Welcome to the inaugural edition of eDraft’s NBA Season Preview.  We turn our attention on to the Central Division, covering everyone from the pretenders to the contenders. Today we take a look at the Cavaliers, an up-and-coming team, but does Cleveland have what it takes to get back to the playoffs?

Key additions: Dion Waiters (4th overall, G), Tyler Zeller (17th overall, C),
CJ Miles (F)

Perhaps no city in the United States has suffered more in the past thirty years than Cleveland. If globalization acted as a sort of hurricane to destroy the industrial base of this city, then the Great Recession of 2008 functioned as a wrecking ball to finish the job. And then of course, LeBron James left. To compare LeBron’s exit to grand disasters, natural and manmade, might seem extreme, but talk to Clevelanders and they will tell you how it felt. 

All of this is to say that in the wake of The Decision it was widely believed that the Cavaliers were destined for at least a decade of cellar-dwelling and draft lotteries, but then Kyrie Irving turned up, and he turned out to be great right away. Rookie of the Year Irving (18.5 PPG-3.7 RPG-5.5 APG-46 FG%-39 3P%), whose game resembles, in an uncanny way, a young Kevin Johnson, is capable of being the franchise player the Cavs so badly needed.

Irving will have a new backcourt partner in rookie Dion Waiters, a slasher who came off the bench last year for Syracuse, but should start in the NBA for a long time to come. His defence is tremendous and he takes it aggressively to the rim. His jump shot is a work in progress and he does not have any one dominant go-to move yet. Still, this backcourt will be fast and fun to watch.

Up front, the Cavs feature a young Tristan Thompson (4th pick in the 2011 draft, and Canadian!), and center Anderson Varejao who plays with the reckless abandonment that you wish all millionaire athletes displayed. His coaches adore him because he does the little things, his teammates love him because he has their back on defence, and he averages a double-double (10.8 PPG-11.5 RPG-1.4 SPG-51.4 FG%). He will also likely be gone by the end of the season as Cleveland looks to get even younger (he’s 30) and may choose to stockpile draft-picks. C.J. Miles and Tyler Zeller will get more playing time in this scenario and should be serviceable.

Cleveland may not make the playoffs this year but at least they should be genuinely entertaining to watch. Further, the team will be competitive every night. Opposing teams won’t look forward to playing in Cleveland this year, but this will be a testament to how much the team has improved, rather than a statement about the city.

Reason for optimism: The East is weak! The Cavs have an outside shot of making the first round if they hold on to Varejao, and then once in, who knows?

Reason for despair: Thomson, while full of talent, looked lost on the court the entire season. The Cavs are doomed if he doesn’t play better.

Projected record: 34-48 (4th in the Central Division)