Gilbert’s Most Important Decision Will Be letting Someone Else Make Them
As we enter a vital offseason in the future of the Cleveland Cavaliers organization, Owner Dan Gilbert is faced with a number of important decisions. Gilbert has shown a passion and commitment to winning that is to be commended. His ability and willingness to spend money on his team has been recognized around the league. To this point the after-Lebron era has been full of lottery picks and promise. However, the 2013 season has left the team’s direction in a state of uncertainty. Gilbert fired the Cavs’ General Manager on February 6th and hasn’t addressed the press since then. Gilbert is expected to announce the future of Interim GM Dave Griffin and Head Coach Mike Brown in the near future. Those obviously important decisions will be followed by critical personnel moves involving the future of their young Stars Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters. The team is expected to offer Irving a 5 year extension this summer and his pending decision is rumored to trigger a number possible trade scenarios. Not to mention the looming free agency period in which the Cavs are expected to be among the most active teams in the NBA.
Gilbert has always been an involved owner and is a pillar of the Cleveland community. He has reached a point as an Owner where he needs to make the best business and basketball decision possible. In this case, that would be hiring a “President of Basketball Operations”. It is time to bring in a “basketball” guy to make these decisions. Gilbert has done his best but last summer when he re-hired coach Mike Brown with a public apology for firing him the first time, things felt like they were all to personal for Gilbert. For me, it was evident that Gilbert had become way to involved in the basketball side of operations. Things have continued on that path this season and before we embark on this crucial offseason, Gilbert needs to hire someone qualified to make these basketball decisions for him. It is not uncommon for Professional Sports Owners to allow themselves to have too much say in parts of the operation that they would be better off staying out of. In my opinion, Gilbert has been guilty of this but has a chance now to make the right hire before it’s to late.
Ideally, Gilbert would hire a qualified candidate to take over the basketball side of things, presumably a “President of Basketball Operations”. The President would then make the decision about the General Manager, which most likely would be the hire of a new GM. The GM and the President would then decide the fate of Mike Brown which probably would result in the hire of a new Head Coach. Now the Cavs have the direction of their franchise lined up and the proper people in place to make the right moves in this ever important offseason.
A Job with the Cavs is a highly regarded one. The young talent, draft picks, cap room and generous owner with a will to win is attractive to potential GMs and Presidents around the league. George Karl has already commented on the idea of a “President” position with the Cavs. “Feel great and would love to expand the challenge of putting an organization together and bringing a fun committed basketball team to Cleveland”, Karl said. Karl’s name has been mentioned a great deal in regards to the possible “President” position in Cleveland. There would be many names interested in the job but other names already rumored to be in the running are Mike Fratello and Isiah Thomas.
By: Brad Ward
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