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Philippines, 17 May 2024 |
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NBA -- Do the Cavs have enough to win it all? By Ben Franklin PhilBoxing.com Wed, 22 Oct 2014  INDIANAPOLIS --- The biggest story coming into the 2014-15 NBA season is definitely LeBron James? return to Cleveland, which coupled by the arrival of Kevin Love via trade from Minnesota, has many thinking championship for the Cavaliers. Naturally, any team with James in its lineup is automatically considered a threat, but with two legitimate All-Stars beside him just as he did in his tenure in South Beach, can the Cavaliers make a similar run the Miami Heat did in the last four years? The Cavs are going with ?All for one; One for all? for their slogan this season, an obvious reference to their own version of The Three Musketeers in James, Love and Kyrie Irving. But as talented as their newly-formed triumvirate is, there are a lot of questions and holes with the supporting cast that make me wonder where they have enough behind their ?Big Three? to go all the way, or even get out of the much competitive East this season. Add the oft-injured Anderson Varejao and the mercurial and trigger-happy Deion Waiters and you got the Cavaliers? projected starting lineup. In his prime, Varejao would?ve been a great workhorse combo for Love in the paint, but at this stage of his career, the Cavs would be fortunate to get 50 games from him this season with his history of ankle, knee and shoulder injuries. Varejao has played an average of 36 games a year in the last four seasons. Waiters, on the other hand, can either blossom this year or simply lose his value. He?s the Cavs? version of J.R. Smith, a player who can either light it up or be a total distraction and hurt the team with his propensity to look for his own shots. His effort on the defensive end leaves much to be desired as well. As far as old Cavs teammates go for James, I see a little bit of Ricky Davis in Waiters, which didn?t really work out at the time. It?ll be interesting to see how Waiters handles his new role with the Cavs this year and how new head coach David Blatt utilizes him. Looking at their depth chart, you got fourth-year forward/center Tristan Thompson, veterans Shawn Marion, Mike Miller, Brendan Haywood and James Jones and Australian backup point guard Matthew Dellavedova rounding up the rotation. On paper, this unit surely won?t strike fear on opposing teams, and it?s hard to picture how it?ll hold up in a deep playoff run. Against the Indiana Pacers in their preseason game earlier this week, I witnessed how the Cavaliers? bench were manhandled in the paint and allowed the Pacers? bench to come back from a 20-point lead in the third quarter. Other than Thompson, the Cavs don?t have much to throw in the paint in the event that Love gets into foul trouble or if Varejao goes down with an injury. I can see how teams with solid frontcourts like the Bulls and Wizards can wear down and have their way with them in the playoffs. It?s still preseason though, and things are bound to change. If anything, James? leadership and Blatt?s abilities as a coach will truly be put to the test if these Cavs do intend to go deep in the playoffs. It?s for good reason why James has pumped his breaks as opposed to vowing he would win ?not one, not two, not three, not four, not five?.? rings as he did when he initially joined the Heat, this Cavs team has their work cut out for them. Irving and Love haven?t even won a playoff series yet in their entire career, and with the combination of inexperience and fragility, I?m not all too confident with this supporting cast myself to even declare this current team as a favorite to win the title. Photo: The Cavs Big 3 (L to R) of Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and LeBron James. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ben Franklin.  |
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