Of course, that team had Varejao taking charges, Shaquille O’Neal and Zydrunas Ilgauskas protecting the rim, and a pretty good perimeter defender in LeBron James. But the schemes belonged to Brown, whose ability to coach defense has never been questioned.
4. Will Tristan Thompson’s unprecedented move help improve his shooting? This is definitely something you don’t hear about every day. After using his left hand to shoot free throws and jumpers for his entire basketball career – including two full seasons in the NBA – Thompson has reportedly decided to start shooting with his other hand.
After he was selected fourth overall in the 2011 draft, Thompson has quietly become one of the most promising young big men in the league. His shooting, however, has been holding him back.
Last season, Thomas had a PER of 16.12, (which was higher than players such as Kawhi Leonard and Ryan Anderson). But he shot just 49 percent from the floor , which is only OK for a big, and 61 percent from the line, which is unacceptable for anyone.
If this change helps Thompson improve his jumper, he could have a breakout season.
5. Can Kyrie Irving stay healthy and carry the team? Like most NBA teams, the Cavaliers will only go as far as their best player carries them. While their fate is also tied to the health of Bynum and Varejao and the improvement of Thompson and Waiters, Cleveland’s success or failure really comes down to its All-Star point guard.
Unless you have been living on Neptune for the past couple of years, you are aware that Irving is one of the elite young players on this planet. In just his second NBA season, he averaged 22.5 points and 5.9 assists, making his first All-Star Game.
Irving is an incredible talent, but there are still a couple of fair criticisms that he needs to address this season.
The first is that he is injury-prone. Irving missed most of his freshman season at Duke and has played in only 110 of a possible 148 games with the Cavaliers. In order for him to carry this team to the postseason, he has to be on the floor consistently.
The second criticism of Irving, primarily toward the end of last season, revolved around his maturity. After a blowout loss in Detroit in February, he said that he was “disinterested” in the game. Following the final home game of the season, after which players were expected to remain on the court to give their game-worn jerseys and shoes to some lucky fans, Irving skipped the festivities and went straight into the locker room.
Maybe it is unfair to expect someone who is just 21 years old to carry an NBA team. Some players, like Kevin Durant and 
Derrick Rose, are up to it. Others, like DeMarcus Cousins, are not. But that is the responsibility that comes with being the face of a franchise.
The good news is that Irving appears to have grown up a little bit over the summer. He seems to better understand his role and looks more ready to lead.
That provides some hope for a fan base that hasn’t seen any of its three major pro teams make the playoffs since 2010. If Irving takes another big step forward this season, it is very possible that Nick Gilbert will not have to be at the 2014 draft lottery. I’m sure he would be just fine with that. What’s not to like?
RELATED: CAVALIERS SALARIES AND ANALYSIS
Mike Mayer is the editor-in-chief of Rebuilding Since 1964, an independent Cleveland sports blog. You can follow him on Twitter at @RS64mikemayer.
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