The Cavs had the best regular season in the league last year but fizzled out in the playoffs. They made one big move and several smaller moves this offseason to make sure the fizzle doesn't happen again. Will those moves pay off? Only time will tell.
2009/10 NBA Blogger Preview - Cleveland Cavaliers - Fear The Sword
I guess it is safe to say the Cavaliers made the biggest move of the off-season - literally. Shaquille O'Neal is a big man and a big personality. The question will be if there is enough room on the floor and shots in a game to keep Shaq, LeBron, Mo Williams and others happy. I believe this team has the character for it not to become a problem - and seeing a few Pre-Season games it appears everyone is going to be completely happy. Should the Cavaliers start losing, well, then there could be problems. I, for one, think the Shaq acquisition was the perfect move for the Cavaliers to make. There is something to having a lot of talent, but that expereince is a huge positive as well. Shaw will also take some of the spotlight off LeBron which isn't a bad thing.
2009-10 NBA Blogger Previews: Cleveland Cavaliers | WaitingForNextYear
I’ve heard plenty of analysts suggest they weren’t impressed with Cleveland’s offseason, but I think they’re missing the big picture here. Last year in the playoffs, the Cavaliers’ starting unit wasn’t the problem. The problem was when the Cavs needed to go to the bench, they were bringing in guys like Szczerbiak, Pavlovic, Gibson, and Wallace and asking them to make a meaningful contribution. It was asking too much of below average basketball players. Now this year, when the Cavs need to go to the bench in the playoffs, they’ll be bringing in guys like Delonte West (hopefully), Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Jamario Moon, Leon Powe, and a vastly improved JJ Hickson. These are guys who can contribute. Many of them were starters last year. This Cavs team is the deepest team this city has ever had, and the hope Ferry has is that the depth will keep guys fresh and give Mike Brown the needed flexibility to match up with almost any type of opponent.
It’s About That Time: CA’s 2009-10 Cleveland Cavaliers Season Preview | Cavalier Attitude
For every year that Mike Brown has been head coach (four seasons), the Cavs have always been one of the best rebounding teams in the league. In fact, they have been in the top five every year under Brown. Adding a bulldozer like Shaq to the mix, giving energizer Anderson Varejao the starting power forward job, and adding an athletic wing like Jamario Moon is only going to make that category even more dominant in the Cavs’ favor.