Cavaliers in Review (Windhorst 2008-2009 recap)

[wuck]

Windhorst with his season in review and grades for all players.

Windhorst is a pretty hard grader. An A for LeBron? What does an A+ look like then?

Cleveland Cavaliers in review: LeBron James aced the season, but what of his teammates?
by Brian Windhorst/Plain Dealer Reporter
Saturday June 06, 2009, 10:30 PM

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For the Cavaliers now is a time to look back, then forward.
A week after the end of their season in the Eastern Conference finals to the Orlando Magic the frustration is still thick. But getting so far in the playoffs does not permit time for much moping.

With the NBA Draft coming in less than three weeks and then a vital free agency period starting on July 1, the team's coaches and front office are compelled to immediately start their deep reflection and analysis of the season. Then chart a plan for the summer. To begin that process, all week there have been meetings and exit interviews with players.

The Plain Dealer is doing some of the same. Inside is a player-by-player review with grades from the just concluded season and an early look at the free agents who the Cavs are expected to be target in a month.

In the next few weeks The Plain Dealer will have a deeper look at the Cavs' draft prospects, the NBA Draft as a whole and the team's strategy for the off-season.


LeBron James, forward
Comment: You can almost draw a line at James' career following the 2007 season and chart the incredible rise from being one of the game's top 10 players to the very top over the last two years. He won the MVP this season, very likely the first of many, but the two greatest improvements were the development of his defensive focus and intensity and his leadership. The way the last moments of the season unfolded showed something that should be even more exciting than having a young superstar on the roster: He's still got room to grow and that grade reflects that.

Grade: A


Mo Williams, guard

Comment: Williams was a smash hit. His ability to hit shots from every angle and coming off screens, spotting up and driving, and finishing around the rim was a massive injection to the attack. He improved defensively from last season and will learn at that end as well. Fans were disappointed in his postseason and so was he. It could serve as a big learning experience for Mo that could pay off down the line.

Grade: A-


Delonte West, guard
Comment: Fans might struggle with this perspective, but at the start of the 2007-08 season he was buried on the bench on one of the worst teams in the league. Now he's coming off the best season of his career showing a dynamic offensive game and a strong defensive work ethic. With everything he had to deal with personally, combined with a broken wrist, his season was remarkable.

Grade: A-


Zydrunas Ilgauskas, center

Comment: Z is tied with Kobe Bryant as the longest-tenured player with any team in the league and continues to have solid seasons even as he heads into the twilight of his career. Ilgauskas' talents are sliding and he's slowing down even more, but he's still rebounding and shooting pretty well, though the Cavs are certainly searching for his replacement.

Grade: B


Anderson Varejao, forward
Comment: Without much question, this was the best season of Varejao's five-year career. He became a starter in the second half and had his best scoring and his best shooting season. He was able to stay healthy and arrived in the fall in the best shape of his career and stayed fit all season. He's got limitations at both ends, but he continues to be an important part of the team.

Grade: B


Joe Smith, forward

Comment: Smith was a good addition in March and he helped carry the Cavs to the No. 1 overall seed as Ben Wallace struggled with injuries. He's a quality teammate and still has value as a skilled big man. After a good series against the Pistons he leveled off and then was taken out of the rotation when the Cavs went to smaller lineups against the Magic. So he did not finish on a high note.

Grade: C


Wally Szczerbiak, guard/forward

Comment: He changed his game, playing more of a power forward role for much of the year. He shot the ball well early and battled bigger players all season long. However, he didn't finish the strong offensively and his play vs. the Magic will probably be what fans remember instead of all the nights when he played very well off the bench.

Grade: C


Darnell Jackson, forward
Comment: Hard worker who has already figured out what his role is going to be if he's going to make it in the league. He showed promise when he got playing time and there's a good chance he will be in the rotation next season. For a low second-round pick with limited talent compared to those at this level, Jackson achieved a great deal.

