<div align="center"></div> <u><font color="#B94056">Recap</font></u> Last season should be deemed a success for the Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron James finally put to bed accusations that he was not ‘clutch’ by hitting game-winners and making key moves in the crunch time. They made the playoffs as the fourth seed and set out to play a thrilling series with the Washington Wizards. In LeBron’s first playoff game, he surprised all as he had a triple double, with 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. By winning this series 4-2, they set up a memorable matchup with the Detroit Pistons. The Cavs were down 2-0 after two games, but rallied back to win the next three and leave the Pistons in a ‘Win or Go Home’ situation. Unfortunately, the Pistons won, twice, and the Cavs went home. Nevertheless, they had exceeded expectations and look to have a serious chance of going all the way this season. <u><font color="#B94056">Improving the Roster</font></u> As has been publicised, the Cavs have really not made any fantastic moves in the offseason, merely trying to keep the current squad together (although Ronald ‘Flip’ Murray has moved to Detroit). In addition, they made two great draft picks, bringing in Shannon Brown and Daniel Gibson, along with the as-yet (and probably forever) unsigned draft pick Ejike Ugboaja. Finally, they have signed veterans David Wesley, Scot Pollard, traded Luke Jackson for Dwayne Jones, extended LeBron James’ contract and exercised their option on Mike Brown’s contract. <u><font color="#B94056">All Transactions</font></u> • October 14 - Acquired forward-center Dwayne Jones from the Boston Celtics for guard-forward Luke Jackson and cash. • October 11 - Waived guard Eddie Basden. • September 11 - Re-signed forward Drew Gooden to a multi-year contract extension. • September 8 – Philadelphia 76ers sign Alan Henderson. • September 5 - Signed guard David Wesley. • August 19 - Signed forward-center Scot Pollard. • August 18 – Traded Martynas Andriuskevicius for Eddie Basden. • July 18 – Detroit Pistons signed Ronald ‘Flip’ Murray. • July 13 - Reached agreement with forward LeBron James on a three-year contract extension with a player option for the 2010-11 season. • July 8 - Signed guard Shannon Brown, their first-round draft pick, and guard Daniel Gibson. . • May 25 - Exercised the 2008-09 option for Coach Mike Brown. <u><font color="#B94056">Breakdown of Transactions</font></u> May 25 – Mike Brown showed the League that he had great potential as a coach in the NBA. His relationship with the players appears to be good, so this move allows for continuity to be an attribute of the Cavaliers, one which has not been for quite some time. July 8 – Shannon Brown and Daniel Gibson both show great promise for the future. I expect them not to see too much floor time, however, as the Cavs go for gold this season. July 13 – A complete no-brainer; the Cavs had to offer LeBron the extension and, thankfully, he accepted. Therefore, we should be seeing LeBron as a Cavalier for the next few years at least. July 18 – This was really always going to happen; Murray had been playing so well for the Cavs in the months when Hughes was out. In conjunction with it being a contract year, the demands of Murray were always going to be too high for the Cavs to agree with. August 18 – Really a trade with no effect whatsoever, getting rid of Martynas and acquiring Basden; later to be released. To be honest, it was a weak move as Martynas has some potential that could lead to him evolving into a decent player. Conversely, Based has little potential, as is evident by his release. August 19 – Scot Pollard is a hustler on the basketball court. Together with the likes of Anderson Varejao and Ira Newble, we have some bench players who can play for short periods of time providing short bursts all