How many wins will the Cleveland Cavaliers have in 2014-15 now that LeBron is back on the team? originally appeared on Quora: The best answer to any question. Ask a question, get a great answer. Learn from experts and get insider knowledge. You can follow Quora on Twitter , Facebook , and Google+ .
Answer by Alex Suchman , Ballin' since '96
I expect the Cavs to finish somewhere between 55 and 60 wins.
Obviously, the strength of this team is in their stars. James, Love, and Irving might be the best trio in the league. They'll be an absolute nightmare for opponents to try to contain on offense. Unlike some collections of superstars (like the 2013 Lakers), their individual games make sense together. James and Irving will likely do the bulk of the ball handling, but both have the skills to be dangerous without the ball. Love will likely do a lot of screening, popping out for open shots, and ball handling around the high post. All three are intelligent passers with an intuitive feel for the game and can operate from positions all over the court. In other words, they're a coach's dream.
On offense, the rest of the pieces fit well, too. Dion Waiters is an above average 3-point shooter (37 percent last season and likely to improve as his teammates feed him more open shots) who can make some plays of his own. Anderson Varejao is a heady player who will set hard screens and make smart cuts. The Cavs' bench includes Mike Miller, whose killer long-range shooting is a plus anywhere. Shawn Marion and Tristan Thompson are the kind of mixed-bag players who benefit from playing with star teammates. Playing with LeBron brings out the best in anyone.
With all these weapons, and a smart coach to harness them in David Blatt, it's not unreasonable to think the Cavs will have the best offense in the league — if not immediately, then by the end of the season.
Defense is a different story. The Cavs don't have a single guard who is even average on defense, and they lack a bona fide rim protector. James and Varejao are the only above average defenders, while Irving, Waiters, Thompson, and Miller have all struggled on that end. Some of that is contextual — almost everyone on the Cavs has looked bad the past few seasons, and at least part of that is due to poor coaching. Coach Blatt should install a cohesive, NBA-level system that will give structure to their defense. A well-executed scheme can help make up for individually poor defenders. I won't be surprised if the Cavs are around league average by the end of the season, but I also won't be surprised if there are some bumps in the road. The more important question for them will be whether they can stop playoff-level offenses when they need to.
The Cavs' other challenge comes from a lack of depth. They have eight quality players, and then a big drop to everyone else. If any of those eight gets injured or underperforms, it could create a hole in their rotation. Furthermore, the Cavs don't have good backups at either point guard or center. The issue at center is magnified by the fact that the starter, Varejao, is 32 and has eclipsed 1,000 minutes in just one of the last four seasons. The Cavs might need to make a move or two during the season to add depth, especially if injuries become a problem.
Overall, the Cavs have a lot going for them but are far from a perfect team. Their offense should be outstanding, but defense and depth could give them trouble. It helps that they play in the Easy — I mean, Eastern Conference. Overall, I expect them to finish between 55 and 60 wins — probably enough to win the East, but probably not the best record in the NBA.