The forming of the latest super team by the Cleveland Cavaliers this summer has everyone buzzing and with good reason.
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According to Bovada, the Cavaliers are a 2.5/1 favorite to win the 2014-15 championship, ahead of the defending champion Spurs. One can argue the Cavaliers have three franchise players, with the 22-year old
Kyrie Irvingbeing the lone question mark.
Irving did remind people of what he’s capable of after an impressive showing at the FIBA World Cup, where he scored 26 points on 10-of-13 shooting and dominated in the gold medal game against Serbia.
The Cavaliers have several weakness though that could potentially hold them back from reaching the promise land, contrary to what Vegas is predicting. Perhaps championship or bust shouldn’t be their mantra this year, regardless of what LeBron James says this season.
Chemistry
Apart from the Cavaliers’ big three, they have a completely revamped roster and there will be some growing pains. The Miami Heat went 9-8 in their first 17 games but ended ended up with a 58-24 record before collapsing in the Finals against the Dallas Mavericks.
Lack of Playoff Experience
Neither Kevin Love nor Kyrie Irving have played in a playoff game in their careers. The Cavaliers did bring veterans like Shawn Marion and Mike Miller to help mitigate their lack of postseason and championship experience but it may not be enough, as they’re entering the twilight of their careers.
Injury Prone Superstars
Irving is cognizant of his injury-prone reputation and has made a conscious effort to play more games, even though injuries aren’t fully in anyone’s control. Going back to his days at Duke where he couldn’t play 10 games and to the NBA where he’s missed an average of 16 games a season, he hasn’t been able to stay healthy during the course of a season.
Although Love did miss only five games last season, he missed even more games due to injury over his career than Irving, missing an average of 19 games through his first six years.
Missing either Love or Irving in the postseason could severely cripple the Cavaliers against a team like the Chicago Bulls.
Chicago Bulls
This Bulls team that’s been constructed is built to win now. With Derrick Rose’s health possibly being a long-term issue and Pau Gasol in his mid-30s, Tom Thibodeau and the Bulls can’t have another season or two of disappointment with the Cavaliers being contenders for years to come.
The Bulls have two dominant rim protectors who protect the rim at a 40-45 percent clip and the Cavs don’t have anyone in their frontcourt that can defend the rim at this level.
The Bulls do have some chemistry and health issues of their own to sort out, but one area they will not falter is defensively.
Offense Doesn’t Win Championships
The Cavs won’t struggle offensively with three players possibly scoring 20 or more points a game this season. Per Basketball Reference, the trio is projected to score 72 points a game and will put on one of the best shows ever seen in the history of the league.
Love and Irving are widely known as being defensive turnstiles and they need to make a conscious effort to improve despite their offensive skills as a team.
Very Deep Western Conference
The West is full of formidable teams with four to six legitimate contenders. A couple of these teams have aging superstars with very deep teams and even young teams like the Thunder have a championship or bust mentality this season. Fifty wins may not be enough to make the playoffs, which means Western Conference teams will have a greater sense of urgency from the start and be used to playing at a higher level.
The Cavaliers, like all other teams, have issues heading into the season and it will be interesting to see how the season unfolds.