2011’s Plan:
In 2010, Cleveland strapped a roster to LeBron that won 61 games but fell to Boston in the Eastern Semifinals. While Mo Williams was awarded his only all-star appearance that year, the rest of the Cavs’ cast included creaky veterans: a 33-year-old Antawn Jamison, a 34-year-old Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and a 37-year-old Shaquille O’Neal.
In prospects under 25, Cleveland boasted players like J.J. Hickson, Darnell Jackson, and the aforementioned Mr. Boobie Gibson.
These Cavs had little plan of what they would do in a post-LeBron world. They were built with duct tape to win immediately.
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Like today, LeBron requires some blame in Cleveland’s short-minded mentality in their roster construction. Back in 2006, LeBron signed a three-year contract extension with a player option. This extension was reportedly for two fewer years than Cleveland offered.
The shorter contract then tightened the Cavs’ title-contending window. James forced them to keep him happy and winning, which sacrificed the team’s ability to plan for the long term.
In the 2010 offseason, the team held zero draft picks. Big Z followed LeBron to Miami and the Big Diesel chased a ring into Boston. Delonte West was traded to Minnesota for an intriguing 24-year-old Ramon Sessions, who later proved better accustomed to a backup role.
The organization kept players like Jamison, Gibson, Varejao, Williams, and Anthony Parker because they had won with LeBron before.
As reported by Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer, the Cavs hoped these veterans would help the franchise transition into a new outlook and possibly compete for a playoff spot. If they stayed competitive, the plan was to look for a big trade at the deadline and win now.
Instead, this core fell to injury and the plan derailed. Varejao was lost to a season-ending ankle injury in January. Jamison suffered a fractured finger. Williams carried nagging injuries throughout the year and played in only 36 games.
The dilapidated squad was soon forced to play names like Alonzo Gee, Ryan Hollins, Manny Harris, and Christian Eyenga for significant stints each game. They ended 29th in both offensive and defensive rating.