Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 Takeaways From Media Day 2016-17
5. This Is The Best Big Three In The NBA
The best trio in basketball will be looking to improve off their first championship together.
Yes, I did say best.
Many will look at Love, and think he isn’t worthy of that title, but besides the postseason series against the Toronto Raptors, he had a good playoffs. I bashed him all year, along with others, but after “The Stop” against Stephen Curry in the Finals, nothing else should be said.
Just like with James, Lue will be looking to cut back on the minutes of Irving and Love. They both played 30-plus minutes in the playoffs, and will need to be preserved for this upcoming postseason.
I would expect all of them to sit during some games, which would give the bench, and younger players a chance to get experience.
The Cavaliers use a biometrics system that measures the wear-and-tear on a player’s body throughout the season.
The three-color system includes green, which means their body is in great condition. Yellow means it’s starting to wear down and red means the player should sit out.
Lue should still rest players even if their body is in the Green. The last thing the Cavaliers need is a freak injury to happen, and hurt the chances of a repeat.
Irving mentioned how changing his preparation, and finally realizing his role on the team played a part in making him a better player. He stopped trying to prove himself to everybody, and recognized where he fit in within the team.
He credits that to his success and plans to continue to do that coming into the season.
Love talked about how he was in the best shape of his life. He does a yearly training in Park City, Utah known as elevation training. It gets his body ready for that extra push that could be needed in the fourth quarter and possibly overtime.
He also mentioned how he felt different compared to last year coming off the torn labrum. Love wasn’t able to have any physical contact with teammates until October last season, whereas at the minicamp in Santa Barbara, Calif., he was able to do it with no setbacks.
Being healthy was the biggest key for him, and it is for the team as well.
It should be another exciting year for the Cavaliers. They will go through the trials and tribulations of being defending champions. They will get the best from every opponent on a nightly basis, and will combat that.
Besides the Indiana Pacers and Raptors, I don’t see any other team that could press the Cavs for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. I see them winning the East again, and representing the division in the Finals.
With the coaching of Lue, the championship experience, and this trio, I don’t see any reason why they won’t repeat. Here’s to another memorable season.
Next: LeBron James: Top 10 Best Career Performances
ClevelandCavaliers.com was used for a majority of the responses of the players.