WFNY Q&A: Norris Cole talks about Cleveland, LeBron and Life
December 24, 2014Johnny Manziel admits to underestimating transition to NFL
December 24, 2014If you thought that 2013 was one crazy year in the world of Cleveland Sports, 2014 once again proved that there is rarely a dull moment. There were good times and bad, hirings and firings, wins and losses, homecomings and award winners. As the year comes to a close, like we have done the last six years, WFNY will take a look at what we view to be the ten biggest sports stories to grace our local sports scene over the last 12 months. Each day through the rest of the year, we will be counting down from ten to one. Do enjoy.
May 20, 2014 will always be one of the most underrated euphoric moments of my time as a Cleveland Cavaliers fan. After a failed push for the playoffs that included head coach and general manager dismissals, the Cavaliers were on rocky ground. Kyrie Irving had his doubts about signing a long-term contract in Cleveland, several media outlets would have you believe. The Cavs were young with plenty of assets, but their free agent acquisitions and trades were unable to propel them into the next step, postseason contention. You can always use more assets, however, and when a 1.7% chance favor gets called in, the cascading effect can be franchise-altering. The third biggest story of the Cleveland sports year is the Cavaliers winning the 2014 NBA Draft lottery, selecting Andrew Wiggins, and then trading him for Kevin Love.
I still remember exactly where I was and who I watching with when the Cavaliers won each of their four lotteries over the last 11 years. There’s seldom such a rapid burst of turned fortunes across any sport in such a short amount of time. When I joined fellow WFNYer Ben Cox at Barrio on a Tuesday night, I wasn’t expecting anything like what unfolded.
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Watching a NBA draft lottery involves me muttering each teams name to myself until the visual match is met with the card unveiled. Each match is a good thing. It’s on that split-second disconnect when they don’t match that you know somebody has moved up into the top three. As everything went in order and the ninth slot was set to be revealed, I totally expected to see the Cavaliers primary logo, wine basketball, diagonally set sword, and custom typeface, staring back at me on the TV screen. When the Charlotte Hornets’ brand new logo surfaced, it was an oasis for the tortured Cavs fan. The Cavaliers had moved into the Top three in a much-better draft than those that had yielded them Dion Waiters and Anthony Bennett in the last two high picks. The icing on the cake came as the Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks logos were unveiled for the third and second picks, giving the Cavs the lottery win and eliciting a fist pump from David Griffin. The odds of the Cavaliers winning all three of the lotteries that they did? Try one in over 13,000! If you take into account that the Cavaliers were a *lost* coin flip away from winning the Anthony Davis lottery, and you realize just how fortunate the Cavaliers were when it came to the lotto during their rebuild.
Who the Cavs would take became a hotly debated topic. Joel Embiid seemed like the logical choice until a fractured foot coupled with previous back concerns made the Kansas center far too risky of a selection. It came down to Kansas forward Andrew Wiggins and Duke forward Jabari Parker. Wiggins, the more athletic of the bunch with all the tools to become a shutdown defender had concerns about his offensive development and handle. Parker, the better pure scorer, drew concerns about his NBA position and defensive effort. In the end, the Cavaliers selected Wiggins, and he placed a Cavalier hat on his noggin to pair with that flashy draft night suit.
The other option throughout this, of course, was a trade for a star player more ready to make an impact now. Several names were thrown around, but the most intriguing was that of Minnesota forward Kevin Love, he of the one year remaining on his contract and well-documented discontent with Minnesota’s struggles. Personally, I was quite adamant that trading a rookie from the top of the draft with star potential and team control for five years in exchange for a one-year certainty was a gamble I myself would not make (#TradeDownForWhat), regardless of how good the potential fit was.
The debate waged on for weeks following the selection. Wiggins sported a wine practice jersey for the Las Vegas Summer League, where he played four games, averaging 15.5 points and shooting 41% from the field. Along the way, we saw the potential with dazzling dunks and blocked shots. Suspiciously, it took a long time for the Cavs to sign Wiggins to his rookie contract. It finally occurred on July 24, and the 30-day moratorium on trading Wiggins was underway.
Not long into the 30 days, it became the worst kept secret in the league that the Cavs, Wolves, and Sixers would execute a three-team deal on August 23, sending Love to Cleveland, Wiggins and No.1 overall pick and general disappointment Anthony Bennett as well as Thaddeus Young to Minnesota, and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Alexey Shved, and a 2015 first-round pick to Philadelphia.
To this point, both teams have gotten what they wanted. Wiggins is averaging 12.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists while shooting just under 40% from the field and learning his way on the defensive end against his opponents’ best wings. Bennett continues to try and find his way, averaging 6.0 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting just over 44%. The Wolves are a West-worst 5-22 as they rebuild. For Cleveland, Love has been a welcomed early offense and outside shooting presence. He is currently averaging 16.9 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while shooting .435/.357/.826 for the 17-10 Cavaliers.
In Tuesday’s game, however, we saw the impact Wiggins can make up close as he posted 27 points on 9-of-16 shooting. Only time will reveal to us who the winner of this exchange will be. The answer, of course, could and hopefully will be both teams. For the Cavs, Love is saying all the right things with regard to his long-term commitment to the Cavaliers, and if the team keeps winning, there’s no reason for him to leave the first contender he’s ever known.
I said at the time of the trade that I wouldn’t constantly throw my regret around that this trade was executed. Kevin Love is a Cavalier, and nothing would make me happier than Love helping bring a title to Cleveland. The Cavaliers, for better or worse, have put their trust in LeBron James and Kevin Love’s word that they are committed to this organization and the one star in Kyrie Irving who is locked up long term. I still have the Andrew Wiggins jersey that I purchased shortly after draft night. I wore it for the first time to the Cavs/Wolves game on Tuesday. I hope the next time I’m wearing it is as a neat memento during a parade.
Just remember, the Kyrie max deal, David Blatt, LeBron coming home, the Love trade, and all of the veteran additions all started on May 20 when the ping pong ball gods once again smiled upon the wine and gold and gave them a little extra ammo to find their way back.