Читать книгу The Redemption of the King - Vince McKee - Страница 12

CHAPTER FOUR

Acquiring Talent

for LeBron

It was a quiet off-season. The team signed only one free agent of note: Devin Brown, a five-year veteran who had spent time with San Antonio, Denver, Utah, and New Orleans. He was a solid backup shooting guard, and with Larry Hughes’s injury concerns, the Cavaliers needed to have a reliable backup. The night before the opening game, the team received some good news: They had come to terms on a contract extension with Sasha Pavlović, who was holding out at the time. He would not be ready for the first few games but would return to action in time for their six-game West Coast road trip only a few days away. Cleveland got off to a slow start with the holdout of Anderson and an injury that kept LeBron out for seven games. It was looking as though a return to the finals would be a much harder and longer journey than the prior season.

The Cavaliers were still struggling to find their stride and slumped into a 14–17 record as the calendar turned to 2008. It was at this point that the team finally snapped out of its coma and got hot, eventually turning it around and achieving a winning record later into the season. As the Cavaliers entered into the last week of February with a 30–24 record, there had been rumors for a while that the Cavaliers chemistry wasn’t as good as prior years and that a major shake-up could happen. Despite the winning record, general manager Danny Ferry still felt that the team needed a change in order to return to the later rounds of the playoffs.

On February 21, 2008, Danny Ferry pulled off a blockbuster that no one saw coming. He took part in a three-team trade with the Chicago Bulls and Seattle SuperSonics that would change 25 percent of the Cavaliers’ roster. As part of a three-team trade, the Cleveland Cavaliers traded Donyell Marshall and Ira Newble to the Seattle SuperSonics and sent Shannon Brown, Drew Gooden, Larry Hughes, and Cedric Simmons to the Chicago Bulls; the Chicago Bulls traded Joe Smith, Ben Wallace, and a 2009 second-round draft pick (Danny Green was later selected) to the Cleveland Cavaliers; the Chicago Bulls traded Adrian Griffin to the Seattle SuperSonics; and the Seattle SuperSonics traded Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West to the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was a crucial trade that brought on high risk but also the chance for a very high reward.

Roda explained why it was crucial for the trade to happen and his belief regarding why it occurred:

They had to bring in some veterans. They were coming in off of a season where they had been beaten in four straight games in the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. Even though some of the games were close, they needed to tweak the roster since they were already figuring out how to try and keep LeBron James as a player in Cleveland. So when you’re doing whatever you can to make him happy and make the team better, you need those two things in concert and have to do both if you want to get it done. They were trying to show him that they were going to do everything that they possibly could to make the Cavaliers a championship team and keep them at that level. I give Danny Ferry all the credit in the world. Was it the greatest trade? Clearly no, because they didn’t win a championship. But Danny Ferry had the pressure of trying to find the best deals out there to improve the Cavs chances of winning and also keep LeBron James. Danny was doing his job as a general manager to bring in the most talent he could to maintain the level of play for the Cavaliers at a championship level and keep LeBron James happy, so that is why he went all in. I give Danny Ferry a lot of credit—instead of just standing by and doing nothing, hoping that they would get back there again, they went all in. It didn’t work out, but I at least appreciate a general manager [who] if he’s going to go down, he’s going to go down swinging. Danny tried numerous times to get the right pieces and parts to make this a championship team. Unfortunately, they were unable to get back to the finals that season.

Carman also gave his thoughts on the big trade:

When you look at it now, that was the beginning of them trying to see what is going to be in the future. I have always thought that LeBron was so young that at this point, they were trying to see who they could bring in to please him. Now there is a difference in the resolve of LeBron that there wasn’t back then. We were already wondering if we could hold on to him, and he very much let that go on. He catered to those who believed he would leave for New York or Los Angeles. I think that there was a little bit of distrust in what he was going to do. You were hanging your hat on LeBron and wondering what he was going to do from time to time. You just tried to make him as comfortable as possible and make some moves to try and help him. It was to see if he could really help himself because he wasn’t willing to sign a long-term deal. Well, if you’re not willing to sign a long-term deal in your early 20s, why would big-name free agents come here to play with him and want to sign a long-term deal to play with him? There was too much of a chance of the rug being pulled out from other free agents if he left. Let’s be honest! Years later when he did leave, players like Mo Williams were upset, because he knew that he had to stay on a team that wouldn’t be good without LeBron. That’s just how these guys think. It is not an anti-fan thing or anything like that. It’s an opportunity-being taken-from-them type of thing. There are some real hurt feelings there. There’s always that “what if” players have in the back of their mind. I don’t think Danny Ferry was willing to make other moves because of trust issues. I think we were saving too much not to make moves until then because we were getting too farsighted and not enough nearsighted. I think it was too little too late with some of the pieces they got.

