Saturday, October 31, 2015

#Browns Preview 10.31.15: Arizona #Cardinals @ Cleveland Browns


By @mrgroce

This Sunday at 1:00, the 2-5 Cleveland Browns will host the 1st place 5-2 Arizona Cardinals. The Browns are coming off of a another loss, 24-6 to the St.Louis Rams. The Cardinals on the other hand are coming off of a win against the Baltimore Ravens. The Browns, already a team that lacks play makers continue to turn the ball over and commit stupid penalties two things that they absolutely cannot do against a Cardinals team that ranks fourth overall in offense AND defense. Plenty of folks, myself included, believe that the season is already over and we're starting to wonder what direction the team will go in once the season ends. Safety Donte Whitner still feels that since the team has five  division games remaining, winning the division is still a possibility. I appreciate his optimism. How about I pretend I'm a coach and do this "one game at a time". 

Leading the Cardinals is head coach Bruce Arians. Normally I don't mention head coaches but for some reason I really like Arians. Maybe it's the Kangol hats, or maybe it's the affection he has for the city of Cleveland and its loyal fanbase. Maybe it's the fact that as a man who's worked with some of the best quarterbacks in the game it didn't take long for him to turn things around in Arizona. He traded for Carson Palmer, drafted Tyrann "Honey Badger" Mathieu, signed RB Chris Johnson, Jermaine Gresham, Dwight Freeney, and convinced Larry Fitzgerald to stay. The Cardinals have what is considered the recipe for success: a franchise QB, a running game, wide receivers who can stretch the field, and a top rated defense.         

The Browns on the other hand still don't have a true "feature" running back, still don't know who's starting at quarterback on Sunday, and with wide receiver Andrew Hawkins ruled out with a concussion aren't sure if Dwayne Bowe will be active after missing the last four weeks. Basically, the Cardinals have the edge over the Browns at every position other than punter and place kicker.  Coach Pettine won't announce who's starting at quarterback until Sunday, but if McCown is able to play I think it's safe to say that's who the staff will go with. The offensive line has played better, but the Browns have yet to have a 100 yard rusher this season.

Whatever issues the Browns have on offense they're not nearly as woeful as the defense. Against the Rams last week, the Browns defense played fairly well for awhile, but eventually four yard runs turned into nine yard runs and 9 yard runs turned into 17 yard runs. I think you get my point. Defensive backs Joe Haden and Tashaun Gipson return to the line up after missing the last few games, but that probably won't be enough unless they're able to rush the quarterback then get back in coverage to defend their man because the defensive lineman can't seem to do it.  

This seems like the type of game that since no one is giving the Browns a chance to win, they would somehow find a way to win using the old "any given Sunday" slogan. Not this week. The only factor that I believe keeps this game from getting out of hand is the fact that it's a road game for the Cardinals and it's expected to be a tad bit chilly on Sunday. My prediction, Cardinals 31 Browns 13. 


What: Cleveland Browns vs Arizona Cardinals
When: 1:00 PM Sunday Nov 1, 2015
Where: FirstEnergy Stadium Cleveland, Ohio
TV/Radio: FOX/ WKNR 850 Cleveland, WKRK 92.3 The Fan, WNCX 98.5 The Fan

Friday, October 30, 2015

VIDEO: Cleveland Cavaliers 2015 Intro #Cavs



TV Weekend 10.30 - 10.31


By @nevaRWilliams

Undateable Live (FRI, NBC, 8pm)
Last Man Standing (FRI, ABC, 8pm)
The Amazing Race (FRI, CBS, 8pm)
Reign (FRI, The CW, 8pm)
New Japan Pro Wrestling (FRI, AXSTV, 8pm)
Truth Be Told (FRI, NBC, 8:30pm)
Dr. Ken (FRI, ABC, 8:30pm)

A Football Life: Dick Vermeil (FRI, NFL Network, 9pm)
Grimm (FRI, NBC, 9pm)
Shark Tank (FRI, ABC, 9pm)
Hawaii Five-0 (FRI, CBS, 9pm)

Blue Bloods (FRI, CBS, 10pm)
The Knick (FRI, Cinemax, 10pm)
Z Nation (FRI, SyFy, 10pm)
Satisfaction (FRI, USA, 10pm)

Black Jesus (FRI, Cartoon Network, 11pm)
------

Da Vinci's Demons (SAT, STARZ, 8pm)
Ash vs Evil Dead (SAT, STARZ, 9pm)
Doctor Who (SAT, BBC America, 9pm)
Saturday Night Live Classic (SAT, NBC, 10pm)
REPEAT: Saturday Night Live, Amy Schumer, The Weeknd (SAT, NBC, 11:30pm)

======

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Louisville @ Wake Forest (FRI, ESPN 2, 7pm)
Dartmouth @ Harvard (FRI, NBC Sports, 7:30pm)
Louisiana Tech @ Rice (FRI, FOX Sports 1, 8pm)
Wyoming @ Utah State (FRI, ESPN 2, 10:15pm)

Syracuse @ Florida State (SAT, ABC, 12pm)
Mississippi @ Auburn (SAT, ESPN, 12pm)
Illinois @ Penn State (SAT, ESPN 2, 12pm)
Rutgers @ Wisconsin (SAT, Big Ten, 12pm)

USC @ California (SAT, FOX, 3pm)
Maryland @ Iowa (SAT, ABC, 3:30pm)
Florida @ Georgia (SAT, CBS, 3:30pm)
Oklahoma State @ Texas Tech (SAT, ESPN, 3:30pm)
Clemson @ North Carolina State (SAT, ESPN 2, 3:30pm)
Oklahoma @ Kansas (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 3:30pm)

Michigan @ Minnesota (SAT, ESPN, 7pm)
Miami @ Duke (SAT, ESPNU, 7pm)
Texas @ Iowa State (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 7pm)
Notre Dame @ Temple (SAT, ABC, 8pm)

Stanford @ Washington State (SAT, ESPN, 10:30pm)
Arizona @ Washington (SAT, FOX Sports 1, 11pm)

2015 WORLD SERIES
Game 3, Royals @ Mets (FRI, FOX, 8pm)
Game 4, Royals @ Mets (SAT, FOX, 8pm)

NBA
Heat @ Cavaliers (FRI, ESPN, 7pm)
Warriors @ Rockets (FRI, ESPN, 9:30pm)

Warriors @ Pelicans (SAT, NBA TV, 7:30pm)
Kings @ Clippers (SAT, NBA TV, 10:30pm)

NHL
Blue Jackets @ Capitals (FRI, FOX Sports Cincinnati, 7pm)

Jets @ Blue Jackets (SAT, FOX Sports Ohio, 7pm)
Penguins @ Maple Leafs (SAT, NHL Network, 7pm)

SOCCER
English Premier League: Crystal Palace FC vs. Manchester United FC (SAT, NBC Sports, 11am)

OTHER SPORTS
2015 IRB Rugby World Cup Final: New Zealand vs Australia (SAT, NBC, 12pm)
Horse Racing: 2015 Breeders' Cup (SAT, NBC, 4pm)

Wrestling Lockup with Brandon, 10.30.15: NXT and Smackdown

By @B_Rock1978

Wrestling Lockup with Brandon, brought to you by Triple Threat CLE. It's this week's NXT and Smackdown recap for the week.

*** NXT ***

- This week's NXT was at their home base at Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida. Some highlights to this weeks show included: Emma sending a message to Asuka, in her one on one match. Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson send a message to Enzo and Big Cass. Main event time saw Samoa Joe face Tyler Breeze, one on one. All that and a lot more on this week's NXT.

- Emma defeated Shazza, by submission: The match closes out with Emma whipping Shazza around the ring by her hair like a rag doll. Shazza tries to fight back, but gets hit with the Emma-mite Sandwich. Emma hits a curb stomp and applies the Emma-Lock on Shazza for the tap out victory.

- Jason Jordan and Chad Gable defeated Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano, by pinfall: The match closes out with Gargano distracting the referee and Ciampa sneaks in and knees Jordan in the head. Gargano springboard DDT's Jordan for a near fall. Jordan regains himself, tosses Gargano over the top rope and tags in Gable. Jordan and Gable hit their double team finisher and score the pinfall.

- Nia Jax defeated Kay Lee Ray, by pinfall:
The match closes out with Kay Lee planting a kick on Nia. Kay Lee leaps off the top rope, but Nia side steps her and Kay Lee crashes to the mat. Kay Lee next tries a springboard, but Nia catches her and plants Kay Lee with a slam. Nia hits a leg drop on Kay Lee, covers and scores the pinfall.

- Enzo and Big Cass vs. Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson, went to a No-Contest: As Enzo and Big Cass head to the ring Wilder and Dawson hit out of nowhere and attack the duo. Enzo gets tossed off the NXT stage and Big Cass is tossed knee first into the NXT video board. Dawson applies an Indian Death Lock submission on Cass as Wilder hits a top rope stomp on Cass' injured knee.

- Backstage, Alexia Bliss challenges NXT Women's Champion, Bayley, to a six-person tag team match next week.

- Samoa Joe defeated Tyler Breeze, by submission: The match closes out with Breeze locking in a modified camel clutch submission. Joe escapes, hits a big boot, a running senton and a uranage. Joe goes for the Muscle Buster, but Breeze counters with a near fall sunset flip. Breeze hits the Supermodel Kick and gets another near fall on Joe. Breeze goes for a rollup on Joe, but Joe kicks out and counters into the Coquina Clutch submission. Joe applies the pressure and Breeze taps out. Joe celebrates his victory to close out NXT.

*** Smackdown ***

- This week's Smackdown took place in Phoenix, Arizona. Some highlights to this weeks show included: A tag team fatal four way match. Roman Reigns battled Kevin Owens. Miz battled Dolph Ziggler in a trick or treat street fight match. The main event saw The Wyatt Family challenge three superstar's to a Six Man Tag Team Match. Who would answer the challenge? All that and a lot more on this week's Smackdown.

The Wyatt Family, Owning Souls and Making Challenges: The Wyatt Family kick off Smackdown with a promo. Bray Wyatt says he now owns the Brothers Of Destruction's souls and issues an open challenge to any three superstars to face Luke Harper, Erick Rowan and Braun Strowman, tonight. Harper says that the evil is very real. Bray gives Strowman Kane's mask and sends his condolences to the three that answer the challenge. Strowman says annihilation awaits....run!

- Roman Reigns Looks To The Future, Kevin Owens Says He Was Robbed: Roman Reigns is next up for a promo. Reigns says his dream has been to become WWE World Heavyweight Champion, guys like Seth Rollins and Bray Wyatt have stopped that dream, he's been knocked down, but got back up, he's now #1 Contender and looking ahead to one man....Seth Rollins. Kevin Owens interrupts, accuses Reigns of stealing his shot on RAW and he should be #1 Contender. Reigns says he's not going anywhere until he gets a fight, so Owens can Talk Owens Talk or Fight Owens Fight.

- Roman Reigns defeated Kevin Owens, by countout: The match closes out with Reigns setting up for the Superman Punch, but Owens rolls to the floor. Owens is back in and gets a near fall suplex. Owens goes to the top rope, but Reigns flies in and connects with the Superman Punch. Owens has had enough as he grabs his WWE Intercontinental Championship, walks out and gets counted out.

- Backstage, Dean Ambrose says he fears nothing and slays all monsters. Ambrose accepts the Wyatt's challenge, says he may fight alone and go down, but the real question is how many Wyatts will go down with him.

- Backstage, Bo Dallas calls himself Boo Dallas, tonight someone will get scared, cause all you have to do is "Boo-Lieve".

- The Lucha Dragons defeated The Dudley Boys, The Ascension and King Barrett and Sheamus, by pinfall, in a Fatal Four Way Tag Team Match: The match closes out with Sin Cara making the tag, takes out Sheamus and Barrett and hits a springboard cross body and a moonsault on Sheamus. The Dudleys and Dragons hit a double team Whazz Up on Sheamus and Barrett. The Dudleys, Sheamus and Barrett brawl to the backstage area as Kalisto hits Selida Del Sol on Viktor to score the pinfall.

- Backstage, Cesaro agrees to be Dean Ambrose's partner. Ambrose wants a Cesaro Swing that sends the Wyatt's beards into the cheap seats. Cesaro says every time he steps in the ring he's his opponents worst nightmare.

- Dolph Ziggler defeated The Miz, by pinfall, in a Trick Or Treat Street Fight Match: The match closes out with Ziggler hitting a super kick on Miz with a pumpkin over Miz's head. Miz sends Ziggler into the steel steps, tosses Ziggler over the announcer's table and works on Ziggler's leg with a kendo stick. Miz sends Ziggler knee first into the ringpost and smacks a steel chair down on Ziggler's injured leg. Miz goes for the Figure Four leglock submission, but Ziggler counters it with a rollup and scores the pinfall. After the match, Tyler Breeze hits the ring and unloads on Ziggler with punches. Breeze grabs the kendo stick, works over Ziggler with a few kendo stick shots and unloads more punches. WWE officials hit the ring and try to hold back Breeze, who continues stomping on Ziggler's injured leg.

- Paige defeated Nattie Neidhart, by pinfall: The match closes out with Nattie hitting a clothesline and a german suplex, sending Paige outside. Team BAD arrive and mock Nattie. Sasha Banks distracts Nattie long enough for Paige to hit Nattie with the Ram-Paige and score the pinfall. After the match, Team BAD beat down Nattie. Tamina plants a super kick on Nattie, Naomi kicks Nattie in the ribs and hits a Codebreaker. Sasha finally applies the Bank Statement submission on Nattie.

- Alberto Del Rio defeated R-Truth, by pinfall: The match closes out with Truth trying to gain control of the match, but Rio makes quick work of Truth, hitting the double stomp on Truth for the pinfall.

