Cavaliers Get to the Top the Wilkens Way

When the Washington Bullets scheduled the Cleveland Cavaliers to play at the Baltimore Arena Sunday afternoon, they had no idea they would be bringing the National Basketball Association’s latest hot gate attraction.

The Cleveland Cavaliers?

The same team that was so badly mismanaged the league had to step in and take humanistic measures to save the franchise from a complete collapse? The team that used to conduct its own lottery within the league, giving away No. 1 draft choices to whichever club made a timely phone call?

Check the standings. That team with the best record (30-8) in Lakers-Celtics land is none other than the same once pitiful, and pitied, Cleveland Cavaliers.

And if ever there has been a team that reflected a mirror-image of its coach, the Cavaliers qualify as Exhibit A. Among the league individual leaders you find only casual, almost incidental, mention of the Cavs. But check the team statistics and you quickly discover that the sum is much greater than the parts.

It is the Lenny Wilkens way. For 15 years as a player in the NBA he was the bluest of chips for consistency. A deft ball-handler who was also a prolific scorer, he was a cerebral player who brought another dimension to the court. He remains as one of the few six-footers who could make things happen. The other nine players on the floor ran to the beat of his dribble because he knew where they were ... and probably what they were thinking.

As a player, he was a coach’s dream, a continuation of the bench philosophy. As a coach, he is a player’s dream, with a rein tight enough to maintain the necessary discipline and loose enough to allow originality.

Wilkens is a poised, quiet and unassuming individual who has always traced personal accomplishments to group results. But he doesn’t deny that his coaching philosophy is an extension of the way he played.

“I would hope so,” he said. “I played for one (unnamed) guy who never wanted you to veer from the system. But I’ve always felt that an offense should be able to take advantage of the talent.”

When he took the Cleveland job three years ago, Wilkens had two priorities -- to go with young players, and give them the opportunity to develop and realize their skills.

“With a young team, you have to get them to the point where they can go out and feel confident. You want them to not be afraid to try things, to be creative. Being able to do that is very important when you’re running an open court and when the (24 second) clock is running down. That’s when you have to be able to do things, be innovative, and we encourage them to do that.”

It helps that the players don’t have to worry about looking over their shoulder at the first hint of a mistake, which can often be the case in basketball, regardless of the level of play.

“When they’re out there we want them to feel that we have confidence in them -- so they should have confidence in themselves,” explained Wilkens.

With the right personnel the end result is a blend of individual talent that meshes in group therapy. For years the Cavaliers didn’t have talent, mainly because they never had an influx of young talent. They gave away draft choices in such abundance that the NBA had to create special selections, between the first and second rounds, for four years in exchange for financial considerations.

The team’s ownership changed, Wayne Embry came aboard as the general manager and presided over intelligent personnel decisions, Wilkens became the coach and things started to turn around.

Two years ago the Cavaliers were 31-51. Last year they won 42 games, and in the process obtained forward Larry Nance from the Phoenix Suns. It was the piece needed to fit between center Brad Daugherty and guards Marc Price and Terry Harper.

“There’s no question that Larry has helped us to play at another level,” said Wilkens. “Here was a veteran player, an All-Star, who came in with the enthusiasm of a guy in his first year. Young players see that and they better understand the value of hard work.”

The result has been almost a magical transformation in the period of two years.

“When we went to training camp I thought we would be good,” said Wilkens, “but I didn’t know how many games we would win.”

Coaches around the league joke about the fact that Wilkens is still trying to “soft-sell” his team, as though he’s still trying to sneak up on the more established clubs in the NBA. He laughs at the suggestion, not necessarily denying it, but not ready to concede that the record is yet a true indication of the Cavaliers’ prowess.

“I think we’re pretty good,” Wilkens said in what almost amounts to a boast. “But we still have a ways to go. I still feel experience is a factor and a great teacher, and I’d like to see it continue.”

There are those who will argue that the Cavaliers have already progressed further and faster than even the most optimistic of timetables. A year ago, for instance, Wilkens said that his team was just starting to show confidence that it could win on the road. Today the Cavs have the best road record (12-6) in the NBA.

“The first step with a new, young team is to become competitive,” said Wilkens. “That’s where the confidence factor comes in -- getting players to believe in themselves. Then you have to get to the point where you know you can win at home.

“Winning on the road is tough even for the great teams,” said Wilkens, “so it’s important to be able to win consistently at home. After you get to that point, then you learn to win on the road.”

In his 15th year as a coach (“but I don’t count the first four when I was still playing,” he said), there isn’t much in the NBA that can surprise Wilkens. When the Cavaliers won all eight of their preseason games, something the truly great teams rarely do, he had an indication of what could happen in a relatively injury-free season (a luxury he didn’t have a year ago).

He’s still a little cautious, but almost halfway through the season, he has a better idea of what to expect. “We might be a little bit ahead of ourselves,” said Wilkens. “But I tell the players hey, let the sky be the limit. If it’s there go for it.”

The Cavaliers are going for it--the Lenny Wilkens way.