My Plan for the Cavaliers

On Tuesday night, I joined the More Than a Fan Podcast for the first time. It was absolutely fantastic. You should listen. What I want to talk about, however, started immediately following the podcast.

As Josh Flagner and Damien Bowman left to get on with their incredibly busy lives, (just kidding, we all know Damien does nothing), Marcus Seeley, Tony Mazur, and I sat around and turned on the NBA Draft Lottery.

The sense around the room was unanimous: “I’d be happy with anything four or below.” What happened next, none of us came close to expecting.

When Ben Silver flipped over the card for the fourth pick, and it had the Charlotte Bobcats’ silver and blue abomination, we were all content that the Cavaliers would fall in the top three.

Silver then flipped the next card over: Washington Wizards.

The excitement was building.

The penultimate flip: Orlando Magic.

Seeley, Mazur, and I went nuts. No, it was pretty much only me that went nuts. I was excited, can you blame me?

Immediately, I was racking my brain for draft possibilities. And that’s where I’ll finally start this piece.

There three clear cut prospects that Cavs fans are looking at in this draft. They go as follows:

Nerlens Noel C Kentucky.

Ben McLemore G Kansas.

Otto Porter F Georgetown.

There’s one person, who is Hiram Boyd, that wants Alex Len to go number one overall to Cleveland, but let’s be realistic. I love Len, but you can’t take him at numero uno.

There is also a third option that I was a part of until recently, and that is the “trade the pick” option.

Each of these options are at least viable, whether I agree with them or not. I swear I’m going to give you my opinion, but first I’m going to way out the options.

Nerlens Noel is the most popular in terms of people outside of Cleveland. Most people are already putting the Noel pick in Sharpie. Those people may be a wee bit ignorant.

With Nerlens you’re getting a project with incredible potential. He’s as athletic, long, and defensive-minded as you can be. He blocks anything you put close to the rim on defense and will dunk anything that comes close to the rim on offense. He is incredible at stealing passes, and even poking the ball out on a few dribbles. He runs the floor unlike any center I’ve ever seen. He’s a great rebounder, thanks those lengthy limbs, on both ends of the floor. He fits the Cavaliers biggest need at the center position.

Nerlens has so many positives that people often forget the many negatives that come with drafting Noel. He has no offensive game outside of dunks. He has terrible hands. He can’t play with his back to the basket. He can’t shoot. He can’t make free throws. He’s far too skinny and lacking in strength. He’ll get eaten alive by most centers in the NBA. And, he’s recovering from a brutal ACL injury.

That’s a lot, a LOT, of negatives for a number one draft pick. I’m not saying that it makes him undraftable at number one, but it certainly steers him clear of a “for sure” number one prospect.

Then you have Ben McLemore, who I believe is the most talented player in this draft. However, he doesn’t fit with the Cavaliers who already have their guards of the future in Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters. At 6’4, he can’t play the 3, which would be the ideal fit, so it makes it hard to justify drafting him. The skills are all there. He’s a great scorer, has great shooting mechanics, a good defender, and an amazing passer. He would certainly be a great fit for last year’s draft but, with Dion Waiters there, it would put the Cavaliers in a tough position to draft him.

Otto Porter is a much better fit with the Cavs, but brings about an issue that will be discussed later. Porter has great size for a small forward. At 6’8, Porter is quite the lengthy small forward, a la Tayshaun Prince. He’s also a very smart guy, as he was able to play at Georgetown, and had a high basketball IQ. He’s a great scorer and a good shooter, all of which could help the Cavs greatly, as they have a tremendous need for a small forward with the ability to score at will. He’s not great near the rim, which is certainly concerning, and doesn’t have great quickness on the defensive end, but that’s essentially where his weaknesses end. Porter is a much better fit than McLemore, but not the overall player that McLemore is.

Finally, there is Alex Len, the 7’1, 255 pound center out of Maryland. Len is a project, but is one of the most intriguing prospects in this draft. Originally raised in Ukraine, Len is still adjusting to the United States and the style of basketball they play. His sophomore year at Maryland was much better than the first, as he was continuing to settle in, and it created a lot of buzz. Len is as athletic as they come at 7’1. He throws down vicious dunks over some of the best in the business. He has a great mid-range game and outside shot, that will stretch the floor wherever he lands. He’s got a great build with wide shoulders and a lot of muscle. He’s good with his back to the basket and good facing up. The problem with Len is his motor and his basketball IQ. Len will go through spurts where he just looks lost on the court and won’t give the effort necessary to succeed. He is also continuing to learn the game, something that will come with time. Eventually, I believe Len will be the best center to come out of this draft, but he is a project that may need a year or two in the D-League or overseas. He definitely, and I’ll repeat, DEFINITELY, cannot be the number one selection.

These players are all guys that will benefit some team, but many people believe the Cavs best move would be to trade the pick.

Bill Simmons, of Grantland and ESPN, started the “fake trades” with a Demarcus Cousins for the number one pick deal. He continued with a Lamarcus Aldrige for a number one, number 19, and Tristan Thompson trade. Finally, he brought Kevin Love into the discussion with a huge trade that would cost the Cavs all of their picks.

While the Cavs would certainly love all of those guys, they’re going to hurt the Cavaliers extensive cap space. But, maybe cap space doesn’t mean that much?

Except it does.

I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again. LeBron James is the key to this team competing for a championship. You can tell me to jump off of a cliff, jump off the 480 bridge, or jump into the Dawg Pound wearing Steelers garb, but I am absolutely correct.