It was a gutsy move by Ferry, but one he had to make to strengthen the team for another run deep into the playoffs. Hughes had been too injury prone and inconsistent, making him expendable. He wasn’t the solid number-two scoring threat that they had needed him to be when they signed him to the large free-agent deal in the summer of 2005. Drew Gooden had never quite reached his potential many thought he had when he was picked fourth in the draft several years earlier. Gooden was loved by the fans and his teammates, but Ferry knew that the trade wouldn’t be possible unless he included Gooden in it.

Mires believed that Delonte West was the key part of that deal:

Delonte West was the key of that trade. I realize people like to make snarky Delonte West jokes, but he was the key in that trade. Shaq O’Neal even said he would play anytime with Delonte West because he has that dog in him. He’s just a street fighter … that hungry player who’s going to fight for everything that you have. He is the kind of guy that when you’re in a dark alley, I’d rather have him covering your back than a 10-foot giant. He was so key, just look at the difference that last season after he fell apart—that was a big part of the reason the Cavs struggled at times in 2010. Not just legal problems, but he struggled with mental problems as well. He was sick with bipolar and other issues.

The team reacted well to the new cast of players, as the Cavaliers won the first seven of nine games after the trade. It was going to take time to mesh, but the new players showed they were hungry to play well and contribute right away. They finished the regular season at 45–37 and looked poised for another run at the Eastern Conference Championship.

The Cavaliers’ first-round opponent was a familiar foe: the Washington Wizards. It would be the third straight season the team had to face Washington in the opening round. The Wizards had their “Big Three” ready with Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler, and Antawn Jamison poised to do everything they could not to get beat again. The Cavaliers were ready for the Wizards to come out strong and fight them hard the entire game. In the end it took a 32-point performance by LeBron, and the Cavaliers took game one 93–86. The Wizards had led after the first and third quarters, but the Cavaliers used a 28-point fourth quarter to overcome them for good. West helped out with 16 points in his first playoff game as a Cavalier and also chipped in with 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and 5 assists.

Game two was not nearly as close, and the Cavaliers blew out the Wizards 116–86. It was a 30-point victory that proved how good Cleveland could be when running on all four cylinders. LeBron had another incredible night with 30 points, 12 assists, 2 blocked shots, and 9 rebounds. It was an impressive night for The King. Wally Szczerbiak hit 2 three-pointers on his way to a 15-point night. He was starting at shooting guard while West ran the point. They would travel to Washington with a commanding 2–0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Washington returned the favor in game three and blew out the Cavaliers at home by a score of 108–72. LeBron had 22 points, but only one other player was able to score in double digits. It was a poor effort that allowed Washington back into the series. LeBron would need more support from his surrounding cast if they were going to do anything in the playoffs.

Game four was a back-and-forth affair that would come down to the wire once again. The Wizards held a four-point lead after the first quarter of action. The Cavaliers outscored them in the second quarter 30–16 to take a 10-point lead into halftime. Washington cut into the lead in the third quarter and only trailed by seven heading into the fourth. The gamed continued to be close, but in the end the Cavaliers managed to hang on for a 100–97 win. It gave the team a stranglehold on the series heading back home for game five.

This game was another impressive effort by LeBron, as he scored 34 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals. He was becoming an unstoppable monster in the playoffs once again. West also showed that he could be a great number-two scoring threat behind LeBron, chipping in with 21 points, 5 assists, and 3 steals. Game five back in Cleveland saw Washington slip by with a razor-thin win of 88–87. LeBron scored with ease again, finishing with 34 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. The effort by LeBron was amazing but not enough, and the series was headed back to Washington for game six.

Washington used a 31-point first quarter at home in game six to take an early four-point lead. The Cavaliers held the Washington offense in check in the second quarter, allowing only 17 points and taking a 56–48 lead into halftime. They were only 24 minutes away from reaching the next round, and they came out of the half with the full intent on shutting Washington down for good. The Cavaliers outscored the Wizards 23–16 and took a 15-point lead heading into the final frame. Washington managed to cut into the lead a tiny bit, but the Cavaliers were just too much to overcome and won the game 105–88. Cleveland was headed back to the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals for the third straight year.

The game six–clinching win was highlighted by a 27-point scoring effort from LeBron and 26 points scored by Szczerbiak, including an incredible 6 three-pointers that broke the spirit of Washington and its fans. Gibson also scored 22 points off the bench, including 4 three-pointers of his own. The Cavaliers would need the momentum and positive energy to continue, as they were about to face the team with the NBA’s best record in the next round: the Boston Celtics.

