Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 bold predictions for 2017-18 NBA season

1. LeBron James captures his fifth NBA MVP award

Last season was the fourth straight season James finished in the top four of NBA MVP voting, but he hasn’t take home the award since 2013.

In looking ahead to next season, a couple of transactions over the offseason could mean that the ball is very much back in James’ court to bring home that elusive fifth MVP award.

Last season’s winner, Russell Westbrook, welcomed All-Star forward Paul George via trade. Having compiled a 47-35 record, the Oklahoma City Thunder were well aware that they needed an additional star along Westbrook to truly compete in the Western Conference. So with George in the picture, it’s difficult to envisage Westbrook repeating his historical season in which he averaged a triple-double, just the second time that’s happened in league history.

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Then there’s the Houston Rockets, winners of 55 games who ultimately came up short in the Western Conference semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs. The Rockets’ superstar guard, James Harden, finished second in MVP voting while leading the league in assists.

However, despite Harden’s wizardry with the ball last season, the Rockets themselves pulled off a blockbuster move by bringing in All-Star point guard Chris Paul. Regarded as one of the premier point guards of his generation, meshing two ball-dominant guards is going to take some adjustment on the part of the Rockets. In the process, it’s likely to slightly diminish Harden’s overall value in the grand scheme of things.

Which all leads back to James. Despite pulling off their monster deal with the Celtics, the status of Thomas, who was Second Team All-NBA last year, is uncertain at this stage. Furthermore, with a host of new players, the onus is going to be on James to raise his game in the early stages of the season to ensure the Cavaliers stay amongst the leaders in the East.

And then there’s the revenge factor. On top of the loss to the Warriors in the Finals, James is undoubtedly still stinging from Irving’s departure. Having an All-Star in their prime demand to leave his team is foreign territory for James.

You just need to take a look at his constant Instagram posts of his various workouts to determine the state of mind he’s currently in as the season approaches. The following post was made just three days after the Cavaliers’ Finals campaign was complete:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVXd-mQhYHW/?taken-by=kingjames

Furthermore, there was this tweet from ESPN’s Cavaliers beat writer David McMenamin describing James’ approach to the offseason:

Granted, James is entering his 14th season, and has accumulated an unprecedented load on his body up until this point. But at the same time, there is nothing at all to suggest anything but another season of sustained success is on the radar for James and the Cavs.

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So in what could be James’ final swan song as a Cavalier, capturing a fifth MVP award is very much within his reach.