2017-18 Season-in-Review:
Moving Forward
A Look Back and Look Ahead at the Wine & Gold's Forwards
by Joe Gabriele (@CavsJoeG)
7/25/18 | Cavs.com
Season Overview: It’s just human nature to make comparisons. And along with the Tribe making another run towards the pennant, sports fans in Cleveland this summer have been talking how LeBron James’ recent free agent departure feels diametrically different than last time.
LeBron’s last exodus was greeted with fire and brimstone, and it took the city and organization years to get over. This time, after Numeral 23 helped guide the Wine & Gold to four straight Finals appearances and – as promised – the 2016 NBA Championship, both sides parted amicably, each prepared for the next chapter.
James signed with L.A. on July 9, and by July 19 he was doing the #YoungBullChallenge with his daughter, Zhuri. Cavalier fans dug it; Lakers fans dug it. Live and let live.
Of course, the good vibrations that Cavalier fans are feeling this summer have been bolstered by Tuesday’s festivities – with the Cavaliers inking Kevin Love to a multi-year extension, keeping the five-time All-Star in the fold for the foreseeable future. In the history of the modern NBA, there’s only one player like him. If you don’t believe me, check out By the Numbers a few paragraphs from now.
Yes, Love’s signing is a basketball move. The soon-to-be-30-year-old Love has averaged a double-double over his four years as a Cavalier – 17.1 ppg, 10.0 rpg – leading the team in total rebounds, double-doubles and three-pointers made. Last year, he was just one of four players in the league to can over 110 triples and average at least 9.0 rebounds per contest, finishing the season with 31 double-doubles and 17 games of at least 20 points and 10 boards.
Cedi Osman has had a stellar summer -- with his Turkish National Team and the Cavaliers in Summer League -- and is ready for his close-up in 2018-19.
Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
But it’s also symbolic move. The Cavaliers were determined to not undergo another complete tear-down and rebuild – and with Love locked up, they’ve made it clear that they still intend to compete in the East despite the four-time MVP taking his talents to Tinseltown. On Love’s end, he shows his commitment to the franchise and the city – something that tells teammates (and future free agents) that pro hoops are alive and well in Cleveland.
About that James guy – over the past four years, LeBron left everything he had on the floor, including Cleveland’s recent run at the title – adding his name to the all-time legends with a postseason performance for the ages, averaging 34.0 points, 9.1 boards and 9.0 assists and willing the Wine & Gold through the Eastern Conference Playoffs.
During that wild run, James topped the 40-point plateau on eight occasions, including his 51-point magnum opus in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. LeBron also canned a pair of jaw-dropping buzzer-beaters – against Indiana and Toronto – that simply added to his local legend.
That’s not to diminish James’ prolific regular season performance – playing in all 82 games for the first time in his career, posting averages of 27.5 points (third in the NBA), 8.6 boards (15th) and 9.1 assists (second) per. The 14-time All-Star tallied a career-best 52 double-doubles to go with 18 triple-doubles and was the only player in the Association to average at least 25.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 9.0 assists per game while shooting better than 50 percent from the floor.
Last year began with a pair of rugged veterans backing up LeBron at the small forward spot. None of the three remain.
Jae Crowder, who’d battled James and the Cavaliers in previous Playoff matchups as a Celtic, arrived in the offseason Kyrie Irving deal. Despite starting all but seven of his 53 appearances, Crowder never found his rhythm or role on either end of the floor, and his numbers across the board took a dip – going on to shoot 42 percent from the floor and 33 percent from deep.
He and Derrick Rose were dealt to Utah at the deadline – and Crowder actually went on to fare much better in Salt Lake City.
Jeff Green was one of the first free agents Cleveland inked last summer, and if nothing else, the 10-year veteran was the model of consistency through the season – performing dutifully off the bench before being moved into the starting lineup in March.
Green finished the regular season as the Cavaliers’ third-leading scorer (10.8 ppg) and the only other player besides LeBron and Love to average double-figures. The soft-spoken vet notched double-figures in 43 outings, topping the 20-point mark on seven occasions, including a 33-point outburst late in the campaign against Philly.
Green was solid-but-not-spectacular in the postseason – netting double-figures in seven contests, capped by a 19-point, eight-rebound effort against his former team as the Cavs bounced Boston in Game 7, punching his first career ticket to the NBA Finals.
The Maryland native signed with his hometown Wizards in the offseason.
Green’s defection probably came as both good and bad news for his best friend on the Cavaliers – soon-to-be-sophomore, Cedi Osman.
The bad news for Cedi is that the savvy veteran took Osman under his wing one year ago – showing him the ropes on a Championship contender. The good news for Cedi is that Green (and James and Crowder) are all out of his way, and the 23-year-old should have a clear path to the starting small forward spot.
