2016-17 Finish: 61-21

Season Highlight:

The Cavs had a cracker of a season behind Lebron and Drummond, with increased production from Serge Ibaka this season. Then there was the role playing crew around them gelling just as GM PK had hoped. They were in a strong East so “only” finished 4^th in the conference despite having an incredible 61-21 record and not much went wrong them really. Their highlight however was clearly in the playoffs, 2^nd round. Philly had just taken a game off them in Cleveland and the series was looking dire at 3-1 to Philly, the top team in the land, and it would have seemed all hope was lost. However, the Lebron lead Cavs took full advantage of the missing Kawhi Leonard and stormed home on a 3 game streak to take the series in 7. It doesn’t get much better than that!

 

Season Lowlight:

It really is tough to pick a lowlight in this season. An obvious one would be that after coming off the high of defeating the top team in the 2^nd round in 7, they got blown away by New York in only 5 games in the 3^rd round…but that’s too simple. The lowlight I feel is a little more sentimental. The end of the Cleveland Championship era with the departure of Tony Parker via trade. It was a move that needed to be made of sorts but it doesn’t make it any less easy. Parker carried them to the promise land as Lebron’s sidekick for years and he’ll go down in Cleveland folk law.

 

Best Trade:

The Cavs were very light on for deals this season only making a couple of moves to sure up the rotation along the way.

Cavs Send: Amir Johnson, Pick 50 and Pick 56
Cavs Get: Luis Scola and Kosta Koufos

Amir was playing very solidly for the Cavs but was expiring. They bolstered the big man department with a solid C in Koufos on a good deal and a similar expiring replacement in Scola. It’s not a home run, but it was a win in a win now season.

Worst Trade:

Cavs Send: Tony Parker
Cavs Get: Amir Johnson and Michael Carter-Williams

In the end of their Hall of Famers reign in Cleveland, they got a serviceable expiring big man, whom admittedly I just suggested they got a good deal for a couple of months later, and a swing at an MCW career turnaround which was looking fairly unlikely even at the time, let alone now. MCW didn’t play terribly but was surpassed by Harrison during the season and will likely only be back next year because the price is extremely low.

 

Other Notable Trades:

Cavs Send: Pick 26
Cavs Get: Robert Covington

Solid value for a solid role player on a good cheap deal.

 

Cavs Send: Thomas Robinson and Brian Roberts
Cavs Get: Malcolm Delaney

1 nothing and a veteran role player for a low ceiling flier. Not to bad.

 

Cavs Send: Rodney Stuckey
Cavs Get: Mike Muscala and Pick 50

Decent stretch big and a late pick for a guard whom wasn’t going to get a lot of run, makes sense.

Free Agency:

The Cavs went into the FA Days with a clear plan and it worked pretty well. Get Depth. TRoss came straight back, as did the big man Andre Drummond. Lebron tried his hand at a larger pay day but decided to resign also and the rest from there was bonus. The bonus was a swathe of veteran role players capable of helping the team with names like Jason Terry, Brandon Jennings, Brian Roberts and Thomas Robinson. They took some small swings at upside guys on minimum deals in James McAdoo, Christian Wood and Rakeem Christmas and the roster filled out quite nicely.

 

Star:

On a team with Lebron James this question is an easy one. He wasn’t as prolific this year as he has been in the past with career lows in points (23.1), steals (0.9) and blocks (0.6) but he had his 2^nd highest career total of assists (7.1) and his lowest turnovers for 6 years (2.0). he was his usual glue self, in a few less minutes this season than recent years and carried them like he always has.

 

Goat:

 The Cavs got a fairly even contribution from their squad including pretty much all role players filling their respective roles, so it’s hard to be too down on anyone. Unfortunately, we have to then give it to Michael Carter-Williams, not only for some lack lustre play himself, but because of who he was brought in to replace. He averaged a solid 8 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds but shot it 40% from the field, 30% from the arc and 70% from the line. Compared to TP averaging 11, 6 and 3 on 45%, 36% and 82%. This inefficient play also saw Andrew Harrison take the starters role with his more efficient 44%, 36% and 89% on similar averages in less minutes.

 

Draft Grades (from the draft insiders):

 

Round 1:  None

 

Round 2:  Kadeem Allen @ Pick 58

Grade:  B (Nenjabin), D+ (Merencio)

 

The Future:

 The Cavs are typically one of those teams that isn’t particularly enamoured by the bright lights of the draft, youth and potential like so many other teams, but that’s not to say that they aren’t young. Lebron can probably play until he’s 40, and he’s surrounded by the core of Andre Drummond (24), Serge Ibaka (28), Terrence Ross (26) and Robert Covington (26) with other role players just reaching their prime also. Serge showed growth last year and could do again to really make that starting core even tougher to face, with TRoss perhaps finally getting a shot to hold the starting role for good. Of course, they need to make sure they resign Serge, and perhaps the key to them getting back to the final rund of the season will be to replace Tony Parker properly soon.

 

Upcoming Free Agents:

Serge Ibaka: UFA – integral part of the squad and forms arguably the most feared front line in the league with Drummond, not to mention the size of Lebron at the 3. Must bring back.

Michael Carter-Williams: RFA – The price is right, so he’ll be back. But has his day already been? Make or break year.

Jason Terry: UFA – Oldie but a goodie. Surely there’s a place for his services.

Mike Muscala: UFA – Stretch big in his prime, bring him back!

Shawn Long: UFA – The bench could probably be filled out better.