With or without LeBron James Makeover on the way in Cleveland
Success has not been something to come easily for professional sports in the Cleveland area. The Browns of the NFL have been amongst the worst in football (with the exception of the playoff team in 2007) since returning to the NFL for the 1999 season. The Indians have made the postseason in baseball as recent as 2007, but they have more losing seasons this decade (5) than they do winning ones (4).
The basketball franchise is the last one on paper that anyone should expect to see winning anything. Since its inaugural season back in 1970-71, the Cavaliers have had little to actually cheer about. They have managed to get into the postseason 18 times in their 40 years of existence, but they were also knocked out in the first round ten times. Only three times have they managed to win their division. In their only trip to the NBA Finals they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs.
With such little history of success, it is still the Cavaliers that Cleveland fans look to when it comes to bringing home a title.
Cavaliers Ready to Challenge?
Pretty much all hope for bringing a professional sports championship title to Cleveland bas rested squarely on the shoulders of the NBA franchise for the city, the Cavaliers. No team in the Eastern Conference has been as dominant during regular season play as the Cavs have been. For two years in arrow they won more than 60 regular season games and appeared to be the team to beat in the playoffs.
However, the problem is that they actually were beat. In the 2008-09 season they roared into the playoffs sweeping their first two opponents, the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta hawks, before falling to the Orlando Magic in the Conference Finals 2 games to 4.
The success the team had in the 2008-09 postseason led to higher expectations going into 2010. One of the most dominant players in the game, Shaquille O’Neal, was brought in to support LeBron James on the offensive end and shut down opposing scorers on the defensive end. Throughout the regular season the plan appeared to be working as the Cavaliers won 61 games, by far the best in the NBA.
All appeared to be well in the opening round of the playoffs in 2009-10 as well. The Cavaliers got out to a quick 2 game lead over the Chicago Bulls before dropping Game Three by a single basket. James and company won the final two to earn the right to take on the aging former champions from Boston.
The semi-final round against the Celtics would be a collection of up and down play for the Cavaliers. Twice the Cavaliers would score over 100 points with LeBron accounting for more than 30 in each (both wins). Four other times the Cavaliers were held to less than 90 points as the Celtics gave Cleveland an unexpected early exit.
Extreme Makeover: NBA Edition?
Since drafting LeBron James back in 2003, the Cavaliers have been attempting to build a championship team around his amazing talent and athletic ability. Fans, analysts, and players alike have to be wondering now whether or not they will ever find the right chemistry to win it all.
Chemistry for any team starts with the man in charge. Since Mike Brown became the head coach for the 2005-06 season, the Cavaliers have finished every season either second or first in their division with an average of 54 wins a season. Each year the team made it to at least the conference semi-finals while making it to the NBA Finals once during the 2006-07 season.
Even more telling of the future of the team could be the possible departure of the anchor of the team, LeBron James. Rumors have surrounded James as he approached free agency for the first time in his career. While James has not ruled out staying in Cleveland he has also made it clear that he wishes to keep his options open as well.
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