over the court. September 5 – David Wesley is a seasoned veteran of the NBA, and will be able to help the Cavs all over the court. He is an interesting acquisition and should provide cover for the guard spot, and help mentor the two young rookies, Shannon Brown and Daniel Gibson. September 8 – really a move that should not affect the Cavaliers too much as Henderson did not see too much time last season anyway. He helped whilst he played, but is easily replaced. September 11 – The ongoing saga of Drew Gooden’s contract was finally brought to an end on this day. They managed to sign him to a three-year $23million deal, enabling yet more continuity amongst the ranks. Gooden’s phenomenal rebounding ability, mixed with aggression and passion makes him a superb player at the heart of the Cavaliers. October 11 – Again a no-brainer as the Cavaliers had too many players on their roster. Somebody had to be released and it was Eddie Basden. October 14 – A decent move as the Cavaliers already have easily enough swingmen on their roster. They opted to reinforce their frontcourt in a good move to acquire Dwayne Jones for Luke Jackson and cash. <u><font color="#B94056">The Roster</font></u> C Zydrunas Ilgauskas PF Drew Gooden SF LeBron James SG Larry Hughes PG Eric Snow 6 Donyell Marshall 7 Anderson Varejao 8 David Wesley 9 Shannon Brown 10 Scot Pollard 11 Damon Jones 12 Daniel Gibson IR1/NBADL Ira Newble IR2/NBADL Aleksandar Pavlovic IR3/NBADL Dwayne Jones <u><font color="#B94056"> Starters</font></u> Zydrunas Ilgauskas <font color="#A48B6D">Last Season’s Stats</font> - 78 Games (78 Started), 29.3mpg, 15.6ppg, 7.6rpg, 1.2apg, 1.7bpg, 0.5spg. <font color="#B94056">My Predicted Stats</font> – 70 Games (70 Starts), 25mpg, 15.0ppg, 7.4rpg, 1.0apg, 1.6bpg, 0.3spg. Ilgauskas is a very capable player, but I could see him missing some time this season due to potential injuries. However, with his clever play, his stats will remain relatively similar and I feel that he is one of the main keys to the success of the Cavaliers. His Free Throw and Mid Range shooting are invaluable to the team. Expect to see him sinking key shots, setting up screens and making open jump shots. Drew Gooden <font color="#A48B6D">Last Season’s Stats</font> - 79 Games (79 Started), 27.5mpg, 10.7ppg, 8.4rpg, 0.7apg, 0.62bpg, 0.66spg. <font color="#B94056">My Predicted Stats</font> – 80 Games (80 Starts), 26mpg, 10.4ppg, 8.5rpg, 0.5apg, 0.6bpg, 0.6spg. Gooden is a ferocious rebounder who can come up with key plays and rebounds in order to gain victories for the team. He plays with aggression and passion and is another key for the Cavs. He, too, has decent Free Throw and Mid Range percentages. LeBron James <font color="#A48B6D">Last Season’s Stats</font> - 79 Games (79 Started), 42.5mpg, 31.4ppg, 7.0rpg, 6.6apg, 0.84bpg, 1.56spg. <font color="#B94056">My Predicted Stats</font> – 82 Games (82 Starts), 43mpg, 32.5ppg, 7.3rpg, 7.1apg, 0.9bpg, 1.73spg. That’s right, I’m predicting a 32-7-7 season, which would put him in this category with just one other player: Michael Jordan. This past season put him with Jordan, The Big O (Oscar Robertson) and Jerry West. I believe, however, there is more to come from the King. He has so much potential and will only get better with age. Expect another huge year from him. Larry Hughes <font color="#A48B6D">Last Season’s Stats</font> - 36 Games (31 Started), 35.6mpg, 15.5ppg, 4.5rpg, 3.6apg, 0.58bpg, 1.47spg. <font color="#B94056">My Predicted Stats</font> – 63 Games (59 Starts), 35mpg, 16.3ppg, 4.3rpg, 3.3apg, 0.5bpg, 1.72spg. The biggest question mark of the Cavaliers; can Larry Hughes stay healthy? If so, the Cavs have a real shot at anything they want. If not, LeBron has to come up huge. I predict that he will play more than last season, but not as much as we would like. Nevertheless, I feel that he will play better this