Cavs Hire Byron Scott

By: Tyler Ward


Earlier this morning, the Cleveland Cavaliers officially hired Byron Scott as their new leader. Byron Scott, along with Lakers assistant Brian Shaw, were finalists for the job. It was expected the Cavs would hire Shaw, but instead, went a different direction.

I think this gives the Cavs leverage in re-signing LeBron James. James has made public that he wants a high-profile Head Coach and Scott could very well be the best on the market. If the Cavs can wheel and deal or sign a marquee free agent, I think LeBron could end up staying in Cleveland for three more years. He has felt that Ohio is his hometown and if he leaves, it could be the worst thing that's happened in Cleveland sports. Yes, even worse than the Jordan shot on Ehlo. Even worse than when Art Modell transferred the Browns NFL franchise to Baltimore. The Cavs are the only bright spot in Cleveland right now, with the MLB's Indians slowly falling off the map and the NFL's Browns being, well, the Browns.

During this offseason, Cleveland fired their head coach, Mike Brown after 5 seasons. Brown led the Cavs to the playoffs in all five seasons, but failed to bring Cleveland a championship, after posting the best record in the NBA twice. In the 06-07 season, Cleveland advanced to the Finals for the first time in franchise history, but were embarassingly swept by Tim Duncan and the Spurs. Two seasons later, the Cavs finished the season, 66-16 (best record). Mike Brown was named Coach of the Year and LeBron was named the league's MVP. The Cavs eventually lost to the Orlando Magic in 6 games in the Eastern Conference Finals.

In the 09-10 season, the Cavs finished 61-21, the best record in basketball yet again. However, they lost to eventual Eastern Conference Champion, Boston. Brown was let go after the season. Now, Byron Scott steps in.

In 2000, Scott was hired by the New Jersey Nets to be their next coach. They played poorly that season, but the following year was the start of something different. Scott led New Jersey to two straight NBA Finals appearances, but lost to San Antonio and Los Angeles, respectively. The Nets started the 2003-04 season with high hopes of returning to the NBA Finals. However, they entered the season's All-Star break, 22-20, and Scott was fired. The New Orleans Hornets hired Byron Scott in 2005 to lead a very young team. Due to Hurricane Katrina, the Hornets were forced to play a majority of their games in Oklahoma City. Scott led the Hornets to a pair of sub-.500 seasons in his first two years as Head Coach. In the 07-08 season, he led the Hornets to an over-promising 56-26 record. They finished second overall in the conference and lost to the Spurs in the second round. Due to his success, Scott was signed to a two year extension and was also named the season's Coach of the Year.

In 08-09, the Hornets made the playoffs again and finished seventh in the conference. They played a downright horrible series against the Nuggets in the opening round, which included losses of 21, 29, and 58 points (the 58 point loss tied the worst margin of defeat in NBA playoffs history). In November 2009, Scott was fired early in the season, after starting 3-6.

Even though Scott didn't do well with New Orleans, I think he can immediately step in and make a difference. Especially if they get LeBron James back, this could be the coach Lebron has long awaited for. However, if LeBron leaves, it could cost the franchise somewhere around $250 million, according to an article in The Bloomberg News. Michael Cramer, who teaches sports business at New York University, said "I wouldn't be surprised if the Cavaliers in a year or two are below the league average in terms of value. One player has a tremendous impact, especially in the NBA, and especially when you're talking about one of the top two or three visible, recognizable players not only in the league, but in all of professional sports."

The Cavs made a smart decision in signing Scott, as he automatically becomes one of the better coaches in Cavaliers history. They could very well still compete in the East if LeBron comes back, but if he doesn't, they will have to find someone that can lead the team. I like this hiring by Cleveland, as they finally got a coach that has proven he can lead the team deep into the playoffs. Only time will tell if Scott will do spectacular or horrible, but what we do know now is that the Cavs are headed in the right direction.