Read More: LeBron James (F – MIA), Tristan Thompson (C – CLE), Kyrie Irving (G – CLE), Cleveland Cavaliers

Until May 30 when we find out which team will be going where in the NBA lottery, it’s up to making educated guesses on where the balls, and players, will land. As such, it’s time for hilarious guessing as to where the teams involved will be picking in the top 14. Tom Ziller’s latest 2012 NBA mock draft has an order based on the ‘Basketball Gods’ which has the Cleveland Cavaliers picking UNC’s Harrison Barnes at sixth overall.

Of course, he says the Basketball Gods are in favor of Cleveland continuing to build a powerhouse young team led by Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson so they can beat LeBron at some point:

Like everyone else, The Basketball Gods became angry with LeBron James in 2010. Not because of The Decision, but because of LeBron’s decision to hold his infamous spectacle at a Boys & Girls Club with children present. It was a move clearly designed to shield King James from the multiple strikes of lightning that The Gods wished to rain upon him, and it upset them so deeply that instead of seeking retribution later they opted to turn Cleveland into a powerhouse that will crush him someday.

Someday.

Well done, Basketball Gods.

FOX Sports Ohio has done scouting reports on many of the prospects that the Cavaliers have had in mind, or are at least assumed to be having in mind. Their latest is on, who else, Barnes, and it looks like he is already an ideal NBA player despite having a bit of a bad rap as an underachiever:

“People who have watched his full body of work aren’t complaining too much,” said an Eastern Conference GM. “The kid was built for the NBA. There’s better spacing (in the pros than in college), and he won’t come in as everyone’s focus. He should be open a lot. When he is, good things happen.”

There should be plenty of looks for Barnes, especially in his rookie season if teams continue to focus their attention at containing Irving from the Cavs.

For more news, analysis, and discussion on the Cavaliers, visit Fear the Sword. For all your NBA Draft and Playoffs news, follow SB Nation’s NBA news hub.

What are your opinions.

The 2011-2012 Cleveland Cavaliers looked like an entirely different team than the squad that was left in ruins following LeBron James’ infamous “Decision.” Rookie point guard Kyrie Irving, who the Cavaliers took first overall in the 2011 NBA Draft and who was named the NBA’s Rookie of the Year Tuesday, and fellow rookie forward Tristan Thompson added some spice and gave life to a team that desperately needed it. For a good portion of the season, the Cavaliers even looked like they might sneak into the playoffs.

But then, the dreaded injury bug reared its ugly head.

Center Anderson Varejao was lost for weeks longer than expected with a wrist injury and Irving had health issues of his own. The team felt the losses, falling from a potential playoff team to having the third-worst record in the league.

But might this have been a blessing in disguise? Instead of having a borderline-playoff team and a first-round pick in the mid-teens, the Cavs moved themselves way up in the draft and will have the opportunity to draft a game-changer for the second year in a row.

With the NBA Draft lottery, the Cavs have a 13.8 percent chance of obtaining the No. 1 overall pick, but also could move down. Either way, if they stay in the top six-to-seven picks (which is far more than likely), they can improve themselves vastly. Here is a look at some of their options.

The Potential Star: Bradley Beal – Shooting Guard – Florida
Beal is a player many folks have not heard of, but NBA scouts rave about. Standing at 6-foot-3, Beal is a deadeye shooter who will also defend and rebound. He is just 18 years old and would be a perfect backcourt mate for Irving to take some of the pressure off the star.

The Risk: Andre Drummond – Center – Connecticut
Drummond is one of the biggest question marks in the draft. Most scouts have him going in the top five, but he could slip due to questions about his motivation, motor and maturity. Still, Drummond is a force down low with amazing athletic ability.

If the Cavs were to roll the dice on Drummond, they could pair him down low with Varejao and would have a terrific rebounding force as well as a shot-blocking presence for years to come.

The Dream: Anthony Davis – Center – Kentucky
This kid is the real deal. Davis, who played the point throughout much of his high school career, hit a tremendous growth spurt in his final two years of high school that sent him from the range of 6-foot-2 to 6-foot-10. He has the shooting stroke and dribbling skills of a guard, but also the knack to be a solid big man. Davis led the nation in blocks at 4.7 per game and was on the best team in the nation.

