ESPN Breaks Down the Cavs

Cleveland: Scary thought — the Cavs won 66 games and got better in the offseason. Whatever they get from Shaquille O’Neal will dwarf the contributions of Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic a year ago, so that trade is a home run for Cleveland. Beyond that, they addressed the greatest area of concern by adding size and depth on the wings in the form of Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon.

Cleveland also kept Anderson Varejao, and while their payroll is on pace to outstrip the national debt, that’s Dan

The New Teammates

The New Teammates

The New Teammates

Gilbert’s problem. On the court, they’ve strengthened three key rotation spots without losing a single important player.

The Cavs can make a strong case that they will match much better against Orlando now, especially against Dwight Howard with Shaq in the middle. One caveat, however: They must overcome the distraction of the most eagerly anticipated walk year in sports history.