The Blueprint

August 28, 2017
As journalist Lloyd, who previously covered the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Akron Beacon Journal, reports in this energetic, detailed slice of basketball history, when Akron-born LeBron James left the team in 2010, the Cavs immediately began plotting to get him back. When he signed back up in 2014, the fan response was mixed, and James had to adjust to new, talented teammates such as Kevin Love, who went from being adored by the superstar to nearly wilting under his high standards. Lloyd also covers the coaching staff and front office, notably the drama involved in finding a head coach: oblivious David Blatt, who led the Cavs from 2014 to 2016, thought he could coach in the NBA after years overseas, but soon realized he couldn’t. The right man, Blatt’s assistant Tyronn Lue, only took the job after his mentor, coach and former player Doc Rivers, convinced him. The Cavs’ player personnel moves in 2014 were dictated by finances (salary cap space was an obstacle) and need, and Lloyd’s intoxicatingly thorough reporting allows readers to grasp the difficulty in assembling a team—even one featuring a legend.

September 1, 2017
A sports journalist debuts with a very personal account of the return of LeBron James to Cleveland in 2014 and of the Cavaliers' NBA championship in 2016.Lloyd--the lead NBA writer for the Athletic and former writer for James' hometown Akron Beacon Journal during the team's efforts to lure the King back to Cleveland after his dramatic 2010 departure to the Miami Heat--tells several interlocking stories: James' decision to leave the team, the four intervening years when the Cavs' front office began plotting to get him back, the arrival of key players (especially Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, and J.R. Smith), accounts of failed coaches (David Blatt's tale is especially painful), the changes in the NBA itself, and, of course, that championship that erased decades of frustration for Cleveland sports fans. (Lloyd reminds us several times of the key misplays and failures of the Indians and Browns.) The author deals thoroughly with the front-office attitudes and decisions about losing frequently so that the franchise would earn a good draft position. He also tells us a bit about himself, discussing a sports journalist's difficulties in balancing family and professional responsibilities, and he describes some of his coups and failures; he even tells us near the end that James gave him a nonverbal shoutout at the city's massive street party for the Cavs after their championship. At times, Lloyd does veer near homer-hood when he celebrates coach Tyronn Lue, who "was masterful with his lineups throughout the postseason," and during his long account of Game 7 of the 2016 Finals. Most interesting to general readers will be the pages dealing with the intricacies of NBA management, the relationships among the players (Love's complicated story is key), and the staggering egos of professional athletes. Exciting game action blended with mostly interesting behind-the-scenes maneuvers and manipulations of a pro-sports franchise.

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October 1, 2017

Sportswriter Lloyd examines the rebuilding process of the Cleveland Cavaliers following Lebron James's exodus to the Miami Heat in 2010. Using the NBA's luxury tax to their advantage, the Cavaliers acquired draft picks by taking on poor player contracts from other teams in the league. This strategy resulted in three unprecedented picks, including future star Kyrie Irving. Numerous losing seasons continued as rookie players competed for playing time, and head coaches were fired amid roster rivalries. In order to build a competitive team around James after he returned in 2014, the team's front office traded young players and draft picks to get experienced veterans players, including Kevin Love. Despite injuries and issues between players and coaches, the Cavaliers made the NBA finals for two straight years. The team staged an epic 3-1 series comeback to win the 2016 championship over the Golden State Warriors. Beyond the Cavaliers' rebuilding, Lloyd notes how the modern NBA emerged as teams replicated the up-tempo style of play championed by coach Mike D'Antoni. VERDICT Although intriguing and accessible, Brian Windhorst and Dave McMenamin's Return of the King provides a more detailed account of the same period in Cavaliers' history. [See "Editors' Fall Picks," LJ 9/1/17, p. 33.--Ed.]--Chris Wilkes, Tazewell Cty. P.L., VA

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2017
In the tradition of Michael Lewis' Moneyball (2003), journalist Lloyd traces how the Cleveland Cavaliers, after re-signing LeBron James, captured the NBA championship in 201516. The narrative begins with a brief history of the decades-long failure of Cleveland's professional sports teams to win championships and then shows how the Cavaliers organization managed to turn that tradition around through intense planning and execution. In the Cavs' case, all that losing helped, as Lloyd shows in his explanation of the way the team used the NBA lotteryin which the poorest-performing teams receive the highest draft choicesto its advantage. He traces how Cleveland, anticipating Lebron's 2014 return, made use of the draft, trades, and financial maneuvering to secure supporting players Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, and others. Lloyd also addresses changes in the NBA and delves deeply into the team's coaching, leading up to a recounting of the 201516 championship season. Pair this account with Erik Malinowski's forthcoming Betaball, about how the Golden State Warriors built the dynasty that beat Cleveland in the 2017 finals and seems situated to win more.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)