CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cavaliers’ recently completed season was really two seasons — one of revival, the other of survival.
It was a lockout-shortened campaign cleaved on March 15 when the Cavs, with an eye toward the future, traded guard Ramon Sessions to the Los Angeles Lakers for essentially the No. 24 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft and the right to swap first-rounders in 2013. Struggling to overcome the loss of Anderson Varejao to a season-ending wrist injury, the Cavaliers slowly transformed from a plucky playoff contender to a glorified NBA Development League team.
They went from rookie Kyrie Irving leading them to fourth-quarter comebacks and upset wins over Dallas and Oklahoma City to someone named D.J. Kennedy leading them in minutes and points in the home finale. They went from coach Byron Scott saying, “Nobody in the NBA world thought we would be in this position right now,” at the All-Star break to “congratulating” his team on their effort in a 16-point loss at San Antonio a week ago.
The Cavaliers were 16-25 before the trade deadline and 5-20 after it. The franchise hope is that something positive will come from both segments.
With Irving as their centerpiece, the Cavs proved they could contend with a modest lineup that competed hard on an almost nightly basis. That promise has helped the franchise already achieve a 75 percent season-ticket renewal rate.
Cavs season review
Best win
Cavaliers 96, Thunder 90 (March 9): Oklahoma City was 16-1 at home before the Cavaliers stunned the Thunder behind late-game heroics from Kyrie Irving. The visitors scored 12 unanswered points after trailing, 85-82. Irving contributed two baskets and an assist in the final two minutes. He had a career-high 12 assists in the win.
Best of the rest
Cavaliers 91, Mavericks 88 (Feb. 4): The Cavaliers rallied from a 15-point deficit to upset the defending NBA champions at The Q. Anderson Varejao had 17 points and 17 rebounds, and Irving made his second game-winning basket in a week, with a twisting, turning layup with 16 seconds remaining.
Worst loss
Pistons 116, Cavaliers 77 (April 17): The Cavaliers trailed, 100-50, after three quarters. They became just the fifth team in the past 20 years to trail by at least 50 points after three quarters. Every Cavs starter was minus-38 or worse. Antawn Jamison’s minus-47 was the worst plus-minus rating in the NBA this season.
Second loser
Heat 111, Cavaliers 87 (Feb. 17): LeBron James and the Heat silenced a sellout crowd with a 21-2 start. James had 28 points and three ally-oop dunks and left the court skipping to the locker room and slapping hands with fans. Before the game, James made headlines by saying he would consider returning to Cleveland in two seasons when he can opt out of his current contract.
Turning point
Anderson Varejao fractured his wrist in a 113-112 overtime loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Feb. 10. Varejao was having an All-Star-caliber season, averaging 10.8 points and 11.5 rebounds. The Cavs went 11-30 the rest of the season.
Turning point, too
With the Cavs just outside a playoff position, they opted to move point guard Ramon Sessions to the Los Angeles Lakers at the March 15 trade deadline as part of a deal for a first-round pick, which will be No. 24 overall. They also have a right to swap first-round picks with the Lakers in 2013. “We’re charged with making the best decisions for the franchise short and long term,” Cavs General Manager Chris Grant said. “The ability to get a first-round pick and an option for a higher pick the following year was the right decision for us.” The Sessions trade coupled with the Varejao injury crippled the Cavs’ playoff hopes. They went 5-20 after the trade deadline.
Team MVP
Kyrie Irving: You were expecting Ryan Hollins? In his rookie season, Irving restored hope to the franchise with his outstanding play. He led all rookies in scoring (18.5 points) and was one of the league’s best players in crunch time. He became just the sixth No. 1 overall pick to average at least 18 points and 5.0 assists. The others are Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, Allen Iverson and LeBron James.
Most improved player
Alonzo Gee: The swingman was no lock to make the team out of training camp. By early March, however, he entered the starting lineup, never to be removed except for an injured ankle. Gee’s defense, hustle and leaping ability were on display almost every game. He posted career highs in practically every statistical category in his third NBA season.
Biggest disappointment
Omri Casspi: To his credit, Casspi would be the first to admit he didn’t have a good season. He arrived at training camp feeling the effects of a lingering knee injury and never found his rhythm. Casspi was acquired from Sacramento and expected to help the Cavs with their perimeter shooting. He finished the season shooting 40.3 percent from the field and 31.5 from behind the 3-point arc. Casspi lost his starting job to Gee. He’s under contract for next season but could be moved if the Cavaliers draft a top-flight swingman this summer.
– Tom Reed
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” As for the final 25 games, which included a 50-point, third-quarter deficit in Detroit, the Cavaliers slid from the middle of the pack to the bottom of the standings. They will draft no lower than sixth and, if the draft lottery goes chalk, will have the No. 3 overall selection. They also have the Nos. 24, 33 and 34 picks.
