King James Gospel
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Cavs: 5 reasons fans should be pumped for next season

By Quenton S. Albertie

TARRYTOWN, NY - AUGUST 12: Collin Sexton #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on August 12, 2018 at the Madison Square Garden Training Facility in Tarrytown, New York. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
TARRYTOWN, NY - AUGUST 12: Collin Sexton #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on August 12, 2018 at the Madison Square Garden Training Facility in Tarrytown, New York. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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TARRYTOWN, NY – AUGUST 12: Collin Sexton #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on August 12, 2018 at the Madison Square Garden Training Facility in Tarrytown, New York. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
TARRYTOWN, NY – AUGUST 12: Collin Sexton #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on August 12, 2018 at the Madison Square Garden Training Facility in Tarrytown, New York. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Reason #1

Uncharted territory

There really isn’t a precedent, in Cavs history, for what this upcoming season will look like.

When LeBron left the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat in 2010, he didn’t leave the Cavs with an All-Star on the team as he’s doing now. Love is a 5-time All-Star mind you.

In most of LeBron’s first Cavs stint, he was the lone All-Star. However, comparing the impact that LeBron makes on a team and the impact that Love makes really isn’t a fair comparison.

You would have to go back to the years in between the disbandment of the Cavs’ Big 3 of Mark Price, Brad Daugherty and Larry Nance and the start of the LeBron era:

Three seasons (1997-1998 to 1999-2000) of high-flying power forward Shawn Kemp leading the Cleveland Cavaliers and when the Cavs drafted Brevin Knight to be their franchise point guard.

Kemp, an eventual 6-time All-Star with 5 All-Stars to his name when he arrived in Cleveland, averaged 18.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game as a Cav. For reference, Love averaged 17.6 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game last year.

Knight would average 9.2 points, 7.7 assists and 2.0  steals per game while Kemp led the Cavs. Unlike Sexton, Knight was a pass-first point guard but like Sexton, he was a defensive pest. Knight was named to the All-Rookie team in 1997-1998, after leading the league in steals (196) and being ranked 7th in total assists (656).

With a 47-35 record, the Cavs went to the playoffs in Kemp’s first year at the helm. They lost 1-3 to the Indiana Pacers in the opening round.

The next year saw them go 22-28 in a lockout-shortened season, missing the playoffs by 5 games. In Kemp’s final year leading the team, they went 32-50, missing the playoffs by a full 10 games.

That’s the type of fate many feel the Cavs are destined for; mediocre to middling success.

But as a team that has a championship culture and champions on the roster now, the intangible differences in the fabric of their franchise could lead to tangible differences in the success.

*Unless otherwise referenced, stats gathered from www.basketball-reference.com