King James Gospel
Fansided

The ultimate guide to the Cleveland Cavaliers 2018 offseason

By Tony Pesta

CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 08: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers defended by Andre Iguodala #9 of the Golden State Warriors in the first half during Game Four of the 2018 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena on June 8, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 08: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers defended by Andre Iguodala #9 of the Golden State Warriors in the first half during Game Four of the 2018 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena on June 8, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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OAKLAND, CA – DECEMBER 25: Kevin Love #0 and LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers look on during the game against the Golden State Warriors on December 25, 2017 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA – DECEMBER 25: Kevin Love #0 and LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers look on during the game against the Golden State Warriors on December 25, 2017 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Scenario #4: LeBron James stays; keep the same core

Goal: Build off the previous season and try to get back to the Finals

Why it makes sense: 

Yes, this team got swept in the NBA Finals. Yes, they also struggled through the Eastern Conference and had a rough regular season. But the Cavaliers do not necessarily need to change anything.

Let’s not forget the full story behind their struggles. This was the first season the team has played since the departure of Kyrie Irving. Irving’s role with this team was huge and it’s not easy for a franchise to recover that fast after losing a player like that. Furthermore, the team was expecting to rely heavily on Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder. We all know how that ended.

With only a few months left in the season, the Cavaliers traded away more than half of their team. I can’t even explain how crazy that is. The Cavaliers gave up a large chunk of their veteran leadership in exchange for young, developing players. Players who were clearly not prepared for the NBA Playoffs and it showed at the worst time.

Despite all of these things working against the Cavaliers, they still returned to the NBA Finals for the fourth straight season. Not to mention, the team was one JR Smith mistake away from stealing game one of the Finals. Who knows how different that series could be if the Cavaliers win game one.

For starters, LeBron James would have never broken his hand punching a whiteboard in the locker room.

Next: Cleveland Cavaliers: Top 30 all-time greatest players

So, would it really be that crazy for the Cavaliers to stay the same and run it back one more time? The team could only have grown closer through this adversity. Perhaps they will look better the second time around.