Cleveland Cavaliers 2008 Season Preview

The Cleveland Cavaliers have LeBron James & all the firepower they need to win the Central Division title & beyond!

Cleveland Cavaliers: 2007-08 Overview

After a rocky start to the season filled with contract holdouts, fizzling team chemistry, and .500 basketball, the Cleveland Cavaliers knew changes had to made if they wanted to return to the NBA Finals. The Cleveland Cavaliers rocked the NBA nation with a monster of a trade that brought in the likes of Ben Wallace, Joe Smith, Wally Szczerbiak, and Delonte West. The trade breathed new life into the Cleveland Cavaliers once-stagnant offense and gave LeBron James some help on the scoring end. LeBron James’ numbers were nothing short of amazing.

The Cleveland Cavaliers bounced back and ended the season at 45-37, good for the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. In Round 1, the Cleveland Cavaliers once again squared off against their budding rival Washington Wizards. In a most physical series, both teams were battered and bruised, but the Cavaliers came out on top and moved on to face the eventual champion Boston Celtics in Round 2. Although LeBron James did just about everything right, the Cavs came up just short but would go into the 2008-09 season with plenty of firepower to stay competitive in the East.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Offseason

The Cleveland Cavaliers continued to retool their roster in the offseason, hitting it big by trading for former Milwaukee Bucks point guard, Mo Williams, in exchange for Damon Jones. In the free-agent arena, the Cavs re-signed both Daniel Gibson and Delonte West and welcomed in Lorenzen Wright from the Sacramento Kings. Cavs fans should keep an eye on rising prospect Tarence Kinsey. Although the Cleveland Cavaliers lost journeyman Joe Smith to the OKC Thunder, the Cavs are excited about the youth and energy that first-round draft pick J.J. Hickson can bring to the team.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Offense

Good ol’ Bron Bron is hands down the best offensive player on the Cleveland Cavaliers and possibly on the planet. If LeBron James can repeat (or even best) his gaudy numbers of last season, then expect the explosive guard to average upwards of 30 points, 7 assists, and 8 rebounds per game. The ultimate team player, LeBron James is sure to make a bid for MVP this season. Outside of the phenomenal LeBron James, the Cleveland Cavaliers offense has been ineffective, to say the least.

Averaging 96.4 PPG last season, the Cleveland Cavaliers have surrounded franchise centerpiece LeBron James with a cast of scorers, particularly Mo Williams. The point guard posted an impressive line last season (17.2 PPG, 6.4 APG, 3.5 RPG, and 1.2 steals). Mo Williams will bring intensity and should provide a boost to the Cavaliers’ sputtering offense, whether he’s driving through the lanes and drawing in defense or shouldering the scoring load when teams double and triple-team LeBron James. Look for Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Daniel Gibson, and Wally Szczerbiak – despite popular belief – to produce on offense.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Defense

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ formidable defense is spearheaded by top defenders LeBron James and big men Ben Wallace, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Anderson Varejao. Big Ben and Big Z will clog up the paint, blocking shots and crashing the boards. Although underrated, Zydrunas Ilgauskas gives the Cleveland Cavaliers much-needed inside presence. With Ben Wallace and Zydrunas Ilgauskas battling Father Time, Anderson Varejao will provide desperately needed rebounding, intensity, and youth off the bench and in the frontcourt.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Lineup

Point Guard: Mo Williams, Daniel Gibson
Shooting Guard: Sasha Pavlovic, Delonte West
Small Forward: LeBron James, Wally Szczerbiak
Power Forward: Ben Wallace, J.J. Hickson
Center: Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Anderson Varejao

Cleveland Cavaliers: Outlook

While the improved Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks should test the Cleveland Cavaliers this season, the Cavs are ready to dethrone the Detroit Pistons for Central Division supremacy. If LeBron James doesn’t run out of fuel after leading Team USA to Olympic Gold this past summer, he will no doubt turn in an MVP-caliber season. The Cleveland Cavaliers also took the needed steps in the offseason to bolster their offense; the Mo Williams addition is a much welcomed one for LeBron James and an anemic Cavs offense. With Mo Williams in the lineup opening up the offense, Coach Mike Brown and the Cleveland Cavaliers are primed for yet another 50-win season, a place among the Eastern Conference elite, and a trip back to the playoffs this season.