| Out Of The Box - Fixing The Cavaliers For Next Season And Beyond Authored by Keith Berzanske - April 19, 2005 - 3:49 pm
| Current Featured Columns | | The First Three Weeks of 2008-09 Now that we’ve had a little time to watch free agency unfold, along with the usual accompaniment of trades, let’s look at some of the key moves and how they impact the teams involved.
Grading The Deal: W's Sign Maggette And TuriafThe Boom Dizzle era is over, and the Warriors quickly recovered by signing two nice pieces to complement their young core.
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Regardless of whether the Cavaliers reverse their fortune and overtake the Nets for the NBA playoffs, it's obvious that the roster needs some tinkering. While I am a proponent of continuity in general, there are some obvious deficiencies in this instance that mandate change.
I've watched a lot of film on the Cavaliers recently, and here are the steps I would take, if I had the power:
(1) Make LeBron James the point guard
I discussed this in a recent column - there are many benefits:
-James has the ball more often
Your best player should have the ball in his hands more often than anyone else. The offense should run through him and he should create opportunities for others. See: Allen Iverson, Jason Kidd, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, etc. Even centers like Shaq and Hakeem Olajuwon have had the offense flow through them - the entry pass is made and then there are cutters and spot up shooters, and they dictate what happens.
-McInnis becomes expendable
I don't see how McInnis can be signed for starter's money at this point, given that there's already 5.4 million committed to Eric Snow next year. This is a tough decision, as the team has won games over the past two year when McInnis has gotten more minutes and been a consistent contributor. The first 33 games of this year, the Cavaliers were 21-12, and McInnis had between 10 and 16 shot attempts in 31 of the 33 games. The Cavaliers losing streak began when McInnis went into a slump, shooting 29 for 77 over a 6 game skid, and then the team derailed further when he was benched. McInnis is not very good on defense, and will be 31 this year, meaning his best days are likely behind him. To commit to him as the starting point guard long term at this point just makes little sense.
-LeBron now guarded by smaller players
LeBron had to force a tough shot against Tayshaun Prince the other night. I bet it would have been a bit easier to get that look over Chauncey Billups or Rip Hamilton. Putting LeBron at the point would give him more passing lanes and take greater advantage of his court vision. It would also allow him to get his points in the flow and to dictate the action, which would help avoid those isolation scenarios that happen too often.
An in the interest of giving LeBron some more room to operate and some more energetic players that can run with him, we come to:
(2) Make Anderson Varejao the starting center.
Varejao is one of those players that makes things happen all over the court without ever having plays run for him. He hustles down rebounds, he blocks shots, he annoys opposing players; he's basically all elbows and knees, and has a nose for the ball. He needs to work on his individual defense down low and his free throw shooting, but I think he can play center and do a fairly good job. It's no coincidence that the team plays better as a whole when he is in there. Also, he is young and appears to have a versatile skill set, including an underrated passing ability.
Of course, by now you're asking, "Hey, what about Z?". That brings me to point #3:
(3) Sign and trade Ilgauskas for either Ray Allen, Michael Redd, or Wally Szczerbiak, plus filler
Allen is the main target here, and the sign and trade is a win/win. If he leaves as a FA he doesn't max out what he can get, and the Sonics get nothing in return. This way, he gets his money, Z gets his money, and the Sonics get a center. If we include DaJuan Wagner (also a sign and trade), and Lucious Harris (who has an expiring contract), the Sonics may throw in Danny Fortson, a tough rebounder with attitude who's fallen out of favor lately. They have a similar player in Reggie Evans, which could make Fortson expendable, and, losing Allen, they certainly would consider giving Wagner's young talent a shot.
{trade accepted under CBA - realgm ID 2353178}
If Allen can't be had, a similar deal could be worked for one of the other options.
It should be easy to convince these players to want to come to Cleveland and play with LeBron (do they want to be remembered as Bernard King or Scottie Pippen when they retire?). Once the sell job is done, their current teams will try to salvage something.
Let's assume I could get this deal done, and Luke Jackson returning with a clean bill of health. The new starting lineup would be (last year of contract in parentheses):
PG LeBron James (2008)
SG Ray Allen (2011)
SF Luke Jackson (2009)
PF Drew Gooden (2007)
C Anderson Varejao (2007)
So I've got my lineup together for at least 2 years. It's a good mix of youth and veterans, and of shooter and slashers. Also, James and Jackson are both exceptional passers, and Allen is no slouch either.
Another important point is that there should be enough flexibility and cap room to sign guys like James, Gooden, and Varejao to extensions when the time arises. Or if Gooden and Varejao prove to be expendable, there will be money to get replacements.
My bench includes:
Danny Fortson
Jiri Welsch (2007)
Ira Newble (2008)
Aleksandar Pavlovic (2008)
Eric Snow (2009)
DeSagana Diop (2008)
There's still not much scoring off the bench, but remember that Allen can carry the load while James is resting, whereas now there is no one to do that. Jackson's return should also be a shot in the arm for the offense.
Yes, this means that Diop needs to be resigned, probably to a 3 year deal. However, he can be had fairly cheap, and there a not a lot of defensive centers his size available. He's there to guard the obvious size mismatches at key points of the game and to use up 6 fouls. He's still young and developing - best case scenario is that he becomes a significant contributor. As limited as he is currently, he's 3 times as good as he was when he was drafted.
There is a team option for Robert Traylor for only 1.76 mil. This is a good deal, but before I resigned Traylor, I'd explore some other options. Here are some other players of interest that might be had for the midlevel exception:
Stromile Swift - probably the best bet. Swift has gotten the minutes in Memphis, so he can't demand too much cash, but he's got an interesting game, he's athletic, and he can block shots and play defense. Would be a good player filling the lane with LeBron leading the break.
