10 things to expect from LeBron this season

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James is best basketball player in NBA (just two more years till it’s your turn, Anthony Davis). Now entering year number two in his second stint with the Cavs, there couldn’t be more pressure on King James to bring Cleveland their first NBA championship. If not for injuries to Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, it may very well have happened last season, but alas, if you’re a Cleveland sports fan, life is just unfair. If there was ever a time however to be a Cavs fan, it would be now, and with that in mind let’s take a look at 10 things you can expect from LeBron James this upcoming NBA season.

1) Less shots, more passing

At this point in LeBron James career it’s all about winning basketball games, and turning the Cavs in a championship basketball team. For that reason, expect LeBron to look to get his teammates as many open shots as possible in order to build their confidence and foster chemistry. In particular, look for LeBron to get Kevin Love involved as much as possible on offense, as the ultra-talented power forward was never quite able to gel with the Cavs last season.

2) Some sort of minutes restriction

It might be in the form of head coach David Blatt imposing a minutes limit, it might come in the form of LeBron not playing in the tail end of back-to-back games, but one thing you can be sure of is that LeBron will be doing everything he can to make sure his body is ready for the postseason. Don’t be surprised even if LeBron takes a mini “sabbatical” at some point, similar to what he did last season.

3) No headband

King James appears to have finally come to terms with his receding hair line, as he ditched the headband look he made so famous late last year. Headband or no headband however, he’s still the best player in the NBA.

4) Lead the NBA in triple-doubles

With LeBron not looking to score as much, and with big-man Tristan Thompson in contract limbo, expect LeBron to be doing his best Oscar Robertson impersonation this season. James only recorded two regular season triple-doubles last season, but has recorded 39 of them for his career. Expect that little number of two triple-doubles to skyrocket into the double-digits this upcoming season; and expect James to lead the NBA in triple-doubles recorded by season’s end.

5) Less three point shots

In his two championship winning season’s with the Miami Heat, James averaged 2.4 and 3.3 three point attempts per game. In his first season back in Cleveland, James shot 4.9 three balls per game. Although he shot a respectable 35% from beyond the arc last season, I would bet my life LeBron is keenly aware of this disparity. In order for the Cavs to win a championship, it would probably be most effective if James limited the amount of three pointers he took, so expect less three balls from the King this upcoming season.

6) Another All-NBA First Team

Forget just making the All-Star team, LeBron is going to make his ninth All-NBA First Team this season. Even Michael Jordan only made ten All-NBA First Teams (although it would have certainly been more if not for his 1993 retirement). Kevin Durant may be back and healthy this season, but James is still the best small forward in basketball.

7) Win his 5th MVP

With Durant back, Stephen Curry having taken over the NBA, Anthony Davis rapidly ascending in New Orleans, and that James Harden guy playing in Houston, winning the NBA MVP has never been harder feat to accomplish than at any point in LeBron’s career. Despite that, I say LeBron wins his fifth MVP award this season. James was irked last season when he finished third in the MVP voting, and a motivated LeBron James is not a person you want to bet against. Also, when you factor in that the MVP is usually awarded to best player on the best team (and the Cavs could easily win 65 plus games if they stay healthy) there’s an excellent chance James will win career MVP number five.

8) LeBron the coach

We saw during the NBA playoffs last year the James and Cavs coach David Blatt don’t always appear to be on the same page, and that LeBron isn’t afraid of taking control if he feels the need to. Expect more of the same this season. It hardly sounds like a dynamic that is conducive to winning an NBA championship, but in reality, talent will always trump coaching to some extent in the NBA. And the as far as that talent thing goes, the Cavs have no shortage of it.

9) Win the East

Let’s keep it real. The Atlanta Hawks are a pretty good team, and the Chicago Bulls have great talent as well, but right now in the Eastern Conference no team is on the same level as the Cavs. It’s just not close. LeBron James is the trump card of the NBA. Expect the Cavs to win the East again, and after they win the East . .  .

10) Finally!!!

This is the year Cavs fans. After experiencing every feeling along the emotional-sports-spectrum, other than the thrill of having your team win a championship, the wait ends in June of 2016. Lead by the greatest player of our generation, the Cleveland Cavaliers will in 2015-16 NBA Title, and bring their first Larry O’Brien trophy to Cleveland. And LeBron James will be named Finals MVP.
  
My reasoning: this team is just too loaded not win a title. If LeBron can take the Warriors six games deep, essentially all by himself, as he did in last year’s Finals, with a healthy Kyrie Irving and healthy Kevin Love by his side there is just no conceivable way I can imagine a team getting the best of the Cavs in a seven game series. Again, everything is contingent on health, but expect this to be the year LeBron finally brings an NBA title to his home-state of Ohio.
  
Of course, for whatever reason, the sports gods have bestowed Cleveland with the worst possible luck on the planet; and maybe that bad luck continues. But at some point everyone’s luck, bad or good, runs out. And for the Cleveland Cavaliers, with LeBron James leading the charge, no luck will be needed for a team of this caliber to win championship.