The world waited forLeBron James to announce his decision as to where he would be taking his talents. Now that the announcement came early Friday morning it already seems like old news. Given today's mass media and social media outlets, The Kings decision has been dissected from every angle; from the knowledgeable down to the sports guy on your local news desk.
The reverberations of LeBron's decision are still being felt throughout the NBA as an all out frenzy to sign free agents is well underway. The dominoes are starting to fall in rapid succession now that James is committed.
With the announcement that he was coming home, the balance of power in the Eastern Conference shifted considerably. The Cavs went from a potential seventh or eighth seeded playoff team to a top three seed. They also became the odds on favorite to win the 2014-15 NBA title; at least according to Las Vegas.
Prior to the acquisition of James, the Cavaliers were a whopping 60:1 underdogs to take home a title, now they are valued higher than the reigning champion San Antonio Spurs, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Granted James is the best player on the planet, but one man does not make an NBA Championship. Add to the equation that the Cavaliers have an NBA rookie coach in David Blatt; factor in that team chemistry and familiarity is a huge component of team success and it’s not like the Cavaliers are a sure thing to take a title in the first year.
Handicapping sports bets is as much about being fortunate as it is about Las Vegas covering the house money. With all the action pouring in on Cleveland it was inevitable that the house odds would reflect the popular choice. As for laying actual cash money on a team, the Cavaliers at this point represent the sucker bet.
LeBron himself came out and said that he expects hiccups along the way and that he himself will have to show patience as the team struggles through in it’s infancy. As the roster stands right now the Cavaliers have a very good team, no question; but they shouldn’t be considered the best option to take home a title next season.
Things in Cleveland will take time to come together. There are NBA Championships in Cleveland’s future, it just won’t be next season. Give LeBron and Company a couple years to gel as a team, make some roster upgrades and allow for Andrew Wiggins to mature into a proven threat and then they will be a force to reckon with in the playoffs.