LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal not enough for Cleveland to win NBA Title

October 07 09

Every day until the regular season begins, HoopsVibe the Blog will ask and answer an important question facing each of the NBA’s thirty teams. Weigh-in with thoughts on our Key Questions feature in the comment box below.

Today’s team: Cleveland Cavaliers.

Key Question: Can Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James win Cleveland an NBA Title?

The Answer: Yes, but they need help.

For months, the city of Cleveland has been taken with O’Neal, their newest addition acquired in an off-season trade with the Phoenix Suns. Fans and media have followed the perennial All-Star’s every move like teenagers stalking the cast of Twilight.

Their interest is justified. The five-man, even at 37 and rocking ‘XXL‘, can still battle elite posts like Dwight Howard, which gives James his best opportunity at an NBA Title. Raising a banner, in turn, gives the organization its best opportunity at re-signing the reigning MVP when he hits free agency in July.

While James and O’Neal will form a dynamic duo, other dominoes, particularly on the perimeter, must fall into place for the Cavaliers to upstage the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, and San Antonio Spurs for the 2010 championship.

Point guard Mo Williams must rebound from a mixed year. The scoring table-setter was named to his first All-Star game because of strong play in the regular season, but vanished in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Magic. Greater consistency is needed.

The two-spot is also uncertain. Like Williams, Delonte West had a solid regular season before stumbling in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Magic’s larger perimeter players. Recently, the combo guard was arrested for gun possession and missed the start of training camp with mental health issues (hopefully, West is taking care of himself).

Realizing his backcourt was unsettled, GM Danny Ferry wisely signed Anthony Parker as a free agent. The former Euro league star and Toronto Raptor is steady, plays all perimeter positions well, and, at 6-6, possesses the size to defend the NBA’s biggest swings. Parker will see major minutes if Williams or West stumble.

The rest of the supporting cast is solid but hardly spectacular. Super-pest Anderson Varejao will start at the four-spot, while Daniel Gibson, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Jamario Moon round out Coach Mike Brown’s rotation.

Prediction: Championship contenders. ‘Big Threes’ and ‘Fantastic Fours’ have become the norm, so winning an NBA Title depends on the Cavaliers’ supporting pieces assisting the James-O’Neal duo.

Sound off: Where will Cleveland finish in 2010? Get at us in the comment box below; follow Oly on HoopsVibe and Twitter. Photo courtesy of Kyle Kutuchief.

14 Comments: LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal not enough for Cleveland to (...)

Posted by

on 11.11.2009

Shaq won’t push the Cav’s to the title. They’re still not as solid a team as LA, Orlando or Boston. Boston will take out the Cav’s in the playoffs. Look forward to seeing Lebron somewhere else next season. Shaq is an awesome player but we’re seeing his demise. He won’t be a prevalent force in the next 2 years. Lebron on the other hand hasn’t reached his peak. He deserves a title shot and not late in his career like Vince Carter. I’m expecting a Boston/LA rematch this year. .

Posted by
yuner
on 10.19.2009

Your blog is very good, very novel, let I learned a lot from, thank you very much, I hope you can write some articles of this! .

Posted by
yuner
on 10.19.2009

Very good, I really like your articles, as well as in your article, very good, I hope you can write! I’ll take your website to share my friend!http://ags-c-79.html .

Posted by
africanballer
on 10.16.2009

Its good to have shaq in cleveland, but one key difference everyone is overlooking is anthony parker. Williams and West chocked during the orlando series, both distracted, but parker will fill that role very well. But it’s a tough one to call, they’ll probably make it to the finals. Everyone expected them to sweep the magic, but we all know what happened. Lakers probably won’t repeat, with the west getting more competitive. .

Posted by

on 10.12.2009

cavs will not won the nba championship, no chance. shaq is old. lebron is a choker. west and williams obviously have mental disorders. .

Posted by
sarah
on 10.8.2009

(sometimes referred to as uggs or ug boots)are a style of sheepskin boot, with wool as the inner lining and a tanned outer surface worn by both men and women. Ugg boots often have a synthetic sole, although this is not universal. Uggs have been identified as a fashion trend since the early 2000s.

Best Service, Highest Quality, Competitive Price, Timely delivery Safe Shipping 100% Satisfaction, We sincerely hope to establish good cooperative relationship with you.

Posted by
asdf
on 10.7.2009

with no shaq it was cavs going 66 wins....with shaq?!?! at least "67" wins!?!? .

Posted by
G3
on 10.7.2009

Too tough to call. There are so many ifs. Shaq’s inability to defend the pick and roll, and to make free throws. It will be interesting to see. I’ll be cheering for the big fella to continue to show some dominance. The championship is up for grabs and several teams will have a shot. The unknown factor of injuries always shows itself and adds drama. .

Posted by
Bam
on 10.7.2009

LOL OLY THE WRITER WHO PREDICTS s---THAT DOESNT HAPPEN LOL how do you know if they win the NBA title or not? your not psychic lol dont hate your the writer who makes articles hating on people and teams. lol your articles make no sense and its nothing but jibberish lol your funny .

Posted by
Snika
on 10.7.2009

I don’t know, I think it totally depends on who gets hot late. You are severly underestimating Shaq’s postseason abilities. When healthy, he is unstoppable. With Lebron perfecting his game, and adding Moon and Parker to guard opposing 2s and 3s and give Lebron a rest... there will be some serious competition deep into the playoffs this year. .

Posted by
brandon
on 10.7.2009

Getting shaq is a big help but still not enough to beat the two strongest teams in the west San Antonio(if Duncan and Ginobilli stay healthy) and LA. But a healthy Boston still could stop them from getting to the finals. .

Posted by

on 10.7.2009

Nobody is hating on Williams or the Cavs? They are rated as championship material and Williams, who struggled in the eastern Finals, needs to step up his game! .

Posted by
Courtney Williams
on 10.7.2009

STOP HATING ON MO WILLIAMS AND THE CAVS .

Posted by
Boston
on 10.7.2009

The Cavaliers aren’t there yet. I think Boston will beat them and actually take the Lakers who look distracted .

Post your comment:

No profanity or inaproppriate remarks. All i.p. addresses will be saved and abuse/hate posts will be reported to providers and authorities as part of the anti-spam act of 2003, thank you for posting comments on the articles only.

	About Oly Sandor
Daily take on NBA Oly Sandor is an NBA analyst and sports journalist based out of Vancouver, Canada.After years of the free-lance game, Oly Sandor is bringing his unique brand of NBA analysis exclusively to (...) More

LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal not enough for Cleveland to win NBA Title

AboutOly Sandor

About
Oly Sandor