LeBron James, LeBron James blog, Cleveland Cavaliers

Saturday, December 18, 2010

LeBron James and Dan Gilbert Part II

This is an excerpt from an article written by Howard Bryant of ESPN.com:

Last week I wrote a column suggesting that Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert needs to take some responsibility for the current state of his franchise and his role in the events that led to LeBron James' departure instead of blaming James entirely for what has transpired with the Cavs over the last six months.

For the record, I am not particularly enamored of James, on or off the court. If he is the greatest physical talent to enter the game since Wilt Chamberlain, he is also a difficult offensive player to admire. He is a scorer, not a shooter, and yet he has an ongoing love affair with an erratic, unattractive jump shot. James has improved his shooting percentage since his rookie season but not necessarily his overall game -- not in the mold of Magic Johnson (who entered the league with a poor outside shot but left a competent 3-point shooter), Larry Bird (who developed a devastating low-post game late in his career), Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant (both entered the NBA as dunkers but could soon score 30 points a night on jump shots).
He's very good, but there are arguments to make that LeBron James isn't as good as he could be.
He presents a mismatch for virtually every defender in the league, but despite a 6-foot-8, 260-pound frame he has no low post game and after nearly a decade in the league seems to have little interest in developing one.

On offense, he does not move without the ball and is not a threat unless he is initiating the action from the top of the key. When he is not handling the basketball, he often stands languid on the wing and does not draw defenses with movement or pressure them with positioning. In the midst of his eighth season in the league, James has never been a presence on the offensive or defensive boards, which is a must for a great player. His offensive and overall rebounding averages have dropped over the last three years -- 1.2 offensive rebounds per game for his career shouldn't wow anyone. In fact, Rajon Rondo, who is seven inches shorter and 100 pounds lighter, is developing into a better offensive rebounder than James - the numbers back that up -- and, for his size, Rondo is far more competent on the defensive end.

For all of his physical gifts, James has yet to find players who complement his game over the course of a full season and vice versa -- Allen Iverson-like.

Of all active players compared to James in their primes (of course, at 25, James might not yet be in his prime, depending on one's measure), I would select him for my team no higher than fifth, behind Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan and Dwyane Wade. At present, James isn't even the best player on his own team.
And yet, James is a hugely-significant figure in the NBA and sports world today for what he represents. He is the first mega-athlete to emerge in the 24/7 multimedia age that has been able to successfully navigate and capitalize on the shifting power dynamics that come with it. He is the perfect storm of 20th century battles: player freedom and control; free agency; the bypassing of the college game (those players were once called "hardship" cases); and the athlete as a corporation backed by a bigger one -- in LeBron's case, Nike.

Other modern athletes, including Tiger Woods and Jordan, have straddled varying elements of change during their times. No one has enjoyed the benefit of each of those developments in his prime as James has.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

It might seem like he has it all, but LeBron will miss Cleveland one day

CLEVELAND -- Well, that was not what they wanted.

No, Cleveland was hoping its plucky young team would drive hard to the basket, hit its free throws, grab every loose ball and dump LeBron James in a vat of hot wax. It was clear the night wasn't going well for the Cavaliers when the second half started and they asked the refs if they could use a Nerf hoop.

This was all wrong. And yet, it was completely right. This was a Cleveland sports night -- the whole exquisitely miserable experience wrapped up in one cold and unfulfilling evening. It began with an electric, playoff-like atmosphere and ended with the Heat drilling the Cavs. The final was 118-90, but it wasn't even that close. The Cavs scored garbage-time points against Eddie House, Erick Dampier and three of LeBron's accountants. (He got them roster spots because hey, they're his friends!)

The basketball lesson for the day was that 'tis better to have LeBron James than to have loved and lost him. But this night was never really about basketball. It was about Cleveland. It was about Brian Sipe and Earnest Byner and Craig Ehlo. It was about Cavs fan Bart Gruber, who brought his 8-year-old son to the game -- not so much to cheer or boo, but because they are Cavs fans. I asked Gruber what he told his son after "The Decision."

"After he cried for two hours," Gruber said, "I just told him this was life."

