Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 candidates for a breakout season in 2018-19

Losing a major contributor from last season’s conference championship team should give some of the Cleveland Cavaliers a golden opportunity to shine.

If certain critics of a certain NBA superstar are correct, then almost the entire Cleveland Cavaliers organization is due for a breakout season in 2018-19.

The Cavs are bringing back nine players, the coaching staff and front office leadership from a group that appeared in the NBA Finals last season. It’s a group that, according to aforementioned critics, was being held down and overshadowed by one ball-dominant player who undermined coaches, tried to run the front office, and forced teammates to cater to his style of play at the expense of their strengths.

That player left the team in free agency this summer. So in theory, the Cavs should collectively have the freedom to finally perform up to their maximum potential. Throw in an exciting rookie Cleveland added with the No. 8 pick in the draft, and you would think those critics would be picking the Cavs to contend for another championship.

OK, now let’s be realistic.

The Cavs spent the last four years running with the NBA’s elite — a run highlighted by the franchise’s first ever championship in 2016 — thanks in large part to LeBron James. In July, however, LeBron left Cleveland for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Now that LeBron is gone, the Cavs are no longer considered a top-tier team. It appears most preseason power rankings and playoff predictions have them near the bottom of the East with All-Star forward Kevin Love and rookie guard Collin Sexton as the headliners.

One example of the new normal in Cleveland is that the Cavs only have two major network national TV games this season, compared to over 40 last season.

Victories will be harder to come by this season, but in terms of individual performances, the void left by LeBron does present opportunities for a few Cavs in particular to step up.