The Cleveland Cavaliers went through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows during the 2010s. The greatest achievement in franchise history was LeBron James leading the team to a title and bringing the Larry O’Brian trophy to Cleveland. On the other hand, James falling apart in the 2010 playoffs and then taking his talents to South Beach was the lowest of lows for the Cavs and their fans.
LeBron James was not the only player to suit up for the Cavs during the decade, and in fact he only played in five seasons across our sample, his last year before leaving for Miami and the four seasons of his return. Tristan Thompson played the most games for the club, with 562 and over 15,000 minutes. Andrew Bogut is at the other end, played less than a minute.
The 2010s were the best of times and the worst of times for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Which five players make the Cavs’ All-2010s Team?
There are plenty of angles with which we can look at the decade. What were the five greatest moments, and why were they all The Block? Who were the greatest enemies: the Boston Celtics, the Golden State Warriors, or whichever scout submitted the report on Anthony Bennett?
The angle we are going to use today will be to find the best players that wore the wine-and-gold last decade. Sticking loosely to positions, which five players make up the Cavs’ All-2010s Team? With a tip of the hat to honorable mentions Anderson Varajao, Matthew Dellavedova and Shaquille O’Neal (who always deserves a shout-out, even if he doesn’t deserve to be on this list) let’s start at the first guard position.
Cleveland Cavaliers All-2010s Team – G: Kyrie Irving
Clearing a low bar, Kyrie Irving is without question one of the two greatest guards in the history of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He certainly had the pedigree, going first overall despite missing most of his freshman season at Duke. The Cavs, who fell apart after the departure of LeBron James, tumbled into the lottery and took Irving with the first overall pick in 2011.
Irving was dynamic from the jump, averaging 18.5 points as a rookie and shooting 39.9 percent from 3-point range. He was the face and the top option for a Cavs team looking for answers as LeBron James was winning MVPs and titles in Miami. Across three seasons before James returned, Irving won Rookie of the Year and made two All-Star Games.
Then James was back, and the team traded for Kevin Love, and Irving was allowed to shine when defenses weren’t keyed up on him. He made two more All-Star Games and hit one of the most iconic shots in Cavs history, a 3-pointer late in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, a killing blow right over the baby-faced assassin to help bring Cleveland its first title in franchise history.
Irving had his best statistical season in 2016-17, the year after the title, scoring 25.2 points per game and hitting 40.1 percent from 3-point range. That would be his last year in Cleveland, putting the cap on his Cavs tenure at six seasons. He finished with 40.4 win shares, second-most in the decade for all Cavaliers players, and most other advanced metrics placed him second to James as well. He’s an easy pick as the top guard of the decade for Cleveland.
Cleveland Cavaliers All-2010s Team – G: J.R. Smith
J.R. Smith was the fifth and final pick for the All-Decade team, a shooting guard best known for what he did poorly than what he did well. From forgetting the score in Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals to throwing a bowl of soup at a coach, Smith knew how to make headlines for all the wrong reasons.
He also knew how to show up in big moments, consistently hitting postseason 3-pointers or being in the right place on defense. Smith’s regular season numbers during the decade (which for Smith meant four seasons in Cleveland) were ho-hum, just 10.3 points per game. and a good, but not elite, 38.1 percent from deep.
Smith wasn’t brought in for the regular season; he was brought in to win a title. No player hit more postseason 3-pointers in the decade than Smith’s 200, and he did so on 40.6 percent shooting. On the greatest defensive play in Cavaliers history, The Block, it was Smith getting back in transition that prevented Andre Iguodala from dunking the basketball and forced a layup attempt that was subsequently blocked.
There were certainly blunders and missteps, but Smith was also a crucial part of the Cavs winning a championship. Cleveland needed a tough defender who could knock down shots, and Smith was that guy. That vaults him onto the All-Decade Team as one of the most impactful players when it mattered.
Cleveland Cavaliers All-2010s Team – F: LeBron James
The scope of this All-Decade piece starts the “2010s” with the 2009-10 season, the last LeBron James would spend in Cleveland before leaving in free agency to join the MIami Heat. That season was, unsurprisingly, a dominant one from James. He averaged 29.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.6 assists per game. He was first team All-NBA and All-Defensive team, and won the league’s MVP award.
