After 12 games, the Cavaliers stand at a respectable, as well as surprising, 6-6 record. What stands out about that record is that the Cavs have played the least amount of home games (3) of any NBA team. They also just played their toughest stretch of their schedule-- a 7 game-west coast-road trip--in which they went 3-4. Considering the compressed 66 game schedule and the fact that the Cavs lucked out in only having to play certain teams like the Thunder, Lakers, Clippers, Mavericks, and Blazers once, it’s not ridiculous to believe this team will make the playoffs this year. It is, however, ridiculous to root for such a thing to happen. Or so I’ve been told.
You know how they say that the NBA teams that are good are the one’s that lucked out and hit on a star with the first or second pick in the draft? Well...it’s true, but not necessarily the way you might think.
As of now, the Cavs stand at 7th place in the Eastern Conference. This is a bad thing for many Cavs fans because we know how loaded the upcoming draft class will be, and more importantly, we know how the draft is the only way for teams like the Cavs to get better. But guess what? There’s been a change in plans. Kyrie Irving isn’t John Wall, Tristan Thompson isn’t throwing alley oops to himself off the backboard like JaVale McGee, and the Cavs aren’t like the Washington Wizards or any of the other cellar dwellers in the NBA. What makes the Cavs different is that, for the first time since 2003, they found themselves in the NBA draft lottery and they made the most of that situation in selecting Kyrie Irving.
It’s no secret that every team wants to find a star in the draft, but there’s more to it than simply lucking out and getting to pick a guy like Kyrie Irving all because the Clippers were dumb enough to trade away their unprotected first round pick.
I’ve asked myself this a trillion times over the last couple years and I’ll ask it again...How are the Minnesota Timberwolves so terrible? How is a team with Kevin Love, Mike Beasley, Wesley Johnson, Derrick Williams, and Ricky Rubio not in playoff contention every year? Could you have a better college all-star team? Yep, the Timberwolves put the whole “top 5 lottery pick” thing to shame. Actually, a lot of teams have put it to shame, and it’s not because they haven’t had any luck in the lottery, it’s more-so about something else.
Going back to the whole “the good teams are the ones who get lucky with a Kevin Durant, LeBron James in the lottery” theory. Because of this mindset, teams are always taking the player in the lottery that has the most potential to be a star. That’s where they go wrong. After going a few years without having found their star, you end up with a team that has a ton of young talent, but no direction or foundation. It’s the downfall of the “stockpiling picks” mantra. Here’s where the Cavs lucked out, though: Going into the draft last June, the Cavs not only lacked a foundation and direction, they lacked talent everywhere because they hadn’t had a lottery pick in the last eon. With the selection of Kyrie Irving, the Cavs didn’t just get a star in the making, they got a star who, from day one, was “the guy.” He had to be, that’s how untalented and uninspiring the Cavs roster was. On the other hand, Minnesota--who took Derrick Williams with the second pick--also got a star in the making, the only difference being Williams opened the season on the depth chart behind Kevin Love and Michael Beasley. The same goes for Ricky Rubio who found himself playing behind Luke Ridnour.
The Sacramento Kings, Detroit Pistons, and Washington Wizards are all in the same boat as the T-Wolves. They’ve collected so many players in the lottery that they’re left with a jumble of young players who have great potential, just no on-court composition and direction. In return, you’re left with an organization that is aimlessly wandering along, waiting for the next Kevin Durant to plop on their laps. What people forget is that when Kevin Durant was drafted, he found himself in the same situation as Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard etc. in that they were all drafted to a team with nothing and, as a result, found themselves at the helm from the start. In a league in which the “alpha dog” role plays such an importance, you don’t want to find yourself with a bunch of Greg Monroe’s, Brandon Knight’s, Austin Daye’s, and Ben Gordon’s.
It’s not about accumulating draft picks, it’s about getting a solid foundation in place and then going about filling all the rest of the holes. By filling holes I don’t mean surrounding Kyrie Irving with Rashard Lewis, Nick Young, Jan Vesely, JaVale McGee, Jordan Crawford, and Roger Mason like the Wizards have with John Wall. By filling holes I mean building around the only assets on the roster that matter-- Irving, Varejao, and Thompson; something that doesn’t have to be done through the very top the draft. David Lee and Joakim Noah-types can be found anywhere in the middle of the first round or in free agency, and because of what Kyrie Irving has shown, as a Cavs fan, I’m more than willing to settle with a draft pick outside the lottery. That’s because I’m busy counting my blessings.
Every team is looking to hit on a superstar in the draft. If you’re a Cavs fan, you should be thankful that your team has already made quick work of that. Now it’s time to go with the flow and enjoy the ride. Most of all, it’s time to take a sigh of relief knowing the Cavs won’t end up like the Wizards or Timberwolves.
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