season, hence the predicted stats. Eric Snow <font color="#A48B6D">Last Season’s Stats</font> - 82 Games (82 Started), 28.7mpg, 4.8ppg, 2.4rpg, 4.2apg, 0.23bpg, 0.93spg. <font color="#B94056">My Predicted Stats</font> – 82 Games (82 Starts), 26mpg, 3.9ppg, 2.2rpg, 4.1apg, 0.1bpg, 0.8spg. Eric Snow has more to give than many give him credit for. Statistics don’t show how many points you hold the player you’re guarding to. Statistics don’t show how difficult you make it for the opposition to get into their rhythm. Statistics don’t show what Eric Snow is all about. So, whilst he won’t compile the stats, he is a vital part to the team, and could be the member who makes it all happen for them. <u><font color="#B94056">Projected Stats for Bench Players</font></u> Donyell Marshall <font color="#A48B6D">Last Season’s Stats</font> - 81 Games (0 Started), 25.6mpg, 9.3ppg, 6.1rpg, 0.7apg, 0.51bpg, 0.73spg. <font color="#B94056">My Predicted Stats</font> – 75 Games (2 Starts), 20.1mpg, 8.2ppg, 5.5rpg, 0.5apg, 0.3bpg, 0.5spg. Marshall also averaged 10.5ppg in 27.0mpg in 6 games against the Washington Wizards in the Playoffs. He is a vital member of the team, making an impact from the bench. Nevertheless, his 3 point shooting was not up to his very high standard. If he can rectify this, he could get more points than you might think. Anderson Varejao <font color="#A48B6D">Last Season’s Stats</font> – 48 Games (4 started), 15.9mpg, 4.6ppg, 4.9rpg, 0.40bpg, 0.65spg. <font color="#B94056">My Predicted Stats</font> – 71 Games (10 Starts), 22mpg, 7.8ppg, 5.5rpg, 0.5bpg, 0.7spg Varejao also averaged 9.3ppg in 20.3mpg in 7 games against Detroit Pistons in the Playoffs. I see ‘Wild Thing’ being an important factor for the Cavs in the coming seasons. He is an up and coming player who the Cavs should try to keep hold of. If he can live up to his potential, he could be a great player in this League, and hopefully for this team. David Wesley <font color="#A48B6D">Last Season’s Stats</font> - 71 Games (59 Started), 33.5mpg, 9.9ppg, 2.5rpg, 2.9apg, 0.08bpg, 0.83spg. <font color="#B94056">My Predicted Stats</font> – 65 Games (18 Starts), 21mpg, 5ppg, 2.1rpg, 2.5apg, 0.02bpg, 0.7spg. Wesley has a lot to offer in terms of experience, and this will be used as cover for Larry Hughes if, though probably when, he is injured. He should do fine in this games and, whilst he is nothing special, he should be a solid player this season. Shannon Brown <font color="#A48B6D">Last Season’s Stats</font> - 34 Games, 35.2mpg, 17.2ppg, 4.4rpg, 2.7apg, 0.1bpg, 1.5spg as a Sophomore in College (Michigan State) <font color="#B94056">My Predicted Stats</font> – 59 Games (2 Starts), 8.4mpg, 3.2ppg, 2.7rpg, 2.1apg, 0.03bpg, 0.7spg. Shannon is an exciting player for the Cavaliers. If he manages to blossom quickly, look for him to be raised in the pecking order and to get more like 15mpg during certain spells. Nevertheless, I expect him to be keeping the bench warm for most of the year with little playing time. With the mentoring of Wesley, Snow, Jones, LeBron and the rest, we could see Shannon improve sooner rather than later. Scot Pollard <font color="#A48B6D">Last Season’s Stats</font> - 45 Games (32 Started), 17.2mpg, 3.8ppg, 4.8rpg, 0.5apg, 0.44bpg, 0.82spg. <font color="#B94056">My Predicted Stats</font> – 65 Games (2 Starts), 11.7mpg, 2.1ppg, 3.4rpg, 0.2apg, 0.3bpg, 0.6spg. As I have previously mentioned, Pollard is a hustler on the court. This means he should get floor time, but will not give the statisticians too much to work with. Nevertheless, he will be an important part of the Cavs, with intensity being his key attribute. Damon Jones <font color="#A48B6D">Last Season’s Stats</font> - 82 Games (7 Started), 25.5mpg, 6.7ppg, 1.6rpg, 2.1apg, 0.01bpg, 0.45spg. <font color="#B94056">My Predicted Stats</font> – 82 Games (3 Starts), 16mpg, 4.2ppg, 1.1rpg, 1.6apg, 