We all know by now that the Cleveland Cavaliers are now the "proud" owners of the longest losing streak in the NBA. They went from the number 1 team in the league to the worst team in the league after one preseason. They didn't lose much in quantity, but they lost a lot in quality, primarily in the name of LeBron James. But what makes their fall so intriguing is that it goes beyond losing.
Most importantly, they would not be in this position if they were not losing like they are now. Yes, they have played significantly better since their streak-breaking win, but that is null and void considering the fact that they lost 26 straight games. This is the longest losing streak in all professional sports, adding insult to injury. They find themselves dead last in the league. It's hard to believe that they actually were on top of the world last season. But there is more than meets the eye when it comes to the Cavaliers.
Let's start with the good news. They probably should not be in this position. They dealt with an unfortunate amount of injuries. They lost Mo Williams, newly acquired Baron Davis, Antawn Jamison, J.J. Hickson, and Daniel Gibson, all productive members of the Cavs, to injury at some point in the season. They also lost Anderson Varejao, one of the bright linings of the Cavs typically, for the entire season. They were forced to start multiple no-names. Their rotation includes 3 undrafted players (Manny Harris, Samardo Samuels, and Alonzo Gee) and a bunch of other no-names (Christian Eyenga? Luke Harangody? Ryan Hollins?). They put up a valiant effort for most of the season. Byron Scott has had to push the Cavs at times, but you cannot blame the Cavs for a complete lack of effort. They were just outmatched. You can't expect their rotation to do much. Many of the players should be developing in the NBDL in my honest opinion.
But there is a lot of bad news. First, let's consider where the Cavs are. They are in Cleveland. This may sound stupid to some people, but Cleveland is notorious for having horrible sports luck. Cleveland has been subject to "The Shot", "The Drive", "The Fumble", "The Catch", and now "The Decision". Cleveland was finally in the spotlight for a winning reason, but then they got knocked down because someone thought he should take his talents to South Beach. This fall from grace is just another addition to an already horrible sports history.
Second, the Cavs lost their hometown boy. LeBron James was not like Michael Jordan in this regard. James was highly-touted as a prospect. Michael Jordan was given a lot of credit as a collegiate player, but he did not have nearly the fanfare of James. It may be a sign of the times, but this adds to the blow. Furthermore, LeBron James grew up in Akron, not too far from Cleveland. When the Cavs had the number 1 pick in the 2003 draft, the Cavaliers were ecstatic to add a homegrown talent like James. Fast forward 7 years and to this 2010 preseason. When James appeared with his ESPN special "The Decision", very few people expected the hometown hero to betray them like that. He knew the history of Cleveland right? He knew that they dealt with sports issues all the time. They finally returned to prominence that was unheard of in Cleveland since probably the Jim Brown days. And then James ripped out Cleveland's heart. Cleveland's fall from grace was caused by their golden boy.
Third, the Cavs were subject to "The Decision". I touched base on this event a little bit in both of the previous reasons, but "The Decision" is one of the biggest reasons for the prestige of this spectacular fall. When most teams fall like the Cavs did, it was because of a transitional period caused by one of their star players retiring. Consider the fall of the Bulls when Jordan retired a second time. They were in a rebuilding period because Jordan retired. It wasn't because Jordan bailed the Bulls for another team. Jordan decided that his time was up in the NBA as a player. LeBron James bailed the Cavaliers. No team dealt with this type of embarrassment before the season even started.
Lastly, the Cavs responded incorrectly, actually horrifically badly, to LeBron James' move to Miami. Dan Gilbert should have responded professionally to a valid move by an NBA player. As much hate as James gets for bolting to Miami, it is mostly at how he did it rather than why he did it. I think that the move to Miami was all about winning at all costs, and you cannot get down on a guy for trying to win. But that is exactly what Dan Gilbert did. I could understand his motives for doing so. He wanted to rally the troops, show that the Cavs are not out of the playoffs yet. But he could have done so by actively pursuing guys who could help soften the blow. He could have dealt veterans who would not be part of the rebuilding process. Instead he guaranteed, guaranteed, that the Cavaliers would win a championship before LeBron James. But this season showed that that was simply bold talk. There was no substance in that proclamation. The embarrassment of losing this season is hurt by Gilbert's arrogance.
The Cavaliers will have a difficulty living down this season. It wasn't made any better by the hubris of Gilbert. It wasn't made any better by "The Decision" or the untimely and unprofessional departure of LeBron James. It wasn't made any better by Cleveland's history. This is a true fall from grace. It's sad to think that the Cavaliers, after so many seasons on top, will be relegated to the lottery until their next LeBron James comes. Or I should rephrase, if their next LeBron James comes.
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