Cleveland Cavaliers Tickets

Cleveland Cavaliers 2008/2009 Season Preview The Cleveland Cavaliers came off their trip to the NBA Finals by coming up just short of getting back there in a tough loss in the second round of the playoffs.

In one of the most ugly playoff series in recent memory, the Cavaliers pushed the eventual World Champion Boston Celtics to the brink of elimination, falling short of pulling off the upset in Game 7.

LeBron James didn't have his best series but still managed to pour in a memorable performance in a losing effort, going toe to toe with Paul Pierce. Both players scored over 40 points in the Celtics win.

The biggest move of the offseason was the team re-signing shooting guard Daniel Gibson to a multi-year contract. Gibson is probably the player that LeBron has most faith and trust in on the team.

Gibson injured himself in the series against the Celtics and was unable to return, which really hurt their chances to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Another big move was the selection of forward J.J. Hickson in the NBA Draft. I think they stole Hickson as late they got him in the first round. He is a true power forward who can score inside and rebound the ball. He also has the body to get tough and bang around on the inside, which is something the Cavaliers desperately need.

So long as Cleveland has LeBron, they are going to be a contender in the Eastern Conference. However, LeBron has literally nothing to work with and this team can't become a truth threat year in and year out to win an NBA title until they get him some help.

If the Cavaliers don't get him some help in a hurry, they will have bigger issues than just struggling to get through the Eastern Conference. James becomes a free agent in a couple of seasons, and there is little doubt he will walk if management does not show a true effort to improve the team.

This team desperately needs a point guard, someone who can take the pressure off of James to handle the ball. Delonte West is a nice complementary role player, but he is not a point guard who orchestrates an offense.

The Cavaliers will likely sit in the middle of the pack yet again in the Eastern Conference and pray that LeBron can single-handedly carry them through the playoffs. Unless he takes his game to that next level, that isn't likely to happen.