Miami will never have a night like this. Never. The Heat may win championships, but their fans will never pack their arena simply to boo. The team will never be ingrained in the city's fabric like every Cleveland team. There are passionate fans in Miami, of course, but not as many. Some of the biggest roars of the night were for former Brown (and Cleveland native) Bernie Kosar, who went to one Pro Bowl. Any town can celebrate championships. Cleveland celebrates heartache.

On some level, James has to realize this now. He played his butt off against Cleveland -- 38 points, eight assists, five rebounds in just 30 minutes. It was an especially impressive performance considering that he seemed self-conscious the whole night. He knew everybody was judging him. He knew it when he listened to his headphones in a crowded locker room before the game, when he did windmill dunks in the layup line and when he did his famous powder-clap before the opening tip.

And he surely knew it when he went over to the Cavs' bench during the game to joke with some of his former teammates. It was calculated, a way to soften the crowd. See? These guys like me. How bad can I be? And you could tell by the Cavs' faces that they were stuck -- they didn't want to ignore him but didn't want to be seen talking to him, either.

At one point, in a moment caught on video and posted on YouTube, Cavs assistant coach Jamahl Mosley appeared to tell James to shut the bleep up.

Mosley was not alone. In Miami this week, somebody asked LeBron if he would like to see his number retired in Cleveland someday. He was, after all, the best player in franchise history. He said he would love that, and you know what? I think the Cavs would love to hang his jersey from the rafters, as long as he is in it.

Most Cleveland fans say -- and have said since July -- that they aren't mad that LeBron left; they're mad at how he left. Of course, this is easy to say. It allows fans to take the high road and still be mad. But ask yourself this: If LeBron had played for Miami for seven years, then left for Cleveland in the same way, would Miami be nearly as angry as Cleveland is?

Trick question. NBA stars don't leave Miami for Cleveland.

I'm no psychologist, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that a guy who calls himself King James and has his initials and "Vivat Rex" -- Latin for "Long live the king" -- on his custom-made Nike jacket, and has CHOSEN 1 tattooed across his back and WITNESS tattooed on one calf and HISTORY on the other calf might have a big ego. It is an ego borne of insecurity, and this is why he left for Miami in the first place:

He wanted things to be easier. He wanted Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh at his side and South Beach a short drive away. That is the fundamental disconnect between James and Cleveland fans. They gave up on easy a long time ago.

So there they sat, at a table, the self-anointed Big Three, from left to right, Wade, James, Bosh. James said he loves Cleveland fans but that a "I'm a Miami ... Heat guy," because when you do something stupid like give your team a singular nickname, this is the silly stuff your stars have to say.

Behind the Heat bench, where fans wore shirts that read LeBUM, and a man and woman hugged and wore matching VICTIM shirts and looked like they had just run over their poodle, it got ugly. James may have ungodly leaping ability and ridiculous hand-eye coordination, but he also has ears, and the fans knew he could hear them.

Some of the chants were amusing ("Scottie Pip-pen!) and some were cruel ("Ak-ron hates you!") and many were unprintable. At least one cup flew out of the stands toward the Miami bench. It was a little inappropriate, considering he does have that CHOSEN 1 tattoo and it is Hanukkah.

Anyway, James seemed unfazed. He joked with Wade and Bosh about a broken bobblehead doll that landed near them. He ignored almost everything the fans screamed.

And then a few guys sitting on the baseline got his attention. They didn't taunt him. They didn't yell. They just said:

Look around. Do you see all the fans? This is Cleveland. This is what you're missing. You'll never have this in Miami.

And LeBron James agreed.

"He said, 'You guys are crazy,'" said one of the fans, named Ryan Napier.

James meant it as a compliment. They are crazy. He has left them for a land where there is no winter, for teammates who were stars before he joined them, for fans who care passionately about their basketball team for every bit of the final two minutes of playoff games. Someday, he'll miss those crazy fans and those winter nights. Someday, he'll miss all those witnesses.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Monday, September 20, 2010

Top 20 Cleveland Cavaliers: #3 Ricky Davis

"Be not afraid of greatness: Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them." William Shakespeare uttered these famous words, and unmistakably, he was talking about Ricky Davis.