Unfortunately that season ended in disappointment, with James both averaging insane numbers in the postseason and falling apart as the Cavs lost badly to the Boston Celtics in the second round. He left for four seasons, which do not fall under our evaluation here, before returning to Cleveland to bring home a championship to his childhood and hometown team.
He did just that, making the NBA Finals all four seasons he was with the team, from 2014-15 to 2017-18. Over that time span he was first team All-NBA all four seasons, and he won Finals MVP in 2016 as he led the Cavs back from a 3-1 deficit against the 73-win Golden State Warriors. The culminating moment, perhaps the most legendary moment in all of franchise history, was LeBron chasing down Andre Iguodala and blocking his fast-break, go-ahead layup in Game 7.
LeBron James is far-and-away the best Cleveland Cavaliers player ever, and he is the best from this decade as well despite playing just five seasons. His 88.8 combined regular season and playoff win shares are nearly double the next two players combined, and his per-game averages are both astounding and run-of-the-mill for The King: 26.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 8.1 assists. Cleveland got to see greatness up close for half the decade, and it was incredible.
Cleveland Cavaliers All-2010s Team – F: Kevin Love
Kevin Love spent the first six seasons of his career, and the first half of the decade, putting up double-doubles for the Minnesota Timberwolves but never once making the postseason. That changed for him when the Cavs were made aware the LeBron James was coming home, and the Timberwolves sent him to Cleveland in exchange for the last two first overall picks.
Love became the “Chris Bosh” of the new dynamic threesome, lowering his usage to focus on being hyper-efficient. Love’s ability to stretch the court out to the 3-point line was crucial in unlocking lineups for Cleveland, and even playing alongside rebound-vacuums in Tristan Thompson and LeBron James he averaged double-digits rebounds.
Unfortunately for Love, injuries reared their heads at times, including a shoulder injury inflicted on him by Kelly Olynyk in his first career postseason, and a concussion in the 2016 NBA Finals. Even so, he was on the court in the pivotal Game 7, famously holding up on defense against unanimous MVP Stephen Curry in the closing seconds. Irving had “The Shot” and James had “The Block” while Love got “The Stop.”
Once Irving was traded Love continued as James’ co-star for the team’s last run to the Finals in 2017-18, earning his second consecutive All-Star nod with the Cavs. He would stay with the team even after the departure of James, leading the team in scoring in 2018-19 when he was on the court, which was not very often due to a variety of maladies. All told he compiled 31.3 win shares in five seasons, averaging 17.1 points and 10 rebounds as the third star of the Cavs’ talented and title-winning triumvirate.
Cleveland Cavaliers All-2010s Team – C: Tristan Thompson
LeBron James may have been the best player on the four consecutive Finals teams, and Kyrie Irving their flashiest scorer, and Kevin Love their most talented big, but Tristan Thompson was the spiritual embodiment of who they wanted to be. He played hard every minute, did all the little things, and lit a fire on defense.
Thompson was drafted fourth overall int he 2011 NBA Draft, three picks after Kyrie Irving; the Cavs had traded for a pick from the LA Clippers that become first overall, and took Thompson with their personal draft pick. He became a full-time starter by his second year, averaging nearly a double-double each season, before taking a major backseat to Kevin Love and LeBron James once this team became a contender overnight.
Even with a reduced role Thompson still made a significant impact. While he came off the bench in the regular season he moved into the starting lineup when it mattered most, including starting all 21 games in the 2016 playoff run that led to a championship. He did the same the following year when the Cavs mowed through the Eastern Conference and lost to the juggernaut Warriors in the Finals.
No player totaled more seasons or games in the decade than Tristan Thompson, who suited up for 562 regular season games and 78 postseason games. He was efficient, he was versatile defensively, and his motor ran at 100 percent all the time. His postseason “Value Over Replacement Player” ranked third on the team behind just LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. He was just a role player, but he was the quintessential role player for a team that need his contributions to find the success the achieved.