By Warren Blatt, NBA Editor
2003-04 FINISH: 35-47
OFFSEASON ADDITIONS: Drew Gooden (F) - Trade with Orlando: Lucious Harris (G) - Free Agent; Aleksandar Pavlovic (F) - Trade with Charlotte; Eric Snow (G) - Trade with Philadelphia; Robert Traylor (F) - Free Agent; Anderson Varejao (F) - Trade with Orlando; Scott Williams (C) - Free Agent.
OFFSEASON SUBTRACTIONS: Tony Battie (C/F) - Traded to Orlando: Carlos Boozer (F) - Signed with Utah; Kedrick Brown (F) - Traded to Philadelphia; Jason Kapono (F) - Selected by Charlotte in Expansion Draft; Lee Nailon (F) - Signed with New Orleans; Kevin Ollie (G) - Traded to Philadelphia; Eric Williams (F) - Signed with New Jersey.
2004 DRAFT PICKS: 1. (10) Luke Jackson (F, Oregon).
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP: PG Eric Snow, SG Jeff McInnis, SF LeBron James, PF Drew Gooden, C Zydrunas Ilgauskas
COACH: Paul Silas
(Basketball News) - Year two of LeBron James is set to get underway in Cleveland, as the Cavaliers hope the 2003-04 Rookie of the Year can lead them to the playoffs for the first time since 1998.
Even though Cleveland did not make the playoffs last season, it did win 35 games, which is the most amount of victories for the franchise since the Cavaliers won 47 games in the 1997-98 regular season. James lived up to the hype and the future of NBA basketball in Cleveland looked bright heading into the summer.
However, the offseason did turn out the way the Cleveland franchise was hoping it would. The most significant event was the loss of up-and-coming power forward Carlos Boozer, who signed with the Utah Jazz as a free agent. On July 14, which was the first day that teams were able to begin signing players, Utah signed Boozer to a lucrative multi-year contract. The Cavaliers had 15 days to match the offer, but declined to do so and allowed the Duke product to become a member of the Jazz.
It would be safe to say that the 22-year-old Boozer, who averaged 15.5 points and 11.4 rebounds in 75 games for the Cavaliers in 2003-04, and Cleveland management are no longer friends after the controversial events that surrounded the events that led up to the forward becoming a restricted free agent. It was rumored that Boozer made a commitment to Cleveland to sign a long-term contract with the Cavaliers if they allowed him to become a free agent. Such an agreement is not allowed in the NBA and if a franchise committed this act it would be subject to substantial penalties. After a lot of bickering and nasty exchanges through the media, Cleveland declined to match the offer and reluctantly let the future star leave.
The loss of Boozer is extremely tough for the Cavaliers, who also saw small forward Eric Williams leave to sign with the New Jersey Nets, to swallow. Cleveland wanted its team to be built around the trio of James, Boozer and center Zydrunas Ilgauskas. The feeling was that the three players would evolve into a potent threesome and with a few more tweaks to the roster, the Cavaliers would have a contender for many years to come. Unfortunately for the Cleveland franchise it was not meant to happen that way. But, life in the NBA does go on.
Cleveland has tried to offset the departure of Boozer, as it acquired power forward Drew Gooden in a trade with the Orlando Magic, obtained point guard Eric Snow in a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers and signed free agent Robert Traylor. The Cavaliers also drafted Oregon forward Luke Jackson on June 24 with the 10th overall selection in the NBA Draft.
Head coach Paul Silas, who will be entering his second season as the general of the Cavaliers, will have to find ways for his team to mesh once again. The 19-year-old James will continue to excite the fans of Cleveland and will only get better as he matures both as a player and an individual. The bottom line is that things can’t be that bad if James is in the lineup every night.
BACKCOURT
The Cavs are strong at the point, as Snow and veteran Jeff McInnis are both capable floor generals. However, the two guards could find themselves in the starting lineup with McInnis logging minutes at shooting guard.
