Cleveland Cavaliers look to avoid another post-LeBron collapse

For the second time in eight years, LeBron James has left the Cleveland Cavaliers as a free agent. This time, the Cavs hope to avoid a total collapse.

The Cleveland Cavaliers overcame a lot last season in order to reach their fourth consecutive NBA Finals.

The Cavaliers were 31-22 and third in the Eastern Conference when they reached the trade deadline on Feb. 8 last season. Coming off a 140-138 overtime win at home over the Minnesota Timberwolves, general manager Koby Altman swung into action on deadline day.

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In three separate deals, gone were Dwyane Wade, Channing Frye, Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Derrick Rose and Iman Shumpert.

In their place came Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. from the Los Angeles Lakers, George Hill from the Sacramento Kings and Rodney Hood from the Utah Jazz.

That was the seismic shift in an unsettled season which saw 22 different players sport a Cleveland uniform for at least one game.

Cleveland went 19-10 in the second half, but were passed in the standings by the Philadelphia 76ers and wound up as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference with a 50-32 record.

The Cavs survived a seven-game battle with the Indiana Pacers in the first round, humiliated the top-seeded Toronto Raptors in four straight games in Round 2 and held off the battered and depleted Boston Celtics in seven games to capture their fourth straight Eastern crown.

Cleveland then became the final speed bump in between the Golden State Warriors and a third title in four years, going down in a sweep.

LeBron James then declined his $35.6 million option for 2018-19 and wound up signing with the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency.

It’s the second time this decade James has left Cleveland via free agency and the Cavaliers and their fans are desperately hoping that it turns out better this time around.

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In 2009-10, Cleveland won 61 games and the top seed in the East before being upset by the Celtics in the second round of the playoffs, setting the stage for the iconic (and much-mocked) “The Decision” by James.

The Cavs followed that up by losing 42 more games than the previous season, finishing 19-63 — dead last in the East.

Cleveland didn’t return to the postseason again until 2014-15, the same season James returned to the Cavaliers after four years (and two titles) with the Miami Heat.

After becoming the lowest seed (No. 4) and the team with the fewest wins (50) to reach the Finals since the 2010 Celtics, the Cavaliers face steep odds at returning to the Finals for a fifth straight season.

What they do have is a player who has been a team’s primary option in the past in five-time All-Star Kevin Love. Love is, however, four years removed from that role and never led the Minnesota Timberwolves to the playoffs when he was their go-to guy, so the jury is definitely out.

Love signed a lucrative extension to become the new face of the franchise, at least until eighth overall pick Collin Sexton takes the mantle. Sexton, a point guard from Alabama, impressed with his grit and play in the Summer League, but may not start ahead of veteran Hill to start the year.

The Cavs also return J.R. Smith and Tristan Thompson from their Finals runs — and their 2016 championship squad — and brought back Frye in free agency.

The Cavaliers won’t ask Cedi Osman or any other single player to replace James’ production, because that would be foolish.

Coach Tyronn Lue, elevated to the position in 2016 when David Blatt was fired despite having Cleveland at the top of the East, will face his biggest challenge to date. The perception was that Lue ran the club however James told him to do so.

Lue has a chance to rewrite that legacy if he’s able to keep the Cavaliers afloat in the franchise’s second post-LeBron era.

This might be the toughest team to predict in the NBA, outside of James’ new club, the Lakers. On the positive side, the Cavs have experienced winners returning. On the negative side, they have a very old core and not a lot of proven younger players to step in should age catch up with anyone.

2017-18 Vitals

50-32, fourth in Eastern Conference
Defeated Indiana in first round, 4-3
Defeated Toronto in conference semifinals, 4-0
Defeated Boston in conference finals, 4-3
Lost to Golden State in NBA Finals, 4-0
110.9 PPG (5th), 109.9 PPG (26th)
112.9 Offensive Rating (5th), 111.9 Defensive Rating (29th)

Team Leaders (minimum 42 games/82 made 3-pointers)
Scoring: LeBron James 27.5 PPG
Rebounding: Kevin Love 9.3 RPG
Assists: LeBron James 9.1 APG
Steals: LeBron James 1.4 SPG
Blocks: LeBron James 0.9 BPG
3-point shooting: Kyle Korver 43.6 pct.

Honors
LeBron James (All-NBA 1st Team, All-Star Game)
Kevin Love (All-Star Game, replaced due to injury)

2018-19 Roster

Jordan Clarkson, G
Bonzie Colson, F
Sam Dekker, F
Channing Frye, C-F
George Hill, G
John Holland, G-F (two-way)
Rodney Hood, G-F
Kyle Korver, G-F
Larry Nance Jr., F-C
David Nwaba, G
Cedi Osman, F
Billy Preston, F (two-way)
Levi Randolph, G
Collin Sexton, G
Kobi Simmons, G
J.R. Smith, G-F
Isaiah Taylor, G
Tristan Thompson, F-C
Ante Zizic, F-C

Offseason Additions
Collin Sexton (draft), Billy Preston (undrafted free agent, two-way, July 6), Channing Frye (free agent, L.A. Lakers, July 19), Sam Dekker/rights to Renaldas Seibutis (trade, L.A. Clippers, Aug. 7), Isaiah Taylor (free agent, Atlanta, Aug. 16), David Nwaba (free agent, Chicago, Sept. 8), Levi Randolph (street free agent, Sept. 14), Bonzie Colson (undrafted free agent, Sept. 14), Kobi Simmons (street free agent, Sept. 19).

Offseason Departures
London Perrantes (two-way contract ended, June 12), Jose Calderon (free agent, Detroit, July 7), LeBron James (free agent, L.A. Lakers, July 9), Jeff Green (free agent, Washington, July 10), Kendrick Perkins (waived, July 17), Okaro White (waived, Aug. 5), rights to Vladimir Veremeenko (trade, L.A. Clippers, Aug. 7).

Also See

Against the Brooklyn Nets

Last season (home team in CAPS)
Oct. 25: NETS 112, Cavaliers 107
Nov. 22: CAVALIERS 119, Nets 109
Feb. 27: CAVALIERS 129, Nets 123
March 25: Cavaliers 121, NETS 114

This season
Oct. 24: at Cleveland
Dec. 3: at Brooklyn
Feb. 13: at Cleveland
March 6: at Brooklyn

Projected depth chart

C: Tristan Thompson, Ante Zizic
PF: Kevin Love, Larry Nance Jr., Sam Dekker, Channing Frye
SF: Rodney Hood, Kyle Korver, Cedi Osman
SG: J.R. Smith, Jordan Clarkson, David Nwaba
PG: George Hill, Collin Sexton, Isaiah Taylor

Outlook

The Cavaliers do have a legitimate No. 1 option in Kevin Love. That’s the good news. The bad news is that this team might well be named “Kevin Love and the fifth options.”

The roster outside of Love is primarily made up of older players specifically brought in to mesh with LeBron James or young players without a lot of real upside, outside of Collin Sexton and maybe Cedi Osman.

The bottom line is that Love — a player that, it bears repeating, never got Minnesota into the playoffs as their No. 1 guy — will understand James’ lament of not having enough help.

J.R. Smith isn’t a legitimate second option, because he’s far too inconsistent. Kyle Korver, for as good as he’s been, has never been more than a complementary piece. Tristan Thompson has no real offensive game and Rodney Hood shrank badly after coming to Cleveland.

The bottom won’t fall out for the Cavaliers in 2018-19, but the elevator is going to skip some floors on the way down.

Projected record: 31-51