2015 Cavs commemorative by Plain Dealer Contest

’14-15cavaliers

SPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE SECTION | 24 PAGES | CLEVELAND.COM/CAVS | $4.95

NBA Eastern Conference Champions

Can’t wait ’til next year Stories and photographs from The Plain Dealer and Northeast Ohio Media Group

Presented by

THOMAS ONDREY / THE PLAIN DEALER

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Can’t wait ’til next year

Special Commemorative Section 2014-15 CAVALIERS SEASON IN REVIEW

The regular season 53-29, .646, First place in Central Division

Drama in three acts

Slow start, midyear magic and a fantastic finish provided a little heartache, a lot of thrills

PAUL BEATY / ASSOCIATED PRESS

JOSHUA GUNTER / THE PLAIN DEALER

LeBron James ﬂexes during the Cavaliers’ opening-night game against the Knicks at The Q.

Tristan Thompson dunks during the Cavs’ ﬁrst win of the year, at Chicago in October.

JOSHUA GUNTER / THE PLAIN DEALER

Kyrie Irving passes over Golden State’s Stephen Curry during a 110-99 Cavs win in February.

BRANDON DILL / ASSOCIATED PRESS

Iman Shumpert leaps in front of Memphis’ Vince Carter during a 111-89 Cavs win in March.

Joe Vardon | jvardon@cleveland.com

A few hours before the curtain lifted on the Cavaliers’ season in one of perhaps the most anticipated opening nights of all time — ahem, LeBron James’ formal homecoming — The Nike commercial dropped. ¶ You know the one. ¶ The Cavs gather around James. The city gathers around the Cavs. The region gathers around the city. “Together,” it was called. ¶ Some of Nike’s most poignant, powerful stuff. Seemed to capture the feeling coursing through the veins of every northeast Ohioan who was even casually interested in sports. ¶ Who could’ve guessed at the time, but the ad foretold Cleveland’s dismal start as much as it did the Cavs’ magical finish. ¶ Dion Waiters was in the commercial. So was Anderson Varejao. Not pictured: head coach David Blatt. ¶ Waiters, the Cavs’ top draft choice in 2012, was fall guy 1B, with Blatt holding the 1A slot. Waiters and (to be fair) Kyrie Irving drove James nuts in the beginning. ¶ Cleveland lost three of its first four games. In loss two, Waiters and Irving jacked up somany quick shots in the first half that James blatantly stood in the corner in the second while the Cavs lost by 19 to Portland. When Cleveland dropped four straight from Nov. 17-22, ill-advised shots or turnovers caused James to pout or sulk (or both) instead of racing back on defense. James couldn’t contain his frustration. “We’re a very fragile team right now,” James said, following a 11093 drubbing by the Toronto Raptors on Nov. 22. On Dec. 23, Cleveland won its 17th game out of 27. The dream team of James, Irving, and Kevin Love was beginning to click.

But that same night, Varejao, the team’s starting center, averaging 9.8 points and 6.5 rebounds, tore his Achilles tendon. The one teammate James trusted to defend the interior was gone for the season. All of a sudden, James was looking at the roster, with Waiters but no Varejao, and shaking his head at Blatt, the “rookie” NBA coach whose years of experience in Europe and Israel mattered little to him. The Cavs lost to the Heat on Christmas Day in Miami, adding

to James’ crisis of conﬁdence as he hugged former teammates and was given an ovation by Miami fans. Now, James’ frustrations with Blatt were becoming magnified. The media was picking up on James’ penchant for talking past Blatt to assistant Tyronn Lue in the course of play, and that he wouldn’t look at Blatt during timeouts. The day after a 23-point home loss to Detroit, James offered a lukewarm endorsement of Blatt to the press, tempered by statements like “what other coach do we have”

and “Listen man, I don’t pay no bills around here. I play.” Only, James wouldn’t play again for two weeks. His body was breaking down as he turned 30. With an aching knee, a balky back, and a bruised psyche, James sat until Jan. 13. The Cavs were ofﬁcially a mess. They’d become a 19-20 mess.

Major roster remake Looking back, the moves orchestrated by Cavaliers general

manager David Griffin in early January can only be viewed as pure genius. Their impact judged solely as profound. But at the time Griffin pulled the trigger on two franchisechanging trades, he was taking risks. On Jan. 5, Griffin dealt Dion Waiters to Oklahoma City in a three-team trade that brought Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith from the New York Knicks and a protected first-round pick from the Thunder. Cleveland also

shipped the very end of its bench — Alex Kirk and Lou Amundson — and a second-round pick to the Knicks. Trading Waiters wasn’t the risky part. With Waiters as perhaps the Cavs’ best trade piece, Grifﬁn promised LeBron James he would move the shooting guard to upgrade the roster. Shumpert, 24, was advertised as the key piece in the deal. He was to provide a defensive presence on the perimeter that neither Waiters, nor Kyrie Irving, could.

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Can’t Can’twait wait’til til next year

2014-15 CAVALIERS SEASON IN REVIEW

CHUCK CROW / THE PLAIN DEALER

Kyrie Irving is pumped after hitting a 3-point basket to put the Cavs up on Portland 97-94 with 6.4 seconds left on Jan. 28. Irving scored 55 points in the 99-94 win. Only, Shumpert was nursing a separated shoulder and would not be ready to play for three weeks. Smith, 29, was Waiters, only with more baggage. Once the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year, Smith, like Waiters, was a shootfirst, shoot-often player who was experiencing one of his worst seasons with the Knicks. Smith racked up about $1 million in fines from the NBA. Two days after dealing Waiters, Griffin acquired 7-foot-1 center Timofey Mozgov. A Russian native whom Griffin coveted before the season began, Mozgov had previous experience playing for Cleveland coach David Blatt in Europe. With Anderson Varejao lost for the season, Mozgov was a necessity as a rebounder and interior defender. But at 28, he never averaged 10 points or eight rebounds per game as a part-time starter in four previous seasons. Griffin coughed up two first-round picks to the Denver Nuggets for Mozgov, including the pick he net-

ted from Oklahoma City for Waiters, and used Cleveland’s roughly $5 million trade exception. The Cavs mortgaged their draft and roster flexibility for Mozgov. And in Shumpert and Smith, they brought in two players who couldn’t help the lowly Knicks — at the time winners of just five of 31 games. Griffin loves to tell the story of James’ “spirit being lifted” when he first saw the hulking Russian at the team hotel in San Francisco. Shumpert and Smith, meanwhile, were leaving a city (New York) they loved and a team they felt like they had failed. Smith, at least, knew James from working out with him in Akron over the summer prior to the 2004 draft. Shumpert seemed to shrug at the allure of playing with James. “Getting traded, it wasn’t the best feeling in the world,” Shumpert would later say. “When we got traded, sitting on that plane, me and J.R. just

talked about what we could bring to the (Cavs). We right away knew what they needed. It was one of those — we were outside lookin’ in, sayin’ if they had this and that, they’d be real tough.” He was precisely correct.

Fantastic finish The firt time LeBron James played with Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, Timofey Mozgov, and J.R. Smith together, the Cavs lost. On Jan. 13, in Phoenix, James made his return after two weeks off resting nagging injuries. He scored 33 points, looking bouncier and healthier than he had all season, but the Cavs still fell 107100 to the Suns. Cleveland’s record was an unfathomable 19-20. Its losing streak, a season-long six games. That same night in Phoenix, James shoved coach David Blatt. James was arguing a call with a ref, Blatt tried to intercede, and James pushed him back as he

continued to plead his case. The Internet erupted. Still ripe were the numerous reports over the apparent disconnect between James and Blatt. Just days earlier, David Griffin was compelled to confirm that Blatt would remain the coach and declare the “narrative” that James wanted him gone as “dead.” The postgame press conference in Phoenix was a critical moment. If either Blatt or James deviated in their explanation of the push, controversy would erupt. Instead, both men described it as James protecting his coach from a technical foul. Some say the season’s turning point was James’ ﬁrst full practice back, on Jan. 12, in Phoenix. Irving recalled a meeting between him, James, and Love at shootaround the morning of Cleveland’s next game in Los Angeles. Blatt, jokingly, says it was the surprise bowling trip he planned for the team on an off day in L.A. Either way, the Cavs didn’t lose

another game for three weeks. They went from a joke to a juggernaut. Central Division champs for the fourth time in team history. Fifty three-wins. An NBA-best 34-9 since Jan. 15. James, Irving, and Love were the highest-scoring trio in the league at 63.4 points per game. Irving, now 23, blossomed under James’ leadership and earned his respect. He registered the NBA’s two best individual scoring games of the season, a 55-pointer against Portland (without James) on Jan. 28 and 57 against San Antonio on March 12. James’ 25.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game were the second-lowest of his career, but his 7.4 assists were the second-most of 12 seasons. Together, James and Irving (Cleveland’s two AllStars), became the fifth duo in NBA history to average at least 20 points and ﬁve assists per game. Love complained about struggling to find a role in the Cavs’

offense and was involved in more than one awkward exchange with James in the media. His 16.4 ppg and 9.7 rpg were among the lowest of his career, but he was still the most dangerous third option in the NBA. After acquiring Smith and Iman Shumpert, the Cavs led the league with 11.6 three-pointers per game. Smith recorded three games with eight three pointers. Mozgov’s 10.6 points per game were a career high. With him and James playing together, Cleveland was 10th in the league in opponent’s ﬁeld-goal percentage and ﬁfth in opponents’ points per game. James’ relationship with coach David Blatt evolved from its icy beginning. James still called him a “rookie coach” — which Blatt didn’t like — but the respect and communication between star player and coach had grown. They, not just superstar player and coach, but all the Cavs, had come a long way.

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The Plain Dealer | cleveland.com

Special Commemorative Section

Can’t wait ’til next year

2014-15 CAVALIERS SEASON IN REVIEW

By the numbers: Regular season schedule and statistics Team leaders POINTS: LeBron James, 25.3

REBOUNDS: Kevin Love, 9.7

JOHN KUNTZ / NEOMG

ASSISTS: LeBron James, 7.4

GUS CHAN / THE PLAIN DEALER

STEALS: LeBron James, 1.6

THOMAS ONDREY / PD

BLOCKS: Timofey Mozgov, 1.2

JOHN KUNTZ / NEOMG

Game statistics GP 69 75 75 70 46 33 26 82 62 57 67 57 51 17 52 11 8 22 12 5 82

GS 69 75 75 51 45 3 26 15 25 24 13 2 1 0 15 0 0 1 0 0 —

MIN 36.1 36.4 33.8 29.7 25.0 23.8 24.5 26.8 24.9 19.3 20.6 11.7 9.7 9.8 13.5 7.9 8.6 5.4 6.6 2.8 —

PPG 25.3 21.7 16.4 12.1 10.6 10.5 9.8 8.5 8.0 4.8 4.8 4.4 2.7 2.6 2.1 2.0 1.9 1.6 0.9 0.8 103.1

OFFR 0.7 0.7 1.9 0.4 2.4 0.4 2.2 3.3 0.9 1.1 0.6 0.2 0.1 0.6 0.1 0.4 0.1 0.3 0.4 0.2 11.1

DEFR 5.3 2.4 7.9 2.7 4.5 1.4 4.3 4.7 2.7 2.4 1.3 0.9 0.7 1.8 1.7 1.0 0.5 1.0 1.3 0.0 31.9

RPG 6.0 3.2 9.7 3.1 6.9 1.7 6.5 8.0 3.6 3.5 1.9 1.1 0.8 2.4 1.8 1.4 0.6 1.3 1.7 0.2 43.0

APG 7.4 5.2 2.2 2.8 0.8 2.2 1.3 0.5 2.2 0.9 3.0 0.4 0.5 0.5 0.9 1.2 1.0 0.1 0.4 0.2 22.1

SPG 1.58 1.52 0.68 1.17 0.39 1.33 0.73 0.41 1.31 0.47 0.36 0.23 0.14 0.12 0.27 0.27 0.75 0.09 0.08 0.00 7.35

BPG 0.71 0.27 0.52 0.31 1.22 0.30 0.62 0.74 0.26 0.47 0.03 0.14 0.04 0.24 0.08 0.00 0.13 0.45 0.00 0.00 4.15

TPG 3.9 2.5 1.6 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.3 1.0 1.5 0.6 0.9 0.2 0.5 1.2 0.4 0.3 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.0 13.6

