Lebron James is still licking his wounds after his team lost to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals last season. Try as he might, James simply couldn't do it alone.
With Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving falling one after the other, the Cavs had to find someone else to fill in the shoes of the two NBA All Stars. Unfortunately, the effort wasn't enough to stop the rampaging Warriors.
Looking at how far the Cavs reached last season, a runner-up finish isn't really bad. Considering the team was formed a bit lackadaisically, reaching that far despite chemistry problems is already a feat.
But for someone like James, success is the only thing in his mind. He did put up a show and such is proof that he is indeed one of the best basketball players, if not the best, the NBA has today.
The situation is somehow similar to his fortunes back in 2010. James joined the Miami Heat to help win an NBA title and like the Cavs this year, he fell on the first try against the Dallas Mavericks. But James and the Heat would win consecutive titles after that, something that became apparent because James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh finally settled in.
So will it be the same scenario for the Cavs?
The odds of that happening are indeed high and likely. Once Irving and Love are back to 100% health plus everyone blending in well, the Cavs are expected to lord it over in the Eastern Conference.
"My ultimate goal is to win a championship, and it starts now," says James via USA Today.
Among their closest pursuers include James' former team, the Miami Heat, the Chicago Bulls, and the Atlanta Hawks. But on paper alone, the Cavs are obvious favorites, but James does not intend to approach the season lightly.
"I will take all the pain that comes with competing for a championship at the end of the day," he adds. "I'll take all the bumps and bruises that I get when I'm playing because I know that I left it all out on the floor."
Will the Cavs take it all the way? How will they fare against the last team standing in the Western Conference if ever they do reach the NBA Finals?
