Cleveland Cavaliers: How To Win a Title Before LeBron, Prove Dan Gilbert Right
After all of the hubbub of the Cleveland Cavaliers beating the Boston Celtics in their first game of the season, and therefore beating LeBron James and the Miami Heat by the transitive property, the season has begun to settle down to where many predicted it would.
The Cavs are now 1-3, while Miami is being lauded across the country and is sitting at 4-1, with a dismantling of the Orlando Magic on their resume.
Now, I bet a lot of you read the title of this little article and unanimously thought, "You's a crazy fool!" well, I had the same thought, but I'd like to entertain the idea.
First, many people agree that they won't be able to win the title in their fist year together, so that gives Dan Gilbert about a millisecond of breathing room to make a concise plan and follow through with it.
So, to save him a little time, I'll do the thinking for him and put together a game plan for the Cleveland Cavaliers to win a title before LeBron James and the Miami Heat. (Because I know he is part of the dedicated following of readers that I have.)
Forget About Acquiring a Super-Duper Star
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Hoards of Cleveland faithful have given me their scenario on how the team can acquire a superstar that is likely on the move, such as Chris Paul or Carmelo Anthony.
The first thing that Gilbert must do is get rid of that thought.
Cleveland doesn't have the national aura to lure stars there at will, as New York or Los Angeles does.
The main thing that the Cavs can acquire through trades and offseason acquisitions would be draft picks and players that would be dubbed "psuedo-stars."
So go ahead, offer Carmelo a max deal this offseason, and if he accepts it, then great, but don't get your hopes up, and please dear god, don't trade valuable pieces away for his services for half a season.
Now, you may be saying to yourself, "But Jesse, everybody knows that you need a superstar to win a championship, how can they expect to win without one?"
Well, it's true that in the NBA, the method followed for decades has been to build a team around a star to win, and it works, but it's not the only method.
Another way to build a championship team is shown by really only one-and-a-half teams in the past decade...
Be a Homer
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The Detroit Pistons built a championship caliber team without a bona fide superstar (some would argue that the Spurs' Tim Duncan is not a legitimate superstar, so they did it that way too, but he is a superstar, don't kid yourself).
The Pistons did it with players who were great players, but none of them were a top caliber guy like the Lakers, Celtics, Spurs, Heat, Bulls and Rockets have had over the past 20 years.
Building a team that is an intertwining of talents is much harder than doing so with a superstar, a sidekick and role players surrounding them.
The Pistons had a roster of players who could do everything great when they were a team.
Chauncey Billups was a great facilitator for the team, someone who always knew where everyone was and was able to make a play from that. He is above average at everything, from shooting to passing and defense, and had the ability to read a defense and play to its weaknesses.
Right now, it seems that Ramon Sessions could be that guy, for he is a good fit as long as his ability to run an offense progresses over this season and next.
Tayshaun Prince was a lanky man who could defend anybody on the court, but still score, something the Cavs don't currently have on their roster. Getting a defender who is versatile and can still score would be invaluable to any team.
Rip Hamilton was an uber-athlete who was constantly in motion, and always moving when he was off the ball, and had the ability to score from anywhere on the court. Jamario Moon is the poor man's Hamilton.
Finally, we all know Ben Wallace for what he is and isn't, which is a defense oriented guy who keeps anybody from coming into the middle, despite his short stature for playing center.
Anderson Varejao can be this guy, but instead of blocking every shot within a two-mile radius, he has active hands. On any given rebound or cross-court pass, you are sure to see Andy in the vicinity, giving the Cavs an extra three to five possessions a game at a minimum.
Rasheed Wallace was a guy with a warrior mentality during that season who was intimidating to the opposing player and had a deadly jumpshot.
While I don't think JJ Hickson will ever develop a jump shot that could ever be compared to Wallace's, he can develop that mentality, and become a ferocious defender and low post player in the process.
Now, nobody is saying that they need to copy the Pistons example exactly, but it sets a nice guideline to give to a team trying to win a championship without a superstar.