FPG 2.0 1.9 1.9 2.3 2.5 1.8 2.2 2.3 2.2 1.0 2.3 1.2 1.2 1.6 1.4 0.1 1.3 0.8 0.9 0.2 18.4

A/TO 1.9 2.1 1.4 2.0 0.6 1.5 1.0 0.5 1.5 1.5 3.3 1.8 1.0 0.4 2.0 4.3 2.0 0.2 1.0 0.0 1.6

PER 26.0 21.6 18.9 13.6 18.8 12.3 17.7 15.7 11.5 11.0 8.6 11.1 5.6 4.8 4.6 7.7 5.9 9.1 3.8 8.5 —

Shooting statistics FGM 9.0 7.7 5.5 4.5 4.3 4.2 4.3 3.3 3.1 2.1 1.7 1.3 0.9 1.2 0.7 0.8 0.6 0.6 0.3 0.2 37.7

FGA 18.5 16.5 12.7 10.8 7.3 10.4 7.7 6.0 7.6 4.7 4.6 3.5 2.4 2.4 2.2 3.1 2.4 1.4 1.0 0.8 82.2

FG% .488 .468 .434 .417 .590 .404 .555 .547 .410 .446 .362 .368 .400 .488 .325 .265 .263 .467 .333 .250 .458

3PM 1.7 2.1 1.9 2.3 0.0 0.7 0.0 0.0 1.1 0.2 1.0 1.1 0.6 0.0 0.6 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 10.1

3PA 4.9 5.0 5.2 6.1 0.0 2.6 0.1 0.0 3.2 0.8 2.5 3.1 1.6 0.0 1.9 1.0 1.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 27.5

3P% .354 .415 .367 .383 .000 .256 .000 .000 .342 .261 .407 .360 .369 .000 .327 .000 .222 .000 .000 .000 .367

FTM 5.4 4.2 3.4 0.8 2.0 1.4 1.3 1.9 0.7 0.5 0.4 0.7 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.4 17.7

FTA 7.7 4.9 4.3 1.0 2.8 1.8 1.7 3.0 1.0 0.6 0.6 0.8 0.3 0.5 0.1 0.5 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.4 23.6

FT% 0.71 0.86 0.80 0.75 0.71 0.78 0.73 0.64 0.67 0.76 0.76 0.85 0.60 0.50 0.75 0.67 0.50 0.54 0.60 1.00 .751

2PM 7.3 5.6 3.6 2.2 4.3 3.5 4.3 3.3 2.0 1.9 0.7 0.2 0.3 1.2 0.1 0.8 0.3 0.6 0.3 0.2 27.6

2PA 13.6 11.5 7.5 4.7 7.3 7.8 7.6 6.0 4.4 3.9 2.1 0.4 0.8 2.4 0.3 2.1 1.3 1.4 1.0 0.8 54.7

2P% .536 .491 .480 .462 .590 .453 .561 .547 .458 .484 .307 .423 .472 .488 .313 .391 .300 .467 .333 .250 .504

PPS 1.363 1.318 1.290 1.122 1.455 1.009 1.275 1.420 1.053 1.034 1.039 1.244 1.133 1.073 .956 .647 .789 1.167 .917 1.000 1.25

AFG% 0.53 0.53 0.51 0.53 0.59 0.44 0.56 0.55 0.48 0.47 0.47 0.52 0.53 0.49 0.46 0.26 0.32 0.47 0.33 0.25 0.52

† Midseason Trades: J.R. Smith (70 games NY); Timofey Mozgov (35 games DEN); Dion Waiters (47 games OKC); Iman Shumpert (62 games NY); Kendrick Perkins (51 games OKC); A.J. Price (10 games IND, 5 games PHX); Lou Amundson (53 games NY) Glossary: GP: Games played; GS: Games started; MIN: Minutes per game; FGM: Field Goals Made per game; FGA: Field Goals Attempted per game; FG%: Field Goals Percentage per game; PPG: Points per game; OFFR: Offensive Rebounds per game; DEFR: Defensive Rebounds per game; 3PM: Three-point Field Goals Made per game; 3PA: Three-point Field Goals Attempted per game; 3P%: Three-point Field Goals Percentage per game; RPG: Rebounds per game; APG: Assists per game; SPG: Steals per game; FTM: Free Throws Made per game; FTA: Free Throws Attempted per game; FT%: Free Throws Percentage per game; BPG: Blocks per game; TPG: Turnovers per game; FPG: Fouls per game; 2PM: Two-point Field Goals Made per game; 2PA: Two-point Field Goals Attempted per game; 2P%: Two-point Field Goals Percentage per game; A/TO: Assist to turnover ratio; PPS: Points Per Shot per game; AFG%: Adjusted Field Goal Percentage per game

Final NBA standings EASTERN CONFERENCE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Atlanta Hawks Cleveland Cavaliers Chicago Bulls Toronto Raptors Washington Wizards Milwaukee Bucks Boston Celtics Brooklyn Nets Indiana Pacers Miami Heat Charlotte Hornets Detroit Pistons Orlando Magic Philadelphia 76ers New York Knicks

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Golden State Warriors Houston Rockets Los Angeles Clippers Portland Trail Blazers Memphis Grizzlies San Antonio Spurs Dallas Mavericks New Orleans Pelicans Oklahoma City Thunder Phoenix Suns Utah Jazz Denver Nuggets Sacramento Kings Los Angeles Lakers Minnesota Timberwolves

GUS CHAN / THE PLAIN DEALER

Schedule

PLAYER LeBron James, SF Kyrie Irving, PG Kevin Love, PF J.R. Smith, SG† Timofey Mozgov, C† Dion Waiters, SG† Anderson Varejao, C Tristan Thompson, C Iman Shumpert, SG† Shawn Marion, SG Matthew Dellavedova, SG James Jones, SF Joe Harris, SG Kendrick Perkins, C† Mike Miller, SG A.J. Price, PG† Will Cherry, PG Brendan Haywood, C Lou Amundson, PF† Alex Kirk, C Totals

MINUTES: Kyrie Irving, 36.4

W 60 53 50 49 46 41 40 38 38 37 33 32 25 18 17

L 22 29 32 33 36 41 42 44 44 45 49 50 57 64 65

PCT .732 .646 .610 .598 .561 .500 .488 .463 .463 .451 .402 .390 .305 .220 .207

GB 7 10 11 14 19 20 22 22 23 27 28 35 42 43

HOME 35-6 31-10 27-14 27-14 29-12 23-18 21-20 19-22 23-18 20-21 19-22 18-23 13-28 12-29 10-31

ROAD 25-16 22-19 23-18 22-19 17-24 18-23 19-22 19-22 15-26 17-24 14-27 14-27 12-29 6-35 7-34

DIV 12-4 11-5 8-8 11-5 10-6 7-9 12-4 10-6 8-8 6-10 8-8 6-10 4-12 2-14 5-11

CONF 38-14 35-17 33-19 33-19 30-22 30-22 28-24 24-28 28-24 25-27 25-27 23-29 15-37 12-40 11-41

PPG 102.5 103.1 100.8 104.0 98.5 97.8 101.4 98.0 97.3 94.7 94.2 98.5 95.7 92.0 91.9

OPP PPG 97.1 98.7 97.8 100.9 97.8 97.4 101.2 100.9 97.0 97.3 97.3 99.5 101.4 101.0 101.2

DIFF +5.4 +4.5 +3.0 +3.1 +0.7 +0.4 +0.2 -2.9 +0.3 -2.6 -3.2 -1.0 -5.7 -9.0 -9.3

W 67 56 56 51 55 55 50 45 45 39 38 30 29 21 16

L 15 26 26 31 27 27 32 37 37 43 44 52 53 61 66

PCT .817 .683 .683 .622 .671 .671 .610 .549 .549 .476 .463 .366 .354 .256 .195

GB 11 11 16 12 12 17 22 22 28 29 37 38 46 51

HOME 39-2 30-11 30-11 32-9 31-10 33-8 27-14 28-13 29-12 22-19 21-20 19-22 18-23 12-29 9-32

ROAD 28-13 26-15 26-15 19-22 24-17 22-19 23-18 17-24 16-25 17-24 17-24 11-30 11-30 9-32 7-34

DIV 13-3 8-8 12-4 11-5 9-7 8-8 7-9 8-8 10-6 6-10 9-7 6-10 7-9 2-14 4-12

CONF 42-10 33-19 37-15 31-21 35-17 32-20 29-23 29-23 25-27 21-31 23-29 19-33 18-34 9-43 7-45

PPG 110.0 103.9 106.7 102.8 98.3 103.2 105.2 99.4 104.0 102.4 95.1 101.5 101.3 98.5 97.8

OPP PPG 99.9 100.5 100.1 98.6 95.1 97.0 102.3 98.6 101.8 103.3 94.9 105.0 105.0 105.3 106.5

DIFF +10.1 +3.4 +6.6 +4.2 +3.2 +6.2 +2.9 +0.8 +2.2 -0.9 +0.2 -3.5 -3.7 -6.8 -8.8

2014-2015 Regular season 53-29, .646, First place in Central Division Oct 30 Oct 31 Nov 4 Nov 5 Nov 7 Nov 10 Nov 14 Nov 15 Nov 17 Nov 19 Nov 21 Nov 22 Nov 24 Nov 26 Nov 29 Dec 2 Dec 4 Dec 5 Dec 8 Dec 9 Dec 11 Dec 12 Dec 15 Dec 17 Dec 19 Dec 21 Dec 23 Dec 25 Dec 26 Dec 28 Dec 30 Dec 31 Jan 2 Jan 4 Jan 5 Jan 7 Jan 9 Jan 11 Jan 13 Jan 15 Jan 16 Jan 19 Jan 21 Jan 23 Jan 25 Jan 27 Jan 28 Jan 30 Jan 31 Feb 2 Feb 5 Feb 6 Feb 8 Feb 11 Feb 12 Feb 20 Feb 22 Feb 24 Feb 26 Feb 27 Mar 1 Mar 3 Mar 4 Mar 6 Mar 7 Mar 10 Mar 12 Mar 15 Mar 16 Mar 18 Mar 20 Mar 22 Mar 25 Mar 27 Mar 29 Apr 2 Apr 5 Apr 8 Apr 10 Apr 12 Apr 13 Apr 15

vs NY Knicks @ Chicago @ Portland @ Utah @ Denver vs New Orleans @ Boston vs Atlanta vs Denver vs San Antonio @ Washington vs Toronto vs Orlando vs Washington vs Indiana vs Milwaukee @ NY Knicks @ Toronto @ Brooklyn vs Toronto @ Oklahoma City @ New Orleans vs Charlotte vs Atlanta vs Brooklyn vs Memphis vs Minnesota @ Miami @ Orlando vs Detroit @ Atlanta vs Milwaukee @ Charlotte vs Dallas @ Philadelphia vs Houston @ Golden State @ Sacramento @ Phoenix @ Los Angeles @ Los Angeles vs Chicago vs Utah vs Charlotte vs Oklahoma City @ Detroit vs Portland vs Sacramento @ Minnesota vs Philadelphia vs Los Angeles @ Indiana vs Los Angeles vs Miami @ Chicago @ Washington @ NY Knicks @ Detroit vs Golden State @ Indiana @ Houston vs Boston @ Toronto @ Atlanta vs Phoenix @ Dallas @ San Antonio @ Orlando @ Miami vs Brooklyn vs Indiana @ Milwaukee @ Memphis @ Brooklyn vs Philadelphia vs Miami vs Chicago @ Milwaukee vs Boston @ Boston vs Detroit vs Washington

L W L L W W W W L L L L W W W W W W W W L L W L W W W L W L L L W L L L L L L W W W W W W W W W W W W L W W L W W W W L L W W L W W W W L W W W W L W W W W L L W W

95-90 114-108 101-82 102-100 110-101 118-111 122-121 127-94 106-97 92-90 91-78 110-93 106-74 113-87 109-97 111-108 90-87 105-91 110-88 105-101 103-94 119-114 97-88 127-98 95-91 105-91 125-104 101-91 98-89 103-80 109-101 96-80 91-87 109-90 95-92 105-93 112-94 103-84 107-100 109-102 126-121 108-94 106-92 129-90 108-98 103-95 99-94 101-90 106-90 97-84 105-94 103-99 120-105 113-93 113-98 127-89 101-83 102-93 110-99 93-86 105-103 110-79 120-112 106-97 89-79 127-94 128-125 123-108 106-92 117-92 95-92 108-90 111-89 106-98 87-86 114-88 99-94 104-99 99-90 117-78 109-97 113-108