Tyson Chandler - doubtful that he would leave Chicago. Cross him off.
Christian Laettner - interesting option because of his offensive abilities. Still, he's getting long in the tooth.
Marcus Fizer - Fizer could be had for cheap, and does have ability, although he's been lost in a bit of a roster shuffle. He's played OK for the Bucks after having his confidence shattered by the Bulls, who were a bad fit.
Eddie Griffin - too insane - no thanks
Mark Madsen - Madsen would bring good experience and a general scrappiness, something Traylor tries to bring but he's just too big to pull it off. He could also be had cheap.
Brian Scalabrine - poor man's version of Laettner - not sure we want to go in that direction.
Samuel Dalembert (Haitian Sensation) - Dalembert would be a perfect complement to Varejao, but he's not leaving Philly so let's drop that one before we get too excited.
Rodney Rogers - too old
Shareef Abdur-Rahim - too expensive and can't be a bench player
Matt Bonner - Bonner had a nice rookie year that went largely unnoticed. He'd be worth taking a look at. The Raptors want him back.
Kwame Brown - here's the most intriguing option. Will Brown resign in Washington, or look to get a new start? He's shown flashes of brilliance but has been marred by inconsistency. Does he know how to win? Probably worth the risk, if Swift is not available.
To rank in order of desirability:
Swift
Brown
Laettner
Bonner
Traylor
Madsen
Fizer
Scalabrine
that would fill the last spot on the bench and give the Cavaliers a complete team. We may also be able to get one of these players AND still keep Traylor, although that gives us 13 players. But here's the outlook with regards to roles and playing time:
-Snow and Welsch would back up at the point, depending on matchups
-Newble would be used as a defensive stopper when necessary
-Diop and Forston would be used as backup centers, depending on matchups
-Pavlovic gives us an extra shooter or offensive weapon off the bench
James will play 42 minutes, Allen and Gooden 36 each, and Jackson and Varejao 30 each, to start. This leaves 66 bench minutes: 30 for Diop/Fortson/Traylor (or whoever), 24 for Newble/Pavlovic, and 12 for Snow/Welsch, depending on how the rotation works out and who the opposition is.
That is a deep balanced team, one that can shoot the ball, defend, rebound, and run the floor, and has some veterans to provide stability to the locker room.
Arguably, this new team is not that much more talented than the current squad, with Z (although Allen is one of the best pure shooters in the history of the NBA). But it's all about style, and about chemistry. As good as Ilgauskas is, he's very slow, and the offense often shuts down when he gets the ball. If he's not getting the ball, he's usually just in the way, and while he can block shots, he doesn't rotate well on defense, unlike Varejao. Also, the upgrade to a shooter like Allen more than makes up for downgrading the offensive talent at center. The team needs more of a defensive mindset anyway, and they need to keep their energy up. With LeBron and Ray Allen, the Cavaliers will not have to worry about scoring points. But now they will be able to get key stops as well. As a bonus, free throw shooting is improved. Allen is a dead eye, and Fortson has a remarkably high percentage for a big man, which enables him to play during crunch time.
{Yes, I've changed my tune about Z since the beginning of the year - while I think his talent is without question, I'm nto sure that he is the best fit for what we are trying to do and I also think he has peaked and is due for a downturn. Given the money and years it would take to sign him, I can't see making this investment, as it would preclude us from either getting a shooter, or it would tie up the flexibility and make signing guys like Gooden and Varejao improbable.}
When the Bulls were winning championships, they ran a versatile lineup out there, bigger at the guards, smaller in the middle, with interchangeable pieces. The standard lineup was Jordan, Pippen, Harper, Kukoc, and Rodman. The Suns and Sonics did the same thing this year, with great success. Phoenix wanted to run and so they put Amare Stoudemire at center and Shawn Marion at power forward. They created mismatches rather than worrying about how the other team had the advantage. Sure, someone might overpower Stoudemire for a play or two; but can they really keep up with him on the other end for the entire game? The 80's Lakers were another similar team: big point guard (Magic), dead eye shooter (Byron Scott), defensive stopper (Michael Cooper), scrappy frontcourt (Kurt Rambis), versatile 3 man (James Worthy), and veteran backups (Mychal Thompson).
The Sonics won 50+ games this year. Look at their roster. Look at the roster above. You're telling me the new Cavaliers roster isn't as good or better?
So what we've accomplished:
(1) Kept the team under the salary cap while remaining flexible for future roster moves and contract extensions, and not dedicating huge long term salaries to players who will be past their prime long before the deals are done.
(2) Gotten the ball into our best player's hands so that he can do what he does best.
(3) Given LeBron James guys to throw to that can actually make an open shot, so that he doesn't feel like he has to force shots.
(4) Put a team together that can grow for a couple of years before some contract decisions need to be made
(5) Eliminated dead weight (guys who aren't contributing, i.e. Harris, Wagner) and made minutes for guys who need more time so that we can see what they can do (Welsch, Pavlovic, Jackson)
(6) Now relying on healthy players - no more worrying about Ilgauskas's feet or Wagner's intestinal problems.
(7) Solved problems both long term and short term.
(8) Brought in marquee talent (Allen) to get fans excited, as well as improve team.
(9) Eliminated some locker room negativity and some drama (McInnis playing time issue).
(10) Improved mental toughness (adding Forston and Allen).
Now all we have to do is hire the right coach for this squad, and we're all set! But that's something that needs some more thought... |