0bpg, 0.3spg. Damon also played in all playoff games (though just 4.2 mpg v Wizards). Hit game-winner and series-clincher buzzer beater in Wizards Game 6. If Damon’s shooting can be consistent this year, then he may see more time and more points. However, if it is as erratic as this season, then he may be seated a lot more. He is a player who is well-liked and interesting to watch. He could be an X-Factor for the Cavs down the stretch. Daniel Gibson <font color="#A48B6D">Last Season’s Stats</font> - 37 Games, 33.2mpg, 13.4ppg, 3.6rpg, 3.1apg, 0.3bpg, 1.3spg as a Freshman in College (Texas) <font color="#B94056">My Predicted Stats</font> – 40 Games (0 Starts), 4.1mpg, 1.6ppg, 0.8rpg, 1.9apg, 0.1bpg, 0.5spg. Gibson has good potential on both sides of the floor. However, with a very deep backcourt with Larry Hughes, Eric Snow, David Wesley, Shannon Brown and Damon Jones all seeing the court before him, Gibson’s chances will be limited. However, if there is a trade or two involving his seniors, he could be in line to receive more opportunites. Ira Newble <font color="#A48B6D">Last Season’s Stats</font> - 36 Games (3 Started), 9.9mpg, 1.3ppg, 1.6rpg, 0.3apg, 0.28bpg, 0.14spg. <font color="#B94056">My Predicted Stats</font> – 21 Games (0 Starts), 3.9mpg, 0.9ppg, 0.9rpg, 0.1apg, 0.1bpg, 0.1spg. As much as I like the intensity of Ira’s game, I just can’t see him gaining as much playing time as he may wish to. He is a clever, tough player, but possibly not skilled enough to get much playing time. Aleksandar Pavlovic <font color="#A48B6D">Last Season’s Stats</font> - 53 Games (19 Started), 15.3mpg, 4.5ppg, 1.5rpg, 0.5apg, 0.11bpg, 0.36spg. <font color="#B94056">My Predicted Stats</font> – 22 Games (0 Starts) 1mpg, 0.2ppg, 0.1rpg, 0.1apg, 0.01bpg, 0.04spg. Despite Aleksandar ‘Sasha’ Pavlovic being a decent player, I can’t really see him being played much more than this. Perhaps, he could be played ahead of Ira Newble, but Ira provides more defensive cover than Sasha. Another distinct possibility is that either Ira or Sasha is traded away before too long. Dwayne Jones <font color="#A48B6D">Last Season’s Stats</font> - 14 Games (0 Started), 6.4mpg, 1.0ppg, 2.2rpg, 0.1apg, 0.21bpg, 0.07spg. <font color="#B94056">My Predicted Stats</font> – 10 Games (0 Starts), 5mpg, 0.7ppg, 1.7rpg, 0.1apg, 0.17bpg, 0.02spg. Dwayne has decent potential but it definitely won’t be shown here; there are just too many quality players ahead of him on the roster. Perhaps it won’t even happen for the Cavs. <u><font color="#B94056">Grades</font></u> Offense – A+: An offense featuring LeBron James, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Larry Hughes and Donyell Marshall is top quality. Any one of these players can take over a game if they hit a hot streak. Expect LeBron to be on a ‘hot streak’ almost every game of the season. I see the team averaging somewhere in the region of 99ppg. Defense – B+: The young Cavaliers are always improving their defense. It is a vastly underrated, as they concede 95.35ppg, 10th in the League. This should be even better this year thanks to acquisitions and training. Hopefully, they can reduce this figure to something more in the region of 92ppg. With this, they will be a team to be reckoned with this coming season. Off-Season – C: There were no major transactions, but most of the transactions were good for the team. No stars were brought in, but veteran leaders and good role players were, reinforcing the already strong Cavaliers. Also, two good draft picks provide yet more hope for the future of this team. Overall – A-: <u><font color="#B94056">Team Awards</font></u> These are my provisional awards for the Cleveland Cavaliers: MVP: LeBron James DPoY: LeBron James or Zydrunas Ilgauskas MIP: Anderson Varejao Rookie: Shannon Brown Benchy otY: Donyell Marshall <u><font color="#B94056">Predictions</font></u> <font