“[The off-season] could be big for us,” said Irving, a prohibitive favorite to win NBA Rookie of the Year honors. “I can’t wait to play with the guys we have coming back and the new additions. It’s kind of mind-boggling what can happen over the next few months.”
Irving along with fellow rookie Tristan Thompson and Alonzo Gee give Cavs fans reason for optimism in the post-LeBron James era.
On Friday, as Scott and General Manager Chris Grant met with reporters, they cautioned faithful that another non-playoff season is possible, and there will be no quick fixes through free agency. But the emergence of Irving has accelerated the rebuilding process.
The Cavs earned two more victories than last season and improved their winning percentage from .232 to .318. They were competitive on the road and — before the trade deadline — their longest losing streaks measured four and six games. The relentless Varejao was enjoying an All-Star-caliber season prior to breaking his wrist Feb. 10. Antawn Jamison’s ability to stretch the floor gave the Cavs a second scoring option and ensured Irving’s drive-thru lane was open late into the night.
But when the game beckoned for a hero, it was the rookie point guard who always answered the Bat Signal. Statistical gurus will use numbers to say Irving was among the league’s most clutch players. Historians will use variables — at least 18 points and five assists — to say Irving’s rookie season was on par with those of former No. 1 draft picks such as Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson.
Most fans, however, just used the eye test to say Irving is the best thing to happen to the Cavs since his buddy James left town. He dominated fourth quarters, hit game-winning shots and made his teammates believe no deficit was insurmountable. The Cavs beat the defending champion Dallas Mavericks at The Q and shocked Oklahoma City on its home floor.
Irving proved not only coachable, but he built a strong relationship with Scott, who mentored Chris Paul to stardom.
“He helped me develop as a player on and off the floor,” Irving said. “I could come to him and talk about anything on my mind and just be myself.”
Into early March, Thompson and Gee were quality reserves who helped the Cavs boast one of the league’s top benches. Quarterbacked by Sessions, the second unit was more athletic than the starters and supplied great energy. Scott was like a hockey coach in that he didn’t make substitutions as much as he rolled five-man units. Gee was often first off the bench to replace underachieving Omri Casspi, and he defended tenaciously against the likes of James, Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony. A season after playing in the D-League, Gee blossomed into one of the league’s most improved players, averaging 10.6 points and 5.1 rebounds.
Thompson had the biggest learning curve among the three promising youngsters. He was limited offensively and was asked to switch from power forward to center because of the lack of depth at the position. On March 18, Scott moved Thompson into the starting lineup, where he remained the rest of the season. He averaged 10.4 points and 7.5 rebounds in 25 starts.
Irving’s smooth, steady transition made Thompson’s rookie year seem more awkward. Thompson endured the typical ups and downs of a first-year player. He showed flashes of potential with blocked shots and big dunks while also failing to the hold onto the ball in traffic and taking too long to release shots.
Thompson, 21, needs a big off-season of development and should benefit from his first NBA Summer League in July.
The promotion of Thompson and Gee, along with the subtraction of Sessions, crippled the Cavs’ bench and contributed mightily to the late-season swoon. If Irving or Jamison weren’t on the court, the team had little chance of scoring. In a nine-game stretch from March 23 to April 6, the Cavs tallied more than 90 points once.
Some fans are happy to see Jamison, a free agent, depart, but statistically, he will leave a big hole in the lineup. An excellent rookie season by whomever the Cavs take with their first pick probably only equals Jamison’s output of 17.2 points and 6.3 rebounds. It’s one of the reasons Scott already is managing expectations for next season.
The Cavs’ tumble to the third-worst record was spectacular. They lost nine straight and 12 of 13 in one stretch. With Irving sidelined due to a shoulder injury, one of the only players who made them watchable was a 27-year-old D-Leaguer named Lester Hudson. Carrying a chip on his shoulder large enough to bear NBA Commissioner David Stern’s autograph, the streaky guard hit big shots, scored lots of points and drew praise from team owner Dan Gilbert on Twitter.
Hudson embodied the club’s survival mode as he scored 23 and 26 points in consecutive games to earn a second 10-day contract. He was one of eight D-Leaguers on the roster this season. Unable to reach an agreement, however, Hudson finished the year with his hometown Memphis Grizzlies.
He did not accompany the team to San Antonio last Sunday when the effort put forth in a 114-98 loss to the Spurs earned praise from Scott. The coach was sincere as he congratulated his players for just playing hard. It told fans all they needed to know about the state of the team and reminded them how much had changed since Varejao and Sessions had been removed from it.
These were two seasons in one. If Irving, Thompson and Gee can evolve and management can add a couple of key pieces this summer, perhaps next season won’t be as disjointed.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: [email protected], 216-999-4370
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