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Special Commemorative Section

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Page 5

Can’t wait ’til next year

2014-15 CAVALIERS SEASON IN REVIEW

Cavaliers postseason recap

A run to remember

First round Cavs vs. Celtics

Cavs 113 Celtics 100

Cavs 99 Celtics 91

Cavs 103 Celtics 95

Cavs 101 Celtics 93

Conference semis Cavs vs. Bulls

Bulls 99 Cavs 92

Cavs 106 Bulls 91

Bulls 99 Cavs 96

Cavs 86 Bulls 84

THURSDAY, MAY 21,

Cavaliers 97 Hawks 89

SATURDAY, MAY 23,

2015

ConferenceFinals

at Hawks 8:30 p.m., Friday

at Cavaliers 8:30 p.m., Sunday

at Cavaliers 8:30 p.m., Tuesday

at Hawks 8:30 p.m., May 28

Swishing well if necessary

J.R. Smith puts up a 3-point shot over Atlanta’s

at Cavaliers 8:30 p.m., May 30

if necessary

blows Game 1 open, James

Conference ﬁnals Cavs vs. Hawks

WEDNESDAY, JUNE

THE PLAIN DEALER 3, 2015

Warriors 108 Cavaliers 100 (OT)

| FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2015

at Golden State 8 p.m., Sunday

| SECTION S* | 6 PAGES at Cavaliers 9 p.m., Tuesday

at Hawks 8:30 p.m., May 28

W 7

if necessary

at Cavaliers 9 p.m., June 16

Warriors 108 Cavaliers 100 (OT)

| MONDAY, JUNE 8, 2015

Cavaliers 95 Warriors 93 (OT)

at Golden State 9 p.m., June 19

pile on en route to 2-0 series

at Cavaliers 9 p.m., Tuesday

at Cavaliers 9 p.m., Thursday

Cavaliers 114 Hawks 111 (OT)

at Cavaliers 8:30 p.m., Tuesday

at Hawks 8:30 p.m., Thursday

at Hawks 8:30 p.m, June 1

if necessary

bail out James, then he returns

Warriors 108 Cavaliers 100 (OT)

| WEDNESDAY, JUNE

Cavaliers 95 Warriors 93 (OT)

at Golden State 9 p.m., June 19

10, 2015 | SECTION S | 6 PAGES

Cavaliers 96 Warriors 91

at Golden State 8 p.m., Sunday

at Cavaliers 9 p.m., Tuesday

GRIND AND GOLD

Warriors 108 Cavaliers 100 (OT)

| FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015*

Cavaliers 95 Warriors 93 (OT)

Cavaliers 118 Hawks 88

to NBA Finals with drama-fre e sweep

| SECTION S | 6 PAGES

at Golden State 9 p.m., June 19

if necessary

27, 2015

Cavaliers 114 Hawks 111 (OT)

first-quarter dunk. S6

Cavs 118 Hawks 88

THE PLAIN DEALER

THE PLAIN DEALER | CAVALIERS VS. HAWKS | 6 PAGES | SECTION S | CLEVELAND.COM/CAVS

| CLEVELAND.COM/CAV S

at Cavaliers 9 p.m., Thursday

if necessary

Cavaliers 96 Hawks 82

Carrying a 3-0 lead into Game 4 on Tuesday night, the only real a triple double for the Cavs drama was whether series. As it turned out, LeBron James would Cleveland was too good fourth quarter on the average for that. With James bench, celebrating with on pace to hit the mark, Kyrie Irving as the Cavaliers sentiment this postseason he spent the professionally saw off has favored Golden the Hawks, 118-88. The State and NBA MVP sweep of Atlanta with national Steph Curry to lift the a game-high 23 points, trophy. But after James he made it clear the NBA capped the championship must once again go through Livingston: Unlike 2007, him. Story, S2 this Cavs team has tools to bring title to Cleveland. S3 | Parting shot: Relive James’ high-flying

Cavs 114 Hawks 111 (ot)

at Cavaliers 9 p.m., June 16

Cavaliers forward LeBron James celebrates from the bench in the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s 118-88 win over the JOHN KUNTZ / NORTHEAST Hawks with teammates OHIO MEDIA GROUP Kyrie Irving, left, and Tristan Thompson.

Cavaliers emphatically return

the favor

the Cavs have a cult hero.

THE PLAIN DEALER | CAVALIERS VS. HAWKS | 4 PAGES | SECTION S | CLEVELAND.COM/CAVS

Cavaliers 97 Hawks 89

Beasts of the East

if necessary

A game that began with Bizarro LeBron ended with a James the outside shooting masterpiece. LeBron of Matthew Dellavedova, James missed his Iman Shumpert and James to ﬁnd his rhythm. first 10 shots, but J.R. Smith kept the Cavaliers Once he found it, James close to the Hawks long soared to a triple-double. 36 seconds left in overtime enough for More importantly, he and sealed the game hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with a driving layup in the series. Despite with 12 seconds left with playing through obvious in a 114-111 win to put injury, James scored Cleveland up 3-0 37, had 18 rebounds Bill Livingston: James’ and 13 assists. Story, S2 heroics, Dellavedova’s scoring fitting in scrappy affair. S2 | Delly’s World: In Dellavedova,

of floor. S4

if necessary

THIS ONE HURT

WEDNESDAY, MAY

ConferenceFinals

at Cavaliers 8:30 p.m., Saturday

Cavaliers forward LeBron James falls to the ﬂoor in front of teammate Tristan Thompson after scoring the Cavs’ JOSHUA GUNTER / NORTHEAST OHIO last ﬁve points in a MEDIA GROUP 114-111 win over the Hawks in overtime.

First, Cavaliers’ 3-pointers

lead

L 6

Arc angels

THE PLAIN DEALER

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Cavaliers 97 Hawks 89

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Cavs 94 Hawks 82

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L 6

on the boards at both ends

seed Hawks. S4

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if necessary

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Cavaliers forward LeBron James goes to the basket for two points despite the defense of Hawks guard Kent Bazemore. THOMAS ONDREY / James scored 30 points THE PLAIN DEALER in Cleveland’s 94-82 win.

THE PLAIN DEALER | CLEVELAND.COM/CAV

at Cavaliers 9 p.m., June 11

When Kyrie Irving’s absence was confirmed before Game 2, Cleveland in Atlanta. Having already could have been forgiven taken Game 1 and home-court for settling for a split order. Then, the game advantage from the Hawks, tipped off. LeBron James taking another at Philips dominated from the the control he exerted Arena seemed a tall outset. His 30 points, over Atlanta in a 94-82 11 assists and nine rebounds win. Acting as a point open. Iman Shumpert understate guard, James found scored 16 points, hitting wave after wave of hot-shooting four 3-pointers, and teammates Tristan Thompson hauled Livingston: James overwhelms in 16 rebounds. Story, Hawks from all spots on the S2 court. S2 | Parting shot: Thompson a beast

Cavs 97 Hawks 89

Bring it home

at Cavaliers 8:30 p.m., Sunday

James takes over, rest of Cavaliers

seals deal

is big in road win vs. No. 1

MONDAY, MAY 25, 2015

2015

ConferenceFinals

Cavaliers 94 Hawks 82

Majestic

The Cavaliers and Hawks spent two-and-a-half quarters trading big Then J.R. Smith, the occasionally-maligned shots and punishing sharpshooter whose physical blows as With the game tied January arrival helped expected. at 63 in the third quarter, spark the Cavs’ run to Smith scored 17 of Cleveland’s the dust settled, the the playoffs, got hot. Cavs led by 18. Smith next 22 points, including finished the game with five 3-pointers, and his postseason mastery, 28 points and hit 8-of-12 when adding 31 points and 3-point shots. LeBron joining five Cavs in double James continued figures as Cleveland Bill Livingston: Smith took Game 1. Story, is the X-factor to complement S2 LeBron’s consistency. S2 | Majestic: ‘The King’ THE PLAIN DEALER | CAVALIERS VS. HAWKS | 4 PAGES | SECTION S | CLEVELAND.COM/CAVS

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Kyle Korver. Smith played 36 minutes against the Hawks, THOMAS ONDREY / scoring 28 points and THE PLAIN DEALER grabbing eight rebounds.

J.R. Smith’s second-half barrage

Cavaliers 97 Hawks 89

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Warriors 103 Cavaliers 82

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Warriors 108 Cavaliers 100 (OT)

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Cavaliers 95 Warriors 93 (OT)

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Cavaliers 96 Warriors 91

Warriors 104 Cavaliers 91

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A NIGHTMARE IN OVERTIME

Cavaliers forward LeBron James walks downcourt with his team trailing in overtime. James scored 44 points in the 108-100

overtime loss. The Cavaliers started strong but finished weak as the Warriors as the NBA Finals cranked surged to a 108-100 up Thursday night in win Oakland, California. but a strong Warriors The Cavs led much of comeback pushed the the way, game into overtime. less till the ﬁnal seconds Golden State held the of the extra period to Cavs scorewin the game despite Irving added 23 points LeBron James’ 44 points. for the Cavs but limped Kyrie off the ﬂoor in overtime. scored 26 to lead the Season MVP Steph Curry Warriors, and his Splash Brother teammate Klay Thompson added 21. Bill Livingston:

74776 18011

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Warriors 104 Cavaliers 91

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Cavaliers 96 Warriors 91

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Stephen Curry and the Warriors ﬁgured out LeBron James in Game 4, holding him to 20 points — less than

at Golden State 8 p.m., Sunday

at Cavaliers 9 p.m., Tuesday

JOHN KUNTZ / NORTHEAST

half his average in the ﬁrst three games. The Warriors finally figured out Cleveland’s defense with an offensive them leading, 54-42, onslaught that saw after two quarters. After a spirited halftime talk the Cavaliers came out by head coach David smoking hot, cutting Blatt, Golden State’s lead with three points in the third. a 12-2 run and closing The Warriors responded within with a run of their own Game 4, 103-82, and in the fourth, easily taking evening the series, 2-2. Game 5 moves to Oakland, California, Sunday at 8 p.m.

THE PLAIN

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at Cavaliers 9 p.m., Thursday

at Golden State 9 p.m., June 19

Bill Livingston: Roster

SQUAD

Terry Pluto: David Blatt

While James scores 40, Dellavedova Cavs scrap their and to 2-1 series lead.way S2

74776 18011

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Cavaliers 96 Warriors 91

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PLAIN DEALER lead. James ﬁnished With Game 5 a must-win, with 40 points and Smith had 14. LeBron James left nothing on the floor teammates Tristan Thompson — but even with help and J.R. Smith, it wasn’t from enough for the undermanned Golden State. The Cavs Cavaliers to defeat fell, 104-91, falling behind in the series 3-2 and setting for the Warriors here up a possible Finals clinch Tuesday at The Q. James ﬁnished with his second 40 points, 14 rebounds triple double of the series, and 11 assists, in a back-and-forth with battle that saw 20 lead changes and 10 ties.

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Warriors 103 Cavaliers 82

Warriors 104 Cavaliers 91

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Bill Livingston: Golden

flexibility and depth give Golden has to open up the rotation

MON 9-9 • TUES & WED

MONDAY, JUNE 15,

Warriors 104 Cavaliers 91

NBAFinals

CAVALIERS LET ONE SLIP AWAY

NORTHEAST

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NBAFinals

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LeBron James continues to have an amazing NBA Finals, with another double double and a series average of 41 points,

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OHIO MEDIA GROUP while Golden State’s Despite the Cavaliers’ Stephen Curry continues Game 2 road win, pundits to struggle. still predicted a Golden ﬁrst Finals game played State victory in the in Cleveland since 2007. The Cavs started strong the Warriors to a season-low and never trailed — holding 37 ﬁrst-half points — but they let a 20-point away, until the home-court third-quarter lead melt advantage kicked in for the 96-91 win and had 40 points, 12 rebounds a 2-1 series lead. LeBron and 8 assists. A gritty James Cavs defense held MVP Stephen Curry to 27 GRIT points.

PRESS

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Cavaliers 96 Warriors 91

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LeBron James celebrates after the Cavaliers evened the NBA Finals 1-1 by defeating the Golden State Warriors

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Cavs 96 Warriors 91

MAIN NEWS INSIDE | $1.00 | CLEVELAND.COM/CAVS

95-93 in overtime in Game 2. The Cavs entered Game 2 of the NBA Finals with a huge challenge, point guard Kyrie Irving. winning without All-Star Challenge accepted. Challenge completed James led the way with (for Game 2, anyway). 39 points, 16 rebounds LeBron and 11 assists as the Thompson led the Warriors Cavs won in overtime, 95-93. Klay with 34 points as NBA MVP Steph Curry had just 5-for-23 from the a miserable game, shooting ﬁeld. Game 3 of the series, which is tied, 1-1, is Tuesday night at The Q.

