Cavs Getting Bigger and Better This Off-Season
After leading the NBA in wins during the regular season in 2008-09, the Cleveland Cavaliers were bounced in the Eastern Conference Finals by a bigger and better Orlando Magic team. This season, GM Danny Ferry decided to jump on the bandwagon, acquring C Shaquille O’Neal, and signing hybrids, which are players that can either play SG or SF, in Jamario Moon, Anthony Parker and Leon Powe.
All four players were acquired for basically nothing as Cleveland is building a quality “team” around LeBron James, who is eligible for free agency following next season. With the chance to sign James this off-season, the Akron native decided to wait it out until after next year, a move that can either be good or bad for the Cavaliers.
If James had signed this summer, all contract and free agency negotiations would have been put to the side and James would have been able to focus on his team and the common goal, the NBA championship. If James is planning on bolting for New York after this season, that would be horrific for Cleveland as the team doesn’t have any other big time scoring threats. The plan most Cavs fans want to believe is that James is just stalling and ultimately focused on winning the title this season with a much improved team.
Cleveland is one of the youngest teams in the league, as the top teams in the East with Boston and Orlando are a little older and the Cavs have improved the most this off-season. With the Lakers still controlling the West, Cleveland must take care of business in their own conference with the new and improved lineup they look to feature. With Parker and Delonte West battling for the SG spot, the bench is very deep with Moon, Powe, who wont be able to play until February, Daniel Gibson, Zydrunas Ilgauskus, Terrence Kinsey and either West or Parker coming off the bench.
Everyone except James struggled against Orlando in the ECF which triggered Ferry’s moves. Boston only got older this off-season, signing PF Rasheed Wallace. Orlando lost key parts to last season’s run to the finals, losing SF Hedo Turkoglu, PG Rafer Alston and SG Courtney Lee and only adding the 35 year old Vince Carter. With a relative shakeup in the conference, the Cavs are the favorite this season to make a run and give LeBron and the Cavalier franchise their first championship.
