A Few Wishes For The Cleveland Cavaliers As They Look Ahead To 2013

 

Here are a few wishes for the Cleveland Cavaliers for 2013, and a few reasons why fans should have hope that they will come true.

First of all, the team simply needs more wins. During the 2012 portion of the 2012-2013 season, the Cavaliers won just 7 of their 32 games. That is the second-worst record in the league.

This wish is going to come true, and it should happen quickly. The Cavaliers are not going to the playoffs, but they are going to pick up a lot more wins and fans should start to see the record improve quite a bit.

The team played a very tough schedule in November and December, and it will ease up a bit in January. Also, the team suffered injuries to all of its key players early in the season, and if the key guys can stay healthy it is going to help a great deal.

The Cavaliers open January with games against the Sacramento Kings on Jan. 2 and the Charlotte Bobcats on Jan. 4. Both games are definitely winnable. Also during the month, the Cavaliers will take on the Kings again, while also playing teams they have already defeated such as the Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Cavaliers also play several other teams that are struggling, such as the Toronto Raptors, and have a chance to go 7 – 7 this month.

For another wish, the team needs to play better defense. The Cavaliers give up way too many easy baskets and cannot get enough key stops in the fourth quarter. Part of this may be due to youth and the players not all understanding what they are supposed to be doing. As the players gain more experience, this area should improve. No player has really emerged as a stopper or great defender yet, though, and fans are hoping that someone steps up and takes on this role. The Cavaliers need to get into the mindset that they are going to play better defense, and they won’t be a consistent team until they can do this.

The Cavaliers also need to wish for more inside scoring. Some of this may happen as young post players Tyler Zeller and Tristan Thompson gain more experience. Both big men are playing well, but neither yet is someone that the team can dump the ball into late in a game and count on them to score or make the right pass. These two may gain that skill, or it may come in the form of a new player who comes to Cleveland through trade or the draft.

Cavalier fans should also wish for a few trades to help the team grow. Other teams are definitely going to be looking at forward/center Anderson Varejao in trade talks, and they may look at guard Daniel “Boobie” Gibson, too. Both players could help playoff teams, and they could bring some good pieces back to the Cavaliers in trades.

Finally, the team needs to have more energy. Too often during 2012, Head Coach Byron Scott has complained about a lack of energy on offense or defense, or the team just coming out flat in the first quarter. This is something that the players need to change quickly, or some of the players need to be shipped out of town. At 7-25, it is inexcusable for the Cavaliers to have so many games where they come out with no energy. This team needs to be fighting for wins and giving fans a reason to come out and cheer for them. If they can’t do that, then the final wish for Cavaliers fans will be to either get their money back for their tickets or to find another team to root for.