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THIS ONE HURT

135

ALL OUT LeBron James sits on the Cavaliers’ bench during a timeout in the second half of Game 6. James ﬁnished with 32 points and 18 rebounds.

W.130TH

Cavaliers 95 Warriors 93 (OT)

NBAFinals

| Terry Pluto: Kyrie’s injury

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W.130TH

Warriors 108 Cavs 100 (ot)

Warriors used a revolving

Warriors 108 Cavaliers 100 (OT)

Cavaliers leave everything on the court, but Warriors find every answer en route to title. S2

James turns in heroic effort, but Curry takes over late to land Warriors on verge of title. S2 LeBron James leaves the court after turning in 40 points and a triple-double in a Game 5 loss at Golden State.

W.130TH

NBA ﬁnals Cavs vs. Warriors

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LeBron James is fouled by Golden State’s David Lee in the second half. A gash from a ﬁrst-half collision with a camera shows on James’ head.

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LeBron James slams the ball over Golden State’s Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut during the ﬁrst half of Tuesday night’s 96-91 win.

3163741-01

Matthew Dellavedova, right, hugs forward LeBron James after the Cavs completed an overtime victory over the Warriors in Game 2.

3163033-01

Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving grimaces in pain as he struggles to pass the ball under the Warriors’ Klay Thompson in the fourth THOMAS ONDREY | quarter of Game 1 THE PLAIN DEALER of the NBA Finals in Oakland, California.

SPECIAL OF THE MONTH

KYRIE IRVING!

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Warriors emphatically take back leave James and Cavs batteredhome court edge, and bruised. S2 GRAND OPENING SALE

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Warriors 103 Cavaliers 82

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Overtime meltdown mars otherwise hard-fought effort

Cavs 94 Bulls 73

3164780-01

Cavs 106 Bulls 101

State held all the cards in Game 5, but the Cavs still Terry Pluto: The Cavs made a game of it. S3 might not have any more basketball miracles left, but don’t doubt their will to win. S4

State the advantage over a fatigued LeBron. S3 so his starters can get some rest. S4 6

BLOODY

74776 18011

ALL IN

From the moment LeBron James announced his return to Cleveland in July 2014, the Cavaliers began building for a title run. The addition of Kevin Love, the emergence of Tristan Thompson, the solidification of Kyrie Irving as a superstar, the midseason trades for Timofey Mozgov, J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert all had the same aim: hoisting a championship trophy. Opening day starter Anderson Varejao was lost for the season to injury. Another opening day starter, Dion Waiters, was shipped to Oklahoma City in a midseason trade. At one point, the Cavaliers were 19-20 and championship contention seemed laughable. Then they started winning. And they kept winning. Even after Love was lost for the playoffs in the first-round sweep of Boston, they kept winning. Even when Irving was injured and ultimately lost for the playoffs, the Cavs kept winning. They filled holes, embodied a “next man up” philosophy and pushed the Warriors further than most people thought they could. James ended the NBA Finals a hair away from averaging a triple double and 40 points a game. Even facing off against the team with the league’s best regular-season record and its MVP, Stephen Curry, James was unfazed, nearly delivering Northeast Ohio its first championship in 51 years. When James came back, he said a championship would take time. but this team set for itself the natural goal of bringing the title to Cleveland this year. At the time, nobody realized just how close they would come.

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The Plain Dealer | cleveland.com

Can’t wait ’til next year

Special Commemorative Section 2014-15 CAVALIERS SEASON IN REVIEW

NBA Playoffs, Round One | Cavaliers 4, Boston 0

Costly sweep of old playoff foe Game 1 | Cavs 113, Celtics 100

First-time fliers No postseason jitters for Irving or Love in their playoff debut The Celtics have been overhauled

completely from the team that vanquished LeBron James and the Cavaliers in the 2010 Eastern Conference semiﬁnals, and the only common thread on the Cleveland side was James. Still, for the secondseeded Cavs and the capacity crowd at The Q, coasting to a 113-100 win over the No. 7-seeded Celtics was as close to a perfect day as they could have hoped. After trailing by eight early in the second quarter, James and Kyrie Irving led a 20-6 run that gave Cleveland the lead for good. Irving led all scorers with 30 points, while James added 20 points and seven assists (passing Michael Jordan for ninth all-time in postseason assists). Kevin Love added 19 points and 12 rebounds.

April 19; Quicken Loans Arena 1

Celtics

100

Cavaliers

113

Game 2 | Cavs 99, Celtics 91

Starting points

JOSHUA GUNTER | NORTHEAST OHIO MEDIA GROUP

Kyrie Irving produced a game-high 30 points in Game 1, hitting his ﬁrst ﬁve 3-pointers and repeatedly shredding the Boston defense.

James, Irving set torrid pace as Cavs coast to 2-0 series lead LeBron James and Kyrie Irving give the Cavs

two great players capable of taking over a game. Case in point: Game 2, where they outscored the entire Boston team, 24-23, in the fourth quarter. James scored 30 points and added nine rebounds and seven assists, while Irving poured in 26 more points as the Cavs dismantled Boston, 99-91. In all, Cleveland starters accounted for 92 of the team’s 99 points, while Isaiah Thomas led Boston with 22 points off the bench. The young Celtics showed that they intend to return to championship form sooner rather than later, but they were no match for a team built to win now.

April 21; Quicken Loans Arena 1

Celtics

Cavaliers

Game 3 | Cavs 103, Celtics 95

King’s court

James feels at home in TD Garden with 31-point effort With the Celtics proving a tough foe in

Game 3, LeBron James played nearly 42 minutes, scored 31 points and added a crucial late assist to Kevin Love for a game-sealing 3-pointer, as Cleveland dispatched Boston 103-95. James, whose last postseason trip to Boston was his legacy-altering 45-point performance in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals, totaled 76 points in his last two playoff games at TD Garden. Love added 23 points, including six 3-pointers, as the second-seeded Cavs were on the brink of a ﬁrst-round sweep.

THOMAS ONDREY / THE PLAIN DEALER

LeBron James signals with his ﬁngers the three pointer that Kevin Love sank to give the Cavs 101 points in Game 3.

April 23; TD Garden, Boston 1

Cavaliers

103

Celtics

Game 4 | Cavs 101, Celtics 93

Sweep and sour Cavs complete sweep of Celtics, but the price of victory is high Cleveland earned an opening-round sweep — but they paid a heavy price for the victory. Both Kyrie Irving and LeBron James had double doubles, with Irving netting 24 points and 11 rebounds, while James scored 27 and had 10 rebounds in 46 minutes, to lead the Cavs to a 101-93 series-clincher that was not as close as the ﬁnal score indicated. However, Kevin Love left the game in the ﬁrst quarter after being tangled up with Celtics forward Kelly Olynyk. The resulting dislocated shoulder ended Love’s playoff run. Adding insult to that injury, hothand J.R. Smith was ejected for a Flagrant 2 foul, leaving the second-seeded Cavs to face the thirdseeded Bulls without two key components.

April 26; TD Garden, Boston 1

Cavaliers

101

Celtics

THOMAS ONDREY | THE PLAIN DEALER

When Boston’s Kelly Olynyk dragged Kevin Love by the arm in Game 4, the resulting dislocated shoulder ended Love’s playoff hopes.

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Page 7

Can’t wait ’til next year

2014-15 CAVALIERS SEASON IN REVIEW

NBA Playoffs, Round Two | Cavaliers 4, Chicago 2

The Cavs’ ruining of the Bulls

JOSHUA GUNTER / NORTHEAST OHIO MEDIA GROUP

LeBron James powers his way through Chicago Bulls trafﬁc in the ﬁrst half of Game 2.

JOHN KUNTZ / NORTHEAST OHIO MEDIA GROUP

LeBron James tries to block the pass of Bulls center Joakim Noah in the second half of Game 1. Noah and the Bulls got the better of the Cavs early, but lost the series, four games to two.

THOMAS ONDREY / THE PLAIN DEALER

After nailing the game-winning shot in Game 4, LeBron James celebrated with teammates Matthew Dellavedova and Tristan Thompson.

JOHN KUNTZ / NORTHEAST OHIO MEDIA GROUP

J.R. Smith hauls in a rebound in the second quarter of Game 5.

Game 2 Cavs 106, Bulls 91

Game 1 Bulls 99, Cavs 92

Game 3 Bulls 99, Cavs 96

One down, Banded 4 still to go together

THOMAS ONDREY / THE PLAIN DEALER

Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, Tristan Thompson and J.R. Smith enjoy the ﬁnal seconds of Game 6.

Game 4 Cavs 86, Bulls 84

The shot, repeated

Game 5 Cavs 106, Bulls 101

Game 6 Cavs 94, Bulls 73

The shot, Step closer Teamwork, answered to the goal team win

Without Love, Bulls Headbanded James Rose’s clutch 3 gives LeBron’s last-second One win away from Five Cavaliers score handle ‘Big Two’ torches Bulls for 33 Bulls series lead shot stuns Bulls conference finals in double digits G a m e 1 of ro u n d 2 fe l t LeBron James went back

The Cavs and Bulls had With a simple flick of LeBron

amiss from the start when Bulls forward Mike Dunleavy drained a three 21 seconds into the game, and Chicago never looked back. Cleveland never led and barely sniffed a tie as the third-seeded Bulls overmatched the secondseeded Cavs, 99-92. Despite 30 points from Kyrie Irving and 19 from LeBron James, the Cavs struggled to ﬁnd a rhythm. They also struggled to replace the points and rebounds of injured forward Kevin Love, sidelined for the rest of the playoffs with a shoulder separation. After trailing by 16 early, the Cavs brieﬂy tied the game at 53 and then 55 before the Bulls went on a 15-0 run to pull away.

to the headband — and sent the Bulls reeling. The Cavs’ superstar played in a headband for the first time since March 7 and scored 33 points, including 22 in the ﬁrst half, as Cleveland ran away from the Bulls, 106-91. Fans at The Q may have started out cheering James’ attire, but they soon cheered the Cavs’ most dominant performance of the still-young postseason. Cleveland never trailed and led 38-18 after the ﬁrst quarter. Kyrie Irving scored 21 points to complement James while Iman Shumpert and James Jones combined to hit nine 3-point shots. “LeBron is leading his guys,” said Cavs coach David Blatt. James added 5 assists and 8 rebounds to his game-high 33 points for the Cavaliers.

already wrung every drop of drama out of Game 3 when Derrick Rose wrote a quick ending in the final seconds. The hard fought, physical game featured the back-and-forth action lacking in the ﬁrst two matchups, but that was little comfort to Cavaliers fans. Despite 27 points from LeBron James and an emphatic return from suspension for J.R. Smith, Cleveland found itself two games from elimination after Rose hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give Chicago a 99-96 win and a 2-1 series lead. Rose’s heroics came after Smith — who scored 14 points — had tied the game with a long 3 of his own. After this semiﬁnal game fell the Bulls way, Cavs fans had to be thinking, “The Shot, again?”

May 4; Quicken Loans Arena

May 6; Quicken Loans Arena

May 8; United Center, Chicago

James’ wrist, the Eastern Conference semifinals were tied, 2-2. James capped a characteristically brutal Bulls-Cavs game with a picture-perfect shot. Trailing by seven after the third quarter, Cleveland rallied to take a seven-point lead with four minutes left. But that lead evaporated, and the Cavs wound up with the ball in a tie game with 1.5 seconds left. James calmly swished an 18-footer from the left corner as the buzzer sounded, handing the Cavs an 86-84 win — and answering Derrick Rose’s Game 3 winner.

May 10; United Center, Chicago

Two d ays af t e r s i n k i n g The Cavs didn’t rely on the

Chicago at the buzzer, LeBron James opted for a little less drama in a pivotal Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. James turned in a masterful performance, scoring 38, including 16 in the second quarter, as the Cavaliers outslugged the Bulls 106-101 to take a 3-2 series lead. Despite his injured foot, Kyrie Irving added 25 including going 3-of-6 on 3-pointers. Tristan Thompson, Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith also scored in double figures. James tied Michael Jordan for the most games in playoff history (51) with at least 30 points, five rebounds, and five assists, and in the process he willed the Cavs to being one win away from their first Eastern Conference Finals since 2009.

