2009-10 Cleveland Cavaliers Predictions

Written October 23, 2009 by Jack Jones

The Cleveland Cavs world revolves around LeBron James. That’s obviously good with his immense skill set, but you have to wonder how much of a problem it is going to be with all of the questions on where he’s going to be heading next year. You have to think that everyone will be focused on the here and now, since they have a great shot at getting back to the NBA Finals. The NBA odds makers agree, listing the Cavs as +140 to win the East and +300 to win the Championship. Their over/under win total projections has been set at 61.5, just one game back from the LA Lakers. If you are going to be doing any NBA betting this year and want a BIG bonus, check out the $500 match offered by BetUS!

Backcourt

At point guard is Mo Williams, who scored 17.8 points per game and shot 44% from long range in his first season with the team. Over at the two spot is Delonte West, but his offseason issues have meant he hasn’t seen any preseason time and who knows how ready he’ll be for the start of the season. Last year he hit 40% of his 3-point attempts while scoring 11.7 ppg. It’s important to have good long-range shooters, since James does such a good job of penetrating and drawing double teams. Anthony Parker will be available off of the bench and is coming off a 39% season of shooting the three. Daniel Gibson also provides depth.

Frontcourt

The numbers James put up last year were monstrous. He scored 28.4 points, dished out 7.2 assists, and grabbed 7.6 rebounds per game while shooting 49% from the floor. He also stepped up his intensity on defense, coming in second behind Dwight Howard for the Defensive Player of the Year award. Brazilian Anderson Varejao shoudl start at the power forward spot and he does a decent job of rebounding, plus his 54% shooting means he’s efficient with his opportunities. Shaquille O’Neal was brought in as the team’s answer to Howard, who destroyed the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals. Will Shaq fit in better than he did in Phoenix? He’s going to have to make sure he’s not clogging the lane up to much, limiting LeBron’s effectiveness. Still, he shot 61%, grabbed 8.4 boards per game, and scored 17.8 per last season. Zydrunas Ilgauskas provides depth, but age and injuries are catching up with him.

Summary

This team needs to win and they have the guys to do it. The talent on this roster is pretty high and LeBron just might have his best group yet. They didn’t really lose anyone in the off-season, with Ben Wallace and Wally Szczerbiak being the main departures, but it’s tough for any team to achieve 66 wins like the Cavs did a year ago. Anything less than a Finals appearance will be disappointing, and how great would it be if they matched up with the Lakers for a like Kobe v. Shaq/LeBron promo? With my NBA predictions I see that scenario taking place. If you want winning NBA picks to help you beat the odds on a daily basis, sign up for one of our top handicappers.

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