It was a disappointing finish to last season for the city of Cleveland and its fans. Just when we thought the title drought in Cleveland might end and LeBron would provide the starved city with a championship, the bad luck continued. Kevin Love was knocked out of the playoffs in the first round - Boston with a shoulder injury, Kyrie Irving suffered a knee injury in overtime of game one of the NBA Finals, and LeBron was left to win with role players. In the end, the Warriors were way too tough of a team and prevailed. But, that was only the first of what we can expect to be many years of success. The Cavaliers have lots of youth and superstar power and it does not look like that will end anytime soon.
Key Additions
The Cavs did not make any huge splashes this offseason other than retaining their own players. Obviously Kevin Love signed a contract extension, LeBron will be back, Iman Shumpert got paid, JR Smith is returning, and sooner or later the Tristan Thompson dilemma will be solved. New players for the Cavs include the return of PG Mo Williams, veteran SF Richard Jefferson, PF Austin Daye, and big man Sash Kaun. All of which are players who will fit in within the team very nicely. The Cavs were very good last year and many would say they did not need to make any additions to win a title, just needed to stay healthy. The only players who won’t be with the Cavs next season who were last are: Shawn Marion (retirement), Brendan Haywood, and Mike Miller (both traded to Portland).
Expectations
Whenever you have LeBron James on a team you expect them to make a title run. If you have LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love along with a good supporting cast of role players, the expectation is to win a championship. That is exactly the feel around Cleveland, fans are expecting an extremely successful season and if they stay healthy a real chance to win the title. The NBA is as strong as it has ever been with incredible stars and talent. The Cavaliers will remain at the top of the list of NBA teams this season.
Bold Prediction
This writer's bold prediction for the upcoming season is that the Cavs will win 60 games. This is not an easy task but they have the talent to do so. Given that they are healthy and there are no serious minute restrictions, the Cavs should dominate teams every night. Cleveland has the star power and athleticism to turn games into blow outs early. The Eastern Conference will be stronger this year with the return of Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, the Miami Heat being healthy and the Bucks offseason moves making them a threat. The regular season will be a breeze for the Cavs and they will head into the playoffs hot with 60 wins.