The Cleveland Cavaliers have seen a good number of productive forwards in their day. Here’s a look at some of the best forwards in franchise history.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a team undergoing another facelift. With recent departure of LeBron James, it’s worth taking a look at the 15 best forwards of all-time. The forward position is changing ,so it’s worthwhile to see how the position has evolved from a Cleveland perspective, from stretch fours, to dominant paint scorers, to all-around playmakers.
The Cavaliers have 22 playoff appearances under their belt as a franchise. A lot of them are due to the work James has done. In 11 seasons with Cleveland, James turned the franchise around, leading them to nine of those postseason appearances. Before James though, there were guys like Campy Russell and Larry Nance that set the precedent.
Russell was a member of the Cavaliers when they won their first ever Central Division title. Nance saw his No. 22 jersey retired after becoming quite the rim protector. However, he has since changed his mind about his retired jersey, allowing his son Larry Nance Jr. to wear the number. Those are just a few names, too.
The current state of the franchise isn’t in a total panic, as versatile forward Kevin Love still remains. Love signed a four-year contract extension in the 2018 offseason with the club worth $120 million. With a long-term investment in Love, it will be interesting to see how they use him going forward. Here’s a look at the 15 best forwards of all-time in the meantime.