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Basketball notifications were blowing up today, as the Cavs Media Day introduced the new and dramatically improved roster of the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was a day of interviews, photo-shoots and press conferences for the media to start trending on Twitter, posting on Instagram and sharing on Facebook. It was the first time we saw our big three together in uniform. The images looked photoshopped and the press conferences felt surreal; it was all magical. A lot of was said between interviews and press coverage of LeBron, Kyrie, Kevin and both Coach Blatt and GM David Griffin. There was no shortage of optimism, and probably an overabundance of excitement. Each player is ready to learn, grow and win. Humble and hungry, today this team celebrated Cleveland’s amazing summer and focused in on its season ahead. While much of what was said today was expected, there were a lot of moments of realization where we felt we learned something new. Here are 6 things to think about after the Cavs Media Day: Continue to the next page!
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1. Basketball is JUST 30 days away!
Seeing our new big three in fresh uniforms was exhilarating. Today was a sign from the basketball gods that basketball was on its way. Anticipation has become anxiety, and the first moments of this new era in Cavalier basketball are dawning upon us in a riveting city.
This is a wake up call, ladies and gentlemen.
Trey Kerby
2. Basketball is STILL 30 days away!
So close, yet so far. If you didn’t think the summer could get better for Cleveland, there’s still a month of possibilities ahead of us. Remember, within first 30 days of the offseason we re-signed Kyrie Irving and won the heart of LeBron. The following 30 days we traded for Kevin Love. The offseason moves fast, and what reason does it have to slow down for the Cavs? Savvy trades recently with Boston gives the Cavs a chance to clear upwards of $20 million in the salary cap space, which can bait serious role players.
Coach Blatt explains his approach to the beginning of a season of many possibilities as simple, and that he wants to really give his team a chance to get comfortable with the new coaching staff. GM Griffin explained the franchise’s goal to keep finding opportunities in the league to give LeBron all the available support he needs this season. As they discussed in their press conference, there’s a lot of work to do and a lot of time to do it before the season starts:
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3. LeBron seems more determined to win than when he was in Miami, which is scary to think.
If you thought LeBron’s desire and satisfaction in winning a championship was high as a Miami Heat, you’ll truly feel the intensity of his words when says bringing a championship to Cleveland would be “the greatest achievement in [his] life as far as on the court.” In addition to the greater demand in expectations, LeBron is increasing his demand of work in order to accomplish his greatest basketball endeavor. 4 years ago he counted “not 1… not 2… not 3…” championships he would win, today he counted the number of months in the calendar year the Cavs can’t forget to train in order to get there. He’s taken this challenge as an opportunity, and he knows after being “2 up and 2 down” what it takes to win. You can feel LeBron’s determination:
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4. Kyrie Irving is the youngest player on the roster. When did that happen?!
The Cavs have crafted an extremely dynamic and flexible team full of championship-experienced veterans and young athletic talents that surround LeBron James. The fact that Kyrie finds himself at the bottom of that spectrum gives a perspective for truly how much experience was added to the Cavalier roster. Kyrie went from being the go-to-guy with 3 years of stardom under his belt; now, he can only look up as a player who needs to learn what it means to be a champion. Today, we got a glimpse of Kyrie Irving’s excitement to learn:
David Liam Kyle
5. Kevin Love is more than a great fit, he’s a perfect fit.
Kevin Love was extremely humbled today, and he didn’t take his first moments in the Wine & Gold for granted. In his press conference and interviews, Kevin Love was asked multiple times about the process he went through this summer. From the moment he talked to LeBron, he was going to get the chance of a lifetime. A common phrase used by LeBron to describe Kevin, and vice versa, was “unselfish by nature.” Kevin Love and LeBron have very similar mentalities and approaches to the game, adding a tremendous amount of potential to their capabilities as teammates. While Kevin Love doesn’t have the playoff experience like LeBron, he did talk about watching and examining the playoffs during his 6 years in Minnesota. Coupling hard work behind the scenes with a similar basketball thought-process as LeBron makes Love a very dangerous asset to LeBron.
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6. The Cavs actually have defensive potential!
Recently, with all the speculation of a weaker Cavalier defense to contrast an explosive offense, it is important to highlight what the Cavs have done to prepare to prove critics wrong. The Cavs did more for their defense than bring in Shawn Marion. Their course of action involved a change coaching staff with Associate Head Coach Tyronne Lue. Coach Lue previously worked under Doc River of the Los Angeles Clippers, where he was immersed in a defense-first mentality. In an interview with Fox Sports today, LeBron praised the Cavs’ addition of Tyronne Lue to the coaching staff, admitting to Coach Lue “defending the heck out us [Miami].” This places expectations on the Cavs biggest defensive-minded move made this offseason, and it creates anticipation as people await the impact of Coach Lue on a criticized defense.
