LeBron is going home

[Mighty Mouse]

So LeBron is going home . . . anyone have an opinion on this? I'm excited for the Cleveland fans, but curious to see how this plays out. Is this good for Kyrie Irving? Is it good for Andrew Wiggins? What about all the other young guys on the team - Bennett, Waiters, Thompson, etc?

If they mature quickly, this roster could win 4 or 5 or 6 or 7 championships by the time LeBron retires. But if they start out losing and losing a lot, it'll be interesting to see how James handles that.

[NAUHurdler]

I think it was what had to happen for him. I'm disappointed that he didn't make Dan Gilbert make a public announcement that he is truly sorry for his immature actions and words when LeBron left. That would have been hilarious to see such a boastful man show weakness haha. Besides that, I've been posing a question to people that I feel is an interesting topic.

Over/Under 2.5 - The number of teams LeBron plays for in his career.

I still think he has an itch for New York and could see at one point later in his career him making a slide over there to really maximize all his financial potential.

Also, I've heard others say that this ta could win 3, 4, 5 championships but we all forget how insanely hard that truly is, especially as the NBA becomes more and more talent rich. Additionally, as we saw this year, you can have everything go right for you for 2 years but eventually the rest of the league catches up. This makes those past 3 peats that more impressive.

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[Mighty Mouse]

IF they can get a solid center, and IF Wiggins becomes a top-10 player in the league, and IF Kyrie sticks around for the long haul, I think that this could be the perfect roster makeup for a looooong run of championships.

Lebron could carry that supporting cast to the Finals in the weak East for the next few seasons, and after a few years they'll be an experienced juggernaut with lots of players entering their primes. Then LeBron will be the old man and Kyrie/Wiggins will be leading him back to the Finals.

They just need to avoid the trap of thinking they don't need guys like Waiters and Thompson, etc and dumping them for quick salary relief or a short term vet. OKC really blew it by letting Harden and Jeff Green get away. The depth they had that was so impressive was blown up before it could ever mean anything.

[Mighty Mouse]

And to answer your question, I'm a gambler, so I'm gonna take the over.

[Mighty Mouse]

I also forgot the Cleveland factor. That is a lot to overcome. They might not actually win anything.

[NAUHurdler]

That's a whole lot of IF's haha. But I agree with it. IF everything works out in their favor, it could be years of dominating.

Is Wiggins seriously a shot at a top 10 NBA talent? Do we think that his growth with stunt or sky rocket playing with LeBron? I could see it stunt in terms of not getting enough exposure to do his own thing but at the same time, playing with LeBron is like playing with 2005 Steve Nash, whoever you are next to him, you're going to be so much better on the court just for playing with him. One of those rare players that makes the players around them better than what they really may be.

This East is also quickly rebuilding. Washington won't be a push over as they continue to grow together. Chicago could have the type of front line that's always given LeBron issues. And the Heat really won't be all that bad this year. The East I feel like balanced out its talent and with the influx of top rookie talents that mostly headed to Eastern teams, those squads could be something in a year or two.

It'll be awesome and I'm just thankful I won't have to be another bitter fan watching my team win 48 games and miss the playoffs in the West while losing squads fight for spots in the East.

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[NAUHurdler]

If you were the Cavs, would you not trade Wiggins straight up for Love? I know I would. He's 25 and got years left to be a legit big in this league.

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[Mighty Mouse]

Jul 15, 2014 15:56:52 GMT -5 NAUHurdler said:

If you were the Cavs, would you not trade Wiggins straight up for Love? I know I would. He's 25 and got years left to be a legit big in this league.

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Not at all. That is exactly the "mortgage the future for the present" move that they should avoid. Besides, he'll be a free agent next year, they could go after him then if they really want him.

If Wiggins develops the way he's expected to, he'll be way more valuable than Love. Whether or not his growth is stunted next to LeBron, I'm not sure. But I'm currently of the opinion that while his stats might not be as impressive as they would be elsewhere, the learning he'll get from playing next to LeBron and playing meaningful playoff games will ultimately be more valuable.

