Where to now for the Cleveland Cavaliers? After losing the best player in the world in LeBron James to Los Angeles, the Cavs now find themselves in the same position they did back in the summer of 2010.
It’s hard to say what the franchise is planning, as it seems as they’ve made some conflicting decisions this offseason. On one hand, they kept their lottery pick and drafted Colin Sexton, they want to extend Larry Nance Jr, they acquired Sam Dekker, and signed Billy Preston, all of which look aimed at the future. However, they’ve also re-signed 29-year-old power forward Kevin Love to a four-year extension, brought in 35-year-old Channing Frye, and still have the likes of J.R. Smith, Kyle Korver, and George Hill still on the roster.
It’s hard to say what the Cavs will look like next season, but owner Dan Gilbert has stated that he wants the franchise to remain competitive. It’s understandable why he feels this way, as when James left the first time the Cavaliers went from 60-plus wins to owning the worst record in the NBA in a matter of months. It’s not a nice place to be in, but perhaps the correct one for the Cavs if they want to truly build something special again one day.
Don’t forget, those seasons of poor records did land them lottery and number one picks, one of which turned out to be star guard Kyrie Irving, who went on to hit the biggest shot in franchise history securing the first NBA championship for Northeast Ohio.
Be that as it may, the oddsmakers aren’t being too kind to the Cavs for this upcoming season despite their aim to remain competitive. As it stands, Jeff Sherman of the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook states the Cavs’ over/under win total for next season is pegged at just 30.5 wins.
It may be a sad reality for the Cavs, who want to stay competitive. As currently constructed, the Cavs have some work to do to catch up with the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference.