Winning the 2007 NBA Eastern Conference Finals still wasn't enough to boost forward Drew Gooden's low trade stock. Other teams still see him for what he is - a soft, overpaid power forward whose stats are boosted by LeBron James' creativity and unselfish passing. As a result, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been unable to find James enough help to enable them to compete with the Western Conference elite teams. Zydrunas Ilgauskas is showing his age more and more each season, Larry Hughes can't seem to stay healthy and the roster offers very little in the way of trade bait. Last season rookie Daniel Gibson was brilliant in the 2007 NBA Playoffs, but it's still a question whether or not he can be consistent throughout an 82-game season. Last season, James saw a dip in numbers, especially at the free throw line, presumably because of fatigue from having to do too much on the court. Hughes has not come as advertised and is eating a big chunk of the team's salary cap space. The Cavs still need security at point guard, but are hoping Gibson might be able to fill that role. Eric Snow is a formiddable back up, but without a consistent jump shot is not reliable enough as a starter.
Statistics Projections/Depth Chart
- Center: Zydrunas Ilgauskas 11.3 ppg, 7.6 rbpg, 1.1 bspg (back up: Anderson Varajeo)
- Power Forward: Drew Gooden 10.8 ppg, 8.1 rbpg (back up: Donyell Marshall)
- Small Forward: LeBron James 28.4 ppg, 6.9 rbpg, 6.3 apg (back up: Sasha Pavlovic)
- Point Guard: Daniel Gibson 8.6 ppg, 3.4 apg (back up: Eric Snow)
- Shooting Guard: Larry Hughes 16.2 ppg, 4.1 rbpg (back up: Shannon Brown)
Key Losses
None
Key Additions
None
Team Rumors
N/A
Team Predictions
Eventually, Ilguaskas is going to run out of gas completely and Hughes is going to get injured again and either someone else will step up, or James will have to do it all by himself and the team will struggle. Danny Ferry's stubborness to trade Ilgauskas (about two years too late) is haunting them now. The Cavs will win three fewer games this season, giving them a record of 47-35, which will be good enough for third place in the division and a fifth seed in the playoffs. They will face the Washington Wizards in the first round and beat them (again) in seven games, only to fall to the Detroit Pistons in six games. LeBron James will finish second in the NBA MVP Award voting, though he will probably be most deserving of winning it.
Fantasy Spin
LeBron James had an "off" year last season, mostly because of a significant dip in his free throw shooting percentage. Expect him to do a little better this season, but there are still concerns about him having to do too much. Fatigue could be an issue for James. Still, he should easily be a top five pick in all fantasy drafts and could go as high as one or two.
Otherwise, steer clear of most Cavs players. Zydrunas Ilgauskas is getting worse each year, and there are many other big men who will be able to produce more in their given situations. Big Z's a late round pick. Drew Gooden tends to attract fantasy basketball owners because of his occasional spurts of double-doubles. Don't be fooled. He doesn't fill a stat sheet and you'd be better off passing on him. Larry Hughes isn't the worst player in the world, but he can't seem to stay healthy. Keep an eye out for Daniel Gibson, as he's sure to have some quality hot streaks during the season.
NBA Eastern Conference Team Previews: Atlanta Hawks; Boston Celtics; Cleveland Cavaliers; Chicago Bulls; Charlotte Bobcats; Detroit Pistons; Indiana Pacers; Miami Heat; Milwaukee Bucks; New Jersey Nets; New York Knicks; Orlando Magic; Philadelphia 76ers; Toronto Raptors; Washington Wizards
NBA Western Conference Team Previews: Dallas Mavericks; Denver Nuggets; Golden State Warriors; Houston Rockets; Los Angeles Clippers; Los Angeles Lakers; Memphis Grizzlies; Minnesota Timberwolves; New Orleans Hornets; Phoenix Suns; Portland Trail Blazers; Sacramento Kings; San Antonio Spurs; Seattle Supersonics; Utah Jazz