May 12; Quicken Loans Arena 4

luxury of having Game 7 at home in order to finish off Chicago. They wanted this hard-fought series over, and they came in with the right mental approach to send the Bulls on a nice summer vacation — a balanced attack that saw five Cavaliers scoring in double digits. Cleveland shot 12-of-25 beyond the arc, with Matthew Dellavedova burying six 3-pointers. “We want Game 6, not Game 7,” Tristan Thompson said before producing a double double of 13 points and 17 rebounds to go with two blocks. “That’s how we see it. We’re in the moment.”

May 15; United Center, Chicago

Bulls

27 22 32

18 99 Bulls

18 27 26 20 91 Cavs

24 25 24 23 96 Cavs

26 23 12 25 86 Bulls

24 20 27 30 101 Cavs

33 25 15 21 94

Cavs

15 29 26 22 92 Cavs

38 26 23 19 106 Bulls

18 29 27 25 99 Bulls

25 29 26 26 106 Bulls

31 13 16 13 73

17 23 16 84 Cavs

CLEVELAND.COM/CAVS

Page 8

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Special Commemorative Section 2014-15 CAVALIERS SEASON IN REVIEW

Eastern Conference Finals

Cavs are conference champs

Swishing well

Smith’s hot hand blows Game 1 open, then James seals the deal The Cavs and Hawks spent two-and-a-half q u a r t e r s t ra d i n g b i g s h o t s a n d p u n ishing physical blows as expected.

Then J.R. Smith, the occasionally-maligned sharpshooter whose January arrival helped spark the Cavs’ run to the playoffs, got hot. With the game tied at 63 in the third quarter, Smith scored 17 of Cleveland’s next 22 points, including five 3-pointers, and when the dust settled, the Cavs led by 18. Smith finished the game with 28 points and hit 8-of-12 3-point shots. LeBron James continued his postseason mastery, adding 31 points and joining five Cavs in double figures as Cleveland took Game 1. GAME 1 May 20; Philips Arena, Atlanta 1

Cavaliers

Hawks

Stl 1 2

Blk 1 —

Top performers

Cleveland: J.R. Smith Atlanta: J. Teague

Pts 28 27

Reb 8 3

Ast 3 4

GUS CHAN / THE PLAIN DEALER

Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson goes up for a shot after grabbing an offensive rebound.

THOMAS ONDREY / THE PLAIN DEALER

Matthew Dellavedova’s 11 points, six rebounds and four assists while starting for the injured Kyrie Irving were overshadowed when he rollied up on Kyle Korver’s knee while scrambling for a loose ball.

LeBron shifts into ‘dominant’ mode

James takes control of Game 2, then the rest of the Cavaliers pile on en route to 2-0 series lead When Kyrie Irving’s absence was confirmed before Game 2, Cleveland could have been forgiven for settling for a split in Atlanta. Having already taken home-court advantage from the Hawks, taking another at Philips Arena seemed a tall order. But LeBron James dominated from the outset. His 30 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds understate the control he exerted in the 94-82 win. Acting as a point guard, James found wave after wave of hot-shooting teammates open. Iman Shumpert scored 16 points and Tristan Thompson hauled in 16 rebounds.

GAME 2 May 22; Philips Arena, Atlanta 1

Cavaliers

Hawks

Top performers

Pts 30 12

Reb 9 6

Stl — 1

Blk 1 1

Cleveland: LeBron James Atlanta: Al Horford

Ast 11 2

Special Commemorative Section

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Can’t wait ’til next year

2014-15 CAVALIERS SEASON IN REVIEW

for only the second time Arc angels

First, Cavaliers’ 3-pointers bail out James, then he returns the favor A game that began with Bizarro LeBron

ended with a James masterpiece. LeBron James missed his first 10 shots, but the outside shooting of Matthew Dellavedova, Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith kept the Cavaliers close to the Hawks long enough for James to ﬁnd his rhythm. Once he found it, James soared to a triple-double. More importantly, he hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 36 seconds left in overtime and sealed the game with a driving layup with 12 seconds left in a 114-111 win to put Cleveland up 3-0 in the series. Despite playing through obvious injury, James scored 37, had 18 rebounds and 13 assists. GAME 3 May 24; Quicken Loans Arena Hawks

111

Cavaliers

114

Stl 3 1

Blk — 1

Top performers

Cleveland: LeBron James Atlanta: Jeff Teague

Pts 37 30

Reb 18 6

Ast 13 7

JOSHUA GUNTER / NORTHEAST OHIO MEDIA GROUP

LeBron James falls to the ﬂoor after scoring the Cavs’ last ﬁve points in a 114-111 win over the Hawks in overtime.

JOSHUA GUNTER | NORTHEAST OHIO MEDIA GROUP

Guard Matthew Dellavedova holds the Eastern Conference Championship trophy after the Cavs defeated the Hawks for the Cavs’ second-ever conference title.

Beasts of the East Cavaliers emphatically return to Finals with drama-free sweep

Carrying a 3-0 lead into Game 4, the only real Cavs drama was whether LeBron James would average a triple double for the series. As it turned out, Cleveland was too good for that. With James on pace to hit the mark, he spent the fourth quarter on the bench, celebrating with Kyrie Irving as the Cavaliers professionally saw off the Hawks, 118-88. The national sentiment this postseason favored Golden State and NBA MVP Steph Curry. But after James capped the sweep of Atlanta with a game-high 23 points, he made it clear the NBA championship must once again go through him. GAME 4 May 26; Quicken Loans Arena

LeBron James celebrates from the bench near the end of the 118-88 win with teammates Kyrie Irving, left, and Tristan Thompson.

Cavaliers

118

Stl 2 —

Blk 1 —

Top performers JOHN KUNTZ | NORTHEAST OHIO MEDIA GROUP

Hawks

Cleveland: LeBron James Atlanta: Paul Millsap

Pts 23 16

Reb 9 10

Ast 7 5

CLEVELAND.COM/CAVS

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Can’t wait ’til next year

Special Commemorative Section 2014-15 CAVALIERS SEASON IN REVIEW

NBA Finals | Golden State 4, Cavaliers 2

Cavs leave it all on the floor Game one hurt

OT meltdown mars hard-fought effort; Irving’s playoffs finished

The Cavaliers started strong but finished weak as the Warriors surged to a 108-100 win as the NBA Finals cranked up Thursday night in Oakland, California. The Cavs led much of the way, but a strong Warriors comeback pushed the game into overtime. Golden State held the Cavs scoreless till the ﬁnal seconds of the extra period to win the game despite LeBron James’ 44 points. Kyrie Irving added 23 points for the Cavs but limped off the ﬂoor in overtime with a broken kneecap, ending his playoff run. Season MVP Steph Curry scored 26 to lead the Warriors, and his Splash Brother teammate Klay Thompson added 21. GAME 1 June 4; Oracle Arena, Oakland, California Cavaliers

100

Golden State

108

Stl — —

Blk — 2

Top performers

Cleveland: LeBron James Golden State: Steph Curry

Pts 44 26

Reb 8 4

Ast 6 8

THOMAS ONDREY | THE PLAIN DEALER

Kyrie Irving grimaces in pain early in overtime. An MRI would show that Irving broke his kneecap, ending his playoff hopes.

Flipping the script Cavs turn the tables in overtime, bring the series home all square

The Cavs entered Game 2 with a huge challenge, winning on the road without All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving. Challenge accepted. Challenge completed (for Game 2, anyway). LeBron James led the way with 39 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists as the Cavs won in overtime, 95-93 and evened the series, 1-1. Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 34 points as NBA MVP Stephen Curry had a miserable game, shooting just 5-for-23 from the ﬁeld. GAME 2 June 7; Oracle Arena, Oakland, California 1

Cavaliers

Golden State

Top performers

Cleveland: LeBron James Golden State: Klay Thompson

Pts 39 34

Reb 16 5

Ast 11 2

Stl 1 2

Blk 1 1

GUS CHAN | THE PLAIN DEALER

LeBron James celebrates the Cavaliers’ ﬁrst-ever NBA Finals win in front of Golden State Warrior fans at Oracle Arena.

No place like home

While James scores 40, gritty Cavs scrap their way to 2-1 series lead

Despite the Cavaliers’ Game 2 road win, pundits still predicted a Golden State win in the ﬁrst Finals game in Cleveland since 2007. The Cavs never trailed — holding the Warriors to a season-low 37 ﬁrst-half points — but they let a 20-point third-quarter lead melt away, until the home-court advantage kicked in for the 96-91 win and a 2-1 series lead. LeBron James had 40 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists. A gritty Cavs defense held MVP Stephen Curry to 27 points. GAME 3 June 9; Quicken Loans Arena 1

Golden State

Cavaliers

Stl 4 3

Blk 2 1

Top performers

Cleveland: LeBron James Golden State: Stephen Curry

Pts 40 27

Reb 12 6

Ast 8 6

JOHN KUNTZ | NORTHEAST OHIO MEDIA GROUP

Hustling, swarming defense was the key to the Cavaliers ﬁrst-ever home court NBA Finals win.

Special Commemorative Section

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2014-15 CAVALIERS SEASON IN REVIEW

with six gritty Finals games A bloody shame

Warriors take back home court edge; James and Cavs battered The Warriors finally figured out Cleveland’s defense with an offensive onslaught that saw them leading, 54-42, after two quarters. After a spirited halftime talk by head coach David Blatt, the Cavaliers came out smoking hot, cutting Golden State’s lead with a 12-2 run and closing within three points in the third. The effort wouldn’t last, though, as the Warriors responded with a run of their own in the fourth, easily taking Game 4, 103-82. The win tied the series, 2-2 and gave home court advantage back to Golden State as the hardfought series returned to Oakland, California, for a pivotal Game 5. GAME 4 June 11; Quicken Loans Arena 1

LeBron James lacerated his head when he crashed into a television camera lens in the second quarter.

103

Cavaliers

Stl 1 2

Blk — 1

Top performers

JOHN KUNTZ | NORTHEAST OHIO MEDIA GROUP

Golden State

Cleveland: Timofey Mozgov Golden State: Draymond Green

Pts 28 17

Reb 10 7

Ast 1 6

Grit squad gassed

James turns in another heroic effort, but Curry takes over late

With Game 5 a must-win, LeBron James left nothing on the ﬂoor — but even with help from Tristan Thompson and J.R. Smith, the undermanned Cavaliers lost to the Warriors, 104-91, falling behind in the series 3-2 and setting up a possible Finals clinch for Golden State at The Q. James ﬁnished with his second triple double of the series, with 40 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists, in a back-and-forth battle that saw 20 lead changes and 10 ties. GAME 5 June 14; Oracle Arena, Oakland, California 1

LeBron James, left, and J.R. Smith sit out the ﬁnal minute of the Game 5 loss. James ﬁnished with 40 points and Smith had 14.

Golden State

104

Stl 1 2

Blk — —

Top performers THOMAS ONDREY / THE PLAIN DEALER

Cavaliers

Cleveland: LeBron James Golden State: Stephen Curry

Pts 40 37

Reb 14 7

Ast 11 4

Dream season ends

Cavaliers’ effort unquestioned, but Warriors answer en route to title

The Cavaliers never got on track in Game 6. They narrowed a 13-point ﬁrst-quarter deﬁcit to two at halftime and took a brief lead in the third, but turnovers gave the Warriors an insurmountable edge. The Cavs saw double doubles by rebounding machines Tristan Thompson, Timofey Mozgov and — of course — LeBron James. Cleveland earned the respect of NBA fans everywhere, as the injury-depleted team took the best of the West to six tough games. GAME 6 June 16; Quicken Loans Arena

JOHN KUNTZ | NORTHEAST OHIO MEDIA GROUP

The Cavaliers watch the ﬁnal minutes as the Warriors win the title. But fans can take comfort that this team will contend again.