With the major acquisitions of perennial all-stars Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in the off-season, the Boston Celtics finished the season with a record of 66–16 and posted the best single-season turnaround in NBA history, improving by 42 wins from the previous season. Garnett was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year, while NBA executive Danny Ainge, who had executed what was deemed as “the most dramatic NBA turnaround ever,” was named NBA Executive of the Year. With Paul Pierce already on the roster of the Boston Celtics, Garnett, Ray, and Pierce became known as the new “Big Three.” The Celtics were the first team to form a super group of talent in free agency and trade. The Celtics also had a highly talented rookie point guard from Kentucky, Rajon Rondo.

The Cavaliers were going to have their work cut out for them, because Boston was heavily favored to win the NBA Championship that year. The Celtics were coming off of a surprisingly grueling seven-game series against the Atlanta Hawks, where the Hawks shocked everyone by pushing Boston to play all seven games before Boston was finally able to put them away. Boston showed signs of fatigue in game one, and the Cavaliers hung in there until the very end. A clutch shot by Kevin Garnett in the closing minute was enough to seal the win for Boston, 76–72.

Cleveland couldn’t recover in time from the close game-one loss and got blown out in game two, 89–73. The physical play by Boston was too much for Cleveland to overcome, as LeBron was just 8 for 42 in their first two games. The series was on its way back to Cleveland, and the Cavaliers would have to find the answer quickly.

Cleveland entered game three in full desperation mode for a victory. A three-game deficit would be too much for any team to come back from, let alone against the league’s best team. Cleveland was taking no chances by jumping out to an early first-quarter lead of 32–13 and never looked back. The Cavaliers steamrolled the Celtics all night en route to a 108–84 victory. LeBron and West both had 21 points each in the win. LeBron stayed hot in game four with another 21 points, and the Cavaliers pulled off the victory 88–77 to even up the series at two games apiece.

The pivotal game five of this epic series returned to the TD Garden arena in Boston. Cleveland was full of confidence and the series was up for grabs. Cleveland used a high-energy defensive effort to take a 46–43 halftime lead. The Cavaliers were shutting down the Celtics’ “Big Three” and looked to have an excellent chance to steal one on the road. A familiar problem then crept up on the Cavaliers: Once again, they failed to come out ready for the second half and couldn’t keep pace with the Celtics after Boston’s head coach, Doc Rivers, made some key adjustments. Boston outscored the Cavaliers 29–17 in the third quarter and took a 9-point lead into the final quarter.

LeBron and the Cavaliers fought hard to make it close, but in the end Cleveland dropped game five to the Celtics, 97–89. It was a frustrating loss for the team, as they fought hard all night, but the weak third-quarter effort was their ultimate downfall. LeBron scored 35 points and West scored 21 in the losing effort. But they received almost no help at all from the bench and dropped the pivotal game.

The Cavaliers defense stepped up big-time in game six back at Cleveland by holding the Celtics to only 69 points. The Cavaliers swarmed Boston’s shooters all night long and forced a deciding game seven by taking game six, 74–69. LeBron took matters into his own hands by putting up 32 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists. The series was headed back to Boston for a decisive game seven.

Few words in sports excite fans more than “game seven.” This had been a classic series already, and the game-seven showdown was set to capture the attention of the nation. Boston had the best record in the league and was the heavy favorite to win it all; Cleveland was the defending champ with arguably the world’s best player. It was the final battle of two heavyweight powers that had already gone six brutal rounds and was set for a thrilling finish.

Game seven at first looked like a blowout—Boston came out of the gate with all guns blazing. By halftime, the Celtics led 50–40 and had the Cavaliers beat in almost every category. At halftime, however, Coach Brown made some crucial adjustments that enabled the Cavaliers to come roaring back in the third quarter and cut the lead down to five points heading into the fourth quarter. Then an incredible duel between Pierce and LeBron developed, with Pierce finishing with 41 points and LeBron scoring 45. In the end, Boston did just enough to win the game 97–92 and take the series, sending Cleveland home and ending their bid to repeat as Eastern Conference Champions.

It was a hard-fought series for Cleveland in which they surprised many fans and media members with how well they played and how far they pushed Boston. It was encouraging to see the new players mesh so well together, leaving a hopeful impression that the team would only get better with a full off-season of working out and fine tuning. LeBron only had two years left on his contract, and one final push for a championship was set to begin in MVP fashion!

LeBron slaps hands with the fans on the sidelines.

Photo: Fran Morino