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The Cleveland Cavaliers have been one of the quieter teams this offseason, and that’s OK with LeBron James.

"I think it is good for us,"' James told the Akron Beacon Journal, "just to have the chemistry will help us.''

LeBron may be onto something. A witness to three coaches, two owners, two general managers and 38 teammates during his three-year tenure in Cleveland, James will benefit from familiarity with his teammates and a second season under Mike Brown.

Drew Gooden would probably echo LeBron’s sentiments. After playing for six different coaches in his first three seasons, Gooden – who signed a multi-year extention in September – has finally found stability and the 25-year-old could flourish under Brown, who led the Cavaliers to 50 wins – and within one game of the Eastern Conference Finals – last year.

General Manager Danny Ferry’s biggest summer priority was signing James and Gooden to contract extensions. Cavaliers fans can exhale, for the moment at least, knowing that the King’s reign will extend at least through the 2009-10 season.

James continued to blaze a historic trail, averaging 31.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 6.6 apg, and becoming the youngest player to score 6,000 career points. He became just the fourth player in NBA history to average better than 31 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists – joining Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan and Jerry West – he was the MVP of the All-Star Game, he was a league-best 19-of-29 from the field in one-possession games and, gulp!, he’s still only 21.

The only major defection from the Cavaliers rotation was Ronald Murray, who signed with Detroit. His loss should be more than offset by the signing of veterans Scot Pollard and David Wesley.

Amazingly, Wesley, 35, makes the Cavaliers even older in the backcourt, where 33-year-old Eric Snow was logging 31 minutes per game during the playoffs. Nevertheless, Wesley could be an underrated addition because of his three-point shooting and his defense, two areas the Cavaliers need to improve.

Though the Cavaliers enter camp with seven players over the age of 30, youth will be served if Larry Hughes (46 games missed in 2005-06) and Anderson Varejao (34 games) can stay healthy. The Cavaliers will also try to find minutes for first-round pick Shannon Brown, an athletic 6-4 guard from Michigan State.

At times, LeBron’s superior play in the postseason created the perception that he was a one-man team, but a supporting cast that includes Hughes, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Gooden, Donyell Marshall, Snow, Wesley and Varejao is more than adequate.

For three straight years, the Cavs have improved their win total by seven or more games, going from 17 to 35 during LeBron’s rookie season, to 42 in 2004-05 and to 50 last year. A similar improvement would establish the Cavaliers among the league’s elite, and it isn’t all that far-fetched with No. 23 leading the way.

-- Bill Evans

2006-07 Cavaliers Ticket Plans

Varejao

Cavaliers fans love Anderson Varejao, the bouncing 6-10 Brazilian with the Fuzzy Pumper Barber Shop hairdo, who was last seen giving the Pistons matchup nightmares in the Conference Semifinals.

But when Varejao submits his ‘How I spent my summer vacation’ essay, his adoring fans make take pause.

Varejao was a flop at the FIBA World Championships, where he nearly caused an international incident when his elbow to the face of Greece’s Nikos Zisis broke three bones in Zisis’s face. His Brazil team finished 1-4, failing to advance from its group. Varejao also complained of ‘heavy legs,’ perhaps the result of fatigue and/or lack of conditioning.

At his best, Varejao could emerge as an X-factor for the Cavaliers. His boundless energy could spark the Cavaliers second unit and earn the 24-year-old a nice new contract at the end of the season.

Anything less, and Varejao might find himself buried on a deep Cavaliers team that can also lean on Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Drew Gooden, Donyell Marshall and Scot Pollard.

-- Bill Evans

X&O STRENGTH

Brown

Mike Brown has the job only assigned to the likes of Phil Jackson, Larry Brown and Pat Riley and that is controlling and running a team with a superstar on it. That is not an easy task...Defensively, they just find a way to play hard at both ends. I think they have the fire power to do it now. They’re young enough and I think their age plays a big role in their success.

X&O WEAKNESS
He is going to have to work back into the lineup Larry Hughes and finding shots for him could be a challenge...Offensively they’re going to have to gel and find out a way to carve up the basketball to get the ball to more people within the flow of the offense.

HEAD COACH PHILOSOPHY
Along with Stotts, the least experienced coach in the Central Division but there is no evidence of him being green or unprepared last year, especially in the postseason.

-- John Gabriel (courtesy of the National Basketball Coaches Association)

The only weakness -- and it's not a real weakness because Eric Snow knows how to play -- is at point guard. He is solid, but a lot of teams might say, "Let's make Eric Snow beat us."
Larry Hughes is back for his second season with LeBron and will be healthy, hopefully for them.
Offensively there's not a whole lot of weaknesses, but I don't see a lot of those guys guarding. Hughes will guard and so will Snow, but, down low, those guys aren't going to guard.
One thing they do have going at the defensive end is they do have guys that will rebound the basketball. Their bigs -- Drew Gooden, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Anderson Varejao and Donyell Marshall -- do rebound. Teams aren't going to get easy put-backs.

-- Eastern Conference Scout

Zydrunas Ilgauskas: Blocks. Boards. Points. Good percentages. Can't ask for more out of a big man.

Larry Hughes: He’s missed nine or more games in seven of his eight NBA seasons and 21 or more games in each of the last three. Enough said.

More fantasy news

This team is built around LeBron James, and as he goes – they go. In some cases you know what you’re getting, be it good or bad (LeBron, Ilgauskas, Snow), and in others only time will tell (Hughes, Gooden, Marshall, Brown, Varejao, Gibson, Pollard). Keep an eye on the rookies as they could make an impact down the road but keep the expectations very low in the early going. Cleveland will be one of the better teams around, plus they’ll have the best player in fantasy basketball running the show and a supporting cast of reliable guys with potential playing second fiddle.
-- Chris Cates
Cavaliers Fantasy Preview

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