Shaquille O'Neal, Jamario Moon and Anthony Parker Push Cavs Over The Top

With the additions of Shaquille O'Neal, Jamario Moon and Anthony Parker this offseason the Cleveland Cavaliers have positioned themselves as a favorite to win the East as well as the Larry O'Brien trophy. 

Given the fact that they only gave up a mediocre swingman in Pavlovic and a tired and broken Ben Wallace for the final year of Shaq's contract, Cleveland has gained quite a bit of talent this offseason. 

With the recent signings of Parker and Moon, Danny Ferry has constructed a roster that is bigger and more athletic than the 08-09 squad.  While Sasha had good size and showed some potential during his tenure in Cleveland, he never seemed to contribute on a consistent basis.  Ben Wallace was considering retirement after the trade, but I wouldn't be surprised if he plays one more season for Phoenix who could use his defensive versatility, so long as he can stay healthy.

Shaquille O'Neal is clearly the top addition of the offseason.  We all know he averaged 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds while leading the league in shooting at .595 percent for Suns teams whose spark appears to be dying off.  With a legitimate shot at the title and a potential career rensaissance at hand, Shaq has the chance to personally one up Kobe Bryant again, especially if they meet in the Finals, while solidifying a spot among Kareem and Bill Russell as the most dominating centers in league history. 

Despite playing in 75 games last year, he will be 38 when the 2010 Finals occur and the big guy can't hold up forever.  Furthermore, his new show 'Shaq Vs.' which pits him against top athletes of other sports such as swimming and boxing might have a negative effect on his body (though that may be the paranoid Cleveland sports fan part of me thinking).

Moon and Parker add size to Cleveland's perimeter defense as well as 3-point shooting in Parker and athleticism in Moon.  They both played in Toronto for the better part of the last two seasons so that might make the transition easier than it already may be.  LeBron embraces his teammates and they generally respond well by (usually) playing up to his level of play. If Parker and Moon play well this year these two may be the players to push the Cavaliers over the top. 

The glaring problem for Mike Brown in the past Eastern Conference Finals was Cleveland's perimeter size and defense.  With no one but James, Kinsey and Pavlovic over 6'4 to play the wing, we couldn't defend Orlando's size on the perimeter.  Now that Turkoglu is in Toronto and their best perimeter defender, Courtney Lee, off to New Jersey in a package for Vince Carter, it seems as if Orlando is less talented than it was last year, not to mention older, possibly leading them to fall short in next year's postseason.  Carter is a player who relies on his athleticism to keep defenses honest, and given that he his 32 (33 next postseason), he may lose a step or two or even break down as Tracy McGrady did this season.

Orlando matching Dallas' 5-year $34 million offer sheet was curious.  Sure, the guy was solid backing up Dwight Howard, but to commit that much money to such an unproven guy seems like a bad idea, especially when you lose a 6'10 sharpshooter in Turkoglu.  Again, I am skeptical of the Carter acquisition, especially since Alston played so well as a starter in the postseason and Lee was so promising through his rookie season. 

Furthermore, if Carter's production does fall off, his contract runs through the 2010-11 season while Alston's ended after the upcoming season in time for the 2010 frenzy. The lone bright spot of Orlando's offseason seems to be the acquisition of Matt Barnes, who will come off the bench for Rashard Lewis and Vince Carter along with Mickael Pietrus.

No disrespect to the Boston Celtics, as they are a talented squad little more than a year removed from winning a championship.  Simply put, they are too old to compete with the youth and talent Cleveland and Orlando possess.  Garnett, Pierce, Allen and Wallace will be aged 33, 32, 34 and 35, respectively, once next season begins.  Each has played a high level of basketball for over a decade, but age and injury are factors athletes cannot control and they often come hand in hand.  I do not necessarily think they cannot compete for a championship next season, but in a conference with two dominant teams at the top and others getting better this offseason, their window seems to be closing shut.

Assuming Cleveland can win the East and compete against a team such as the Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trailblazers or Utah Jazz, I like their chances against any of them. 

Kobe might become complacent once more despite losing a valuable teammate in Trevor Ariza to Houston.  While Ariza is replaced by a seemingly grown-up Ron Artest, who may not have much to complain about much like last season, the Lakers are still the best team in the West.  San Antonio added Richard Jefferson, who significantly improves their already favorable chances as I'm sure Tim Duncan wants and is capable of leading his team to another ring. 

Portland may grow up before our eyes next season and establish themselves as a perennial contender for the better part of a decade, especially with valuable leadership and experience added in signing Andre Miller from Philly. 

Utah has to deal Carlos Boozer before the season begins for team chemistry's sake.  Not that Booz is a bad teammate or a distraction, but they could get some good talent in return to fill other areas and the more time together in practice before the season is always beneficial.

LeBron James was focused on an NBA Championship this season moreso than he had been in previous years, including their trip to the Finals in '07.  His actions since the Cavs' exit from the Conference Finals have invoked talk of a diva in-the-making by some in the media, however, he is a fierce competitor who knows what he is capable of, which includes winning championships. 

Anything less is unacceptable at this point as far as he's concerned, which is admirable in most respects but ugly when he acts as he did upon their elimination in late May.  Next season, with a much improved team including the marquee acquisition of Shaquille O'Neal, the Cleveland Cavaliers should win their first NBA Championship.