Grade: C


Tarence Kinsey, guard

Comment: Kinsey made the Cavs out of a summer mini-camp last summer and he ended up filling a needed role at the end of the bench. When the Cavs had some injury problems in January and February he stepped up and played well before suffering a series of ankle injuries.

Grade: C


Jawad Williams, guard

Comment: What a great year for Williams, who was the oldest rookie in the league. He worked hard in the preseason to make the team as a total long shot and then played his role very well as a practice player. When the team had to release him in January, he went to the D-League and was a star, earning his way back. It will be interesting to see if he can continue to play well and earn a spot on a roster again.

Grade: C


Ben Wallace, forward

Comment: As his legs were aging, you could tell that Wallace was going to have some trouble in the last few years of his contract. When he was healthy in the early stages of the season, Wallace was the impact defender he's been for most of his career. But with his age and size, there is little room for error. A series of injuries in the second half slowed him down and has him wondering if he wants to play anymore.

Grade: C-


J.J. Hickson, forward
Comment: Of all the players in this list, Hickson probably has the greatest chance to improve his grade next season. His talent is so clear and his upside is unquestioned. But he learned first hand just how much work needs to be put in both during the NBA game and off the floor -- especially defensively with the Cavs. If his back turns out to be OK, and the team believes it will, he has all the tools to be a good player in the league. We'll see if he takes advantage.

Grade: C-


Daniel Gibson, guard

Comment: Gibson set a standard for his play during his first two years and he is such a key sidekick to James when he's shooting well. He did not reach that standard this season and it was disappointing for everyone, including him, especially since he was fresh off signing a new five-year contract. He was slowed by injuries, but by the end of the season he said he was fine. His offensive and defensive development have stalled but that can be overlooked when he hits shots. He didn't hit that many this season.

Grade: D


Sasha Pavlovic, guard

Comment: The best moments of Pavlovic's career came at the end of his first contract in 2007, when he looked like a future starter. Perhaps he wasn't aware his contract was not guaranteed for next year because he didn't show the same intensity at all. He had a couple of good games but he hasn't advanced at all over the last two seasons and he's supposed to be in his prime by now.

Grade: D


Lorenzen Wright, forward/center

Comment: A well-liked player in the locker room, but he wasn't able to make any impact on the floor. He could have been valuable against the Magic, but got some bad luck when he broke his thumb at the end of the regular season.

Grade: D

SALARY CAP SITUATION
Players signed for 2009-10, salary
LeBron James, $15.7 million
Ben Wallace, $14 million
Zydrunas Ilgauskas, $11.5 million
Mo Williams, $8.8 million
Sasha Pavlovic, $4.9 million ($1.5 million guaranteed)
Delonte West, $4.2 million
Daniel Gibson, $4.1 million
J.J. Hickson, $1.4 million
Tarence Kinsey, $995,000 (nonguaranteed)
Darnell Jackson, $737,000 (nonguaranteed)
Jawad Williams, $736,000 (nonguaranteed)
Total committed salary: $62 million
Free agents: Anderson Varejao, Lorenzen Wright, Wally Szczerbiak, Joe Smith (all unrestricted)

Players signed for 2010-11, salary
Mo Williams, $9.3 million
West, $4.6 million
Gibson, $4.1 million
Hickson, $1.5 million (team option)
Jackson, $854,000 (nonguaranteed)
Total committed salary: $18 million
Free agents: James, Ilgauskas, Wallace, Kinsey, Jawad Williams

Salary cap exceptions available

Larry Bird exception: Unlimited to maximum player salary. Can be used to sign free agents the Cavs have rights to. For this summer, it includes Anderson Varejao and Wally Szczerbiak. Can be used in a trade.

Mid-level exception: Expected to be between $5.6-$5.8 million. It can be used in whole or pieces. For contracts of up to five years in length. Cannot be used in a trade.

Bi-annual exception: $2 million. Must be used in whole for contracts of two years with the second year a player option. Cannot be used in a trade.

Minimum salary exception(s): $400,000-$1.1 million. Can be used on any player for the minimum salary, which varies depending on years of service. For contracts up to two years. Can be used in a trade.

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