2008-2009 Finish: 36-46

What went bad

When the 2007/08 season finished, the Cavaliers were one of the hottest teams in all of basketball. Sure, the Sixers edged them out of a close Eastern Conference Finals, but this team had a powerhouse lineup with the likes of Kevin Garnett, Al Jefferson and Monta Ellis. With this much talent propelling them, 07/08 would be a fluke and the Cavs would buy their way into the NLL Finals.

It's hard to pinpoint where things began to unravel for the Cavs. Maybe it started when Ellis mysteriously injured himself. All those cuts and bruises on his leg didn't seem to come from a basketball court. When all the lying and cover-ups came out, Ellis would be suspended and the Cavs would start the season without one of their best players. It hurt even more that the former 2nd round pick had just signed a 6 year deal beginning at $11 million. See, money was not an object in Cleveland as Garnett signed, Jefferson signed. Heck, even the eternally injured Marquis Daniels got a deal for almost $7 million. The only trade GM Alejandro pulled off before the season sent DeShawn Stevenson, hardly a wallet-buster, to the Heat for roster fodder like Rodney Carney, Mario West and Sean Singletary.

Ellis be damned, this roster was ready to take on the world. With all the capital behind it, how could it not win?

What went worse

One by one, GM Alejandro's men went down. First, Chris Kaman, then Jefferson, then Garnett. Boom, boom, boom. Since the team could only sign scrubs with its horrific money problems, guys like Lorenzen Wright, Will Bynum and Rob Kurz began to see major minutes. Fans stopped coming to games, players stopped caring and the Cavs were written off for the season, finishing at a lowly 36-46.

Though Alejandro did very little to cut cap, he did make one trade during the season, one that was very intelligent for the Cavs and doomed the Hawks to even more mediocrity. Somehow Alejandro sent the overpaid and underproducing Kirk Hinrich and Daniels to the soon-to-be-fired GM of the Hawks for the expiring $13mil of Wally Szczerbiak, the useless Robert Swift and a top 10 pick. The one shining spot in an otherwise dismal season.

Goats

- The Entire Team–

Chris Kaman, 34 games. Andrei Kirilenko, 66 games. Monta Ellis, 34 games. Kevin Garnett, 44 games. Al Jefferson, 36 games. And the combined salary of these five guys is more than the entire payroll of some other teams.




- GM Alejandro –

A recession is on, but no one told Cleveland. Rather than make moves to cut down salary, the Cavs enter the new season with seven guys signed and more than $10 million over the salary cap. While fatcats like Washington and Philly are dumping money, Alejandro just doesn't seem to care. New fines will change that tune soon.

Looking to the future

The Cavs decided to stand pat as the season chugged to its conclusion. Rather than try to offload Kaman or AK-47 for picks or cap relief, nothing happened at all. Maybe the shock of not making the playoffs was too much to bear but things remained status quo in Cleveland, a situation that needs to be rectified before things start up again in November.

The draft was a different story. Armed with picks 9 and 10, the Cavs had a chance to shape the future of the club with the two guys they selected. At number nine, they grabbed what they needed most, a point guard in Jonny Flynn. The Syracuse sophomore has the skills needed to be a starting NLL floor general. Alejandro will need to coach his decision-making and outside shot, but this choice was very important. At number 10, he grabbed North Carolina senior Tyler Hansbrough. A very intense player, some wonder if Hansbrough is quick and athletic enough to really make it in the NLL. Only time will tell.

So the Cavs come back with seven guys signed and eight guys expiring. They already grabbed Bynum's option, but the rest of the free agents they can afford to let go, unless Szczerbiak comes back for a pittance. However, the Cavs will need to do something. Kaman and AK-47 should be dealt before the season starts to flesh out the roster. With KG and Jefferson on board, there is no reason to pay bench guys more than $10 million. Besides, after the rookies are signed, the Cavs will be well over the luxury threshold with only 9 guys onboard. Hopefully Alejandro will do something, or else run the risk of being run out of town.