WIll Ben Wallace Bring a Championship to the Cleveland Cavaliers?

Cleveland Cavaliers’ General Manager Danny Ferry finally pulled the trigger, and put together an 11-player trade involving the Cavs, the Seattle Supersonics, and Chicago Bulls.

Cleveland received center Ben Wallace, forward Joe Smith, guard Wally Szcerbiak, guard Delonte West, and a second-round pick.  The Cavs sent away guard Larry Hughes, guard Shannon Brown, forward Drew Gooden, forward Ira Newble, and forward Cedric Simmons.

Are the Cavaliers contenders in the East? Did Lebron James finally receive the help he desperately needed? Let’s analyze the players’ impact on offense and defense. 

Offense

The main problem in the Cavs’ offense was players could not hit open shots when Lebron drew double or triple teams. Larry Hughes was supposed to be the Cavalier’s second option, but he struggled with injuries and hit shooting. Drew Gooden has been inconsistent and the Cavs didn’t receive much from Brown, Newble, or Simmons.

The Cavaliers improved their offense by adding scorers. Wally Sczerbiak is the sharpshooter that the Cavs needed to hit open shots. Delonte West is a decent scoring point guard who can also create shots for other players. Joe Smith is also a consistent scorer with a solid mid-range jump shot and will help compliment Ben Wallace or Zydrunas Illgauskas.

There are still some questions about the Cavs’ new offense. Can experience overcome bigger, quicker, and more athletic players? Will Ben Wallace be able to make any impact on offense? Now who is the secondary scorer?

Defense 

Last season, the Cavaliers boasted the fifth-best defense, holding opponents to only 92.9 ppg.  This year the Cavs are 12th in scoring defense and allow 98.4 ppg.

The addition of Ben Wallace will greatly improve Cleveland’s interior defense and rebounding. Joe Smith will also provide addition size in the middle, while Delonte West’s length will bother perimeter players. Sczerbiak is primarily an offensive player so don’t expect too much from him on the defensive end.

However, the Cavs traded several young solid defensive players in Larry Hughes and Drew Gooden. Hughes, 29, was still a good perimeter defender averaging nearly two steals a game, while Gooden, 26, was a good interior defender and rebounder. 

Ben Wallace will improve his team’s defense, but he will provide little offense. In Chicago, the team struggled to score with a lack of interior scoring. But then they didn’t have Lebron James. 

The new additions improve the Cavaliers’ team, but again there are holes to fill with the new team. The Cavaliers don't have a secondary scorer, nor do they have any strong post players. How many years will the new supporting cast last. Chemistry will also be another issue to deal with.

The Cavaliers still have Lebron James, which means they will always have a chance in the Eastern Conference—but that alone won't spell championship in the Finals.