This sucks. At the end of a four-game sweep by the Golden State Warriors, that’s the primary emotion in my mind. Merely getting to the Finals for the fourth year in a row is an achievement, and (I guess) there’s no shame in losing to the historically great Golden State Warriors, but when LeBron James is on your team, you expect rings. That’s the standard, and especially with James’ looming free agency, the Cavs’ world is crumbling.
First, let’s talk about the Finals. Zooming out, it was an achievement to win the Eastern Conference and get to the Finals at all. The Cavaliers played a tough series against the Pacers, a triumphant one against the Toronto Raptors, and then a gritty, entertaining Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics. Against tough competition, the Cavs overcame significant obstacles, and it was an enjoyable, impressive run. However, the difficult road this year demonstrated the challenges Cleveland faces to get back to the big stage next year. The Celtics pushed LeBron’s Cavs to seven games without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. With both, along with another year of development from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, I honestly don’t know how the Cavs survive. The Pacers also have an impressive young team, and there are others the Cavs didn’t face in this year’s playoffs who are also threats––the Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Wizards, and Milwaukee Bucks among them.
Cognizant that this might have been the Cavs last Finals for the foreseeable future (with or without LeBron), the series was both predictable and incredibly frustrating. They came out in Game 1 and ran with the Warriors for (almost) 48 minutes, until George Hill (a great free throw shooter!) missed a free throw, followed by slip-ups both by J.R. Smith (he FORGOT THE SCORE! WTF?!) and Tyronn Lue (who had a timeout available). I hate complaining about referees, but they made several clear mistakes in Game 1, including reversing a late charge call on Kevin Durant. However, refs make mistakes; it’s part of the game, and the good teams––the ones that deserve to win––overcome them. From there, the series went downhill. Game 2 was competitive until the 4th quarter, when Steph Curry reminded the world why he was the league’s MVP twice. Game 3 was also competitive, buoyed by LeBron and the reemergence of Rodney Hood, until the very end when Kevin Durant shot a dagger 3. So, there was good news: The first three games of the series were largely competitive. But along with it came bad news: the Cavs lost all three. The way they lost also reinforced the difficulty of facing the Warriors: Golden State has enough stars that even when one or two are having a bad night, another can still take over the game. The Cavs don’t have that; they have two stars in LeBron James and Kevin Love, and only James can really take over a game. Game 4 was a farce, and the Cavs fell behind from the start. Although they pushed at a few moments, the game served simply as a depressing formality.
Looking to the future, the Cavs are watching their current window of competition close. If LeBron re-signs, they face a very challenging road back to the Finals. Without Kyrie Irving, the Cavs don’t have a second transcendent star who can take over a game and share ball-handling duties with LeBron. With all due respect to Kevin Love, whom I like very much, he’s an All-Star who somehow produces a quiet 20 points per game. Whether it’s fit, coaching, or just age, Love is no longer the kind of player who can control a game and put up 30 or 40 points on a given night. That’s the truth that makes it difficult for the Cavs to compete with the Celtics or Warriors going forward. Moreover, with no cap space, expensive contracts to limited veterans, and little draft capital, the Cavs are paying the price for years of win-now moves. Hopefully they can find a star with the Brooklyn Nets’ No. 8 pick, but that player is unlikely to make a huge immediate impact (Jayson Tatum is very much an exception to that rule).
Now onto the elephant in the room: Does LeBron leave? I have no insight into his head to offer, but I believe that he doesn’t know right now. I think there is still a strong case to stay, especially for his family and legacy, but I don’t feel great about the Cavs’ chances. I think there could be a combination of savvy drafting, trades, and luck that gets the Cavs back to the Finals, but it’s hard to argue that Cleveland is clearly better than the 76ers or Rockets. So if LeBron goes based on competitiveness, his Cleveland days may be over. From a gut feeling perspective, it seems pretty gloomy.
Overall, it’s been a good four-year run, and the 2016 championship was a truly incredible moment that I will always remember as a Cleveland sports fan. However, they are now paying the price for that ring, and the LeBron era in Cleveland may be over. With no idea where the King will decide to sign, the Cavs face the serious possibility of an arduous rebuild.
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