The 31-year-old Snow, who had spent the previous six-plus seasons with Philadelphia, has not missed a regular season contests the past two seasons. He averaged 10.3 points and 6.9 assists in 36 minutes per game for the Sixers in 2003-04. Snow, who spent the first two-plus seasons of his career as Gary Payton’s backup in Seattle, has also participated in 71 playoff games during his nine-year career.
McInnis, 29, will be entering his eighth season in the league. The North Carolina product, who has also played for Denver, Washington, the Los Angeles Clippers and Portland, averaged 11.7 points and 7.5 assists in 31 games for the Cavaliers, who acquired him in a trade with the Trail Blazers in January. The 6-4 McInnis can light it from three-point range as he shot 36.2 percent from beyond the arc for Portland and Cleveland last season.
Behind Snow and McInnis will be Dajuan Wagner, who has played just 91 games in his first two seasons in the NBA. The 21-year-old guard averaged 6.5 points and 1.2 assists last season, which was down from his rookie campaign when he netted 13.4 points and dished out 2.8 helpers.
Lucious Harris, who was released by New Jersey in September, signed as a free agent in early October. Harris is an 11-year NBA veteran, having spent the last seven seasons with the Nets. He played in 69 contests during the 2003-04 campaign and averaged 6.9 points and two assists per game. The 33-year-old Harris adds depth and experience to the Cleveland backcourt.
The all-world James will also see plenty of action at both the point and shooting guard. In fact, James could start at either guard slot which would allow Silas to use McInnis or Snow off the bench.
FRONTCOURT
James should be the starting small forward for the Cavs, as Snow and McInnis should be the perfect complements to the second-year pro in the starting lineup. The 6-8 James had a fantastic rookie campaign, which saw him average a team-high 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists. He started all 79 contests that he appeared in, and shot 41.7 percent from the floor, 29 percent from beyond the arc and managed to register 1.65 steals per game. Whether James is in the frontcourt or the backcourt, he is the go-to-guy on this squad no matter how you look at it.
The twenty-nine-year-old Ilgauskas will have to pick up some of the points and rebounds that were left behind when Boozer departed. At 7-3, Ilgauskas, who registered 15.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.48 blocks in 81 games in 2003-04, gives Cleveland one of the few dominant centers in the Eastern Conference. After battling various injuries from 1998-2002, the one-time All-Star has missed just two games over the past two seasons and is in the prime of his career. In order for the Cavaliers to contend for a playoff berth, it will be imperative that their starting center remain healthy and productive.
Gooden will takeover at power forward for Boozer. Originally selected out of Kansas by the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round (fourth pick overall) of the 2002 NBA Draft, the 6-10 Gooden posted 11.6 points and 6.5 boards in 79 games for the Magic in 2003-04. He will be entering his third season in the NBA and should add athleticism to the Cleveland lineup. The 23-year-old Gooden may have simply needed a change of address and he could turn out to be one of the pleasant surprises in the league this season.
Off the bench will be the rookie Jackson, who could also see some minutes at shooting guard, Traylor, Ira Newble and Aleksandar Pavlovic. Rookie Anderson Varejao, who was acquired in the Gooden deal, could also figure into the rotation if the 6-10 forward from Brazil proves that he can play. Traylor, who will log time at power forward and center, will be a counted on heavily by his new team.
The 27-year-old Traylor, who also played for the Cavaliers in the 2000-01 season, averaged 5.1 points and 3.7 rebounds for the New Orleans Hornets last season. He is a wide body who can take up space, which will help open the court for the high-flying James. Traylor will be expected to rebound and score from the low post.
OUTLOOK
The Cavaliers hope that Gooden can fill the void left by the departure of Boozer. If Gooden has a breakout season, Ilgauskas stays healthy, Snow and McInnis show that they can manage the backcourt, and James continues to flourish, Cleveland could make the playoffs for the first time since 1998 when it was eliminated by Indiana Pacers, 3-1, in the first round.
Cleveland Cavaliers 