Golden State

105

Cavaliers

Top performers

Pts 32 25

Reb 18 6

Stl 2 3

Blk — —

Cleveland: LeBron James Golden State: Stephen Curry

Ast 9 8

CLEVELAND.COM/CAVS

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Page 13

Can’t wait ’til next year

2014-15 CAVALIERS SEASON IN REVIEW

Month-by-month

From the Big Three to the last one standing

The Cavaliers opened the season full of the potential that comes with LeBron James — in Cleveland for the first time since 2010 — on the same team

rebounds and assists in the majority of games this season. After a series of midseason moves brought J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and Timofey Mozgov to

as Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. Irving, an All-Star point guard and the 2011 overall No. 1 pick, had assumed the role of ﬂoor general for the Cavs while James

Cleveland, the Cavs started to roll, and by the time the playoffs rolled around, they had hit their stride. But after three standout performaces in the ﬁrst round

was reaching four NBA Finals in a row with Miami (winning two). Love, a power forward with a knack for knocking down 3-pointers and crashing the boards,

against Boston, Love was lost for the season with a shoulder injury. Shortly after, Irving began having issues with his knees and ankles, missing multiple games

had become the leader of a struggling Minnesota Timberwolves team before joining Cleveland. Though the Cavaliers took time to jell as a team — they were

during the playoffs. In overtime in a Game 1 loss to Golden State in the Finals, Irving, too, was lost for the duration with a knee injury, leaving James to shoul-

19-20 after a January loss to the Suns — Cleveland was clearly the latest NBA team to sport a “Big Three.” James, Irving or Love paced the Cavaliers in points,

der every burden for the Cavaliers against a Warriors team capable of winning games by any means necessary.

October

November

December

January

February

March

April

Season

vs. Celtics

vs. Bulls

vs. Hawks

vs. Warriors

Playoffs

1-1

7-6

10-7

11-6

8-3

11-4

5-2

53-29

4-0

4-2

4-0

2-4

14-6

Cavs’ record

James

Irving

Love

26.5 PPG

22.5

6.5

RPG

3.0

PPG

RPG

17.5

15.0

PPG

RPG

4.5

24.6

5.0

20.8

2.5

17.2

APG

204

Cavs’ points Big Three’s portion

James

Irving

Cavs’ record

Love

PPG

5.7

RPG

3.6

RPG

8.6

PPG

RPG

Cavs’ record

7.6

25.6

4.8

20.6 PPG

RPG

2.3

16.3

10.7

APG

1,345

Irving

2.7

RPG

29.9

5.8

23.8

2.4

17.9

APG

Cavs’ points Big Three’s portion

Love

532

PPG

RPG

8.1

1,699

Cavs’ points Big Three’s portion

James

PPG

4.7

James

Irving

Cavs’ record

Love

697

PPG

6.2

RPG

3.2

RPG

11.1

PPG

RPG

6.3

24.4

5.0

20.8

2.2

15.9

APG

1,739

Cavs’ points Big Three’s portion

James

Irving

Cavs’ record

Love

766

PPG

6.6

RPG

3.8

RPG

9.7

RPG

7.3

24.7

5.2

22.6

2.5

14.7

APG

1,158

Cavs’ points Big Three’s portion

James

Irving

Cavs’ record

Love

499

PPG

6.3

RPG

2.9

RPG

8.8

RPG

7.3

19.8

4.9

19.6

2.2

14.4

APG

1,605

Cavs’ points Big Three’s portion

James

Irving

Cavs’ record

Love

642

PPG

8.0

RPG

3.0

RPG

5.6

RPG

9.0

25.3

5.6

21.7

1.2

16.4

APG

707

Cavs’ points Big Three’s portion

James

Irving

Cavs’ record

Love

302

PPG

6.0

RPG

3.2

RPG

9.7

RPG

7.4

27.0

5.2

23.2

2.2

14.3

APG

8,457

Cavs’ points Big Three’s portion

James

Irving

Cavs’ record

Love

3,523

PPG

9.0

RPG

5.0

RPG

7.0

RPG

6.5

26.2

4.5

17.5

APG

2.5

APG

416

Cavs’ points Big Three’s portion

James

Irving

Cavs’ record

Love

188

PPG

0.0

PPG

11.0

RPG

2.2

RPG

0.0

RPG

8.8

APG

2.7

APG

0.0

APG

580

Cavs’ points Big Three’s portion

James

Irving

Love

261

Cavs’ record

30.3

11.0

PPG

RPG

6.5

1.8

PPG

RPG

0.0

PPG

RPG

9.3

APG

2.8

APG

0.0

APG

423

Cavs’ points Big Three’s portion

James

Irving

Love

208

Cavs’ record

35.9 PPG

3.8

PPG

0.0

PPG

13.3 RPG

1.7

RPG

0.0

RPG

8.8

30.1

1.0

12.4

APG

0.0

APG

561

Cavs’ points Big Three’s portion

James

Irving

Cavs’ record

Love

285

PPG

2.8

PPG

11.3

RPG

2.4

RPG

1.4

RPG

8.5

APG

2.5

APG

0.5

APG

1,980

Cavs’ points Big Three’s portion

James

Irving

Cavs’ rebounds Big Three’s portion

287

397

328

253

337

172

1,814

114

360

Cavs’ assists Big Three’s portion

Love Note: Postseason averages include games in which the player did not play.

942

Cavs’ rebounds Big Three’s portion

Cavs’ assists Big Three’s portion

Irving

Love

Cavs’ rebounds Big Three’s portion

Cavs’ assists Big Three’s portion

James

Cavs’ assists Big Three’s portion

JOSH CRUTCHMER THE PLAIN DEALER Source: basketballreference.com

39 points: Largest win (vs. Hornets, Jan. 23.)

90 114 82 100 110 118 122 127 97 90 78 93 106 113 109 111 90 105 110 105 94 114 97 98 95 105 125 91 98 80 101 80 91 90 92 93 94 84 100 109 126 108 106 129 108 103 99 101 106 97 105 99 120 113 98 127 101 102 110 86 103 110 120 97 89 127 128 123 92 117 95 108 111 98 87 114 99 104 90 78 109 113 NYK CHI POR UTA DEN NO BOS ATL DEN SAN WAS TOR ORL WAS IND MIL NYK TOR BKN TOR OKC NO CHA ATL BKN MEM MIN MIA ORL DET ATL MIL CHA DAL PHI HOU GSW SAC PHX LAL LAC CHI UTA CHA OKC DET POR SAC MIN PHI LAC IND LAL MIA CHI WAS NYK DET GSW IND HOU BOS TOR ATL PHX DAL SAN ORL MIA BKN IND MIL MEM BKN PHI MIA CHI MIL BOS BOS DET WAS 95 108 101 102 101 111 121 94 106 92 91 110 74 87 97 108 87 91 88 101 103 119 88 127 91 91 104 101 89 103 109 96 87 109 95 105 112 103 107 102 121 94 92 90 98 95 94 90 90 84 94 103 105 93 113 89 83 93 99 93 105 79 112 106 79 94 125 108 106 92 92 90 89 106 86 88 94 99 99 117 97 108

Game-by-game Recapping the Cavs’ season

Home game

Road game

Win

Loss

39 points: Largest loss (vs. Celtics, April 12)

End regular season

113 99 103 101 92 106 96 86 106 94 97 94 114 118 100 95 96 82 91 97 BOS BOS BOS BOS CHI CHI CHI CHI CHI CHI ATL ATL ATL ATL GSW GSW GSW GSW GSW GSW 100 91 95 93 99 91 99 84 101 73 89 82 111 88 108 93 91 103 104 105

End playoffs

Page 14

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Can’t wait ’til next year

Special Commemorative Section 2014-15 CAVALIERS SEASON IN REVIEW

Player profile 23 | LeBron James, forward

Dramatic return of the King Born and raised in Akron, LeBron came back and lifted a team and Northeast Ohio

LISA DEJONG | THE PLAIN DEALER

Cavaliers fans pose for a picture before the 2014-15 season opener in front of a new LeBron James mural across the street from The Q.

Joe Vardon | jvardon@cleveland.com

The morning of Oct. 30, 2014, in Cleveland, LeBron James stood on the court at The Q and declared: “This is probably one of the biggest sporting events ever.” ¶ The Cavaliers’ season opener with the New York Knicks was later that night. But this wasn’t your average opener. ¶ It was his opener. ¶ LeBron James. Born and raised in Akron. Already a national star at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. Drafted at 18 by Cleveland. Took the franchise to its first NBA Finals at 22. Jilted the city and organization when he left for Miami after seven seasons, five all-star games and two MVPs. “The guy.” Amazingly, triumphantly, unbelievably, back in a Cavs uniform. ¶ The word “big” and its variations are a sports cliché. It can mean important, or historic, or grandiose, or extravagant, or popular, or large. ¶ In a vacuum, almost any one of those definitions fits for James’ first game back as a Cavalier in Cleveland. ¶ But who LeBron James is, the star power he owns, the attention he commands, the millions of dollars he generates for businesses downtown, the hope he inspires — in Cavs fans and in schoolchildren in Akron’s inner city —the teammates he lifts, the identity he shares with Northeast Ohio. All of it transcends any one particular game. And, let’s be honest, for as cool as it was to be in downtown Cleveland that crisp night in October, for as emotional as it was inside The Q when James was introduced and he threw that chalk into the air, the game itself was a letdown. The Cavs lost to the Knicks, and he was a little indecisive and clumsy, scoring 17 points and committing eight turnovers. Watching, say, James drop 40 on Golden State in the Cavs’ ﬁrst-ever home win in a Finals in Game 3 was far more palatable.

T hus, “one of the big gest sporting events ever ” wasn’ t merely the first time James put on a Cleveland jersey for the first of 82 regular-season games. Instead, the big event was that he came home at all, that he played a season and carried the Cavs to greatness, and that he’d be here to do it again. It’s an event, a story that isn’t finished. But the latest chapter was pretty good. And it began with The Letter. JOSHUA GUNTER / THE PLAIN DEALER

Continues on next page

A very different LeBron James returned to Cleveland and the Cavaliers in 2014: older, more mature and on a mission.

Special Commemorative Section

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Page 15

Can’t wait ’til next year

2014-15 CAVALIERS SEASON IN REVIEW

Cavaliers forward LeBron James slams home a dunk in April. “My relationship with Northeast Ohio is bigger than basketball,” James told Sports Ilustrated last year. Continued from previous page On July 11, 2014, James, then a free agent, announced he would leave Miami to return to the Cavaliers. He said it in a “letter” published by Sports Illustrated. Really, it was James’ thoughts put onto paper by the great SI basketball writer Lee Jenkins. The piece was called “I’m Coming Home,” and for many fans of a Cavs team that stunk for each of the four seasons James was gone, those words would be enough. And ye t ,

given the histor y, there was more James needed to say. So in a single essay, James worked to repair the damage done by “The Decision” from 2010, when in an ESPN TV special he infamously said he was taking his talents to South Beach. “My relationship with Northeast Ohio is bigger than basketball,” James said to SI. “In No r t h e a s t O h i o , n o t h i n g i s given. Everything is earned. You work for what you have.” Almost anyone from Akron or Cleveland, from Parma or Canton,

from Warren or Medina, from Youngstown or Ashtabula could relate. Anyone whose grandfather worked in the rubber mills, whose mother held down two jobs so they could meet friends on Saturdays at Chapel Hill Mall, whose father worked outside in November and December, and was laid off in January. Sports may bring them together on Sunday afternoons or Tuesday evenings. But the bond does run deeper. “I think the letter spoke for itself at the time,” James said

months later, in the days leading up to the NBA Finals. “I understand what I meant to this community and meant to this state and to Northeast Ohio and the fans here and the people here, and I just want to try to give it all back to them in the best way I can — both on the floor and off the floor as a role model as a basketball player, as a father. “I think that they recognize my passion, not only on the floor but off the floor, and I recognize their passion as well, so it’s mutual.”

Season average, per game

Playoff average, per game

69 games

20 games

36.1 minutes

42.2 minutes

48.8% shooting from the field

41.7% shooting from the field

6 rebounds

11.3 rebounds

7.4 assists

8.5 assists

25.3 points

30.1 points

Photograph by Thomas Ondrey | The Plain Dealer

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Player profile 2 | Kyrie Irving, guard

The making of a point guard Irving’s raw talent is unquestioned, but a season with James helped polish his game

Kyrie Irving season stats 7.7-16.5, 46.8% from the field 36.4 minutes 3.2 rebounds 5.2 assists 41.5% 3-point shooting 21.6 points per game Kyrie Irving was money from 3-point range, shooting a team-high 41.5 percent during the regular season and 45 percent in the playoffs.