Everybody is drooling over Davis, who is the consensus pick to go No. 1 overall. The Cavaliers would need some luck in the lottery, but to be able to pair him with Varejao down low would be a dream scenario for this franchise.

The Best Fit: Harrison Barnes – Small Forward – North Carolina
After a slow start to his college career, Barnes picked his game up as he decided to stay for his sophomore season when the NBA went into lockout mode last summer. Standing at 6-foot-8, Barnes is a pure scorer who can get his own shot and has the potential to be a 20+ points per game kind of guy.

Barnes would alleviate tons of pressure from Irving. It is almost certain that Barnes will be on the board when the Cavs draft. He would be a terrific fit on a squad that desperately needs a small forward.

On May 30, the Cavs will find out their Draft Lottery fate, but they also hold the 24th overall pick along with the 33rd and 34th overall picks and have a golden opportunity to improve further. But all eyes will be on their first choice, and they appear to be a lock to get another big piece to what Cleveland fans hope will soon be a championship puzzle.

Gotta run!.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Kyrie Irving, the NBA’s Rookie of the Year, has continued the Cleveland Cavaliers’ tradition of accomplished point guards.

Butch Beard, the Cavs’ point guard in their second year (1971-72), made the Eastern Conference all-star team in that, his lone full season with the team. Beard was a solid player, but in those days, NBA All-Star Game rules stipulated that each team had to be represented by at least one player.

The Cavs’ tradition of point guard excellence truly began the next season, when future Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens began a two-year stay with the team. Wilkens was near the end of his playing career, but was still one of the league’s premier playmakers. Later, of course, from 1986-93, he coached some of the Cavaliers’ best teams.

Wilkens’ understudy as the Cavs’ point guard, former Ohio State star Jimmy Cleamons, guided the team to its first two playoff berths.

The 1986-87 Cavaliers not only featured Wilkens as their new coach, but a brilliant rookie class that included that season’s backup point guard, Mark Price. He would become the first player in Cavs’ history to be named first-team all-NBA.

Terrell Brandon backed up Price for four seasons, before becoming an all-star in his own right. Later, Andre Miller would come along to run the Cleveland offense, though for bad teams. If the Cavs hadn’t traded Miller to the Los Angeles Clippers prior to the 2002-03 season, they wouldn’t have tied the Denver Nuggets for the NBA’s worst record, and thus been positioned to win the draft lottery and select LeBron James. Miller just completed his 13th NBA season, playing for, ironically, the Nuggets.

Younger fans may not know that one of the game’s all-time best point guards, Walt Frazier, was a Cavalier. When Cleamons left the Cavs for the New York Knicks following the 1976-77 season, the teams –according to NBA free agency rules of the day — had to agree on compensation for the Cavaliers. New York agreed to send Frazier to Cleveland. Frazier, though past his prime, played well in 51 games before a foot injury ended his first Cavaliers’ season. He played just 15 more games for the Cavs before they waived him early in the 1978-79 season.

Other point guards played some solid basketball for the Cavs over the years, such as Clarence “Footsie” Walker, John Bagley and Brevin Knight. Cleveland drafted future all-star Kevin Johnson in the first round of the 1987 draft, but Price dominated him in training camp matchups, and Johnson was sent later that season to the Phoenix Suns in a multi-player trade that brought all-star forward Larry Nance to Cleveland.

During James’ seven seasons with the Cavaliers (2003-10), he played with several point guards, though the offense ran through him. The best of them were Larry Hughes and Mo Williams. In another irony, Williams was the centerpiece of a Cavaliers trade with the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 24, 2011. As part of the transaction, the Cavs received, unconditionally, the Clippers’ 2011 first-round draft pick. That asset won Cleveland the draft lottery for the first pick, used, of course, to select Irving.

Who is the best point guard in Cleveland Cavaliers history?

