April 17, 2013; Charlotte, NC, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) drives through the defense of the Charlotte Bobcats forward Josh McRoberts (11), forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (14) and guard Kemba Walker (15) during the game at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ season ended on Wednesday night after falling to the Charlotte Bobcats, 105-98. Once down by 24 points in the second quarter, the Cavs looked like they were just going to coast into the offseason after the month of April made the team want to bury their heads in the sand. The Wine and Gold started the game with their feet in a sinking pit looking like they were going to be swallowed into the other side that is known as the offseason; or one of the most hopeful and ironically optimistic times of the season for northeast Ohioans. 64 wins* over the past three seasons under Coach Byron Scott – only three more than the team had in LeBron’s final season with the Cavs – and the numerous blown leads (including a 28- and 27-point blown lead to the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat respectively this season alone) have many calling for change in Cleveland: a ring that hasn’t been answered since the 2010-11 season.

*The Bobcats have won 61 games over that same three-year span

This team is different and has changed dramatically since then, but in more negative ways than positive. Already taking into account that Daniel Gibson won’t be back next season, Anderson Varejao will be the only player left on the team that was a member of the 2010-11 squad. This team has been gutted just like the management wanted, but was there any direction in mind? Will the pitiful play over the last month or so result in Marreese Speights using his player option to escape purgatory? How many players from this year It’s will actually be back next season?

–Luke Walton – it was nice knowin’ ya

–Daniel Gibson – he’s not even a glimpse of what he once was during his first four seasons

–Marreese Speights – his lack of aggressiveness down the stretch was a signal to me that he doesn’t want to be a part of this team’s future

–Omri Casspi – he was gone around the time that Alonzo Gee took his starting job last season

–Wayne Ellington – a player I would like to see back, but I think the Cavaliers can find better backup shooting guard talent elsewhere

–Shaun Livingston – another player I would like to see back, but I have similar thoughts as I expressed above (he has the best chance out off any of these guys to resign in the offseason)

–Kevin Jones – made the most of his minutes and showed growth toward the end of the season – a great bench asset going into next season

–Chris Quinn – was just a filler

–Byron Scott – while he still has the extension left to fulfill, I do not see a scenario where the Cavaliers keep him even if he is the best option out there

Five of these players saw action against Charlotte tonight, and three of these guys were with the Cavaliers the season prior. It’s great that Cleveland will look to free agency and the draft to build a competitive unit once again, but who is to say that we won’t endure another season of players shifting on and off between the D-League and waivers? This can’t happen moving forward, or the team will be stuck in an infinite loop in which our draft stars will leave town once their contracts have been served. It seems that is how most players have spent their time here as of late. It’s hard to believe that there is plan of action going into the fourth post-LeBron season, but General Manager Chris Grant has shown flashes of brilliance during this rough transition period.

But I digress. There’s little to take away from this game because both teams knew well before now that their fate would be in the form of Ping-Pong balls coming up soon. Allowing the Bobcats to shoot 40 percent from three-point range truly shows how much defensive help this team needs on the perimeter. Josh McRoberts was perfect from the field (6-of-6 from the field, 3-of-3 from three). Both teams seemed to not acknowledge any change of momentum or game plan around streaky runs. It looked like two teams who have been stuck in the cellar for some time now just trying to finish out a season with nothing at all to lose (except a better chance at a lottery pick).

And despite breaking out of his scoring slump, Kyrie shot under 50 percent from the field and finished 2-of-9 from long range. Through eight games in April, Kyrie shot at the lowest clip of any month this season. 34.8 percent from the field (yikes) and 27.9 percent from three (Kyrie only shot lower than 40 percent from beyond the arc in one other month). Whether he gave up or the injury affected him that much concerns me either way. This team lacks leadership and players who can dig down deep in games to escape the sand pits. Until there is a solution to this, the Cavs will keep on shuffling their roster looking for players who “might be” future contributors.

