Nice how things change so drastically and so quickly in the NBA.
In the season preview that I wrote about the Cleveland Cavaliers one year ago, the five things to watch included Andrew Bynum, Anthony Bennett and Mike Brown’s defensive schemes. Obviously, things have changed dramatically as the Cavs head into the 2014-15 season.
With a mere 952 words in Sports Illustrated back in July after Chris Sheridan broke the story two days earlier, LeBron James single-handedly changed the direction – and the expectations – for a franchise that has not sniffed the playoffs since 2010. It is safe to assume that the Cavaliers are going to be one of the league’s most fascinating teams this season.
Here are the five storylines that should be interesting to watch as the Cavs begin their quest to deliver the city of Cleveland its first professional sports championship since 1964.
1. How will James, Kevin Love, and Kyrie Irving fit together? When David Griffin was named to the position of full-time GM at the end of last season, he spoke extensively about the need to put together a roster with pieces that fit together. Only in his wildest dreams could he have imagined that the roster he’d end up with would include these three players.
On paper, these three could be a perfect fit. LeBron has slimmed down, and he apparently wants to play more on the wing than he does in the post. Having arguably the game’s best power forward alongside him should help allow him to do that.
Love’s ability to stretch the floor should help create space for LeBron and Irving to get to the basket. There will also be the potential for some really exciting smaller lineups in which Love plays center, and LeBron plays power forward.
Irving, who has had to carry the offense during his first three years in the league, will now be asked to become more of a facilitator. Running the point and picking his spots is a role that he seemed to thrive in at times for Team USA during the FIBA World Cup. Did you see what he said after he won the MVP in that tournament?
Of course, basketball is played on hardwood and not on paper, so it is impossible to say for sure how well this will actually work until we see it in real life. There is always the potential that LeBron and Irving could end up disagreeing about who ought to run the offense late in games.
2. David Blatt’s adjustment to coaching in the NBA. When Blatt was hired to coach the Cavs in late June, it was heralded as a bold and impressive move by the people who knew him. However, many people who don’t follow international basketball had no idea who Blatt was. Some were concerned by his total lack of NBA experience. Still, for a rebuilding team looking to take the next step, it seemed like an innovative risk worth taking.
Now that the expectations for this team have been raised significantly, the pressure will be on Blatt from day one. He’s been consistently described as an “offensive genius,” so combining that genius with this roster creates all kinds of thrilling possibilities. But he’s never played or coached in the NBA before. He’s not used to an 82-game grind, or the egos that are 
generally associated with NBA players. Blatt will be under the microscope with this team, and he’ll be worth keeping an eye on.
3. Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters in new roles. In each of the last two seasons, Thompson started all 82 games for the Cavs. With Love now the starter at power forward, he will have to adopt a new role coming off the bench. This may be a better fit for Thompson’s skill set, but it will still be an adjustment (not as much of an adjustment as changing shooting hands, though). It is likely that Thompson will also be asked to play more at center than he has in the past. If he can provide any rim protection at all, he could be a huge asset for this team, which is somewhat lacking in the interior defense department.
Waiters only started 24 games last season as Brown opted to utilize him primarily off the bench. This season, it appears likely that he will be the starting shooting guard (which is what he wants to be). He will, however, have to learn to take fewer shots and become more efficient. And there are still lingering questions about whether or not he and Irving can co-exist.
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4. The veterans. One of the biggest issues facing last season’s team was its lack of any sort of veteran leadership. Other than Anderson Varejao and Jarrett Jack, every player who was on the team for the full season was 26 or younger.
LeBron now becomes the unquestioned leader of the team. But he won’t be alone. The Cavs have added Mike Miller, Shawn 
Marion and James Jones, all three of whom have won titles. There’s still a chance that they could also add Ray Allen. It should be interesting to see the impact that these players have on the young core of Irving, Waiters and Thompson.
5. What will Dan Gilbert do if expectations are not met? Right now, everything in Cleveland feels like a dream. Ask any fan who endured the last four seasons. Suddenly having a championship contender to root for still doesn’t feel real.
But great expectations can bring a great burden. What if the team starts the season slowly? Remember, the 2010-11 Miami Heat – with a relatively inexperienced coach and LeBron joining new teammates – started just 9-8 as their stars learned to play with each other. If the Cavs underachieve for any stretch of time, it will put a ton of pressure on Blatt. All of Irving’s mistakes will be picked apart. He and Waiters – and even Love – have never been under the kind of scrutiny that they will be under this season.
And if things do go poorly, how will the owner react? Gilbert – who probably deserves more credit than he has received for paving the way for LeBron to return – is not known for being a patient man. He fired Byron Scott after three seasons in which the team wasn’t even trying to win. He then re-hired Brown (whom he had fired three years earlier), and then re-fired him after one season. He reportedly offered John Calipari at least $60 million to run the team.
With Gilbert, all options will be on the table. Firing Blatt after less than a full season? Trading Irving? Nothing is off of the table. Gilbert is ruthlessly competitive, and he will do whatever he thinks it takes to win.
And that’s just one of the many reasons that the Cavs will probably be the most fascinating team in the NBA this season.
MORE ON THE CAVS:
BOBBY GONZALEZ: Who is Better: Cavs or Bulls? Position by position breakdown.
THREE-MAN WEAVE: Comparing the Cavs to the Bulls, and vice versa.
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Mike Mayer is an editor for SB Nation’s Cleveland Cavaliers blog, Fear the Sword. You can follow him on Twitter at @RS64mikemayer.