2009-2010 Cleveland Cavaliers Preview

2008 Record: 66-16, 1st in Eastern Conf. Central Division, lost in Conf. Finals
Head Coach: Mike Brown, 5th season
Key Additions: F Jamario Moon, C Shaquille O’Neal, G Anthony Parker, F Leon Powe
Key Losses: G-F Aleksandar Pavlovic, C Ben Wallace
1st Round Draft Picks: G-F Christian Eyenga
2nd Round Draft Picks: G Danny Green, F Emir Preldzic

2008-'09 Cavaliers Review:

A 66-16 regular-season record. The top seed in not just the Eastern Conference, but the entire NBA Playoffs. The presence of the league's Most Valuable Player, LeBron James. All those neat distinctions and impressive accomplishments didn't matter much at the end of the day, because the Cleveland Cavaliers did not bring a championship to a city in search of one.

Cleveland is one of the most snake-bitten sports cities in America, so after the Cavs were clipped by the Orlando Magic, four games to two, in the Eastern Conference Finals, it was hard to put a positive spin on a season that should have been better. Had the Cavs at least made the Finals and lost to Kobe Bryant's Lakers, the sting of defeat wouldn't have rippled through a locker room and a city with quite as much effect; however, when Orlando--on the ropes in each of its two prior postseason series--rose up to conquer Cleveland in six showdowns, there was an unmistakable feeling that the No. 1 team in the regular season had fallen far short of its potential. With shooting guard Mo Williams guaranteeing a series win, only to then struggle from the field, it was no wonder that the Cavs and their supporting cast couldn't carry King James to the NBA's throne of glory. It's back to the drawing board for coach Mike Brown and Co.

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2009-'10 Cavaliers Preview:

Will Shaquille O'Neal--after receiving what should be very limited regular-season minutes--be able to contain Dwight Howard and kick butt as a low-post defender/shot-blocker in the postseason?
Will Mo Williams not choke when next year's NBA Playoffs arrive?
Will newly-added Anthony Parker (from Toronto) become the two-way force Mike Brown lacked last year against Orlando and other teams who possessed any degree of length on the wings?

Will Anderson Varejao--after signing an alarmingly lucrative contract--be able to defend at the 4 position against athletic dual-threat scorers who can shoot from distance and operate near the blocks?
Finally, will Leon Powe--wrested from Boston in a difference-making move--tip the balance of power in the East not only by adding to the Cavs' credentials, but by depleting the Celtics' roster of post players?
The answers to these five questions will determine whether the Cavs make the NBA Finals and contest the league championship for the second time in four seasons.

By Matthew Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer

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