Why the Cavaliers Will Win It All

Six months ago, the Cleveland Cavaliers—and their give-us-a-title-any-title fans—expected the team to be entering the 2009-10 season as defending NBA champions.

Eventual league MVP LeBron James was on a tear. Eventual Coach of the Year Mike Brown was pushing all the right buttons and making all the right moves. Career journeymen were having career years. Their league best 66 wins were no fluke.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the title. The Orlando Magic outplayed the Cavs in the Eastern Conference semifinals, Magic coach Stan Van Gundy outwitted Brown, and Cleveland was forced to "wait till next year" yet one more time.

Which is why the Cavaliers will win it all. Next year is finally here in Cleveland.

Talk about Shaq all you want. Anthony Parker. Jamario Moon. Important pieces, all.

But the most important piece of all was that playoff loss to the Magic. It hurt, and it should have.

Evidence came at series' end, when James walked off the court without shaking his opponents' hands. He didn't talk to the media, either. They vilified him for it, as did ready-to-pounce fans from coast to coast.

But his response was understandable. The Cavs weren't good enough. He thought they were, and he was wrong. And he knew it, right then and there. No doubt it was tough to take.

James isn't the problem, of course. He's the reigning league MVP. He's blessed with an astonishing combination of speed, strength and skill. He's the kind of superstar that championship teams are built around.

But his teammates weren't ready. Neither was his coach.

They were oh-so-close, however. Which is why they're ready now.

GM Danny Ferry went out and retooled the team yet again. Gone are Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, Wally Szczerbiak, Joe Smith and Lorenzen Wright. In their place? Shaquille O'Neal, Anthony Parker, Jamario Moon, Danny Green and, come February, the playoff-tested Leon Powe.

It's a significant upgrade that has seemingly gone unnoticed. The main focus of naysayers is Shaq's age. But he averaged nearly 18 points and better than eight rebounds a game for Phoenix a year ago.

Let's say his production declines this season. How would 13 points and seven rebounds a game strike you? That's what Zydrunas Ilgauskas averaged last year as the Cavs sliced and diced their way through the league. Now you have Ilgauskas ready to come off the bench when Shaq needs a break. That's depth. It's also the most experienced, formidable and playoff-tested post combination in the league.

Add to it the skills that Parker and Moon bring—outside shooting and perimeter defense—and it has Brown licking his chops.

There's no question the Cavs need Delonte West to return to the fold in full force in order to be the odds-on favorite. They'll be exceptional with or without him, but he was a key to their regular-season dominance a year ago, and their best postseason performer after James. Until he's ready, and perhaps after, Parker will slide into a starting role.

He'll be joined there by James, O'Neal, Anderson Varajeo and Mo Williams. Williams, in particular, will learn from the Orlando series. He guaranteed a win, and had to eat his words. The guess here is that he’ll shut up and put up this season. Williams is capable of huge offensive numbers.

Where will Brown find time for Daniel Gibson and J.J. Hickson? Your guess is as good as mine. There's simply never been a Cavaliers team this deep, and, if West returns to form, look out.

Several teams improved during the offseason, including the Cavs' bunkmates in the powerhouse suite—the Lakers, Celtics and, yes, the Spurs. Key injuries could change anything at any time, but injuries aren't a factor when making preseason predictions.

Tough losses have a way of lingering with the great ones. Michael Jordan experienced more than his share before winning his first championship in his seventh season. James enters his seventh campaign knowing the bitter taste of losing when you're expected to win. He wants no more part of "wait till next year." Neither did Jordan, and his teams won titles the next six years he was active.

It's that bitter taste that will stay with LeBron and Company for 82 games and, ultimately, lead them to their first NBA championship next June. If history is any indication, there could be many more to follow for the guy wearing Number 23.