Video: A brief biography of Lenny Wilkens NBA career:

Video: The final moments, including Jimmy Cleamons’ inbounds pass to Dick Snyder for the game-winning basket, in the Cavaliers’ 87-85 Game 7 win over the Washington Bullets in the 1976 Eastern Conference semifinals:

Video: Highlights from Mark Price’s career:

Video: Highlights from Terrell Brandon’s career, and an interview:

Video: Mo Williams scores 43 points during the Cavaliers’ 117-110 home win over the Sacramento Kings on Jan. 27, 2009:

Video: Kyrie Irving wins the MVP award for the Rising Stars Challenge game, part of the All-Star Weekend events on TNT:

Not much else going on in the NBA world today.

Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

CLEVELAND Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving is hours away from being named the NBA’s Rookie of the Year.

The Cavs say they will make a “major announcement” along with the league on Tuesday morning at Cleveland Clinic Courts, the team’s training facility in Independence. The team did not specify what will be announced, but The Associated Press was one of several media outlets to report Sunday that Irving, the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft, will win the award.

The 20-year-old averaged 18.5 points to lead all rookies — and the Cavs — in scoring. He was clearly the league’s top first-year player, and his choice as winner has been expected for months.

The Associated Press

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CLEVELAND, Ohio — Welcome to today’s edition of Starting Blocks TV, hosted by Chuck Yarborough, who’s flying solo today as Branson Wright is off.

Now that the Cavaliers have the NBA’s reigning Rookie of the Year in Kyrie Irving, they will turn their attention to NBA Draft 2012. Assuming they don’t land the No. 1 pick – which will almost surely be Kentucky center Anthony Davis – which player do you think would be best for the Cavs to take and feature alongside Irving? That’s the question in today’s Starting Blocks poll.

Today’s guest on SBTV is Plain Dealer Cavs reporter Mary Schmitt Boyer, who has thoughts on that and other topics. She discusses what parts of the game Irving needs to work on heading into next season; and which teams she thinks has the best chance of knocking off LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the NBA playoffs.

SBTV returns Tuesday with Plain Dealer reporter Dennis Manoloff talking Browns and Tribe.

If you like reading our blog, remember to bookmark it.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cavaliers’ Kyrie Irving will be named the NBA’s Rookie of the Year Tuesday in a press conference in Independence.

From today’s story by Tom Reed on the award:

Irving was such an overwhelming favorite to win the award, voted on by select media members, he addressed the topic with local reporters two weeks ago.

“If I do get it, it will be a great accomplishment for the city of Cleveland, my teammates and myself,” Irving said. “I couldn’t have done it without them. The confidence they had in me allowed me to be myself and play my game.

“If I do win it, I’ll take it home and put it with the other trophies I have.”

Irving becomes just the second Cavs’ recipient of the NBA honor. LeBron James, who like Irving was a top overall pick, won the award in 2004. But unlike James, he did not enter the league with a $90 million Nike deal and predictions of a can’t-miss career.

Irving’s rookie season was a success, and he gives the Cavs a building block for the future.

But with NBA Draft 2012 arriving next month, which player should the Cavaliers look to in the draft if they don’t land the No. 1 pick – who almost assuredly will be Kentucky center Anthony Davis?

That’s our question in today’s Starting Blocks poll: Which player other than Davis would be the best fit for the Cavs to star alongside Irving?

Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

There is the quick update of the day.

Leave any suggestions in the comment box.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The NBA draft lottery isn’t quite four weeks away, and the draft is less than two months from now.

The re-building Cleveland Cavaliers, who finished the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season with a 21-45 record, will be among the teams in the spotlight for both events.

Plain Dealer Cavaliers beat writer Tom Reed wrote about the team’s draft standing last Friday:

The club has two first-round picks and the lowest they will select after factoring in the May 30th lottery is sixth overall. They also own the 24th pick from the Lakers. In the second round, they have selections Nos. 33 and 34.

It’s a strong mathematical improbability that the Cavaliers would drop to sixth in the draft order. The Cavs’ positioning for both of their first-round picks was aided somewhat last Friday, as Plain Dealer reporter Mary Schmitt Boyer wrote that a couple tiebreakers went the Cavs’ way:

They won two tiebreakers that will improve their position in the upcoming NBA lottery on May 30 and draft on June 28.

