Finally the basketball season is almost here. Opening night for the NBA season starts Monday. The Cleveland Cavailers are expected to make some noise in the Eastern Conference this year and finish second behind the Bulls in the Central. Lead by Lebron James this team will be in good position to make a repeat appearance in the postseason. The lineup hasn't changed much from last season except for the departure of Flip Murray, who went to the Pistons. The Cavs picked up David Wesley, a good veteran outside shooter. Other than that they retained most of last year's unit.
The competition is well balanced in the Central division now that Ben Wallace is with the Bulls. First place will be attained most likely by the best defensive team. The Cavailers finished last season over 10 games above .500 and avoided a second half collapse. They went on to beat the Wizards in the first round of the playoffs then lost to Detroit after tying the series at 3. Both Drew Gooden and Lebron James signed contract extensions. If all goes well Larry Hughes will play a full season and add another scoring weapon in the back court.
With Lebron averaging just under 32.0 ppg in 05-06 I like Cleveland's chances if everyone can stay healthy. I have a feeling the franchise records Lebron shattered a year ago will be nothing compared to what he does in the upcoming season. The loss of Flip Murray will hurt a little so it may be necessary for Cleveland to acquire another ball handler and scorer to come off the bench. Many believe Coach Mike Brown gave this franchise direction, but everyone knows that Lebron James will make them a contender. A championship may not be far off in the balance.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment