Kelly Dwyer of Yahoo! Sports may be selling the motivation factor short, as a group of players are looking to prove they're better than the pundits say -- and said.
Mo Williams (left), Anderson Varejao (right) and the other Cavaliers will have something to prove this season.Cleveland, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers will not be lacking for motivation this season.
Most national pundits are dismissing them as one of the NBA's worst teams. It may or may not turn out that way, but some critics are going to extremes, such as Kelly Dwyer of Yahoo! Sports.
Dwyer predicts the regular season record for all 30 NBA teams. He has the Miami Heat finishing 70-12, which would be the second-best record in league history. The Cavaliers? Dwyer expects them to go 12-70, which would be the league's third-worst mark ever.
Dwyer appears to be serious, not just making a poor try at being clever by assigning Miami and Cleveland opposite win-loss marks.
Know this: In the course of a long NBA season, and given the chemistry issues that numerous teams inevitably encounter, many games are won by the team that simply plays hardest.
The Cavaliers' current talent level isn't what it was in recent seasons. But the roster features several players who grew tired of hearing that they won only because of LeBron James, and no doubt, they feel dis-respected about what the "experts" are saying now that James left for "South Beach."
Cavs covered
Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Cavaliers coverage includes beat writer Brian Windhorst's report on the Cavaliers first training camp practice, and columnist Terry Pluto's podcast.
Gibson's primed
Yes, the Cavaliers are aware that most pundits expect them to fail.
Mike Popovich writes for the Canton Repository:
Guard Daniel Gibson already feels motivated by the naysayers.
“Big time. Big time,” Gibson said. “I can’t say that enough.
“We know we have talent on this team and we look forward to going out and proving them wrong. It will be great fuel for us to go out and be productive.”
Wait and see
The blog Waiting For Next Year previews the 2010-11 Cavaliers.
After comments and breaking down the team's strengths and weaknesses, the blog addresses what to expect from the team.
Honestly? I wish I knew. The Cavaliers seem to be sending mixed messages on what their agenda is for this season. We have Dan Gilbert and Chris Grant talking about rebuilding the right way, which would probably mean trying to trade high priced veterans like Antawn Jamison and Mo Williams in order to acquire more assets for rebuilding. On the other hand, there’s a lot of talk about this team not dropping off completely and trying to contend for a playoff spot again this season. If that’s the case, and if Mo Williams is correct in saying Dan Gilbert will add any piece he can to make this team better, then we’ll probably see the Cavaliers try to use their Trade Exception to add another veteran piece who can help the team squeak into the playoffs this season and prove to everyone that this team was more than just LeBron James.
Baseline to baseline
The Cavaliers' situation at small forward, by Bob Finnan for the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal; by Jason Lloyd for the Akron Beacon Journal; by Rona Proudfoot for the Medina County Gazette and Elyria Chronicle-Telegram.
A look at the approaching season by Cavs: The Blog.
The manner in which LeBron James left the Cavaliers still bothers people, by Todd Jones for the Columbus Dispatch.
The biggest question facing each NBA team, by Charley Rosen for FoxSports.com.
James credits former Cavaliers coach Mike Brown for a defensive mentality, writes Michael Wallace for the Miami Herald. Wonder if that's any consolation to Brown after James' baffling performances in the last two losses of the playoff series against Boston?