Comparing the Cavaliers on June 19, 2016 v.s June 19, 2021

The smell of chips and salsa crawled up my nose with a hint of freshly ground beef and of course, margaritas, on a bright and sunny-summer afternoon on the shores of
Lake Erie. As I devoured four tacos and celebrated the impact my father has had on my life – I couldn’t help but notice another smell in the air – the smell of hope and heart ache looming over a cursed and damned city. This was a smell I did not like.

Was there a Febreeze can big enough to eliminate this odor?  

As it turns out, there was. His name was LeBron James. The hero and savior the city of
Cleveland has longed for. LeBron was able to throw his chalk-powder in the air and erase 52 years of sports misery over a city that became a national punch line.

I’ll never forget the raw emotion and energy that every Clevelander wore on their face that day, June 19, 2016. The nervous energy turned to tears of happiness, as the Cleveland Cavaliers overcame a 3-1 series deficit to defeat the 73-9 Golden State
Warriors.

The high-fiving, the hugs from strangers, the tears wiped off of my face are
something I won’t soon forget. June 19th, 2016 is a day engraved into the heart and soul of every Clevelander. A day the entire city put aside any-and-all differences and flooded the streets to celebrate one thing…an NBA Championship.

Five years later, however, things look a bit different for a franchise trying to find
their way back to the promised land.

Looking at the Cavs in 2021

In 2021, the hope and future of the Cleveland Cavaliers does not fall on the shoulders of a 6’8” 250 pound man from Akron. Instead, the hope and future of the Cavaliers
relies on ping pong balls. Yes, I said ping pong balls.

This Tuesday, June 22, 2021, the NBA will hold its annual draft lottery.

After a disappointing 22-50 season from the Cavs, the Cavs lost a pre-lottery coin flip
with the Oklahoma City Thunder. This gave the Cavs the 6th best odds to win the lottery, instead of No. 5. The Cavs, however, still hold an 11.5 percent chance of landing the top pick. The Cavs have a 45.1 percent chance of landing the seventh-overall pick but they can not drop further than pick No. 9.  

The 2021 NBA Draft class is considered by many to be one of the best drafts, in recent years. There is, however, a growing perception that this is a five-player draft. Of course, the Cavs hold the sixth best odds right now.  

What do the Cavs need in this draft to get this franchise on the right path? The answer is a star, The answer is a cornerstone-franchise piece, who the Cavs can market and build their roster around.  

So, who is that guy?

The top prize in the 2021 NBA draft is Cade Cunningham. Cunningham, a 6’8” point guard, out of Oklahoma State, is the star and franchise player to build around in this
draft.

The Cavs carry two smaller point guard/ shooting guards on their roster, Collin Sexton and Darius Garland. This should not deter the Cavs from the possibility of
drafting Cade Cunningham.

When a guy like Cade is on the board, you do not pass up the potential talent. You draft the player and make things work out, on the back end. The Cavs biggest needs
are size, shooting and play-making. Cade excels in each category.

Is it Cade Cunningham or bust for the Cavs in the draft? Certainly not – but is he the
quickest route to returning the Cavs franchise to glory? Certainly.

The Cavs will need some luck on their side to land the top pick in the draft. But hey,
Cleveland is due.

We’ll see how the ping pong balls land on Tuesday evening but one thing is for sure – the Cavs are in a much different place than they were five years ago.