conversation for this season as one of the best players as well.

Milwaukee Bucks – Michael Redd

Redd is a likable guy, easy to talk to, easy to get along with, but it's his tenacity and willingness to work on and off the floor that make him a franchise player. He is the team's statesman, and a true asset. Of course, that lightning quick jump shot doesn't hurt either.

New Jersey Nets – Devin Harris

Jason Kidd is gone. So is Richard Jefferson. Vince Carter seems to be half out the door. No one knows if any of the young talent is truly up to keeper status yet. By default the franchise tag falls on the young point guard who simply is being asked to replace a future Hall of Famer. On a team with so many questions, expect Harris to provide answers.

New York Knicks – David Lee

Surprised? After all, Lee has only started 55 games in three years, but no Knick excites the Madison Square Garden crowd like him. He hustles, he gives his all, and he is everything New Yorkers want to cheer for. Expect his role to expand under new coach Mike D'Antoni.

Orlando Magic – Dwight Howard

"Superman" is undoubtedly the face of this franchise, dominating the paint and highlight films with his dunks and becoming a commercial icon with his playfulness. His game is still evolving as he adds in more low post moves to his repertoire and will dominate this league for years to come.

Philadelphia 76ers – Andre Iguodala

Elton Brand deserves consideration here even though he hasn't played a game, but Iguodala is the player the organization crowned when the chose to trade legend Allen Iverson. Iggy brings it on offense and defense, inside and outside, and has evolved into a team leader.

Toronto Raptors – Chris Bosh

Already an All-Star, many NBA fans didn't have that much knowledge of Bosh. That is, until he started a YouTube campaign to get into the All-Star Game last season. Now an All-Star and Olympian, he is the driving force towards whether the Raptors make the next step in their growth. Jose Calderon and Jermaine O'Neal will help, but they stand behind Bosh.

Washington Wizards – Gilbert Arenas

It's easy to say perhaps Arenas isn't the most important player on the floor after the past couple seasons by Caron Butler, but being the franchise player isn't all about on the floor. Mostly, but not all. No player is sought out more often for his opinion on any given subject, no player more often puts himself and his point of view – uncensored – out for everyone to see; Gilbert Arenas is the definition of franchise for everything else he brings with him as well as the points.

Those are our picks - do you agree? Would you have picked someone else? Leave a comment with your choice for a given team and tell us why you would have picked Elton Brand over Iguodala, Caron Butler over Arenas or Emeka Okafor over Wallace.

Poll: Who is the Best Player on Team USA?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:44:17 -0400