Kevin->Write(thoughts, browser, time)

Last season, the Cavaliers extended the Pistons to seven games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, after a regular season that included 50 wins and the #4 seed in the Eastern Conference and a six game first round win over the Wizards. This despite many things going wrong, as John Hollinger points out in his Cavs preview that I would link to right here if one didn't have to have ESPN Insider to look at it. Larry Hughes missed half the season-it is unlikely that he'll miss that many games this year. The Cavs got next to nothing from their summer '05 free agent acquisitions, Hughes, Damon Jones, and Donyell Marshall. If they get anything from any of them, that will be an improvement. They got absolutely nothing from the point guard position last year-if they anything from it this year, it will be an improvement. For these reasons, Hollinger thinks that 50 wins and the #4 seed represent the low end of what this team is capable of this year, and I agree. Let's look at the players the Cavs have in camp, with a brief comment on each. (Side note: NBA teams can keep an active roster of 12, with up to three additional players under contract but unable to play, for a total team of fifteen players)

Eddie Basden: Never heard of him. Unlikely to make the team.

Shannon Brown: The Cavs' first round draft pick out of Michigan State, he should be able to help at backup guard right away. I haven't seen him play much, but he is supposedly a gifted penetrator and solid defender. I don't know if he can play any point guard; if he can, there are obviously minutes available for him there. If Hughes gets hurt again, he could be an effective hedge against despair at the shooting guard position. Should fill the role of the departed Flip Murray effectively.

Daniel Gibson: The Cav's second round pick from Texas. This guy I have seen play, and I don't think he's going to make it in the NBA. He doesn't do anything well enough-he's small, he's not a great athlete or defender, he's not a great shooter. Bench guys need to have one outstanding skill to stick; he has a broad base of decent skills, which history tells us does not bode well. Again, if he shows anything at all at the point guard spot, there will be minutes for him.

Drew Gooden: Doc had a solid season last year. He is an effective rebounder, especially on the defensive end, plays adequate defense at the power forward position, and is a decent fourth option in the Cavs' offense. Expect more of the same this season.

Stephen Graham: Young undrafted fella had some nice moments and some ugly ones filling in for Hughes last year, until the arrival of Murray squeezed his minutes. The numbers are against his making the active roster, with the rookie guards and the addition of Wesley.

Larry Hughes: A disappointing season from Hughes, as he missed 46 games with injury and was a shadow of the player he'd been in 04-05 when he returned. Particularly in light of his huge contract, a bounceback year is expected and is very possibile. Hughes is still young, and possess the size and quickness to be a top wing defender and transition scorer. One wishes that his jump shot was more reliable, but that's a quibble. A full season from Hughes is the biggest reason to expect Cavalier improvement this season.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas: The emergence of other viable frontcourt options has diminished the Cavs' dependence on Z, which is good because of his age but bad because of his huge contract. Z can still score and defend the center position, and is still 7'3". Late last year, his midrange jump shot seemed to go away. If it came back, that would be a helpful option in halfcourt sets. Hopefully, the Cavs can limit his regular season minutes such that he can be more of a force late in the season.

Luke Jackson: It's about time to give up. Jackson still has no clue on defense, and hasn't shot the ball well enough to make the difference up on the offensive end. He also has chronic back problems limiting his development, which is not the sort of injury that is likely to go away. He's also about to turn 26, which means that a large improvment is probably beyond him. Cavs fans should hope not to see too much of him on the court this season.

LeBron James: Another fabulous season from the King, as he played brilliantly in extended minutes, adding clutch shooting and defense to the his skill set, finishing third in the league in scoring while still grabbing 7.7 boards and dishing out 6.6 assists per game, raising his shooting percentage yet again, and getting robbed of the MVP by Steve Nash, who I'm pretty sure I could take to the hole. The skills that still need work are the low post game and the on-ball defense. As Bill Simmons pointed out during the playoffs last year. he has officially no ceiling-Simmons said that you could come back in a time machine and tell him that LeBron averaged 42-15-15 in the 2011 NBA finals, and he would believe you. I would believe you too. With James signing an extension this summer, I believe that the Cavs have between now and then to win and NBA championship or he will defect to another team in the summer of '10. I don't think that this is the year, but a boy can dream.

Damon Jones: The self proclaimed "best shooter in the world" stunk up the joint last year, illustrating just how much Shaq's double teams add to a spot up shooter's perceived value. Jones is not young, and doesn't bring anything to the table but his shooting. If he doesn't start well, Shannon Brown might grab all of his minutes.

Donyell Marshall: Hollinger is down on him, and he is at an age when he could collapse at any time, but I think he had an adequate year last year, particularly in the Washington series. Donyell is a good interior defender, shoots the three well enough-especially from the corner, makes his free throws, doesn't get killed on the glass. He's a valuable bench option.

Ira Newble: I can't stand the guy. Has the ugliest jump shot in basketball, is supposed to be a good defender but doesn't show it, doesn't rebound or get to the rim, not an athlete. Hopefully will only be on the court during blowouts-I guess it's too much to ask that he not make the team.

Sasha Pavlovic: Should find his minutes squeezed out by the new backcourt pickups. Not a confident offensive or defensive player. One sign of the team's progression will be if we don't see guys like Newble and Pavlovic on the court anymore-on a good team, they would be barely hanging on to the roster, and that's where it looks like they'll be this year.

Scot Pollard: Great pickup-cheap, good defender and rebounder. Perfect for Shaq in the playoffs. Has back issues, but the team is deep enough to limit his minutes and deal with them. Slightly crazy white guy with goofy hair. Sold. Pieces like this help your team win championships.

Eric Snow: Completely, absolutely finished as an offensive player. The Cavs really need someone to step up and take this spot-their point guards were the worst in the league last year. It's not clear that anyone on the roster can do that. I think the Cavs can get away with a shoot-first point guard because of LeBron's passing-they should explore trading big men for a gunner before the trade deadline.

Anderson Varejao: Breakout year for the young Brazilian big fella. An outstanding hustle player and rebounder, especially at the offensive end. Doesn't have a low post game offensively. Strong, quick, and big enough to defend big men. Top to bottom, the Cavs have the best front court in basketball.

David Wesley: Looked absolutely finished last year, and is old enough that he probably won't bounce back. In Snow and Wesley, the Cavs have a couple of point guards who would have been perfect for the team if this were only 1997.

Probable Roster:

Starters:
Snow
Hughes
James
Gooden
Ilgauskas

Bench:
Marshall
Jones
Varejao
Wesley
Pollard
Brown
Newble

15 Man:
Gibson
Jackson
Pavlovic

Outlook: Luckily, the Eastern Conference still sucks. The Heat, the Pistons, and the Nets should all be worse, and no one else seems to have gotten much better, except perhaps the Bulls. Hollinger picks them to win the East; I don't think they're quite there yet-the point guard situation will be devastating at some point, and they just as easily could have lost in the first round to the Wizards last year. I think they'll go 57-25, good for the #2 seed in the East, and will lose in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Heat in six games. As usual, if LeBron goes down, so does the team.

There are many things that I could say about my trip to Chicago, but I think that one very positive thing that I will say is that the era of Ginormous Female J-Lo-esque Sunglasses has crawled into a hole and died over there, while it remains a scourge not only among the female undergraduate population at OSU, but even among the hipper twentysomething women in the Short North. Ginormous Sunglasses ladies, you do not look deceptively alluring or borderline celebrity beneath the acreage of your shades, but like you are playing a virtual reality video game from the mid-90s. Women of Chicago, I salute your fashion sensibilities.