In the first drawing, Cleveland (21-45) won a tiebreaker with New Orleans (21-45) and now ranks third, with 138 chances out of 1,000, for the No. 1 pick in the NBA lottery. New Orleans, now fourth, will have 137 chances. Even if three teams behind them move up in the lottery, the Cavs will pick no worse than sixth.

The Cavs won the lottery last spring and used the No. 1 pick to select Kyrie Irving, the likely Rookie of the Year.

In the second drawing, the Los Angeles Lakers (41-25) won a tiebreaker with the Memphis Grizzlies (41-25) and now have the No. 24 pick in the NBA draft, a pick that was sent to the Cavs in the trade for Ramon Sessions.

As the draft approaches — especially after the lottery is conducted and the playoffs end – we will see more and more mock drafts.

Most mock drafts to date project the lottery teams’ draft order based on how many ping pong balls they’ll have working for them at the lottery.

For instance, mynbadraft.com has the Cavs picking third, and selecting Florida’s freshman shooting guard, Bradley Beal.

Included in the mynbadraft.com draft profile for Beal:

He possesses nearly unlimited range and is dependable from the free throw line. Since his junior year in high school, scouts have compared Beal’s shooting ability to that of Ray Allen. His shooting prowess especially showed itself in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, where he shot 8-19 from three point land in four tournament games.

Two other key elements that set him apart from the average division one shooting guard are his unselfishness and intense work ethic. Beal is a natural basketball player–he does not take many forced shots, attacks the rim when the opportunity presents itself, and makes smart decisions on passes. Also, Beal devotes significant time to making his game better–even in high school, he would come before school to shoot and would stay after practice to work on his shooting most days of the week, proving that he has known the value of working hard since a young age.

Mynbadraft.com has the Cavs using their second first-rounder, at No. 24 overall, to pick Syracuse center Fab Melo.

More NBA mock drafts:

Cavaliers select Bradley Beal at No. 3 and a man in the middle at 24. (WalterFootball.com)

Bradley Beal and a forward for the Cavaliers in the first round. (nba-draft.com)

In the first round, the Cavaliers draft a small forward and a swingman. (DraftExpress.com) 

Not one, but two big men picked by the Cavs in the first round. (NBADraft.net)

Even though the Cavs need more outside shooting and players who can create their own shots, a center and a power forward go to Cleveland in the first round. (NBA Draft Room)

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CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving will have a busy July representing team and country in Las Vegas.

The presumptive NBA Rookie of the Year not only will lead the Cavs’ summer-league squad, but also help prepare the U.S. Olympic basketball club as it readies for the Summer Olympics in London.

USA Basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo confirmed that Irving will receive an invite to participate on the U.S. Select Team, which acts as a sparring partner for the Olympic team and serves as a pool of talent from which future international sides will be drawn. The select squad, comprised of 10 to 14 players, will scrimmage against the Olympic team from July 5-12, a Team USA spokesman said.

The Cavs will compete in summer league action from July 13-22. Cavaliers coach Byron Scott said he doesn’t plan to use Irving and Tristan Thompson in all of the team’s games.

Irving, who has dual citizenship, declined a chance to play for Australia in the upcoming Olympics to put himself on track to be part of Team USA in future Olympic and international events. He said several months ago he expected to part of the Select Team.

The point guard figures to have a decent chance at representing the country in the 2014 world championships in Spain. It’s unlikely US veterans such as LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, who will appear in their third Olympics in London, will remain in the program for much longer.

Irving has played for USA Basketball at the junior level and was coached by U.S. Olympic coach Mike Krzyzewski at Duke in 2010-11.

On Thursday, the Americans added Oklahoma City’s James Harden and likely No. 1 overall draft pick Anthony Davis to the list of 20 Olympic finalists due to injuries. Point guard Derrick Rose suffered a season-ending knee injury on Saturday that also will sideline him for London. Short of another injury or two to point guards Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and Deron Williams – who are among the finalists for the 12-man roster – Irving won’t be part of the Olympic team.

