On July 2nd, 2010, the landscape of Cleveland basketball changed when the Cavs chose to bring the talents of Coach Byron Scott to Lake Eerie Beach. The move was met with less skepticism than one may have expected following Coach Mike Brown leading the team to 66 wins in 2008-2009 and 61 in 2009-2010, but his inability to win a title led to the organization bringing in Byron Scott, who had led the Nets to two NBA Finals in the early 2000's. While the move seemed like it would not hurt the Cavaliers too badly, as they retained a strong nucleus of players centered around Antwan Jamison, JJ Hickson, Mo Williams, Anthony Parker, Jamario Moon, Anderson Varejao, Boobie Gibson and the versatile Leon Powe, not to mention electrifying newcomers like Ramon Sessions, few could have imagined that Brown was quite as important to Cleveland as it is now clearly evident that he was.
The Cavs recently snapped their NBA record, 26 game losing streak, leading many to wonder how could a team with only 21 losses in the entire season last year have slipped so far? One need look no further than the top and Coach Mike Brown. “Guys just responded to his coaching style,” former Cav and current Miami Heat Center Zydrunas Ilgauskas said in an interview last week, “I couldn't imagine that team being successful after he left. When he was out, so was I.” While the players have clearly struggled with the loss of Coach Brown, so has the local economy. In a study by Justin Snydor, economic professor at Case Western University, Snydor estimates that due to the decrease in Cavs attendance figures caused by Brown's absence, and the subsequent lack of success, the economy in downtown Cleveland will lose about $20 million from potential shoppers and eaters before and after the games. Paul Bettany, owner of Earl Averill's Bar and Grille on 34th street, has been a diehard Cleveland sports fan his whole life, and showed his dedication 15 years ago when he proudly opened his establishment named after the late Indians center fielder. Bettany has felt the effects of Brown's departure more than most, “People used to pack this place before and after Cavs games,” Bettany told us on Sunday, “Now, we're lucky to fill up half the tables. With Mike Brown at the helm there was an expectation we'd win, Byron Scott's still got most of the same players, people just don't understand why he can't figure it out.”
Ironically, perhaps the greatest testament to Brown was given by Cavs owner Dan Gilbert when he wrote an open letter to Cavs fans hoping to console them and boost morale shorter after Scott was hired in place of Brown. Though Gilbert did not use the former coach's name in the letter, he made it clear he was referring to the Columbus-born Brown when he wrote, “As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted...is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier.” Gilbert went on to guarantee that the Cavs would win a title before the so-called “king” won one. “Dan and Coach Brown never got along all that great, so I was surprised to see Dan using the king as his nickname,” Ilgauskas said, “but you can see from that guarantee that there may have been some hard feelings there.” The hard feelings are felt by neither Brown nor the city of Cleveland. Brown, chose not to coach this year to allow Cleveland a head start on winning a title that Byron Scott now seems like he almost certainly will not deliver. “No, there are absolutely no hard feelings on our side,” said Bettany, “This city loves Mike Brown and would take him back in an instant. This guy had a .764 win percentage last season, right now we're at .164, get the man back as soon as possible.”
Despite the lack of success under Byron Scott, he has earned the support of his players. “Coach Brown was great, we can see now just how valuable to the franchise he was,” said Jamario Moon after last weeks losing-streak snapping win over the Clippers, “But he never had to deal with the adversity we're facing. We lost [Anderson] Varejao, Mo [Williams] and Leon [Powe] to injuries this season. We got Mo back tonight and we won, don't count Coach Scott out yet.” And Moon may be correct. It may not be so much Scott is a poor coach, rather Mike Brown is perhaps the most valuable coach in NBA history. “I don't want to knock my former teammates,” said Ilgauskas, “but if Coach [Brown] were to go to say the Bucks and get an opportunity to work with guys like Andrew Bogut and Brandon Jennings, man, I don't know if we never had that much talent back in Cleveland. I wouldn't want to play that team come June.” No team likely would. Our statistical analysis based on the Cavs win percentage with and without Brown estimates that a Mike Brown coached Milwaukee would have approximately 82 wins in the regular season. Byron Scott has done one successful thing in Cleveland this year and that is to show Mike Brown is the most valuable coach in since Red Auerbach.
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