McInnis

On a roster that included LeBron James, Carlos Boozer and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, it's hard to believe that the most indespensible player on the team was a former CBA refugee who has been cast aside by the Nuggets, Wizards and Clippers. The proof, however, is in the numbers.

In 31 games with J-Mac running the offense, the Cavaliers were 20-11. They looked like a playoff lock after running off seven straight wins in mid-March, but when an ankle injury knocked McInnis out of the lineup, the Cavaliers lost 11 of 12 and their playoff hopes were dashed. A healthy McInnis returned to the lineup for the final three games – all Cavaliers wins – and averaged 17.0 points.

This season, with the addition of Eric Snow, McInnis has extra motivation to pick up where he left off a year ago. His frenetic, caffeinated personality is a perfect fit for LeBron, and a primary reason that the Cavaliers should be playing more than 82 games this season.

James

Following an offseason that included the passing of his mother, the unexpected death of assistant coach Mark Osowski and the Carlos Boozer-to-Utah saga that shook the foundation of the franchise, the Cavaliers mentor is ready for the relative calm of the LeBron James traveling circus.

An entertaining circus it was, when the phenom delivered an electric performance in Sacramento and never looked back. James improved noticeably throughout the season, and removed any doubt that he is the face of the franchise for years to come.

The loss of Boozer was crippling. The Olympian was on the books for a mere $700,000 had the team simply exercised its option on his contract. When the plan to do right by Boozer went awry, President Jim Paxson rebounded nicely by wresting Drew Gooden and Anderson Varejao from Orlando.

The team also shored up its backcourt. A year after experimenting with part-time actor Darius Miles as his point guard, Silas now has a wealth of ballhandlers in James, Jeff McInnis and newly-acquired Eric Snow.

Pencil in Zydrunas Ilgauskas at center. After struggling early last season, Ilgauskas earned the confidence of Silas and exploded in the second half.

The biggest question mark is outside shooting, the same Achilles' heel that stalled the team a year ago, before their best shooter (Jason Kapono) was claimed in the expansion draft. Offseason addition Sasha Pavlovic and lottery pick Luke Jackson will have plenty of open looks as James draws defenders into the paint. Can they hit them?

Despite the Boozer debacle, the Cavaliers are moving forward. Silas enters camp with a talented group that responds to his coaching. He led a lesser team to a 29-28 finish after a ghastly 6-19 start last year. The team's first playoff berth since 1998 should help him put a long summer behind him.