So Dan, we know you're a boy from Detroit, and we still like you, so take some tips from your hometown team and build something that is a cohesive unit, rather than the popular superstar-sidekick combo.
Sort Out Your Players
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Here is what you need to do, Dan: Make a list of the players who are integral to the championship aspirations of the team, a list of the expendables and a list of the players that have got to go.
I'll help you out a bit here.
Gotta Have 'Ems
JJ Hickson—If you wouldn't give him up for Amar'e Stoudemire, he has to stay on the team. You made the people believe that he is going to be great, so stick to your guns.
Anderson Varejao—He is a player who is part of a winning system. Giving him up doesn't necessarily admit that a championship with this squad is a lost cause, but it delays the ability for a title for at least a few years.
Boobie Gibson—Ever since the 2007 Playoffs, in which he absolutely torched Detroit, I have been a believer in this guy. He is going to be the sixth man hot shooter off the bench or the point guard for this team, but either way he needs real minutes in order to see if he is a good player or a streaky player.
Good Players, Can Be Traded
Mo Williams—He's got to stay around for at least a good part of this season. It seems that soon after coming to this team, he got complacent and his career backtracked a bit. Let's see if he can work his way back up.
Ramon Sessions—Just a third-year point guard, but is looking extraordinarily promising. If he becomes a good facilitator and an above average point guard, then latch onto him.
Anthony Parker/Jamario Moon—It seems that they got lost in the "LeBron is our offense" era and backtracked a bit. If they get it back, then they are hot shooters with athleticism; otherwise, they're expendable.
Probably Need to Trade
Antawn Jamison—I think it's time to accept him as a failed experiment. He no longer fits the system and should be scrapped for picks or a young'un.
Use The Lockout to Your Advantage
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Two things to do with the lockout looming are: Stock up on 2012 draft picks and throw around some money to free agents.
With the lockout looming, it will do two things—effectively weaken the 2011 draft, but beef up the 2012 draft, with more players opting to stay in college with the future more uncertain.
Take advantage of this by trimming some of the fat from the current roster and picking up some 2012 picks.
Along with that, take advantage of hesitant owners.
If a lockout is going to happen, it could lead to a rash of players being bought out of their contracts, either before or after the lockout, comparable to the way that it did with the NHL in 2005.
This left quite a few number of players looking for a new team, as they were unable to re-sign with their old teams after the buyouts.
If this is to happen, it could be like an Easter egg hunt between owners to pick up someone that a stingy owner either didn't want to pay or couldn't keep under the new salary cap.
Take Some Calculated Risks
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The Portland Trail Blazers already said that they will not be offering Greg Oden a contract extension, making him a restricted free agent next season.
So, what's the harm in having all of the doctors working for the Cleveland Clinic down the road from you examining every inch of his body?
If they conclude that he could be restructured back into his old self, then make an offer that the Blazers would be hard-pressed to match.
There are countless other players in the next season who will be free agents, either restricted or unrestricted, that could either blossom to a high potential that was once dreamed of for them, or can return to old greatness.
This would include, but is not be limited to: Andrei Kirilenko, CJ Miles, Reggie Evans, Carl Landry, Jason Richardson, Jeff Green, David West (if New Orleans decides to cut money and exercises their early termination option on him), Chris Douglas-Roberts, Marc Gasol, Shane Battier, Rodney Carney, Tayshaun Prince (remember...we talked about him earlier?), and Jamal Crawford.
Just take a gander around, and if some parts seem like they would fit, then give it a shot. What have you got to lose?
Bonus Advice: Sign Brian Scalabrine
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Seriously, there is no other reason that this guy is still in the league other than the luck of the Irish that he brings with him.
Every year, it seems like the team he is with goes deep into the playoffs.
So pick him up, put him on the end of the bench, let him look awkward and let fans cheer like mad every time he comes into the game with two minutes to go in a blowout.
Seriously, he is freaky lucky, and luck couldn't hurt.
