Best and worst case scenarios for the Cleveland Cavaliers
By Glenn Moore
What are the best and worst case scenarios for the 2014-15 Cleveland Cavaliers?
The Cleveland Cavaliers will open the 2014-15 season as early favorites to win their first NBA championship.
Adding LeBron James and Kevin Love to a core of young players mixed with veterans looks like the perfect recipe for a title on paper. But will it translate into wins on the court?
The team will be showcased nationally all season and every other team in the NBA will look to take down the new “Big 3”.
Best Case Scenarios:
LeBron James is not team MVP
Make no question about it, James it the best basketball player in the world. Adding him to any team would instantly make that franchise a contender. But being the best player does not automatically make you the most valuable to your team.
If Love steps up and plays like the teams’ most valuable player, the Cavs will be in good shape. During James’ first run with the Cavs, one of the biggest problems was relying on him to do everything. From being a young leader to always having to take over a game, the load was too big for James to carry.
Enter Love. He can rebound, score, shoot from the outside and his passing game is one of the best when it comes to NBA big men. Having the proven superstar to help James with scoring and rebounding will help the Cavaliers as a whole, but also let James focus on other things.
You add a young Kyrie Irving to the mix, and you have two legit players that can take over a game to go with James. Something he didn’t have during his first tenure in Cleveland.
Kyrie Irving matures at point guard position
In one month, Irving went from being the best player on the Cavaliers to the third after James and Love came to Cleveland. Which isn’t a bad thing. It may be the best thing that has happened to the young guard from Duke.
Irving had to carry some bad Cavalier teams the past couple years. From being the only option on offense to having to spark a comeback, Irving did it all. And at times, frustration set in.
With James and Love, Irving doesn’t have to worry about being a leader. He can go out and play. His numbers will take a small dive with James and Love, but that shouldn’t discourage fans or Irving himself. He will have games where he’s the main focus and take over late in contests.
Irving will also benefit from James needing attention from defenses and if he is able to knock down the three-point shot, he becomes even more deadly.
Development of Tristan Thompson
Many forget Thompson is still a young project. This would be his first year in the NBA if he would have stayed all four-years in college. He’s still a raw talent.
Yet, he has started every game for the Cavaliers the past two seasons. He’s had many ups and downs, but you can contribute that to two different coaches during Thompson’s time in Cleveland. He even tried switching his shooting hand.
Thompson wants the big money and knows he has to play well to earn it. But will he be able to showcase enough coming off the bench and occasionally getting a start?
Coming off the bench suits Thompson well. He can play 25-30 minutes a game and still average almost a double-double. With the array of shooters on the floor, Thompson won’t be called upon much to score down-low. His points will come off putbacks and passes around the rim.
One aspect of Thompson’s game that he will need to improve is shot blocking. His defense will come in handy if he can guard down low and in space. Also, giving Anderson Varejao some rest and provide productive minutes will be key to Thompson’s development.
Worst Case Scenarios:
Can’t stay healthy
James’ back and Irving’s ankle are two small injuries that are being nursed so far this preseason. No big deal, but if injuries linger to the key players on the Cavs, it could derail a possible championship run.
Having the luxury of a “Big 3” is that you don’t have to rely on one certain player every night. There’s even been talk about resting players at certain points in the season to keep them fresh for the postseason.
Irving has had injury problems in the past. If those ghosts come back and haunt the young guard, Dion Waiters will have to step up.
James will battle through bumps and bruises to play. He’s that driven and motivated to stay on the court to help his team win.
Chemistry takes longer than expected
The keyword to the Cavs’ campaign is chemistry. Can James, Love and Irving gel with a mixture of veterans and youngsters?
While there may be problems at first early in the season, this team is just too good to let chemistry issues lose ballgames.
New head coach David Blatt’s offensive scheme will take some adjusting for James and his teammates, but may come easier than some think. James has taken the time to learn and even teach the offense to others on the team early in training camp.
James went through the transition of being one of three superstars on the same team and sharing the load. He learned from his time in Miami and that will be the main reason why chemistry shouldn’t be an issue.
But if it does continue to be an issue later in the season, frustration will set in. And it will become the first true test for the early NBA championship favorites.
It will be very important for the Cavaliers to set the tone for the rest of the NBA and put to bed the possible issues surrounding the franchise. James is older and more mature than he was during his first run with the Cavs. He has a strong, young supporting cast.
He returns with two rings and experience to share with Love, Irving and the rest of the team. Everything will go the Cavs’ way if they don’t shoot themselves in the foot.
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