Lets Be Real: This Cav Team Misses Playoffs Without LeBron

[jbryan1984]

Im not saying we would of went deep in the playoffs, but I doubt we miss it in the east. Our record had improved every year since Bron left. Playoffs were next.

[Solefade]

LeBron is not only the most important player on the Cavs, he's also the best executive GM in the NBA

[Solefade]

also singlehandedly responsible for Cleveland's economy

[poido123]

Let's be real: Op would still be jerking off to other men, even if Lebron wasn't around

[RedBlackAttack]

LeBron is not only the most important player on the Cavs, he's also the best executive GM in the NBA

I guess you could just mindlessly believe this because it's a fun idea or whatever, but just be aware that it has no basis in reality. The trades that ultimately netted Mozgov, Smith and Shumpert for Waiters and a pick was something that David Griffin devised over several months. The savvy move to trade for Brendan Haywood -- who will be essentially a $10 million trade exception next year -- was completely a Griffin maneuver.

Love's agent let the world know that if LeBron went to Cleveland, he'd be willing to stay here longterm. So, really, that was more something that was initiated by Love than it was James. Then, prior to the season, James likely pushed to have his buddies added to the roster -- James Jones, Mike Miller and Shawn Marion (one of which is currently in the rotation)... Oh, and he also publicly pushed for the Cavs to re-sign Varejao to that three-year deal despite his history with injuries (hasn't exactly worked out)...

But literally every move made since has been 100-percent the front office, ownership and, in Mozgov's case, a guy that David Blatt had been pushing for.

It amazes me the lengths to which people will go to deny any Cavalier not named LeBron James credit for anything.

Im not saying we would of went deep in the playoffs, but I doubt we miss it in the east. Our record had improved every year since Bron left. Playoffs were next.

And just to build on that, the Cavs were 10-18 in the 28 games during Andrew Bynum's cancerous stay last year. That's a winning percentage of 35.7-percent.

Ten days later, they got rid of starter(!) Earl Clark in a deal that brought Luol Deng here, and the Cavs went 22-24 in the remaining 46 games. That's a winning percentage of 48-percent.

Those final 46 games even included relatively long periods without Kyrie Irving, without Anderson Varejao, without Deng, without Waiters...

Still, that was a winning percentage that would have been good enough to make the playoffs had the Cavs replaced Bynum with Deng prior to the season instead of halfway through it.

So, basically the question is whether a starting five of:

Kyrie Irving at 22
JR Smith
Iman Shumpert
Kevin Love / Tristan Thompson
Timofey Mozgov

...for an entire season would be as good or better than a starting five of:

Kyrie Irving at 21
Dion Waiters
Luol Deng
Tristan Thompson / Tyler Zeller
Anderson Varejao


Come on, man.

[Fudge]

Thread backfire.

[Paul George 24]

That's why he's the GOAT

THAT'S WHY HE IS DUNCAN'S BITCH