2012 Cleveland Cavs Preview
After losing top star LeBron James to the Heat, the Cavs ended their year with the worst mark in the Eastern Conference at 19-63. Cleveland set a league record with 26 consecutive defeats in the midst of an 8-45 record. The Cavs certainly used the last year as a rebuilding time and focus on the reconstructing of this roster moving towards the future. First year head coach Byron Scott definitely had a difficult run with the Cavs last season but there is reason for optimism as soon as this year.
Thanks to a mid year deal that sent Mo Williams to the Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland got the Clippers first round pick that wound up being the 1st choice overall. The Cavs did not waste any time selecting talented point guard Kyrie Irving with the first selection and added much needed depth by using their other selection on Longhorn forward Tristan Thompson as the 4th overall selection. These two will be the future building blocks as the team looks ahead, but it could take some time before the two turn this squad around.
Irving will arrive and start immediately and become the center point of the Cavs offense. His success will be judged on not just his ability to put up points but in his ability to generate shots for the rest of the team too. The addition of Irving will move Ramon Sessions into the reserve role, despite playing solid by the end of the year. Sessions put 13.3 points and 5.2 assists last season, but the team is confident that he can be as helpful in a backup role.
Thompson is no doubt skilled enough to start immediately, but at the beginning of the year, Jamison will start at the power forward slot while Thompson will come off the bench. Jamison is aging fast, and though he paced the squad last season in points with 18 points/game, he was a huge weak link on the defensive end.
After playing in only 31 games last season due to health issues, Anderson Varejao will begin the year as the starting Center. Varejao is one of the most passionate basketball players in the NBA and plays with a lot of energy. His play on the defensive side is important and he is also a very solid rebounder. For the Cavs to find success however, he needs to stay on the floor.
The Cavaliers traded away talented power forward J.J. Hickson for small forward Omri Casspi. Casspi is expected to start right away at the small forward position and the team hopes that he can make the next step to being a big time contributor and a full-time starter. Casspi averaged 10.6 points and 4.3 rebounds for the Kings last year.
Anthony Parker will still be the starting SG for the Cavaliers while Daniel Gibson will be the backup 2-guard to provide more of an offensive jump start off the pine.
Prediction – 5th Eastern Conference Central Division: There is no questions in anybody’s mind that this Cavs squad is a much better team compared to last season, but there is just no way of knowing if that improvement will turn into victories. Thus their NBA Finals odds are pretty bleak. Cleveland can certainly jump to as high as third in their division, but the more likely scenario is for the Cavs to struggle early with a rookie running the show and slowly get better as the year progresses.
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