The 3rd greatest Cleveland Cavalier of All-Time is none other than Tyree Ricardo "Ricky" Davis. Some have referred to Ricky as one of, if not, the worst Cavalier of all-time. I’ve heard these blasphemous rumors before. Trust, there are other great Americans who were not appreciated in their time. Thus, I must come to the defense of one of the most legendary franchise players in recent history.

Ricky Davis was an amateur stud while starting all 4 years at North High School in Davenport, Iowa. He quickly garnered attention nationally and decided to stay in-state, playing for the illustrious university of Iowa. His high-flying style of play to go along with his smooth jump shot, earned him a place in the NBA. With the 21st pick of the 1998 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Hornets drafted Ricky in one of the greatest late-1st round steals in Draft history. He would only play 2 seasons with the Hornets before being traded to the heat in a 9-player swap. Shame on Charlotte for underappreciating his talent, and a good move by the Heat.

Unfortunately for Miami, they would only suit up RD for 7 games before the Cavaliers made the move for the great, Ricky Davis. Personally, if I owned the rights to one of the historically great NBA players, I would not have traded him. I would consider it an honor and a pleasure to handsomely pay a player who displays such class and elegance on the court.

October 26, 2001 was a momentous day in Cavalier-history. Forget Queen James, this was the move of the decade for a franchise that desperately needed something to cheer for. Consider where the Cavaliers were before the acquisition of the legendary Ricky Davis: The season before we wised up and brought in Davis, the Cavaliers finished 30-52, led in scoring by Andre Miller and Lamond Murray. While Lamond did provide for some excitement, the role of high-flying dunk machine was essentially non-existent. Enter Ricky Davis.

Who can deny Ricky’s endless list of accomplishments in a Cavaliers uniform? Many were quick to point out his disputes with then-coach Paul Silas, and his reputation as a showboat. I choose to look at the positives; There are so many to choose from.

Granted, I advise you not to remember that the team actually got worse with the addition of Davis.. I’m still not even sure how that's logistically possible. In his first season as a Cavalier, Ricky averaged 11.7 points per game. Solid numbers for a player who only saw the floor for 23 minutes a night. He shot 42% from the field and clearly won the hearts of Cavs fans everywhere, depending on who you ask.

Let’s also remember the fact that Ricky was part of the 2003 season, arguably the greatest roster the franchise has ever put together. Ricky Davis, Darius Miles, Carlos Boozer, Dajuan Wagner, DeSagana Diop, Zydrunas, and some rookie named LeBron James. Inexplicably, the franchise committed the cardinal sin of trading one, Ricky Davis, later that year.

I still can’t muster up the courage to defend the trade, seeing as the mentoring Ricky provided to LeBron was invaluable to the success of his early years. There was a certain level of respect and admiration that Ricky demanded from every player on the team, especially James. Don’t laugh, there’s evidence to support my logical claim.

In a game vs. the Sacramento Kings, LeBron James had a wide-open opportunity for a dunk on a fast-break. But, LeBron instead chose to turn around and flip the ball to Ricky, who obviously finished with a demoralizing reverse windmill.

This sort of respect for the greatness of Ricky’s dunking stature is a demonstration of why LeBron understood that Ricky Davis was even more of an electrifying dunker than he himself.

The LeBron and Ricky duo was one of the greatest tandems the Association could have ever hoped for. Clearly, Ricky’s mentoring of LeBron was instrumental to the success of LeBron’s early years, and the turning around of a franchise who hadn’t even sniffed the playoffs in years.

Now, let’s take a moment to discuss Ricky’s largely misunderstood act of trying to secure a triple-double. We all know the story. Ricky was one rebound short of the elusive triple-double and with the clock winding down, attempted to shoot on our own basket in order to achieve such an honorable feat. Undeniably, this move was a clear representation of Ricky’s unselfishness and in fact, his willingness to take some bad press in order for the good of the Cavaliers franchise.

