It seemed like the Cavaliers added a new player to their roster every week of the off-season. But will they be able to improve on their 66 win regular season and appearance in the Eastern conference finals?
Here's a look at the top ten players from the 2009 roster vs the 2010 roster:
LeBron James LeBron James
Mo Williams Mo Williams
Anderson Varejao Anderson Varejao
Zydrunas Ilgauskas Shaquille O'Neal
Delonte West Delonte West
Daniel Gibson Daniel Gibson
Sasha Pavlovic Anthony Parker
Wally Szczberiak Jamario Moon
Ben Wallace Leon Powe
Joe Smith Zydrunas Ilgauskas
The most glaring change comes in the middle. Shaq definitely gives Cleveland a presence in the paint on both ends. He also eases the burden/minutes of Big Z. While critics say he will only clog the lane for LeBron James, that remains to be seen. And not having offensive-minded assistant coach John Kuester certainly won't help the situation (he left for Detroit). Ultimately, having Shaq is a plus, but he's not the difference maker many of the talking heads on ABC/ESPN think he is.
I love the bench. Parker can shoot, Moon can slash, and Powe can bang. It also has a ton more athleticism. The only drawback - it could take a while to establish a set rotation.
The Cavs biggest liability is head coach Mike Brown. His inability to adjust to the Magic (offensively and defensively) in the ECF was obvious. How will he handle Shaq, all the new bench bodies, the higher expectations and life without his offensive asst coach?
