2009-10 Cleveland Cavaliers preview
2008-09 Record: 66-16, first in Central; Lost Eastern Conference finals to Orlando.
Key Additions: G Anthony Parker, F Jamario Moon, F Leon Powe, C Shaquille O’Neal, F Daniel Green, Christian Eyenga
Key Losses: F Joe Smith, F/C Ben Wallace, G/F Sasha Pavlovic, F Tarence Kinsey
WagerWeb.com odds to win Eastern Conference: +120
No one added a “bigger” piece to their team than the Cavs, as they gave up a few spare parts to bring Shaq to Ohio and finally bring the city a championship – and in the process hope to lure LeBron James to stay long term when his contract is up after next season.
If O’Neal stays at the All-Star form he returned to in Phoenix and stays healthy, this team should be the favorite in the East (Cleveland does have the shortest odds on WagerWeb.com).
“I thought it would be great for our team,” James said. “Whenever you can add a presence to your team, you want to do it. I’m happy [O'Neal's] here now. He’s not just another player.”
One concern might be in the backcourt. Mo Williams was great last regular season but struggled in the East Finals big time against the Magic. And Delonte West has some emotional baggage, so unheralded Anthony Parker may start at shooting guard, and Parker really doesn’t scare anyone. But adding Moon and Powe makes the frontcourt incredibly deep – Zydrunas Ilgauskas, a former All-Star, now moves to the bench.
Obviously all things revolve around LeBron, who was incredible in the playoffs but got very little help from Orlando – James averaged 38.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 8.0 assists for the series. This is the crucial year in this franchise’s history. A slow start probably means Coach Mike Brown will be fired, and anything less than a trip to the NBA Finals might have LeBron looking elsewhere next summer. But this team looks better on paper than the one that won an NBA-high 66 games last regular season, amassed the best scoring margin in the league and lost three home games the entire season.
NBA Betting at WagerWeb.com
(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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#1 by Misty Mays on October 21, 2009 - 6:02 pm
Cavs will win it all this year they have big desiel and a team that has now been together 2 yrs and know their team mates much better. Me and my husband are excited about the season.