Cleveland Cavaliers: They Did It! Now What?

The Cleveland Cavaliers are the 2015-16 NBA Champions! This is the first title for Cleveland since 1964. What will they have to do to repeat?

It has finally happened.

The dark clouds have parted and the “curse” has been lifted.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are NBA champions! They accomplished one of the greatest feats in NBA Finals history by being down 3-1, and coming back to win the series. It was an entire week of celebration for the great city of Cleveland.

Being born and raised in this city, I’ve dealt with all the jokes. I’ve been told I live on the “Mistake on the Lake”, or how none of the teams will ever win a championship.

Even a few days ago, Cavalier fans still get reminded of the few that burned LeBron Jame’s jersey when he made his decision to join the Miami Heat.

It’s unfortunate that two fans that burned a jersey represent millions of Cavaliers fans worldwide, but that just shows the ineptitude of certain people.

It still hasn’t sunk in that the Cavaliers are world champions. I don’t think it will truly hit me until they are presented their rings on opening night in October, and it still might not.

With the season finally over, there are numerous moves that will be potentially made by the team. Most general managers talk about “keeping the core together,” but there is always the one player who wants to pursue greener pastures–which isn’t always the best choice to make.

I think most Cavalier fans can agree that Timofey Mozgov will go elsewhere. He was better suited under former head coach David Blatt and was used sparingly during the postseason. Matthew Dellavedova could also pursue a different team after his struggles throughout the playoffs.

But the biggest question is, what can the Cavaliers do in order to be back-to-back champions?

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Teams such as the Cavaliers don’t have to do too much of an overhaul of the roster. They are built to “win now,” and the biggest feat Griffin would face is upgrading the bench–which he has been fantastic at.

We know that James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson will be back, but who will give them rest or compete with them?

Two players that immediately come to mind, are Hassan Whiteside and Jamal Crawford. I did an article on Crawford back in November before the trade deadline, and how he would fit in, but I will be doing one on Whiteside within the coming weeks.

I believe that Crawford would give the Cavaliers a much needed offensive spark off the bench. During the postseason, the Cavaliers bench got outscored significantly.

Arizona Wildcat alums Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye were the only consistent scorers during some of the games, but they’re both 95 years old! (not really, but close.)

June 19, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Richard Jefferson (24) moves the ball against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) in the first half in game seven of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

Dellavedova failed to have any impact in the postseason. He under-performed so bad, that coach Tyronn Lue brought in little used Mo Williams to take his minutes. Iman Shumpert was a turnover machine, and he looked lost anytime the ball was in his hand.

He showed flashes of his “active hands” on defense that he possessed during the regular season, but he failed to do so consistently during the playoffs. What a difference a year makes.

That leaves James and Dahntay Jones, who played sparingly. It likely isn’t the worst rotation in playoff history, but it didn’t contribute as it should have, and Griffin will definitely upgrade the issues.

Whiteside would obviously be the starter at center. I’m not taking anything away from the performances of Thompson. He was phenomenal on the offensive glass as usual, but at 6-foot-10, his height can be an issue at times against taller centers.

Apr 5, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside (21) reacts during the second half of Tuesday night’s game against the Detroit Pistons at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Robert Duyos-USA TODAY Sports /

When 7-foot Andrew Bogut was in the game, he had trouble scoring inside, and he struggled to crash the offensive glass. In Game 2 of the Finals, Bogut had five blocks–and that really took Thompson out of his game.

Whiteside, who is also 7-foot, would likely take that challenge, and would thrive off of it. He would see Bogut’s five blocks, and raise him seven. He runs well in transition on both ends of the floor, but he has to do it on a consistent basis.

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His 7-foot-7 wingspan alone makes it tough for opposing centers and forwards to matchup with him. He’s even worked on a mid-range jumper that is still a work in progress.

I don’t want to give too much away for my future article on Whiteside, but he could be the missing piece in the middle the Cavaliers still need.

According to FOXsports.com, the NBA salary cap is going to rise to $94 million, which is the highest it has ever been. That will make it tougher for contending teams to get better since every team will believe they have a chance to get help or land a top free agent.

While the idea of Whiteside and Crawford would be great, it will be tough going up against all of the other teams trying to land them. The Cavaliers also have the highest payroll in the NBA at $108,300,458 as Hoopshype.com states.

Griffin will definitely have his work cut out for him, but if any GM can work the salary cap, it’s him.

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July 1 is only two days away, and things will start to get interesting among the NBA. What will the Cavaliers do to better the team? It all will remained to be seen on the road to a title defense.

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