[Deleted]

THE KING IS BACK!!!

I'm still a little in shock. We'd been hearing rumors that it was mostly a done deal by Sunday, and that he was waiting until Thursday or Friday to make an announcement. Then the letter was released... and I was stunned. It was so heartfelt and touching, and it touched on every note. It was incredible.

And you know, it's not so much that the best player in the world is joining my favorite team. And it's not so much that the Cavs are finally going to be back in the playoffs. It's that all the things we wanted to be true about LeBron, the things we feared were not a part of him, are actually there. He's a true Northeastern Ohioan. He wants to uplift the city. He wants to help beyond basketball. When he left for Miami the way he did, I think a lot of the backlash from Cavs fans wasn't necessarily that he left, but that we'd put all our faith and trust into someone that was supposed to be one of us... and he spit on it.

As I've told friends several times, I still love the way LeBron plays the game. I just couldn't bring myself to enjoy him in Miami. Even the last couple of years, when I no longer relished in his defeats, I still couldn't enjoy his genius. I could appreciate his otherwordly gifts on the surface, but their was no emotional connection. Hell, I stopped watching his best Cleveland moments because it no longer registered anything with me. No happiness. No joy. No wonder. No awe.

Now? Well, now I can't stop watching all his old highlights. I think I've watched the playoff games against Detroit, and Washington, and the game winner vs. Orlando about a dozen times now. And I'm not just watching it to see the team win, to relive past glory. I'm watching it to see the emotion. The emotion of the crowd. The reaction of the bench. LeBron himself. After they beat Detroit to make the Finals, he and Z looked so damn happy. It was awesome to watch. In that sense, it will be really interesting to see how LeBron handles himself this time around. This is a situation he's never been in before: The wise veteran mentoring a bunch of kids. He'll have to control his emotions a little more. Be stern if necessary. In a way, it may almost be like Jordan in his last three years. A little more reserved. It should be fun.

As for the team... no way in hell do I trade Andrew Wiggins. This is, without a doubt, the best thing that could have happened for that young man. He'll get a chance to play against LeBron James EVERY DAY. I really feel like people are underestimating just how important that is going to be to his development. He has a chance to be really special, and the maturation process is going to be accelerated playing with the best player in the game. Without a doubt, it solves the Kyrie-Dion power struggle. Now they answer to LeBron. Speaking of those two, this is great for both of them. One of the most underrated aspects of Dion's game is his spot-up shooting (I believe he was over 40% on spot up threes last year). LeBron is going to get him so many open looks. For Kyrie, it's just going to open things up for him to do his thing.

The issue is going to be up front. While I think Bennett is going to surprise some people this year, he's still a tad undersized. Tristan Thompson is still lacking basketball skills, and both Varejao and Haywood cannot be trusted to stay healthy. This team is going to have to figure out what to do about a big man, and they may have to just wait it out until next year. With regard to Kevin Love, I do not trade Wiggins for him. Frankly, I wait it out. If the Cavs really want him, I don't think trading Wiggins is necessary. No team has really put together a package as good as Waiters, Bennett, and two firsts. Unless some team comes in with a godfather offer, the Cavs are in the driver's seat.

I'm incredibly excited. It will be nice to finally have some real vets on this team. Between LeBron, Haywood, Miller, Varejao and Ray Allen (maybe, if he doesn't retire), that's a great group of vets to lead the youngins. The craziest part about LeBron returning is that the East is now wide open. I could see any number of teams making the finals. Chicago, Indiana, Cleveland, Washington, Miami, and Toronto are all legit contenders. Hell, I could see Atlanta or Charlotte making it through... if things break right. And another thing: LeBron to the Cavs, Pierce to the Wizards... the Cleveland-Washington rivalry IS BACK!

Finally, take the under on the number of teams LeBron will play for. I have it on good authority that he'll retire as a Cavalier. The two year deal was done solely to maximize his salary. Everyone knows about the TV deal, but wonders about the opt out clause. Well, if the salary cap increases, as is expected, LeBron would actually make more money by opting out and signing a new deal. If the salary cap decreases or stays the same, he'd just opt in.