This move earned him the dubious “Wrong-Rim Ricky” nickname that many so wrongly identify with this great player. It is so plainly obvious that Ricky was trying to secure his first career triple-double for the team, not for himself. Playing for a franchise with no hope of the playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers desperately needed some sort of recognition and Ricky gave his best to bring that to us. Let’s applaud him for his efforts. We must not blame Ricky.

Ricky Davis represented such an incredulous amount of untapped potential and talent, that was never achieved in large part due to the fact that he never had the right coach to harness his abilities. Instead of faulting a legend of the game, we must look at the inept leadership of Randy Wittman, Paul Silas, and then John Lucas. We must not blame Ricky. Instead, we must recognize and appreciate what he could have and should have been – the 3rd greatest Cavalier in the history of the franchise.

When #31 suited up on a nightly basis, he never failed in his obligation to represent the 3 E’s. That is, Elevate, Electrify, and Excite. While some would say his antics were that of an egotistical showboat, We must not blame Ricky. The Cleveland faithful desperately needed a reason to keep their faith, and Ricky Davis did his best to keep Gund Arena an exciting place. His elevation still goes unmatched to this day. The 6 ft. 7” prodigy could dunk the ball with such ferocity that you wondered if the other team was even going to finish the game. He consistently got so high in the air that defenders simply chose to allow him open-access to the Rim.

Ricky Davis’ keys to Ricky-Davis-style dunking: "The key element is to be able to dunk when the light's on -- you know, dunking on people, finishing, keeping the attitude of dunking."

And “Dunk when the light’s were on” was Ricky’s specialty. A prime example of this unforgettable dunk-first, apologize-never attitude was displayed when he rose up over Steve Nash, creating a poster worthy of placement in the Smithsonian. Some have said there is still a bump on Nash’s forehead from where Ricky’s knee left a Voldemort-esque scar. I believe it.

During Ricky’s final full-season campaign with the Cavaliers, the team finished with an embarrassing record of 17-65. Again, we must not blame Ricky. When a player with such greatness is relegated to a franchise with no chance of winning, frustration is to be expected. And that’s not to say that Ricky didn’t bring it every night; The man carried this franchise to 17 wins, and for that I applaud him. In the 2002 season, Ricky averaged 20.6 points per game. He also snagged close to 5 rebounds, and was the out-right leader of the fun, yet hard-to-watch team.

Had Ricky been surrounded with more talent around him, that team could have achieved staggering numbers and likely won at least 3 more games, pushing our win total to 20+. Clearly, Ricky Davis knew that he had to do it all, and his mission became more than about himself. He decided that with the season already lost, he would position the franchise for great things in future. Yes, Ricky Davis wanted to do the right thing. He knew if the team lost as many games as possible, we would secure a draft pick worthy of this great franchise. Due to Ricky’s foresight and leadership, his flawless plan worked to perfection. The lottery balls bounced our way, and with the #1 pick overall the Cleveland Cavaliers selected LeBron James.

Ricky’s dedication to securing that draft pick was the main reason he took so many shots during that season. To Davis’ credit, only 2 years later the Cavaliers began a playoff appearance that has now stretched over 6 years. I vote that Ricky Davis’ jersey should be hoisted in the rafters, as his work-ethic and ability to block out the negativity that surrounded him was so important to the Cavaliers franchise. Ricky was so wildly popular that he felt obligated to coin his own fan section and give away 15 season tickets to his most passionate fans, the "Get Buckets brigade." Although the franchise foolishly traded him away to open more shots for a future traitor in James, we must not blame Ricky. Without question, Ricky Davis is Underrated.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Top 20 Cleveland Cavaliers: #4 Zydrunas Ilgauskas

Unfortunately for the Lithuanian, he would have been higher on the list had he not followed LeBron to Miami, but Zydrunas Ilgauskas still cracks the Top 5 as Greatest Cavaliers ever. Zydrunas basically gave his entire career to this franchise, and will ultimately go down as one as one of the most beloved Cavs of all-time.

This here giant is 7 foot 3", and battled through countless foot injuries early in his career to become one of the best shooting big-men in the NBA.

Zydrunas was born in Lithuania and played 2 years for his hometown club team Atletas Kaunas before he entered the 1996 draft. He was selected as the 20th overall pick, and the 260 pound he-man was ready to prove his worth in the association.

