During the 90's there were few surprises in the NBA. The Eastern Conference was dominated by the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, and Indiana Pacers. The Bulls and Pacers represented the Central Division, where they maintained a stranglehold for more than 10 years. The Bulls won 6 titles and the Pacers made it to the Finals in 2002. The Pacers were often the second best team (Knicks were there as well) in the Eastern Conference, and for a small period of time they were on top. Once Michael Jordan retired and Scottie Pippen moved on during the post lockout era, the Bulls became bottom feeders. It would take a little while longer for the Pacers, but they also fell from grace, just in a more embarrassing manner. See video for more on that.
DETROIT PISTONS:
I'm going to take you back to 2002. A year in which Joe Dumars decided enough was enough. He decided to make a major power move. He brought in a group of guys that played a pivotal role in the Pistons returning to the Promised Land; Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince. They would join with Ben Wallace, and eventually Rasheed Wallace, to form the dynamic foursome which led Detroit to one of the greatest upsets in NBA history. The Pistons beat the heavily favored Los Angeles Lakers in the 2004 Finals and cemented their position as a defensive powerhouse. For the next 4 seasons Detroit remained in the top tier of the NBA, making it back to the Eastern Conference Finals each time. Eventually that clock ran out. Chauncey Billups was traded to Denver, Richard Hamilton lost motivation, and Ben Wallace joined the Cavaliers. All that was left was Tayshaun Prince. The Pistons fell from the top tier and found themselves searching for hope.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS:
In 2003 the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted the 6'8 prodigy from Akron, LeBron James. Life changed. James was expected to return the Cavaliers to basketball's higher tier after years of toiling at the bottom of the league. In his first season he led the team to a 35 win season, which was a 18 win improvement over the previous season. He along with Zydrunas Ilguaskas would continue to spearhead a young and hungry Cavaliers team that took the league by storm. The team peaked early and they made it to the Finals in 2007. The Cavaliers were swept by a more experienced San Antonio team, but the world knew the real story; LeBron James and his Cavaliers were here to stay, or so everyone thought. "The Decision" heard around the world changed everything. LeBron departed the city that loved him and joined forces with Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade down in Miami to form the new "Big 3". This brought an end to the Cavaliers brief period of dominance and demoralized the fan base.
The Future:
Both of these organizations once terrorized the league, had devoted fan bases and superstars, yet neither was impervious to the inevitable fall from glory. Its now 2013 and we stand on the eve of the NBA Draft. Once again the Pistons and the Cavaliers find themselves in the lottery with hopes of drafting a piece of the puzzle that will help lead them back to the top of the Central Division, the playoffs, and the Promised Land. Below we will take a look at what both teams have and what they might want to add that will upgrade their chances at making that trip back.
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Superstar: Kyrie Irving - 22.5 ppg/5.6 ast - NBA All Star
Young Talent: Dion Waters - 14.7 ppg /Tristan Thompson - 11.7 ppg/9.4 reb
Potential Picks
1. Nerlens Noel: Noel, when (or if) healthy could give Cleveland a young and aggressive defensive presence in the middle. His elite shot blocking skills, length, and athletic ability will provide the Cavaliers with the perfect counterpart for Kyrie Irving to grow with.
2. Otto Porter: Porter is the more logical pick for the Cavaliers. Cleveland has been in search of a wing to fill the massive hole left by LeBron James. While LeBron is irreplaceable, Porter would be a nice compliment for the young team and could develop into a Paul George like wing capable of contributing in many ways.
3. Alex Len: The true wild card of the draft Len has been hurt since the end of the college basketball season. Like Noel, he is full of potential and could blossom into one of the gems of this draft. Getting a young Big Man with upside is a premium (Roy Hibbert/Joakim Noah/Serge Ibaka), but if you can find one and link him with a young stud like Irving you have a winning combination.
Detroit Pistons:
Superstar: Greg Monroe - 16.0 ppg/9.6 reb
Young Talent: Brandon Knight - 13.3 ppg/ Andre Drummond - 7.9 ppg/ 7.6 reb/ 1.6 blk
Potential Picks:
1. Michael Carter-Williams: MCW could be that final piece the Pistons need to make that step forward towards the playoffs. He has a great feel for the game and his best asset is his height. At 6'6 he could team in the back court with Brandon Knight, allowing Knight to play the more natural role of off guard.
2. Anthony Bennett: Its likely Bennett will be off the board long before the Pistons pick, however if the luck of the previous 3 years holds up he could fall to them. He could serve a dual purpose for the Pistons as a needed small forward or back up to Greg Monroe. Bennett can stretch the D with his ability to knock down the outside shot and would add great size to an all ready big Detroit front line.
3. C.J. McCollum: McCollum can shoot the ball and provide that added offensive punch. The Pistons struggled to create offense without Monroe on the court. Adding McCollum would bring another weapon to the team that is capable of creating his own offense.
We are two weeks away from Draft Night and a lot can happen between today and then. Based off what we know right now, any of these scenarios could work for both teams and would be a great step in the right direction. With the foundations in place, both teams hiring new coaching staffs (Mike Brown and Maurice Cheeks) and another year in the lottery, anything is possible.
The Draft Fanatic
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