The Cleveland Cavaliers thought they were going to win the NBA Championship in minute 09, but they weren’t. The general assumption for most NBA fans was Los Angeles Lakers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers: The Lakers kept their end of the deal, the Cavs didn’t. The Cavs were knocked out in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Orlando Magic, and relatively easy to do it. If it weren’t for Lebron James’ miraculous shot at the buzzer, the Cavs would have been embarrassed by his performance.
Now it’s a new season, with the disappointing loss behind them, the Cavs are ready to start their championship run. The Cavs now have the most dominant big man in league history, Shaguille O’Neal. Shaq may not be the player he used to be, but he will add experience and presence in the middle. Shaq also brings championship experience with 4 championships, 3 with the Lakers and 1 with the Miami Heat. Lebron is still looking for his first ring and Shaq wants to be the man to help him get it.
Winning a championship isn’t just about how well Lebron and Shaq play — the other Cavs players need to up their game, too. The Cavs sat back and watched King James put on a show without introducing themselves. The Cavs brought in Mo Williams to add some scoring to the team; Mo did little in the playoffs. In basketball, more than in any other professional team sport, a player can lead a team to the finals, but typically those “one-man band” teams don’t win the championship. Jordan didn’t win a title until he got Scottie Pippen.
If the Cavs hope to win the title in 10 minutes, they need to get more of Mo, Delonte West and Daniel Gibson. The Cavs added Leon Powe and Jamario Moon, hopefully they can contribute to a championship-winning team.