I’ve heard, from different people, that the Cavs don’t need LeBron. They can grab a guy like Aldrige, who I LOVE by the way, and a couple of other great role players with all of their cap and compete for a championship. The problem with that is, you’re going to run into LeBron James and he’s going to beat you. Every. Single. Time.

I was as pissed off as you were when he left. I was as upset, as butt-hurt, as devastated as everyone else. I didn’t ever want him to come back. But then I grew up. I realized a couple of things. First of all, you can’t shun one of the best basketball players in the history of the game from coming back to your city. It looks childish and stupid. It will prevent you from competing for a championship, something this city has been striving for since 1964. If you really value championships as much as you say you do Cleveland, you will welcome LeBron back if for no other reason than to win that elusive championship.

With LeBron, you’re going to win a ring. You’re going to have Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters, LeBron James, Tristan Thompson, and Noel Nerlens/Alex Len/Demarcus Cousins in your starting lineup, and if you don’t win a championship, something went HORRIBLY wrong.

Without LeBron, you’re going to have a good lineup, a lineup that would win a championship without him around, but it’s not going to win you a championship.

You may get close. You’re going to make the ECF each year, but LeBron will beat you every time. I’m sorry, but it’s true. He’s that good.

So instead of making your team, your town, and your people look more immature and foolish, forgive LeBron for doing what was, in fact, better for him and his personal life, and welcome him back to the city of his birth.

I’m not saying “get over it”. I’m saying, let’s win a ring if we have the opportunity to win a ring. We both made mistakes, let’s move on and if the opportunity to bring LeBron back comes, we have to jump on it.

That all being said, you can’t draft Porter. He wouldn’t bring you enough value from a number one pick. He’d sit on the bench and be a decent role player, not what you want from a number one pick.

You can’t draft McLemore either. He doesn’t fit well. Dion Waiters looks to be in the best shape of his life and is working as hard as ever to be a great player. You have to reward his efforts, not bust his confidence by bringing in a guy like McLemore.

So that brings it down to two guys and a trade, and I would be ok with two out of the three options.

Nerlens Noel isn’t going to play this year, and the Cavs would probably be back in the lottery next year. I would be ok with that. Adding a lottery pick in next years’ deeper draft wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Even if he does play, I think he would probably struggle. Coming off of the ACL is tough enough, and trying to gain weight in the process is just going to make it tougher. Nerlens may block a few shots, but he’s going to get dominated. The season after could be worth it. So I’ll say that drafting Nerlens would be gearing up for a dominant 2014-2015 season, and that would be fine with me.

Trading for an All-Star under 25 would be ok in theory, but if it inhibits any chance of bringing back LeBron, count me out. I love Lamarcus Aldrige, he’s one of my favorite players in the league. He would fit very well in Cleveland. I would very much enjoy him in a Cavaliers uniform. If you can’t sign him and LeBron, forget it. Boogie Cousins may be ok as well, but I don’t necessarily love his attitude. I doubt Kevin Love is moving anywhere this offseason, and he would be a huge hit to our ability to sign other guys, so I’m going to pass.

Finally, I give you what I want. It’s going to be unpopular, but I care not.

Remember how I said do not take Alex Len number one overall? Good, well don’t.

Trade out of one, but not too far back. Trade down for some a quality piece or two, along with a top seven pick, and grab Alex Len. While Len is a project, I see him as a better pro then Nerlens. He would be ready to contribute when LeBron was ready to comeback, and the Cavs would be instant favorites to win the Eastern Conference, especially with the quality role players they picked up by trading down in the draft.

While next year might not be the best, 2014-2015 would be worth it.

With the trade I’m putting in place, here’s the roster I’m projecting, (presuming a trade with the Phoenix Suns, who have the #5 pick in the draft. Goran Dragic, Shannon Brown, and the number 5 pick, for the number one selection. Phoenix, looking for a SG, would pick Ben McLemore with the number one overall selection.)

This is what the Cavaliers need to do to be title contenders in 2014. This is the move they need to make. There is no use rushing and trying to compete without LeBron.

I know this is a weird analogy, but it’s one that I used with Mr. Jackson, @WayneEmbrysKids, for a while on Wednesday. LeBron is the greatest carne asada that you have ever tasted, Clevelanders. That carne asada was maybe the best you’ve ever had touch your toungue. As it was going down, it rumbled a bit, but overall, you were still feeling okay. When it was on it’s way out, it burned worse than any burn you’ve ever experienced.

But by now, you should have forgotten that burn. Your tongue should be watering for that taste again. There’s no way it will end up that bad again, and I can guarantee that you will be so happy you had it again.

The first time, you got that carne asada because you got lucky. This time you’re going to have to pay for it, so you have to save up. There’s no use settling for quesadillas, nachos, or enchiladas. You know there not going to taste nearly as good, nor be nearly as satisfying as that carne asada, so you might as well go for it.

If LeBron burns us again, well, then you can blame me for vouching for him. If Len sucks, you can blame me for trading down and picking him up. If the pieces in the trade for number one don’t help us, oh well.

I just think that it’s useless to settle for the lesser value, when you could potential get the most value.

I am going to stick with this team, no matter what they do, but this is CLEARLY the best plan of action, even if it backfires. If it backfires, you’re still going to be a playoff team and that’s when Chris Grant will prove his worth as an NBA GM. He’s done a heck of a job repairing this team after the first time Lebron left, and if LeBron leaves again, I am sure he will start right where he left off.

Trade down, pick up quality role players, get Alex Len, explore options for the number 19, 31, and 33 picks, and wait until the summer of 2014 to see if the plan comes together the way it’s supposed to.

Follow me on Twitter at @H_Grove!

The post My Plan for the Cavaliers appeared first on More Than A Fan.