2015-16 NBA Season Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers
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Cleveland Cavaliers
2014-15
| Record | Central | East | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53-29 | 1st | 2nd | Lost in Finals to GSW (4-2) |
Offseason Roundup
| Additions | Departures |
|---|---|
| Mo Williams (2/$4M) | Mike Miller (traded to POR) |
| Sasha Kaun | Brendan Haywood (traded to POR) |
- Re-signed LeBron James (2/$45M)
- Re-signed Kevin Love (5/$110M)
- Re-signed Iman Shumpert (4/$40M)
- Re-signed J.R. Smith (2/$10M)
- Re-signed Matthew Dellavedova (1/$1.2M)
- Re-signed James Jones (1/$1.5M)
Projected Starting 5
- PG Kyrie Irving
- SG Iman Shumpert
- SF LeBron James
- PF Kevin Love
- C Timofey Mozgov
MVP: LeBron James
This one requires no explanation. James is clearly the most important player for the Cavaliers. He's coming off a Finals performance where he averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game.
The more interesting question concerns James' chances at winning the Maurice Podoloff Trophy. After winning four trophies between 2009-13, James has been shut out in each of the last two seasons.
James is widely recognized as the best player alive, but stellar seasons by Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry have bested him. James' near triple-double statline will always keep him in the mix, but he'll need something more to cement his MVP case.
A shiny win total should do the trick. After a blundering start to the season, the Cavaliers closed the year on a 34-9 tear while outscoring teams by an average of 8.8 points per game. That win percentage prorates to a 64-win season.
Would 64 wins, along with his standard offering of 27 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists be enough for James to secure his fifth MVP award? Or will Curry or Durant best James yet again?
Breakout Player: Kevin Love
Last season, Love came nowhere close to replicating the All-NBA form that he showed in his years with Minnesota. Love's numbers dropped across the board as he struggled to find his place in the Cavaliers' stacked pecking order.
| Statistic | 2013-14 | 2014-15 |
|---|---|---|
| PPG | 26.1 | 16.4 |
| RPG | 12.5 | 9.7 |
| APG | 4.4 | 2.2 |
| TS% | 59.1 | 56.2 |
| USG | 28.8 | 21.7 |
| PER | 26.9 | 18.8 |
Despite his struggles, Love and the Cavaliers opted for a five-year pact this offseason. Love says that an "honest" heart-to-heart with James helped him make his decision.
Love will have an early opportunity to acclimate himself. With Irving set to miss the start of the season while rehabilitating his fractured kneecap, Love will firmly slot in as the second option in Cleveland.
With a new contract, more touches, more playing time, and a greater familiarity within the Cavs' offense, expect Love to post a bounceback season.
Season Expectations
If the Cavaliers managed to take a 2-1 lead in the Finals without Irving and Love, what could a healthy Cavs squad accomplish?
It's championship or bust for the Cavaliers. It always is for James, who has appeared in five-straight Finals. Expect James to extend his streak to six, as the East remains light on top-flight competition. The Chicago Bulls mostly stood pat, the Atlanta Hawks downgraded on the wing, and the Washington Wizards shed Paul Pierce.
It's almost a virtual certainty that the Cavaliers will waltz into the Finals for a second-straight season.
The challenge for Cleveland will be to remain healthy. Love and Irving are both somewhat injury prone and the Cavaliers will need to be at full-strength to defeat whatever superpower that emerges from the West.
Keeping James and Irving to minute restrictions is a step in the right direction. Nothing truly matters for the Cavaliers until the Finals, and nothing short of a title will suffice for the long-suffering city of Cleveland.