Last season, Osman appeared in 61 games with the Wine & Gold, getting 12 starts, averaging 3.9 points on 48 percent shooting. He tallied double-figures seven times, including a 16-point effort in his first start of the season, going 6-of-9 from the floor to go with six boards, five assists and a season-best three steals in a blowout win over Atlanta right after the trade deadline.
And Osman showed a more aggressive, assertive side at both the FIBA European Qualifiers and with the Wine & Gold at Summer League in Vegas – doubling-up with 15 points and 10 boards, adding three assists, a game-high four steals and a blocked shot in a win over Washington in the opener and going off for a game-high 25 points, going 9-of-18 from the floor and 5-of-5 from the stripe, adding six boards, six assists and a block in his second showing against Indiana.
Cleveland’s brass will likely continue to add to their frontline as Training Camp approaches. But one signature that they’ve already secured took place one week ago – welcoming fan-, teammate- and media-favorite, Channing Frye, back to the Cavaliers family.
Frye isn’t going to make waves for minutes or look to pad stats for another contract. The 12-year veteran – who was shipped (briefly) to L.A. in the Isaiah Thomas deadline deal – is still an effective stretch-4 who can start or come off the bench. And he’s still the Cavaliers all-time leader with a .541 three-point percentage in the postseason.
"Cleveland fans have been special from day one, and I’m also looking forward to continuing to be a part of this great community."
Kevin Love on signing his extension to remain in Cleveland
Highlight: It would take an entirely different article to encompass all the highlights posted by the Cavaliers’ All-Star frontline one season ago. If not for a mid-season malaise, James could’ve easily hoisted his fifth league MVP trophy at year’s end. And only a hand injury briefly derailed the best campaign Kevin Love has enjoyed as a Cavalier.
James did it all on an almost-nightly basis, but his 57-point outburst early in the season against Washington signaled to the Association that, even as he approaches his mid-30s, he’s still got plenty left in the tank – going 23-of-34 from the floor to go with 11 boards, seven assists, three steals and a pair of blocks against his former Playoff nemeses.
Love also had his biggest game of the season early – going off for 38 points in just 25 minutes of work in a late-November home win over Miami, going 10-of-16 from the floor, including 4-of-7 from deep and 14-of-17 from the stripe, adding nine boards and a pair of steals.
Jeff Green had plenty of highlights over the course of the season, but he saved a bunch of them for a single quarter in Houston – scoring 20 of his 27 points in the second quarter – going 8-of-9 from the floor and 3-of-3 from the stripe – despite the Wine & Gold eventually succumbed to James Harden and the Rockets.
Lowlight: At any point during the Cavaliers’ slump that stretched from their Christmas Day loss at Oracle Arena until early February, it wouldn’t be difficult to find some clunkers by any of the aforementioned players – including LeBron and Kevin Love.
During that stretch, James had six games in which he scored in the teens – twice barely squeaking into double-figures to keep his all-time NBA streak alive. Love had some rough stretches both on the court and in the locker room during the midseason malaise before fracturing his left hand just before the Break.
Eventually, the Cavaliers players who snapped out of the funk went on to lead Cleveland back to the Finals for the fourth straight season. The ones who didn’t were dealt at the deadline.
Odds and Ends: So you probably think Kevin Love is the only pretty-boy on the Wine & Gold’s frontline to have his own commercial?
Look at how impressive young Cedi Osman (and his hair) are in this Head and Shoulders commercial from Europe.
By the Numbers: 1 … amount of NBA players in the history of the game who’ve knocked down at least 1,000 career three-pointers while averaging at least 10.0 rebounds – newly minted Cavalier, Kevin Love.
Quotable: Kevin Love ... after signing a long-term extension to remain with the Wine and Gold …
"I enjoy playing here, I’m excited about the team that we have and look forward to our future together. Cleveland fans have been special from day one and I’m also looking forward to continuing to be a part of this great community."
Looking Forward: The Cavaliers will go into next season without the game’s greatest player – and everyone around these parts seems pretty comfortable with that fact.
The reason is because this time the Cavaliers are prepared to move on and move up. Cedi Osman is not LeBron James. But he proved he can play – (and earned James’ respect) – as a rookie and, after a sterling summer, will come to Training Camp ready to rumble. He’s been doing it on a big stage for years and will definitely not shy away when his number is called this season.
Kevin Love is one of the top power forwards in the league and has been for a decade. It’s his team now – and the five-time All-Star will be back in the role of his team’s ace. Talking to him on Tuesday afternoon, the former UCLA standout seems eager for the challenge.
The Wine and Gold’s braintrust still has some spots to fill along the frontline, but things will work out before Training Camp – and a new era of Cavaliers basketball – tips off in late-September.