The Cleveland Cavaliers will be starting the 2015-2016 season without their All-Star point guard, Kyrie Irving. Reports have surfaced that Irving, who fractured his left kneecap in Game 1 of the 2015 NBA Finals, is on a recovery track that would force him to miss several months of the season.
According to Cleveland.com, January is now the benchmark for Irving's return. The impact of not having the three-time All-Star for the beginning of the season could mean several things for the Cavs, who came two wins shy of bringing Cleveland its first NBA Title.
Backups will see increased minutes at the beginning of the season. The Eastern Conference Champs battled through injuries throughout all of last season and were without Irving and Kevin Love for the majority of The Finals. Irving was sidelined by injury for both Cavs wins in the Finals as his backup, Matthew Dellavedova, captured the attention of the nation with his fearlessness and grit. But while Dellavedova's heart was on full display, Irving's presence was missed. Even after scoring 20 points in Game 3 of the Finals, Dellavedova averaged just nine points-per-game in the five games in which he started. Irving, on the other hand, racked up a 19.0 points-per-game average in the first 13 games of his playoff career. Without Irving, LeBron James, among others, was forced to shift into high gear.
The absence of Irving clearly took a toll on James, who will turn 31 in December. As the 2015-2016 season approaches, James will, again, take command of the Cavs as the team begins its quest for a return trip to the NBA Finals. Injuries played a determining factor in the 2014-2015 Cavaliers' season and will have some carryover for the beginning of the 2015-2016 season.
There are many positives to the Cavaliers' current situation, however, including the addition of Mo Williams, who is now in his second stint with the team. Williams first joined the Cavs after the team's first run to the NBA Finals in 2007 and played alongside James for two seasons. Along those same lines, Anderson Varejao is set to return from an injury that kept him sidelined for the majority of the 2014-2015 season. Varejao, whose starting job is in jeopardy as a result of stellar play from Timofey Mozgov and Tristan Thompson, was a key piece alongside James in 2007.
Nearly every player from last season, with the exception of Mike Miller (traded) and Shawn Marion (retirement), is returning for another go. In his second season with the team, David Blatt now has plenty of experience and talent to make a return run to the NBA Finals. But, as was the case last season, health will be the largest obstacle blocking the team from success. With Irving out until sometime in January, it is crucial that the rest of the Cavs' lineup-namely James and Love-remains healthy.
When Irving's return date arrives, the Cavaliers will likely be one of the top teams in the East. Just as the January fifth trade involving J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert did, Irving's timing could vault the Cavs into another dominant second half .