The home opener is going to be CRAZY

[Deleted]

I didn't even get a chance to mention David Blatt. This guy can flat out coach.

[dunky69]

Can the season start today please?

[Mighty Mouse]

I learned a few things from Miege's post.
1) There is a Cleveland-Washington rivalry. What???
2) People still have faith in Anthony Bennett. Why?

Also, I like your reasoning for choosing the under in the "how many teams will LeBron play for" game. I, too think he'll stay in Cleveland for a looooong time. The only reason I took the over is because I saw MJ suit up for the Wizards, Karl Malone play for the Lakers, Clyde chase a championship in Houston, Patrick Ewing become a Seattle Supersonic. Olajuwon was in Toronto at some point. Shaq's Phoenix / Cleveland / Boston tour in the last 4 years of his career is another example.

There is most likely going to be a point when LeBron is 37 when he will be of little use to the Cavs and he should probably retire, but instead he'll hang on too long and sign with someone just to keep playing. It happens far more often than it doesn't.

[Deleted]

1. To Wizards and Cavs fans there is a rivalry. They played in the playoffs three years in a row, if I'm not mistaken. There's also the Soulja Boy LeBron diss, which led to Jay-Z's "Blow the Whistle." In fact, it's funny that Haywood and LeBron are on the same team. Go to Youtube and look up Brendan Haywood LeBron James (second video). Now you throw in Paul Pierce, who we all know isn't LeBron's biggest fan, plus the Wall-Beal/Kyrie-Dion debate... it's going to be fun (also, Marcin Gortat doesn't like LeBron).

2. Yes. I think a lot of people still have faith in Bennett. I do. Here's the thing with Bennett, last season might as well have been a redshirt year for him. He had the shoulder injury, which threw off his shooting. He came in seriously overweight and out of shape. The Cavs wanted to hold him out to start the year to let him work his way into shape, but Gilbert wanted him out there. As we all saw, that did not work out. He was also hindered by the team's push for the playoffs. They didn't have time to wait for him to figure things out. Having watched him in SL, it's a complete 180. He's in shape. He's got some of that explosiveness back. He's pulling off dribble moves. I'm not saying he'll be an All-Star (and if they can move him and Waiters for Love, you absolutely do it), but you can finally see the potential. I think he'll surprise some people.


And with regard to LeBron leaving... sure, maybe 8-9 years from now he hops on somewhere as a ring chaser. But I think even that is unlikely. If the Cavs win 1 or 2 titles before that happens, I doubt he leaves. Plus, if the Cavs play things right, they could be a contender through the end of his career, similar to the Spurs and Duncan. That's way too far into the future to project, but they are now set up for that possibility.

[Mighty Mouse]

Jul 16, 2014 14:12:52 GMT -5 @miege22 said:

And with regard to LeBron leaving... sure, maybe 8-9 years from now he hops on somewhere as a ring chaser. But I think even that is unlikely. If the Cavs win 1 or 2 titles before that happens, I doubt he leaves. Plus, if the Cavs play things right, they could be a contender through the end of his career, similar to the Spurs and Duncan. That's way too far into the future to project, but they are now set up for that possibility.

I don't necessarily think LeBron will be "ring chasing", but Cleveland will have to make a choice between investing in LeBron's twilight years or retooling to stay in contention. If they suck, he'll stick around. If they're contending and can afford him, he'll stick around. If he is holding the team back from contending or rebuilding (ala current Kobe or late Packers-era Brett Favre), then he may just be let go by Cleveland either in trade or by not offering a new contract. At that point it wouldn't surprise me if he was like every other professional athlete who chooses one or two years on a different team over riding quietly into the sunset.

[Mighty Mouse]

Here is another question.

If the Cavs knew for sure they'd be getting LeBron, who do they draft with the #1 pick? Embiid (if healthy) seems like the perfect fit.

Kyrie Irving
Dion Waiters/Ray Allen
LeBron James
Tristan Thompson/Anthony Bennett
Joel Embiid

Balance.