Z's foot injuries in the early part of his NBA lifespan were a major concern to the organization. He battled through countless foot surgeries and beat the odds to play 13 productive seasons in a blue-and-orange (and then Wine and Gold) uniform.

Zydrunas is the tallest player in Cleveland Cavaliers history. Enough said right there. With the exception of Yao Ming, Ilgauskas has looked down on almost every other human being he has encountered in his life. Take a minute, and just think about how tall 7 ft. 3" is. He's a certified man-child. Z hardly even had to jump to dunk the basketball. It's a wonder why he didn't dunk more often.

Big Z never backed down from anybody, and took on multiple fights to back up his teammates. On more than one occasion, Zydrunas could be seen walking off the court with blood gushing from his head, then receiving stiches in the locker room to come back out and play in the same game.

He never took crap from any other team especially Boston, and you could always count on him yelling in his Lithuanian-accent when he wasn't happy. Zydrunas was also famous for calling out officials if he felt they made a bad call, consistently giving them dirty looks and looks of exasperation. He never seemed to agree with a travel call made on him.

His footwork was one of the best parts of his game. He knew exactly what moves to make when he was in the post, and the statistics prove it; Zydrunas has a career 48% field goal shooting percentage to go along with almost 14 points a game. He was a reliable free throw shooter and he drew a ridiculous amount of fouls in his career.

He averaged 28 minutes a game on the floor in Cleveland, but his last season he only averaged 20 due to the addition of Shaquille O' Neal. He accepted his role but you have to wonder why he wasn't getting more minutes in Mike Clown's rotation during the playoffs. This last season must have been a major disappointment to Ilgauskas, who gave everything he had to win a championship in this city. Don't get me started on Mike Brown's inexplicable lineup strategies.

Zydrunas played with the Cavaliers longer than any other player in history. Z has left his mark on this organization, and claimed many franchise records.

The Lithuanian Gargantuan © is the Cavs All-Time Leader in:

* Games Played

* Offensive Rebounds

* Total Rebounds

* Blocked Shots

Z also takes 2nd place in All-Time Points Scored. As of right now he has just over 10,600 points in his career. That number will rise this next season as he proves to be a valuable kick-out option for Wade and Prince James' drive-and-dish mentalities.

LeBrick James loved playing with this guy. So much so that Z even made a cameo-appearance in the infamous Nike-Puppet commercials. "I would like to buy some DVD's!" (Insert Lithuanian accent)

James was well-aware that Ilgauskas was certainly a more consistent and reliable knock-down shooter than even he was. Unlike LeBron, Z never quit on the team in the playoffs. Will they put his jersey in the rafters? The numbers would certainly warrant it, and the loyalty he showed to this franchise was unmatched. Many in the Cavaliers organization speak highly on the character of Ilgauskas, and what he meant to the city of Cleveland. He never wanted to leave, but he and James are good friends and Z knew the possibility of a championship was far more real in Miami this year.

Although I'm saddened by the fact that Zydrunas is not finishing his career in a Cavaliers uniform, I will remember him as an excellent player in Cleveland sports history. No other man as tall as he has ever had such a smooth jump shot. Ilgauskas was a seasoned veteran and a solid leader that this team needed. Zydrunas gave his heart to the franchise, and deserved to win a championship. It's a shame that we didn't have a halfway decent team when Ilgauskas was in his prime. I can still hear the fans at the Q yelling in unison, "Zeeeeeee!" as he swished another deep jumper.

You can't blame him for taking the chance to win one this upcoming year alongside James, whom he has played with for the last 7 years. Why do you think the Miami Heat wanted him? He presents a legitimate presence at the center position.

What other 7-footer do you know that can consistently drain shots from any spot on the floor? He will likely see a lot of minutes with them this year, in an attempt to put that elusive ring on his finger with the Heat. Big Z, farewell my friend. Your services will be missed. Zydrunas Ilgauskas is Underrated

Friday, August 20, 2010

Top 20 Cleveland Cavaliers: #5 Damon Jones

Yes, you read correctly. Damon Jones is the 5th greatest Cavalier of all-time (of the last 15 years). There's not really a whole lot room for of debate on this one. Although not currently with an NBA team, Damon is quite a talented player and made his impact on the Cavaliers organization, while exuding a prodigious amount of swagger that P Diddy could only dream of.