There is no next game to alert you about, but this offseason will be the most important in a long time even though 2014 will be a star-studded frenzy. This is the breaking point. They need to make sure they’re ready to take the next step so players want to come to Cleveland in 2014. They need to be aggressive early on in free agency with all the money they have at their disposal. And need some luck when it comes to injuries.

Anyways, thank you so much for coming to RDE all season long for your Cavs news. Your readership is greatly appreciated. Offseason mode does not mean rest mode for us, so keep on checking on what moves your Cavaliers are making. Look for some great end-of-the-season content to go up soon!

Apr 15, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Byron Scott reacts in the fourth quarter against the Miami Heat at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

It’s funny how sports work sometimes. One minute you could be getting all the praise as the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time), and the next fans are looking at you for an excuse to point out a goat (or scapegoat). For Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving and Miami Heat point guard Norris Cole, the roles switched within a matter of seconds. With just under four minutes to play, those in attendance at the last game of the season at Quicken Loans Arena were witnesses to another budding Mr. Fourth Quarter performance. The problem, however, all season long has been the team’s ability to finish complete games. Monday night was no different. Irving finished off the fourth quarter with six of the team’s final eight points, and after Norris Cole missed both free throws with 14.3 seconds to go in the contest, the ball was now back in Kyrie’s court with the Cavaliers down one.

96-95. Kyrie with the ball. Last home game of the season. LeBron James watching anxiously for an All-Star play from the bench. Too perfect of a scenario, right? Cole, who almost racked up a triple-double – 16 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists – had played great up to that point, so he knew he couldn’t let a performance such as the aforementioned stat line go to waste. After failing to get the ball inbounds on the first attempt, Kyrie finally got hold and was ready to put up the 20-footer for the W. The Cleveland State University product had other intentions, as he stripped the premier point guard of the ball and ran out the clock, completing the painful series sweep in which Cleveland lost four games by a total of 10 points. Devastating comebacks? You bet. Heartbreak at home? Most definitely. Being outhustled by the Heat’s B-team? Absolutely unacceptable.

All season long Cleveland had been known for blowing seemingly insurmountable leads, but knowing better, I always knew that no matter how big or at what point in the game, the Cavs would find a way to let their opponents back into the match. This was mostly accomplished with a three-point barrage, and that’s exactly what Miami’s intentions were on Monday. Going 5-of-6 from long range in the third quarter allowed the Heat to outscore Cleveland by 12 points in the 12-minute frame, which wiped out the Cavs’ first-half three-point lead in less than two minutes. The Heat finished the game shooting 46.4 percent from three.

But who were these old scrubs that helped Miami crawl back into the game? With Mario Chalmers and the Big Three (James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade) sitting out in preparation for playoff basketball, it was impossible to tell who would be the catalyst in this matchup. Kyrie and gang clearly had the advantage, but sometimes when you’re in a slump or tired from a season of degrading loss after loss, any group of players can school you on the court.

Players score when they get minutes, it’s just a fact of life. Busts shouldn’t be defined by how many points they score or rebounds they grab, but by how many opportunities for game action their coach gives them. If Cole plays 43 minutes, he’s going to have more than enough opportunities to make an impact. But when matched up against one of the premier players in the NBA, you can’t let a guy who plays less than 20 minutes regularly per night embarrass you like that. Want to see a list of the leading scorers from Miami in this contest and cringe when you see their averages? I know I don’t:

1. Rashard Lewis – 32 minutes, 19 points – averaging 13.8 minutes, 4.7 points

2. Norris Cole – we already know what he did – averaging 19.3 minutes, 5.4 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists

3. James Jones – 29 minutes, 14 points – averaging 5.2 minutes, 1.3 points

Again, even the most scrubbiest of players can get buckets when they get minutes, but this shouldn’t happen when the future of our lineup is going up against a team’s reserves. The Cavaliers’ three leading scorers didn’t blow these somewhat roster fillers out of the water. It will pain you to see who exactly they are:

