By Jeff Pearlman @thedadeeoh on October 27, 2014
10 Bold Predictions For Cleveland Cavaliers During 2014-15 Season
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The king is back. Long live the king. LeBron James has finally come home, and he brought some new friends with him. Expectations are sky high for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and I'm about to tell you how far they'll go.
10. Varejao Starts (And Keeps Starting)
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10. Varejao Starts (And Keeps Starting)
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There's been a lot of talk regarding who'll start for the Cavs at center, but Varejao will get the nod to begin the season.
Tristan Thompson is certain to get a few looks as the Cavs' big man, but it's Varejao who is the bigger body, better rebounder and overall defender. Expect him to remain the Cavs' starting center throughout 2014-15.
9. Tristan Thompson Wins Sixth Man Award
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9. Tristan Thompson Wins Sixth Man Award
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With the additions of Kevin Love and LeBron James, Thompson's role will be undeniably reduced. He'll come off the bench as a legitimate scoring threat on the team's second squad, and if he plays well enough -- there's no reason to think he won't -- Thompson could win the NBA Sixth Man Award.
7. Chalk Smoke For Everyone
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7. Chalk Smoke For Everyone
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James, quickly becoming the people's champ, is letting his fans decide whether his pre-game tradition will continue or not. Newsflash -- anyone who votes against King James from doing so isn't a real Cavs or LeBron James fan.
The tradition continues.
6. Blatt Makes History
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6. Blatt Makes History
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If they make it to the NBA Finals, and only a healthy Chicago Bulls squad could stop them from doing so, David Blatt could become the first rookie head coach to win NBA Coach of the Year honors. With so much talent to direct, some may say that he has the easiest job in the NBA, but gross amounts of talent don't equal championships.
You need a good bench boss to win it all, and Blatt is good.
5. Irving Becomes NBA's Best Point Guard
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5. Irving Becomes NBA's Best Point Guard
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Already in the discussion surrounding the NBA's best point guards, Kyrie Irving is in a position to become the league's No. 1 quarterback. With a bevy of talent around him, Irving's challenge is to run the floor, control the pace, dish when he needs to and score when he doesn't.
If anyone can rise to the task, it's Irving.
4. Kevin Spreads The Love
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4. Kevin Spreads The Love
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As a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Love was relied upon as the team's lone legitimate star and scoring threat. Those days are no more, as are the seasons where Love averages 26 PPG. His point totals will drop, but you can expect his assist numbers get even better than last year's career-high of 4.4 APG.
3. Waiters Has Career-Year
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3. Waiters Has Career-Year
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Two years is a small sample size, but it's worth noting that in Dion Waiters' sophomore season, he improved in every major statistical category. He's set to start, but rumors state that he's only going to play a few minutes before being saved to lead the team's reserves alongside Tristan Thompson.
Waiters' playing time may be reduced, but he will get a lot of opportunities to produce when James, Love and Irving are resting on the sidelines.
2. LBJ Wins Fifth NBA MVP Award
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2. LBJ Wins Fifth NBA MVP Award
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With Kevin Durant sidelined for the first six weeks (at least) of the season, and Derrick Rose trying to come back from two knee surgeries in two years, the NBA MVP award is James' to lose.
James doesn't like to lose.
1. Cavs End 50 Years Of Sorrow
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1. Cavs End 50 Years Of Sorrow
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The Cleveland Cavaliers have the talent to make history in 2014-15. Make no mistake, there will be growing pains, but when it's all said and done, the Cavs have what it takes to win it all: Multiple legitimate scoring threats, a ball distributor, a solid bench and the NBA's best player.
The only question is, are the citizens of Cleveland ready for the city's first championship parade in 50 years?
Jeff Pearlman is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.