Damon was born in the great state of Texas in 1976. He played his high-school ball for the Ball High Gordon Tornadoes, and was such a good perimeter shooter that he single-handedly helped create a popular cheer. "Three's Please!" the crowd would chant, and Jones would deliever more times than not. He graduated high school in 1994 and decided to stay in-state, playing his college basketball for the University of Houston.

Damon Jones would only play 3 years at Houston and still left as the school's all-time leader in 3 point field goals. After his junior season he decided to take his talents to the NBA, and effectively declared himself eligible for the 1998 NBA Draft. Little did he know that no team wanted him, as he went undrafted.

Jones eventually signed with the New Jersey Nets and would bounce around the league in his first few years in the Association. All before 2004, he wore the jerseys of the Nets, Celtics, Warriors, the Mavericks, Grizzlies, Pistons, as well as the Kings and then Bucks. He probably racked up some solid frequent flyer miles just by being traded alone.

DJ would finally find a team he would have a significant impact on when he signed with the Miami Heat for 2004-2005 season. It was in Miami that he would see career highs in minutes (31 per game) and points (11 per game). He also shot 43% from behind the 3 point line. The Cleveland Cavaliers took notice and decided to give Jones a 4 year, $16 million dollar contract for his services.

Bringing in Damon was part of an ongoing effort to surround LeBron with excellent perimeter shooting, and Jones was just the man for the job. He made a career sitting at the 3 point line, waiting for a pass to come his way, as Shaq and then LeBron drew double teams. It's no surprise that the supremely self-confident Jones would become famous for his proclamation, "I am the Best Shooter in the World." He would later refer to himself as the "Black Brad Pitt."

Damon brought a new level of excitement to the Cavaliers that meshed well with the emergence of Cleveland as a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference. Damon's most notable performance of his career in a Cavalier uniform undoubtedlty came on May 5, 2006. DJ has not been seeing much of any playing time in the playoffs, but was inserted into Game 6 vs. the Washington Wizards in the 1st round of the playoffs, late in the game. How late? DJ came off the bench in overtime, and in his first minute of action he hit the game-winning shot to bounce the Wizards out of the playoffs. LeBron would show his apprecation.

Less was made of another game, my personal favorite of his time in Cleveland. On November 13th, 2006, Damon would play one of the best games of his career.

The Cavaliers traveled to Madison Square Garden to dominate the Knicks. Everyone expected LeBron to tear the roof off of the building he says he loves playing in. Enter Damon Jones, who in this game would match King James with 29 points, setting a franchise record for 3 pointers in a half making 7 of 10. Jones was simply on fire, and and I could not have been happier as I sat there watching Damon light up the Knicks at basketball-mecca MSG. Damon definitely let the crowd know about it too.

Although he would never average more than 6 points per game in any of his 3 seasons with the Cavaliers, Damon was one of the most exciting players on the team to watch. His high leg-kick to back off defenders, and "Three's on a platter" made him a fan-favorite, and Damon was truthfully my second favorite player on our team from 05-08.

Another interesting fact about Damon is that he sold his soul (or sole) to the Chinese company "Li Ning" for his shoe deal. Much like LeBron, he had aspirations to become an international business man and make his name known around the globe. He truly marketed himself as the greatest shooter in the world, whether or not that statement was justified (it wasn't). Damon was the first NBA player to ink a shoe-deal with a Chinese company.

D-Jones is also known for his outlandish wardrobe selection; He has been seen in some of the most inexplicable outfits ever seen. Damon on the NBA dress code: "I created the dress code. I am the dress code. A lot of guys were upset about the fact we had to put suits on. But when you go into the business world, you have to be presentable, you can’t go into a Fortune 500 company with jeans, a T-shirt and do-rag on your head."