color="#A48B6D">Record</font> – 54-28 <font color="#A48B6D">Playoff Seed</font> – 2 <font color="#A48B6D">How Far Will They Go</font> – Eastern Conference Finalists, lose to Miami Heat In addition, I see LeBron James being a top candidate for MVP and, probably winning the award. <u><font color="#B94056">Closing Statement</font></u> The Cavaliers look strong this season, and will only be getting stronger. They may well trade away a point guard and/or a swingman for a forward or draft picks. This would only strengthen the team as there are some decent players who will spend too much time on the bench due to too many players being ahead of them. Getting rid of one of these veterans ahead will provide the youngster with more playing time and another big man to give the team more size. With the calibre of current players, I can definitely see them making the Eastern Conference Finals and taking the Miami Heat to the wire. This could be an epic battle, turning into an epic rivalry down the years. I’m looking forward to this season, to see what the King, and his foot-soldiers, have up their sleeves.
Awesome preview chingy0007! The Cavs need to build on last year's success and it's possible if their key players stay healthy. Last year, they didn't have a chance to use their major offseason acquisition, Larry Hughes. He's the type of player who could impact the win / loss total by 4 to 5 games. Those 4 to 5 games could mean the difference between 1st round homecourt advantage, or falling to a 6th seed in the East. The Cavs play in one of the toughest divisions, with all 5 teams in the Central capable of making the post season. LeBron James should have another MVP-caliber season, and the Cavs should also see more production from Varejao. I love the upside of Shannon Brown, and he could emerge as the 'untraditional' PG for this team. With Hughes and LeBron handling the ball, SB3 could focus on defense and playing off of LeBron or Hughes on offense. He's one of the best finishers on the break, and can hit from the perimeter when defenses double.
http://www.nba.com/playerfile/larry_hughes/career_stats.html Those are Hughes' career stats (year by year). He appears to have a bit of a rotation going on in his career. 98-99: 50 games 99-00: 82 games 00-01: 50 games 01-02: 73 games 02-03: 67 games 03-04: 61 games 04-05: 61 games 05-06: 36 games I think we're due a 70+ game season from him this year. If so, we stand more chance than most will expect.
Yeah great preview, it would be great if hughes could at least play the 63 games your predicting. Although correct me if im wrong didn't The big O also have a 30ppg 7 and 7 season besides jordan?
great preview.....I'm expecting Miami or Cleveland to make it out of the east this year..........God I can't wait for the regular season!!!!
<div class="quote_poster">Brasco Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Yeah great preview, it would be great if hughes could at least play the 63 games your predicting. Although correct me if im wrong didn't The big O also have a 30ppg 7 and 7 season besides jordan?</div> You're correct, the Big O did have a 30-7-7 (in fact like a 30-12-11), but I said LeBron would get 32-7-7 and the Big O never managed to average 32 points (a mere 31.4-9.9-11.0, lol). If he had scored 48 more point, then he'd have had a 32-7-7 (+) season. I'm looking forward to the season so much as well, the offseason and preseason gets no media coverage in England. Even the refular season doesn't get that much. Just 2 games a week plus NBA Action for us, unless the TV companies decide they want more, like the NFL (4 per week).
Amazing thread ! Great Job. I still think that Hughes will make a better season than you wrote here. And if LeBron really makes a 32-7-7 season he will be the MVP for sure. And those stats are really possible. Big props for the thread again.
