NBA training camps will start soon and Cleveland Cavaliers fans are wondering what to expect in the upcoming season.
The starting lineup is partially set, with Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, and Kevin Love obviously locks.
Anderson Varejao will likely start at center, though a strong showing by Brendan Haywood--or a mid-season trade--could change the equation there. Some lineups could also feature Love as a small-ball center with Shawn Marion in at power forward.
Shooting guard is also a question. Marion could get the start as Dion Waiters comes off the bench, argued Bleacher Report writer Greg Swartz.
“Waiters played mostly as a reserve last season, coming off the bench 46 times to just 24 starts. While the team needed his offense in the starting lineup, the Cavs chose to use Waiters as the sixth man. Why? His type of play never did mesh well with Irving’s. Both are ball-dominant players who didn’t fare well as second fiddle. While some guys’ games would be elevated by playing next to a star point guard, Waiters’ play suffered,” he wrote.
“Waiters doesn’t need a great supporting cast to be an effective player. If anything, quite the opposite is true.
“More of his scoring came via pull-up shots (4.6 points) than catch-and-shoot (3.9 points), via NBA.com. Waiters isn’t a strong off-the-ball guard, something he'd be forced into playing next to Irving, James and Love.
“Coming off the bench would allow Waiters to continue his more natural and effective style of play by keeping the ball in his hands.”
The starting lineup probably won’t be fully set until much closer to the start of the season.
As for Varejao, he told ESPN that he’s ready to get back to action.
“I’m happy for the city of Cleveland,” Varejao said. “I’m happy for myself that we have LeBron back. And I believe we have a pretty good team and we should all be excited for next season.”
And as for a prediction for the Cavs record, another Bleacher Report writer says that they'll likely end up around 62-20.
“A 62-game win season is probably the best-case scenario for the Cleveland Cavaliers. You could revise that estimate downward for any number of very legitimate reasons. Maybe Cleveland gets off to a slow start as it attempts to integrate its new pieces. Maybe an injury or two interrupts an otherwise promising season. And there’s always some risk that this team’s defensive liabilities catch up with it in a big way,” wrote Stephen Babb.
“Much will depend upon how younger contributors like Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson adjust to becoming a supporting cast for LeBron James and Kevin Love. Having spent their earliest years in the league as go-to options, this transition will entail a learning curve—and there’s really no telling how protracted or complex that process will be. Still, there’s far too much star power on this team to expect the worst.”
