A Mad Men guide to the 2018-19 NBA Season

“But that’s life. One minute you’re on top of the world, the next minute some secretary’s running you over with a lawnmower.” — Cleveland Cavaliers

Back to LeBron for a second…

If J.R. Smith doesn’t J.R. Smith at the worst possible time, what are the odds that LeBron James still calls Cleveland home? 50 percent? 5 percent? We really have no idea, do we? It probably didn’t make a difference, but it’s fun to think about the fact that a guy you never wanted on your team for Sunday afternoon games may have inextricably altered the course of NBA history.

Alas, J.R. J.R.’d and Cleveland goes back to being just another spot on the NBA map. Such is life when you make a deal with the devil on a year-to-year contract.

Cleveland’s version of a grotesquely mangled foot here is a $111 million payroll for what is at best a 35-win team. That figure includes $130 million worth of Tristan Thomson, Jordan Clarkson, George Hill and Mr. Smith himself over the next two seasons, about $100 million of which is fully guaranteed. Ty Lue is actually going to get a chance to coach for the first time in three years, which may or may not be a good thing.

All that remains to be seen is whether the Kevin Love contract extension inked this summer ends up becoming the blood splattered on the office windows. It’s unclear whether the move was made because Coby Altman felt Love was a more valuable asset locked up long term than on an expiring contract or because Dan Gilbert refuses to bottom out like the last time James left town.

Either way, tanking will not be in their vocabulary this season. Silver linings, right?