Anyone that believed the Cleveland Cavaliers would walk through the NBA season unblemished is sadly mistaken. In a perfect world LeBron James would return to Cleveland, quickly whip this talented bunch into a title contender and ride off into the sunset as the leader that returned home to tend to unfinished business. However, this is not a fairy tail, or an old John Wayne western. Winning in the NBA is an extremely difficult task.
Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters clearly have some maturing to do. This season will be difficult for Waiters. The young guard must accept a lesser role for the good of the team. Waiters is an emotional player. Taking the back seat is not an easy thing to do. For Cleveland to be successful he must pick and choose his time to be selfish. Waiters can be Cleveland ' s version of Vinnie Johnson. Irving may have to get accustomed to playing without the ball in the near future. Irving is a wizard with the ball, but his skill set and decision making don't always coincide with the qualities of a true ball distributor. David Blatt has his work cut out.
Kevin Love is used to being the guy. He is also used to not participating in the postseason. Unlike Dwayne Wade, Love is actually in the prime of his career. For the first time in LeBron's career he may not be the most talented player on his team. How will King James respond to Love challenging his status as the Cavaliers alpha male? LeBron is not always comfortable on the big stage. His poor performances in the NBA Finals is visual proof.
Keep in mind the Miami Heat started their first season with LeBron with a 9-9 record. They eventually finished the season 58-24, in route to the first of four consecutive finals appearances. The Cavaliers will right the ship. The question is, how long will it take?
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