Cavaliers 2015-16 Schedule: Top Games, Championship Odds and Record Predictions
The Cleveland Cavaliers adjusted on the fly, got hot in the middle of the season, overcame injuries and ultimately fell to the Golden State Warriors in the most recent NBA Finals.
Now the schedule for the 2015-16 campaign has arrived, and Cleveland has a championship-caliber roster from last year mostly intact hoping to get over the hump this time around. The team's official website posted the complete list of games for the upcoming season on Wednesday.
Odds Shark lists the Cavaliers as the No. 1 championship favorites with 11-4 odds—shorter than the San Antonio Spurs (3-1) and the Warriors (5-1). The pressure will be greater than ever for superstar LeBron James to deliver a championship to Cleveland and for Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love to step up.
James' return has made the Cavs perennial contenders. With Irving and Love hopefully healthy, there's no doubt Cleveland is the prohibitive favorite in the Eastern Conference.
James knows what it takes to win the Larry O'Brien Trophy. It's up to Irving, Love and the supporting cast to help put the Cavs over the hump without placing too much burden on The King.
Although Irving certainly looked up to the task of sharing the stage with James, Love had a tougher time fitting in with his new team last season. Now that he's locked in with a long-term contract, though, perhaps the All-Star forward will find his niche.
Check out some more detailed analysis on the marquee matchups Cleveland faces this season, along with a brief overall preview and record prediction.
Breakdown of Top Games
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors
When: December 25, 2015 (away); January 18, 2016 (home)
Christmas Day marks the initial NBA Finals rematch in Oakland. Lost amid the more notable injuries that befell Cleveland's Love and Irving in the opening round of the playoffs and Finals respectively was the ongoing absence of Anderson Varejao.
Perhaps offensive glass extraordinaire Tristan Thompson wouldn't have broken out the way he did if Varejao was stealing minutes, but the Brazilian big is one of the few holdovers from James' first stint in Cleveland. There's innate chemistry between the two.
With all of the priorities and players Cleveland had to deal with this summer, there wasn't even the thought of dealing Varejao away.
Fox Sports Ohio's Sam Amico reported how Varejao wasn't included in the Cavs' efforts to get Brendan Haywood's contract off the books. It was ultimately done through a trade that also saw Mike Miller shipped out of town to Portland:
This shows how much the Cavs value Varejao, not to mention how much they could have used the depth he would have provided down the stretch this last postseason. The frontcourt rotation was depleted once Love went down. Varejao has deft shooting touch and can even handle the ball well and make smart passes when prompted.
Against the likes of Golden State, Varejao's energy could have provided a big spark and simply given Thompson and Timofey Mozgov more rest, since he can play both the 4 and the 5.
Reigning league MVP Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson form a stellar backcourt that will give Irving and the rest of the Cavs' perimeter rotation can handle. NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala also did a number on James defensively in the championship series, though part of that was due to James' side being so shorthanded.
The biggest storyline in this clash will be just how Cleveland stacks up if the squad is fully healthy—or closer to it than the Cavs were for much of the Finals series they lost 4-2.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. San Antonio Spurs
When: January 14, 2016 (away); January 30, 2016 (home)
Why mess around? The true measuring-stick showdowns will come when the Cavs get their big tests against the best of the West. Playing against San Antonio is especially important when it comes to Love.
The Spurs added some serious firepower by acquiring All-Star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge in free agency this offseason. It's up to Love to step up against a quality opponent and at least neutralize Aldridge's impact, which may mean digging in a little harder defensively.
One may remember the virtuoso performance Irving turned in the last time Cleveland squared off with San Antonio, filling it up for 57 points. Even if the Spurs key in on Irving, they'll still have to deal with James' playmaking ability.
But past NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard is a two-way dynamo on the wing and one of the rare defenders on the planet who can at least make life difficult for James.
Those factors make Love all the more vital to the outcome. The Cavs have enough perimeter defense and should be better in the paint with Varejao's return to help Love out on that end. He needs to capitalize on those circumstances and space the floor but still be assertive in his bid to wear Aldridge down.
Record Prediction
Few in the East will be able to put up a real fight against Cleveland. The reigning regular-season champion is Atlanta, but the Hawks were swept by the Cavs in the conference finals.
Washington figures to be tough if Otto Porter Jr. can step up and Bradley Beal can be more consistent and healthy, yet the Wizards lack the depth Cleveland boasts. Irving also goes a long way to offset the impact made by electric Washington floor general John Wall.
Unless James' former squad, the Miami Heat, can take a huge leap forward after missing the postseason, the East figures to be rather easy for the Cavs. Expectations will be through the roof, James will be as heavily scrutinized as ever, and every night Cleveland will have a target on its back and get everyone's best shot.
To reiterate the aforementioned weight James had to carry in pulling the Cavs within two games of a championship, Nevada head coach Eric Musselman has a notable stat:
A social media silence after his valiant effort in the NBA Finals preceded James' impassioned Facebook post in which he vowed to improve after a brilliant 2014-15:
The midseason trades for J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and Mozgov lifted the Cavs to another level. General manager David Griffin deserves credit for pulling off those deals, while first-year NBA coach David Blatt juggled his rotation and made the personnel moves mesh in brilliant fashion.
Cleveland was the best team in the East after the All-Star break and maybe all of basketball through the end of the 2014-15 regular season. Even a slight improvement from the bottom-line result of James' first year back will be enough to culminate in a championship parade.
Considering the run the Cavs went on after a 19-20 start last season, it stands to reason a clicking Cavs core could accrue 60 wins in the weaker East.
Whoever emerges from the West will be a worthy challenger. All signs point to Cleveland at the very least running away with the East's No. 1 playoff seed. If Golden State's rout of the West by 11 games en route to a title is any indication, perhaps it will be a good omen for the Cavs' championship dreams.
Record Prediction: 64-18
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