Youthful Cavaliers Plan to Make Noise in Playoffs

In just two years, the management of the Cavaliers has turned Cleveland’s second-longest-running sports joke into a young squad bound for the NBA playoffs.

After two close games with the Cavaliers in December, one of them won by Cleveland, the Lakers’ Magic Johnson described the Cavaliers as the National Basketball Assn. team of the 1990s.

But the Cavaliers, who clinched only their fifth playoff berth in 18 years, and just their second in 10 years last Monday night with a 112-107 victory over the Indiana Pacers, are surprising many people by making in impact now.

“People were saying we were too young, a good team for the future. We want to be a good team now,” said second-year guard Mark Price.

Cleveland is assured of at least the No. 7 playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and could go as high as fifth.

“I think we’re a little ahead of the timetable most people had for this team,” said Coach Lennie Wilkens. “I’m very proud of our players, what they’ve done.”

The rebuilding of the Cavaliers started in the summer of 1986, when John (Hot Rod) Williams was acquitted in the Tulane point-shaving case. Later in the week, on the morning of the NBA draft, the Cavaliers dealt Roy Hinson for the right to draft center Brad Daugherty, an All-American at North Carolina. In the next couple of hours, the team would also pick up Ron Harper of Miami of Ohio and Price of Georgia Tech.

But there was more. Even when the Cavaliers appeared to be making nice, even progress this year--playing .500 ball--General Manager Wayne Embry and his staff were not satisfied. They went on a limb by making a trade this winter to the Phoenix Suns for Larry Nance and Mike Sanders.

It took the team some time to adjust to the trade, but few are doubting that it has paid off. The Cavaliers won 9 of 11 contests in their stretch run, including games against Eastern Conference powers the Atlanta Hawks and the Boston Celtics.

“We would never have won these games down the stretch had we played at the same level we played earlier in the season,” Wilkens said. “We’ve definitely moved one level higher.”

The Cavaliers, who have two more regular season games, will enter the playoffs with Daugherty, Williams, Price and Harper only in their second NBA seasons.

“What it means is that we made it, baby,” Harper said. “We’re over that first mountain. When I came here, everybody said it would be four years before we can really compete. We’re way ahead of schedule and now we’re going for it all--a winning record for the year and a big push in the playoffs.”