1. Kyrie Irving – 36 minutes, 16 points, eight assists

2. Tristan Thompson* – 36 minutes, 16 points, 13 rebounds

3. Dion Waiters – 27 minutes, 16 points, four assists

*In all fairness, I though Thompson played the best out of anyone tonight. These weren’t necessarily terrible performances, but when our three building blocks for the future have an output similar to their season averages against the Miami B-team, there’s not a lot to be happy about*

So was this yet another fire-worthy performance for the head coach? He still doesn’t believe so, and I tend to agree, still.

I am going to be back to coach (Cavs) next year. I’ve got a year left on my contract. That’s how I approach it.

But according to Pro Basketball Draft, Scott will not be returning next year:

Expect Byron Scott to be fired shortly after regular season conclusion based on conversations w/ several Cavs sources.

More bad news.

After the game, Kyrie walked to the locker room with an apparent ankle injury. Any updates on his status will be posted here at Right Down Euclid. The Cavaliers will finish off their season with a matchup in Charlotte with the Bobcats on Wednesday. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m.

In the meantime, this will somewhat brighten your day: Dion Waiters goes HAM on Birdman.

Apr 12, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; New York Knicks point guard Jason Kidd (5) defends a shot against Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard Wayne Ellington (21) in the second quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

For three plus quarters, the Cleveland Cavaliers were able to hang with the New York Knicks. While the lead stayed around nine for the majority of the game, there were points where the Cavaliers were able to cut the lead down and appear read to make a move.

But, as has become the norm this season, Cleveland was unable to move forward and get back in the thick of it. The game was sealed when the Knicks pulled ahead by 20 with a little over 8 minutes to go. When both teams pulled out their top players, the Cavaliers got the lead down to 10, eventually falling by a score of 101-91.

Kyrie Irving led the Cavaliers with 31 points, while Tristan Thompson added 17 points and 11 rebounds. Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith co-lead the Knicks with 31 points.

For the Cavaliers, this game was another example of the fact they have a long way to go before they are ready to compete the East’s elite. After the first quarter, the only Cavalier to have his offensive mojo was, predictably, Irving.  And even Irving was inefficient – only making 11 of 27 shots in his 36 minutes of action.

For the game, the Cavaliers shot 43 percent from the field as compared to New  York’s 50.6 percent. The Knicks top to scorers, Anthony and Smith, were largely efficient on the offensive end. Anthony was 12 of 24 from the field, while Smith was 13 of 16.

There were, however, some positives signs for this Cavaliers teams. The Cavaliers equaled the Knicks’ six fast break points and scored 38 points in the paint as compared to the Knicks 32.

What won the Knicks the game was their overall shooting and offensive fluidity. Lead by Anthony and Smith’s offensive output, the Knicks were far superior to the Cavaliers on offensive. There was purpose to their offensive attack and no wasted shots. They attacked the rim, made a fair portion of their three point shots and were efficient from the free throw line. This game was the Knicks at their finest and a glimpse of what this team needs to do in order to make a deep run the playoffs.

For Cleveland, this game was just another game in a lost season. There are some serious flaws in the Cavaliers and tonight showed that. Moving forward, Irving cannot be the only offensive threat and it is completely unacceptable for Tyler Zeller for score zero points in 21 minutes of action. There is serious work to be done for this Cavaliers team to get actually be competitive with the league’s athletes.

Over the next three games, we’ll have to see what kind of effort the Cavs will put forth. Can they win at least one game when they take on the Miami Heat, Charlotte Bobcats and Philadelphia 76ers? At least two of those game are winnable and one should really be no problem for the Cavaliers to win.

But in all seriousness, it is a good thing that this Cavaliers season is winding down to its slow, bitter end. Only then can the Cavaliers, their front office and the fan base focus on what matters most: the 2013 NBA Draft.