Cleveland Cavaliers Preview

I planned on doing this earlier in the day,but the road office called and I had to get some sleep before going in early.
That results in the preview being worked on after the Cavaliers opener in Chicago and with luck,I'll have a recap of tonight's game later this morning.

To those of you asking about Devils coverage,been bad luck.
One game against the Buckeyes,one night with a 7;30 start and tonight being called in early has resulted in my missing those games.
I'll still be on the Devils when I get to watch the games.

The core of the Eastern Conference champions returns and with a few additions to build the depth that was so glaringly absent against Golden State,could be set for a title run.
Cleveland starts up front with LeBron James,who's only question is a potentially balky back.
Assuming that can be dealt with,the Cavaliers have the best forward in the world,if not the world's best player.
James is joined by a healthy Kevin Love up front at the other forward to provide rebounding and three point shooting.
Love's game has modified since his days of huge numbers in Minnesota,but assuming he can stay healthy,Love should be the scoring option that again was missing against the Warriors.
Timofey Mozgov is the mainstay in the pivot.
Mozgov might be playing his final season in Cleveland as he is line for a huge payday in free agency after the season.
I would rather spend the money to keep Mozgov than the over eighty million spent to keep Tristan Thompson,but to each their own.
Thompson returns as a reliable role player,hitting the boards and scoring a little at the power forward and occasional center as does the "Wild Thing" Anderson Varejao.
Varejao is a high energy player that is effective until his inevitable physical breakdown,which seems to happen almost every season.
Cleveland cannot count on Varejao's health,so to prepare for that scenario,former Kansas Jayhawk Sasha Kaun was imported from Russia to bulk up the frontcourt.

The Cavaliers enter the season a little dinged up with injuries with Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert each missing time to begin the season.
Both players should return some time in January,but newcomers should take up the slack.
Veteran shooter Richard Jefferson arrives via free agency to play shooting guard and small forward and Mo Williams returns to eventually run the point for the second unit,although Williams will be the main distributor until Irving returns.
The remainder of the backcourt are more specialists than all around players,but each has the potential to contribute.
J.R.Smith was re-signed after a misguided attempt by Smith to test free agency that cost him a few million dollars.
Smith brings offense to the unit while fellow veteran James Jones brings three point range to the second unity.
Scrappy Matthew Dellavedova brings defense and can fill in at the point and Joe Harris returns after a rookie year spent mostly on the bench.
Former first round pick Jared Cunningham made the team to complete the roster after a strong training camp.

I think the Cavaliers are clearly the favorite to come out of the East with 60 wins and make the finals against whatever bully comes after the Western playoffs are through.
In my opinion,it's just a matter of health to derail anything less than that for Cleveland.