Another great quote from DJ came after a game where he played against the best player in NBA history, Michael Jordan. Listen to him recall his first on-court conversation with Michael Jordan:

“I told him if he left me open again that I was going to burn him,” Jones said. “He looked at me like, ‘Do you know who I am?"

“So he left me open again,” Jones said, “and I burned him.”

Damon was one of the most colorful players in NBA history and took trash-talking to another level. He never underestimated his abilities, which made him highly quotable and he became regarded as one of the most comedic players in the league. The Cleveland Cavaliers were the only team in his career that he would play consecutive seasons for. Damon Jones is a Cavalier-Legend in my book. Damon Jones is Underrated

Monday, August 2, 2010

Top 20 Cleveland Cavaliers: #6 Andre Miller

Enough time has passed. Resuming the countdown, we arrive at the 6th greatest Cavalier of all-time, Andre Miller. Andre had several years with the Cavs where he was one of the few consistent players who legitimately deserved to have the prestige of representing the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Andre was born 34 years ago in Los Angeles, California. The 6 foot 2" point guard played all 4 years at the University of Utah, something you rarely see great players do now-a-day's.

In 1998, Andre led Utah to the NCAA championship, where they lost to Kentucky. He had the pleasure of playing alongside the great Keith Van Horn. Miller also made headlines when he had a rare triple-double in the NCAA tournament. Unlike a select few un-educated players in Miami, Andre actually has a college degree as he earned his Bachelors in Sociology.

The Cavaliers saw real upside with Miller and drafted him with the 8th overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft. In his rookie season, he started 36 games and quickly proved his worth on the court. Andre averaged an impressive 11 points per game, to go along with almost 6 assists.

After the Cavaliers moved Shawn Kemp out of the picture, this was pretty much Andre's team. In the 2000-2001 season he would lead the Cavaliers in points scored. He averaged 15.8 per game, on a team with Lamond Murray, Wesley Person, Trajan Langdon, and Brevin Knight. Unfortunately, that year the Cavaliers weren't exactly playoff-caliber, as the 30-52 record might suggest.

After the season, coach Randy Wittman was replaced and in came John Lucas. Andre was already established as the starting point guard and his numbers would only get better. He shot 45% from the field that year, and led the Cavaliers in just a few minor categories: games played, minutes played, assists, field goals attempted, free throws attempted, and he posted an impressive 126 steals on the year.

Other than a few Ricky Davis dunks, Andre Miller pretty much was the 2001-2002 Cavaliers. Without enough (or any) help surrounding him, the Cavaliers record would get worse, and they finished 29-53 on the season.

After the season, Andre Miller was inexplicably traded to the Los Angeles Clippers for one, Darius Miles. Although Darius also could dunk, this was essentially throwing in the towel on the 2002-2003 season, as we gave away our best playmaker in Miller. Andre's stats and play had improved every season and he should have been held on to for much longer.

Andre would spend only one year in Los Angeles before he was signed a multi-year deal with the Denver Nuggets. He would play a huge part in the Nuggets rise to respectability in the Western Conference. He has never had problems with durability; Andre had only missed 3 games in his first 7 seasons in the NBA. Compare that to one, Prince James, who for all intents and purposes missed two games in the playoff series with the Boston Celtics this year.

He would play 3 productive seasons in Denver before playing from 2006-2009 with the Philadelphia 76ers. They really were never going to be a competitive team, and in 2009 Miller decided to take his talents to Portland, inking a 3 year, $21 million dollar contract.

During his time in Cleveland, he was on the NBA All-Rookie First Team, became the first player in Cleveland history to win player of the week twice, and also set a franchise record for total assists in a season (882). He also was the only NBA player to average 10+ assists and points during the 2001–02 NBA season. He played the game at an uptempo speed and caused match-up problems against other Point Guards in the league.

I'll never forget how his feet barely came off the floor when he took 3-point shots. It was like he was barely even jumping. Luckily he escaped Cleveland before the 17-65 team took the floor the next year. Andre was a great Cavalier and he gave the Cleveland franchise far more than they deserved at the time. He rarely dunked, but as you'll see, when he decided to, he was going to do it big. His passing ability was spectacular and he always played to win. Andre Miller is Underrated

Home