Chris Haynes | chaynes@cleveland.com

Kyrie Irving, already an accomplished player, was eager to show LeBron James, his new teammate, why. Out of the gate, he played his flashy game with little regard to who was on the floor. He was unstoppable for the most part, but some of the shots he took were headscratchers. James bit his tongue. ¶ The four-time MVP had never played with a ball-dominating, scoring point guard of Irving’s ability. Each player would need to adjust his game, but Irving learned that he would be going first. ¶ On Nov. 5, Irving led the team with 34 points in a loss to Utah. But in 45 minutes he failed to register an assist. The night before in a loss to Portland, there were reports James and Irving had a dispute in the locker room, prompting Irving to exit without addressing the media. James said the team was developing “bad habits.” Irving missed 14 of his 17 shots that night. Utah was worse. The team’s point guard with zero assists? Inexcusable. And James couldn’t stay

quiet any longer. “He came up to me and was like, ‘One, you can never have another game with no assists,’” Irving said, describing James’ words. “‘You can damn near have just one, two, three, but you can’t have zero.’ ” That’s when Irving’s maturation began. He realized he wasn’t going to impress James just by getting to the basket; it would take making

his teammates better. Game-by-game, Irving won over James. He started to pick his spots, deferring to teammates before imposing his will. For large portions of the season, he was the Cavaliers’ most consistent player. Irving and James made the Eastern Conference All-Star team together. He turned into a player James could rely on and trust.

“Everybody was putting pressure on what me and ’Bron were going to do,” Irving said. “How was I going to have to adjust? How was I going to have to be a more pure point guard? ‘Be this, be that…’ For me, I was just like, God blessed me with a lot of talent that I’m thankful for, and I really worked my tail off to have that ability to be one of the best players on any ﬂoor at

any given time. That’s just the conﬁdence that I have in myself.” He made tremendous strides throughout the season, and no one appreciated his sacriﬁces more than James. Which made it a gigantic blow for the Cavs when Irving fractured his kneecap in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against Golden State, ending his season.

Season average, per game 46.8% shooting from the field 36.4 minutes 3.2 rebounds 5.2 assists 41.5% 3-point shooting 21.7 points

Photograph by Gus Chan | The Plain Dealer

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2014-15 CAVALIERS SEASON IN REVIEW

Player profile 0 | Kevin Love, forward

Finally a fit, then dislocation

Love, the last piece of the Big Three, adjusted to his new team before injury struck

Kevin Love sacriﬁced personal stats to be part of the Cavaliers’ Big Three. He said he plans to be back in a Cleveland uniform in 2015-16. “I want to win,” he says.

Chris Haynes | chaynes@cleveland.com

Kevin Love was the final piece to complete Cleveland’s version of The Big Three. ¶ Sending 2014 No. 1 overall draft pick Andrew Wiggins, a potential franchise player, to Minnesota was a hefty price, but with LeBron James back, the Cavs immediately transitioned into win-now mode. ¶ Basketball pundits and observers speculated that Love would sacrifice the most of the three. As a power forward he wouldn’t have the ball in his hands as often as he did as the star in Minnesota. ¶ The struggles became apparent early on. After the team’s ﬁnal preseason game in Memphis, a frustrated Love voiced his concerns. “My entire life I’ve played the game from inside-out,” Love said. “So the more touches I can get inside to get myself going, the better. I’m not accustomed to starting out a game shooting a three, so it’s just something that I see.” It was a plea for help.

Love had his moments during the season, but struggled for consistency within the offense. He was dejected and kept to himself. Typically, he was the last player to leave the locker room. It would get worse. Love posted two five-point games in the ﬁrst week of February. The Cavs, however, were hot. When Indiana broke Cleveland’s

league-high 12-game winning streak on Feb. 6, Love was the most agitated after the game. “Oh yeah, definitely frustrating,” he said of his play. “I think it’s one of the toughest situations I’ve had to deal with, but at the end of the day we’re winning basketball games. … At the same time, there’s no blueprint for what I should be doing, but I’ll try my

best to figure it out.” Immediately after that story ran, James Tweeted, “Stop trying to find a way to FIT-OUT and just FIT-IN. Be a part of something special! Just my thoughts.” Love provided floor spacing as a stretch-four forward, which was beneficial to the playmaking of James and Kyrie Irving, but his game never fully “FIT-IN” the way

he hoped. He failed to average a double-double for the ﬁrst time since his rookie year. His season ended in the NBA playoffs’ ﬁrst round against Boston when his left shoulder was dislocated by Kelly Olynyk as they battled for a loose ball. For the power forward and Big Three charter member, it was a sudden, violent end to a tumultuous year.

Season average, per game 43.4% shooting from the field 33.8 minutes 9.7 rebounds 2.2 assists 36.7% 3-point shooting 16.4 points

Photograph by Chuck Crow | The Plain Dealer

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Player profile 13 | Tristan Thompson, forward

Rebounding as team player Big man stands tall despite his changing role after trade for Kevin Love

Center Tristan Thompson was a rebounding machine in the playoffs, averaging 10.8 boards per game.

Chris Fedor | cfedor@cleveland.com

Tristan Thompson had started 189 straight games for the Cavs, showing vast improvement in each of his three seasons. When LeBron James singled Thompson out in his heartfelt letter announcing his return to Cleveland, Thompson’s role was set to expand. He was about to become more than an undersized center with an unsightly offensive game — the “other” Cavs first round pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. He was about to become the starting power forward on a team with championship dreams. ¶ Then everything changed. On Aug. 23, 2014, after months of rumors, the Cavaliers completed the blockbuster trade for Kevin Love, the ﬁnal member of Cleveland’s formidable Big Three. Love was a guy the Cavs had coveted for years, a three-

time All-Star who was about to rip away Thompson’s starting role. Thompson didn’t sulk or complain. He moved to the bench and attacked his new job with the same ferocity that he shows

when fighting for rebounds. He embodied Cleveland’s selfless culture and “team-first” credo. Then, in the first round against Boston, Love suffered a dislocated shoulder and was lost for the playoffs.

Some began writing Cleveland’s epitaph, but Thompson and his teammates made sure it didn’t happen. The Cavs fought the adversity and built a new identity centered on defense and rebounding, with Thomp-

son leading the transformation. His insatiable thirst to grab every rebound helped the Cavaliers limit opponents’ possessions, bailed out poor offensive sets and killed the opponents’ spirit, one rebound at a time.

Season average, per game 82 games 54.7% shooting from the field 8.5 points 26.8 minutes 8.0 rebounds

Photograph by Joshua Gunter | Northeast Ohio Media Group

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Player profile 20 | Timofey Mozgov, center

Big Russian made big difference 7-foot rim protector acquired from Denver a welcome sight after Varejao sidelined

The acquisition of 7-0 Timofey Mozgov from Denver gave Cleveland its long-sought rim protector, and plugged a hole on the roster created by the injury to Anderson Varejao.

Chris Fedor | cfedor@cleveland.com

The first time LeBron James saw Cleveland Cavaliers center Timofey Mozgov was in a San Francisco hotel lobby, hours before a game against the Golden State Warriors. Mozgov had just arrived in a trade from the Denver Nuggets and was set to make his debut later that night. Even with James still sidelined because of nagging injuries, that moment was important. ¶ It was a few weeks earlier, after a loss in Miami on Christmas Day, shortly after Anderson Varejao suffered a season-ending Achilles injury, that James said of his team, “We’re not that good right now.” James, a two-time champion, could tell. He learned in Miami what it took to win a championship and knew there were fatal ﬂaws with the Cavs’ roster. Cavaliers General Manager David Grifﬁn heard his star and went to work.

After acquiring Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith, he called the Nuggets, hoping to pry away Mozgov, the underused center. The Cavs had been trying to find a rim protector since the summer. Grifﬁn had made earlier inquiries about Mozgov, a player

David Blatt coached during his time with the Russian National Team, but couldn’t come to an agreement. He tried again, but the price was high. Denver wanted two ﬁrst-round picks for the promising 28-year-old 7-footer. Griffin

and the Cavs were desperate. They needed Mozgov’s combination of size and athleticism and Blatt, a stranger in his own locker room, needed an ally. So they made the deal. James took one glance at Mozgov’s size in that hotel lobby,

and his attitude changed. He had a new belief. At that point, the team, beaten down early in the season, stood tall, and ﬁnished the second half of the season with a ﬂourish. And nobody played bigger than Mozgov.

Season average, per game 46 games, CLE; 35 games, DEN 59.0% shooting from the field 25 minutes 6.9 rebounds 10.6 points

Photograph by Thomas Ondrey | The Plain Dealer

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Player profile 8 | Matthew Dellavedova, guard

Dellavedova makes his mark

Cavs’ scrappy, hustling point guard has a breakout experience in his first NBA playoffs

Cavaliers LeBron James and Matthew Dellavedova celebrate their team’s overtime win over Golden State in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on June 7.

Chris Fedor | cfedor@cleveland.com

In early January, the Cavs had started slowly, and there were questions about David Blatt’s future and Kevin Love’s early-season struggles. During his defense of the team, GM David Griffin revealed an interesting piece of information: “I think it’s clear that point guard depth is something we need to address,” he said. ¶ But no deal could be made, and eventually, the Cavs stuck with Matthew Dellavedova. What a ride he had. Overlooked coming out of high school in Australia, the player called “Delly” starred at St. Mary’s before going undrafted and having to ﬁght for his NBA spot. Throughout the playoffs, and especially after Kyrie Irving was lost for the NBA Finals with a Game 1 knee injury, Dellave-

dova’s hard work, determination and hustle transformed him into a folk hero. He hit big shots and dove on the floor to win loose balls. He wrestled with opponents big and small and gave league MVP Stephen Curry ﬁts early in the Finals. People all over the globe couldn’t get enough.

USAToday.com produced a video entitled “Matthew Dellavedova: Where did this guy come from?” Delly was a punchline to a joke in Jimmy Fallon’s opening monologue on “The Tonight Show,” and his hometown of Maryborough in Australia renamed its sports arena “The Dellavedova Dome.”

“Every time he touches the ball, every time he gets a stop or whatever the case is, 20,000 people go berserk,” teammate J.R. Smith said. “Like seriously, that’s a reallife storybook for him. It’s a storybook setting.” More importantly, Dellavedova became a trusted teammate. “This guy right here, he’s not

the most athletic, fastest, greatest shooter in our league, I’d put him out there with anybody,” LeBron James said after Dellavedova’s heroics helped Cleveland eliminate Chicago. That was just the beginning of Delly’s legend, the story of the overlooked plucky Australian who became an unlikely star.

Playoff average, per game 34.6% shooting from the field 24.9 minutes 2.1 rebounds 2.7 assists 7.2 points

Photograph by Gus Chan | The Plain Dealer

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Player profile 4 | Iman Shumpert, guard

Shumpert adds defensive lift Guard’s arrival from the Knicks filled key hole, helped turn around team’s shaky start

Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert drives to the basket while being guarded by Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver in the second half of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Chris Fedor | cfedor@cleveland.com

On Jan. 5, Iman Shumpert was getting ready to watch his New York Knicks teammates take the court for a regular-season matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies. Hours later he boarded a plane, on his way to Cleveland along with J.R. Smith, as the two newest ingredients in Cleveland’s championship elixir. ¶ That one phone call from general manager David Griffin changed the Cavs’ fortunes. In the Eastern Conference, playing against lethal backcourts seemingly every night, the Cavs needed a feisty, athletic, defensive-minded wing player. They were trying to defend the perimeter without any athleticism, using older veterans Shawn Marion and Mike Miller.

They needed that to change quickly after the Cavs stumbled to a 19-20 record behind a leaky defense. They needed a player like Shumpert, who gained a reputation early in his career as a hardnosed defender. Behind his signature flat-top

haircut, creative rap verses, ﬂashy style choices and a streaky shooting stroke was a player with potential to one day be a part of the NBA’s All-Defensive Team. He arrived, along with Smith, two days before the Cavs made another trade, this time for center

Timofey Mozgov, a much-needed rim protector. The new trio, and Shumpert in particular, gave LeBron James and the Cavs a new belief that the early championship hopes and high expectations weren’t a fallacy.

While his offensive contributions were unsurprisingly sporadic, Shumpert gave the Cavs exactly what they were looking for in early January: A defensive pillar, who agitated All-Stars during the memorable playoff run.

Playoff average, per game 35.5% 3-point shooting 4.9 rebounds 0.8 blocks 9.1 points

Photograph by Gus Chan | The Plain Dealer

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Player profile 5 | J.R. Smith, guard/forward

Smith’s year lifts off after trade Shooter escaped Knicks’ doghouse to join LeBron James and Finals-bound Cavaliers

J.R. Smith, traded to the Cavs on Jan. 5 by the struggling New York Knicks, was ﬂying high as a key player in the Cavaliers’ defeat of the Atlanta Hawks for the Eastern Conference championship.

