It seems as if the NBA world can't stop talking about the Cleveland Cavaliers this offseason. And rightfully so, considering all the drama they've been through over the past few months. It all started with the speculations and rumors about LeBron James potentially leaving Cleveland again in 2018, and the situation reached a boiling point when Kyrie Irving requested a trade in July.
The Cavs granted Irving's wish last week as they decided to trade the All-Star point guard to the Boston Celtics. Some would even say that the Cavaliers won this trade considering all the pieces they received in return: Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, Brooklyn's 2018 first-round draft pick, and Miami's 2020 second-round pick.
That's pretty good considering the circumstances, but how will Kyrie's departure affect Cleveland's playing style and performance on the court?
A change is inevitable, according to Lue
The Cavaliers held a press conference a couple of days ago as they officially presented their new players that they received in the Kyrie Irving trade. During that press conference, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue was asked about Kyrie Irving and his departure from Cleveland. "He was a big part of what we did. Thanks to him for what he’s done, but my thing is moving forward.” Lue is obviously focused on doing his best with the players that are currently on the roster, and he doesn't plan on looking back at what could've been.
But obviously, any time that a team loses an All-Star caliber player like Kyrie Irving, a change on the court and in playing style is inevitable. That is exactly what Tyronn Lue pointed out when he was asked about playing without Irving next season: "I’m just excited for what we have. We’re gonna change our offense a little bit, you know, do things a little bit different.”
How will the Cavs look without Kyrie?
As Lue pointed out in his statement, Irving was indeed a huge part of what the Cavs did last season.
He averaged a career-high 25.2 points per game, and also added 5.8 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game. He shot 47 percent from the field and connected on 40 percent of his three-pointers last season, as he helped the Cavs reach the NBA Finals for the third straight time. Surely the Cavaliers will not be the same team next season without Kyrie, but even without him, they will be the favorites to be the Eastern Conference champions in 2018.
The Cavs scored an average of 110.3 points per game last season - the fourth best in the league, but that number is likely to go down next season without Irving on the roster. Nevertheless, it is going to be an interesting 2017/2018 season for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Stay tuned!