In a text message, Colangelo wrote a youngster like Irving “needs to pay his dues” the way Westbrook, Rose, Kevin Durant and Kevin Love did as U.S. Select members in 2008. Davis, who played for NCAA champion Kentucky last season, is probably getting a look because of the paucity of quality big men. Orlando’s Dwight Howard has a back injury and Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum will have an innovative knee procedure performed this summer.

“I think the key word today is flexibility,” Colangelo said in a Tuesday conference call. “Flexibility on time, flexibility with names and roster sizes, etc. I think we have concluded to some degree, although we’re not finished with our meetings, that we will probably add one or two players to that pool and that’s because of circumstances.

“We’re also excited about some of the young players that we feel can really be part of this and the future of USA Basketball and that’s a consideration for us as we select the Select Team.”

The U.S. Olympic team is supposed to finalize its roster by June 18, but might receive an extension.

Jamison finishes third: The Cavaliers’ Antawn Jamison finished third in the balloting for the NBA Sportsmanship Award. Dallas’s Jason Kidd won the honor, while Miami’s Shane Battier finished second. Each NBA division was represented with a finalist.

What do you guys think about this.

By David Vranicar

– Newsdesk contributor

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May 3, 2012 – Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving has been chosen as a member of the 2012 USA Select Team, according to the Plain Dealer’s Reed Boyer:

The Select Team is comprised of young NBA players and will scrimmage the National Team. This year’s roster, which is not yet complete, also includes John Wall.

The Select Team has in the past worked as a feeder program for the National Team. Members of the 2008 Select Team included 2012 Team USA finalists such as Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, Andre Iguodala, LaMarcus Aldridge and Kevin Love, among others.

Irving seems a no-brainer for the Select Team. He led all rookies in scoring at 18.5 points per game, shooting 46.9 precent from the floor and 39.9 percent from downtown. He was also good for 5.4 assists per game, second among rookies.

For more on the Cleveland Cavaliers, go to Fear The Sword. You can also check out professional basketball news from around the league over at SB Nation’s NBA page, or check out SB Nation’s YouTube channel:

Read More: Andre Iguodala (F – PHI), LaMarcus Aldridge (F – POR), Kevin Durant (F – OKC), Russell Westbrook (G – OKC), Kevin Love (F – MIN), Derrick Rose (G – CHI), John Wall (G – WAS), Kyrie Irving (G – CLE), Cleveland Cavaliers

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Jason Lloyd writes on Ohio.com how once upon a time, actually in mid-January, the Cleveland Cavaliers were still in contention for a playoff spot when a couple of coach Byron Scott’s old media acquaintances were asking about the Cavs’ roster.

“We’re nowhere near where we need it to be,” Scott said.

The roster only regressed from there, with the Cavs flipping Development League players in and out through a turnstile over the season’s final six weeks. The Cavs’ final roster had eight players on it who spent at least part of this season in the D-League.

Lloyd writes how the Cavaliers have four of the top 34 picks in this summer’s draft, and the goal is obviously to improve the talent. In order to do that, the present roster needs to be evaluated.

Lloyd takes a look at the player-by-player look at the Cavs’ final roster and the prospects for each player returning next season:

Definitely, most likely, 50/50, not likely and no chance.

Omri Casspi

The good: He stayed healthy. That’s about it.

The bad: Casspi was probably the most disappointing player of the season. He lost his starting job, posted career lows in nearly every offensive category and was criticized by Scott for not knowing the playbook late in the season. But other than that …

The future: 50/50. The Cavs will spend the summer trying to upgrade at the wing positions.

 Daniel Gibson

The future: Most likely. The front office is high on Gibson, and he’s a leader in the locker room. But he must rediscover his stroke or else next year will be his last in Cleveland.

More Cleveland Cavaliers

The best is yet to come for Kyrie Irving (The News-Herald).

Joe Tait speaks at HOF Lucheon (CantonRep.com).

The Cleveland Cavaliers review (Bleacher Report).

That’s all for today.

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