Joe Vardon | jvardon@cleveland.com

After the Cavaliers had captured the Eastern Conference championship against Atlanta, J.R. Smith interrupted the post-game press conference to snap a selfie of himself, LeBron James and Tristan Thompson on stage. ¶ Picture taken, Smith then described to reporters what it was like to have wound up with James and the Cavs by, of all things, quoting recording artist Drake. Actually, to be more precise, by quoting his own mother, who apparently quoted Drake to her son as the confetti streamed down at The Q after Game 4. “She’s like, ‘Talk about starting from the bottom, and now we here’,” Smith said, following Cleveland’s 30-point drubbing of the Hawks to clinch the series. Smith scored 18 points with four 3-pointers.

“So to be able to do this, I mean, it’s unreal to be in this situation and this position.” When the Cavs acquired Smith and Shumpert from the New York Knicks in a three-team trade on Jan. 5, the Knicks owned just ﬁve

wins. Smith was averaging 10.9 points and shooting 40 percent from the ﬁeld — worst since 200506 for him — while developing a reputation for errant behavior on and off the court. Smith wound up starting 45

games for Cleveland. He averaged 12.7 points, shot 42.5 percent (39 percent from 3-point range), and was embraced by James, with whom he had a relationship before joining the Cavs. The entire night represented

Smith’s season with the Cavs. He turned out to be the perfect fit, productive to a fault, showing virtually only the positive, funny, reﬂective side of his personality. And he knows precisely from where he came.

Playoff average, per game 40.3% shooting from the field 31.1 minutes 4.7 rebounds 12.8 points

Photograph by John Kuntz | Northeast Ohio Media Group

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Profiles David Blatt, head coach, and David Griffin, general manager

The new guys build a winner

JOSHUA GUNTER | NORTHEAST OHIO MEDIA GROUP

At a news conference on June 25, 2014, newly named head coach David Blatt and rookie general manager David Grifﬁn ﬁeld questions about their lack of NBA experience. They answered by getting the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals for only the second time in franchise history.

Blatt starts slowly, but finishes strong

GM makes the team’s best moves

Chris Haynes chyanes@cleveland.com

From the start, David Blatt was charming and sociable. But as the season went on, the Cavaliers’ head coach became defensive. A 19-20 start contributed to his change in demeanor, but the greater factor was what Blatt perceived as unwarranted slights. He had a difficult time with those who didn’t respect his overseas coaching credentials. In November, he boasted about how he has over 700 wins on his resume. In mid-March he asserted that he is “one of the more experienced coaches in the world.” He hated being called “rookie head coach.” Simple questions were taken as insults and prompted responses in the form of verbal jabs.

To be fair, Blatt faced intense pressure. He was hired expecting to coach a team led by Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson. Soon after, he inherited the best player in the world, and later arguably the NBA’s best power forward. In a matter of weeks, the franchise went from a team needing to learn how to win to one expected to contend for a championship. His relationship with LeBron James was dysfunctional. James’ postgame comments seemed to contradict whatever Blatt had said just moments earlier. Speculation ran rampant that Blatt’s tenure would be cut short. General manager David Grifﬁn issued a vote of conﬁdence in December, but it was a tough sell as the team was spiraling downward. The January trades for Timofey

Mozgov, Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith probably helped save Blatt’s job and gave him a chance to demonstrate that he belonged. With those additions, Blatt drastically changed the Cavs’ defensive schemes, and the team took off. Starting Jan. 15, they went 34-9 to close the regular season, the league’s best record during that span. Their defense was smothering, and it became their identity. In the midst of the run, Blatt developed a new conﬁdence. He walked with a swagger. In interviews, he wasn’t as defensive — but he’d tell you if you were asking what he perceived to be a stupid question. He finally reached a comfort level and along the way arrived with his team in the NBA Finals.

What did you do last summer? Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin did a lot. As in, a first-time GM doing a remarkable job. LeBron James’ return home alone would make for the best summer in any GM’s life. But Griffin did not stop there. He knew the roster needed upgrades. He got greedy. And he got Kevin Love. Any team with James has to be built to win now. That’s why the organization traded Andrew Wiggins, the NBA draft’s No. 1 pick in 2014, to Minnesota for Love. Shawn Marion, Mike Miller and James Jones were savvy veterans picked up along the way, and now it was time to see how the talent

would blend on the court. Not very well, to start out. Dion Waiters refused to become the catch-and-shoot player needed alongside James and Kyrie Irving. Teams found it easy getting to the basket. Anderson Varejao and Tristan Thompson lacked the length at center to be the paint protectors the Cavaliers desperately needed. Pressure was mounting, and Grifﬁn called virtually every NBA team to see about reinforcements. In mid-November, Cleveland hosted Denver. Nuggets center Timofey Mozgov walked on the court for his pregame routine, and Grifﬁn just stared at the big man. Griffin believed Mozgov would solve a lot of the Cavs’ defensive problems, so for months he tried to acquire the Russian.

In the meantime, he had to take some heat off of struggling coach David Blatt by publicly backing him. In January, Griffin pulled off the trades that landed Mozgov from the Nuggets, with J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert coming from the New York Knicks. The only player of value he gave away was Waiters. Cleveland went on to steamroll the competition on its way to the Finals. With all that, Griffin finished second to Golden State GM Bob Meyers for NBA Executive of the Year honors. The Warriors, after all, did have the league’s best regular-season record. And maybe Griffin’s counterparts figured the second-place votes were payback for robbing teams of Mozgov, Smith and Shumpert.

By the numbers: Playoff schedule and statistics

Playoff schedule

Team leaders

2015 NBA playoffs 14-6, Eastern Conference Champions

POINTS: LeBron James, 30.1

Round 1 Apr 19 vs Boston Apr 21 vs Boston Apr 23 @ Boston Apr 26 @ Boston

W 113-100 W 99-91 W 103-95 W 101-93

Eastern Conference Finals May 20 @ Atlanta W 97-89 May 22 @ Atlanta W 94-82 May 24 vs Atlanta W 114-111 OT May 26 vs Atlanta W 118-88

Game statistics

Round 2 May 4 vs Chicago May 6 vs Chicago May 8 @ Chicago May 10 @ Chicago May 12 vs Chicago May 15 @ Chicago

L 99-92 W 106-91 L 99-96 W 86-84 W 106-101 W 94-73

NBA Finals June 4 @ Golden State June 7 @ Golden State June 9 vs Golden State June 11 vs Golden State June 13 @ Golden State June 15 vs Golden State

L W W L L L

108-100 OT 95-93 OT 96-91 103-82 104-91 105-97

REBOUNDS: LeBron James, 11.3

PLAYER LeBron James, SF Kyrie Irving, PG Kevin Love, PF J.R. Smith, SG Timofey Mozgov, C Tristan Thompson, C Iman Shumpert, SG Matthew Dellavedova, SG James Jones, SF Joe Harris, SG Kendrick Perkins, C Mike Miller, SG Shawn Marion, SG Brendan Haywood, C Totals

GP 20 13 4 18 20 20 20 20 20 6 8 9 6 1 20

GS 20 13 4 4 20 15 16 7 0 0 0 1 0 0 —

ASSISTS: LeBron James, 8.5

MIN 42.2 35.7 26.8 31.1 26.5 36.4 34.8 24.9 15.6 2.7 4.1 7.2 4.2 2.0 —

PPG 30.1 19.0 14.3 12.8 10.6 9.6 9.1 7.2 4.4 1.3 1.3 1.0 0.3 0.0 99.0

OFFR 1.9 0.8 1.5 0.5 2.9 4.4 1.2 0.5 0.1 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.3 0.0 12.3

DEFR 9.5 2.8 5.5 4.2 4.5 6.4 3.8 1.6 1.4 0.2 0.9 1.1 0.7 0.0 34.9

STEALS: LeBron James, 1.7

RPG 11.3 3.6 7.0 4.7 7.3 10.8 4.9 2.1 1.5 0.2 1.1 1.1 1.0 0.0 47.1

APG 8.5 3.8 2.5 1.2 0.7 0.5 1.2 2.7 0.5 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.0 18.0

SPG 1.65 1.31 0.25 0.94 0.40 0.25 1.25 0.45 0.40 0.00 0.00 0.11 0.33 0.00 6.30

BLOCKS: Timofey Mozgov, 1.8

BPG 1.05 0.85 0.50 0.56 1.80 1.20 0.80 0.00 0.15 0.00 0.38 0.11 0.00 0.00 6.35

TPG 4.1 1.5 1.5 0.8 1.9 0.8 0.7 1.8 0.3 0.2 0.5 0.1 0.0 0.0 13.0

FPG 2.9 2.2 3.0 3.0 2.9 2.5 2.5 2.6 2.1 0.2 0.8 0.7 0.2 0.0 20.9

A/TO 2.1 2.5 1.7 1.5 0.4 0.6 1.8 1.5 1.8 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.4

PER

2PM 10.1 4.1 2.0 1.8 3.7 3.6 1.3 1.2 0.2 0.1 0.3 0.0 0.2 0.0 25.0

2PA 21.7 9.6 5.0 3.5 7.4 6.5 3.5 3.0 0.6 0.5 1.0 0.0 1.0 1.0 54.0

2P% .465 .432 .400 .500 .500 .558 .366 .383 .364 .333 .250 .000 .167 .000 .462

PPS AFG% 1.105 0.44 1.335 0.51 1.390 0.52 1.121 0.53 1.432 0.50 1.488 0.56 1.104 0.46 1.051 0.43 1.160 0.49 1.333 0.42 1.250 0.25 1.800 0.90 .333 0.17 .000 0.00 1.20 0.48

—

Shooting statistics PLAYER LeBron James, SF Kyrie Irving, PG Kevin Love, PF J.R. Smith, SG Timofey Mozgov, C Tristan Thompson, C Iman Shumpert, SG Matthew Dellavedova, SG James Jones, SF Joe Harris, SG Kendrick Perkins, C Mike Miller, SG Shawn Marion, SG Brendan Haywood, C Totals

JOSHUA GUNTER | NORTHEAST OHIO MEDIA GROUP

Cavaliers forward LeBron James and head coach David Blatt hug late in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Championship.

FGM 11.4 6.2 4.3 4.6 3.7 3.6 3.0 2.4 1.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.0 34.7

FGA 27.2 14.2 10.3 11.4 7.4 6.5 8.2 6.8 3.8 1.0 1.0 0.6 1.0 1.0 82.7

FG% .417 .438 .415 .403 .500 .558 .360 .346 .347 .333 .250 .600 .167 .000 .420

3PM 1.3 2.1 2.3 2.8 0.0 0.0 1.7 1.2 1.1 0.2 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0 9.8

3PA 5.5 4.6 5.3 7.9 0.0 0.0 4.7 3.8 3.2 0.5 0.0 0.6 0.0 0.0 28.7

3P% .227 .450 .429 .359 .000 .000 .355 .316 .344 .333 .000 .600 .000 .000 .340

FTM 6.1 4.5 3.5 0.8 3.2 2.4 1.5 1.3 0.7 0.5 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 19.9

FTA 8.4 5.3 4.8 1.1 4.1 4.1 2.0 1.6 0.7 0.7 1.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 26.9

FT% 0.73 0.84 0.74 0.70 0.79 0.59 0.75 0.78 0.93 0.75 0.60 0.00 0.00 0.00 .738

Glossary: GP: Games played; GS: Games started; MIN: Minutes per game; FGM: Field Goals Made per game; FGA: Field Goals Attempted per game; FG%: Field Goals Percentage per game; PPG: Points per game; OFFR: Offensive Rebounds per game; DEFR: Defensive Rebounds per game; 3PM: Three-point Field Goals Made per game; 3PA: Three-point Field Goals Attempted per game; 3P%: Three-point Field Goals Percentage per game; RPG: Rebounds per game; APG: Assists per game; SPG: Steals per game; FTM: Free Throws Made per game; FTA: Free Throws Attempted per game; FT%: Free Throws Percentage per game; BPG: Blocks per game; TPG: Turnovers per game; FPG: Fouls per game; 2PM: Two-point Field Goals Made per game; 2PA: Two-point Field Goals Attempted per game; 2P%: Two-point Field Goals Percentage per game; A/TO: Assist to turnover ratio; PPS: Points Per Shot per game; AFG%: Adjusted Field Goal Percentage per game

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