- The Wyatt Family defeated Dean Ambrose, Cesaro and Ryback, by pinfall, in a Six Man Tag Team Match: The match closes out with Ambrose hitting a suicide dive on Strowman. Ryback spears Strowman over the announcers table. Cesaro applies a cross face submission to Harper, but Rowan breaks it up. Ambrose tosses Rowan outside, but Ambrose catches a Harper super kick. Cesaro hits a corkscrew elbow as Strowman rises behind the announcer's table, shoves it over and tries to get back in the ring. The referee is distracted by Strowman, allowing Bray Wyatt to uppercut Cesaro. Harper hits the big lariat and scores the pinfall. The Wyatts celebrate to close out Smackdown.

Thursday, October 29, 2015

TV Tonight 10.29

By @nevaRWilliams

NFL
NFL Thursday Night Kickoff (CBS/NFL Network, 8pm)
Dolphins @ Patriots (CBS/NFL Network, 8:25pm)

NBA
Hawks @ Knicks (TNT, 8pm)
Mavericks @ Clippers (TNT, 10:30pm)

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
North Carolina @ Pittsburgh (ESPN, 7pm)
West Virginia @ TCU (FOX Sports 1, 7:30pm)
Oregon @ Arizona State (ESPN, 10:30pm)

=====

Heroes Reborn (NBC, 8pm)
It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (ABC, 8pm)
Bones (FOX, 8pm)
WWE SmackDown (SyFy, 8pm)
The Vampire Diaries (The CW, 8pm)

The Blacklist (NBC, 9pm)
Scandal (ABC, 9pm)
Sleepy Hollow (FOX, 9pm)
The Originals (The CW, 9pm)
Party Down South (CMT, 9pm)

The Player (NBC, 10pm)
How To Get Away With Murder (ABC, 10pm)
Haven (SyFy, 10pm)
Benders (IFC, 10pm)
Nathan For You (Comedy Central, 10pm)
Ridiculousness (MTV, 10pm)
Broke A$$ Game Show (MTV, 10:30pm)
The Middle Of The Night Show (MTV, 11pm)

Wrestling Lockup with Brandon, 10.29.15: #TNA Impact Wrestling

By @B_Rock1978

Wrestling Lockup with Brandon, brought to you by Triple Threat CLE. It's time for this week's TNA Impact recap for the week.

- This week's Impact took place at the Impact Zone in Orlando, Florida. Some highlights to this weeks show included: Week four of the TNA World Title Series continued, as TNA looks to crown a new TNA World Heavyweight Champion.

- Matt Hardy defeated Robbie E, by pinfall: The match closes out with Hardy connecting with a power bomb and gets a near fall. Hardy hits a top rope elbow drop on Robbie E and goes for Twist Of Fate. Robbie E counters and hits Hardy with the Boom Drop for a near fall. Hardy regains offense, hits the Side Effect and follows with the Twist Of Fate. Hardy covers, scores the pinfall and picks up 3 points on the pinfall victory.

- Gail Kim Promo: Gail gives credit to Brooke Tessmacher for defeating her. Gail is one loss away from being mathematically eliminated in the tournament and has Awesome Kong next. Gail says she's bringing her all against Kong.

- Matt Hardy and Robbie E Promo: Matt says he was quite impressed with Robbie E tonight and will continue to not underestimate his opponents. Robbie E says he earned Matt Hardy's respect, doesn't feel like a loser and will keep pushing forward in his attempts to improve the current Robbie E character. Grado interrupts and asks for a selfie with Matt Hardy, cause Grado is a huge fan. Hardy accepts the selfie to end the segment.

- Drew Galloway defeated Grado, by pinfall: The match closes out with Galloway slapping Grado in the face, which appears to fire up Grado. Grado hits some punches, a rock bottom, a cannonball and sits Galloway on the top rope. Galloway counters and german suplexes Grado off the top rope. Galloway measures up and hits the running knee on Grado. Galloway covers, scores the pinfall and picks up 3 points on the pinfall victory.

- Aiden O'Shea defeated Crazy Steve, by pinfall: The match closes out with Steve building an offensive effort, but Aiden takes control. Aiden lands kicks to Steve's ribs, pokes Steve in the eye, works over Steve's shoulder area and takes the fight to the floor. Steve attempts a comeback but Aiden hits a clothesline, covers, scores the pinfall and picks up 3 points for the pinfall victory.

- Abyss Promo: Abyss says James Storm made him feel like he needed Revolution, but tonight it's about getting gold and the monster will prevail over the cowboy.

- James Storm defeated Abyss, by pinfall: The match closes out with Abyss grabbing "Janice", swinging and getting "her" stuck in the turnbuckles. Storm hits a backstabber, hits Abyss with his cowbell, without the referee seeing and gets a near fall. Storm hits a power bomb and an elbow on Abyss for a near fall. Storm hits the Last Call, but Abyss still stands and grabs Storm by the throat. Abyss hits the choke slam for a near fall. Storm grabs his beer bottle, takes a swig and spits beer in Abyss' face. Storm hits two Last Call's, covers, scores the pinfall and picks up 3 points for the pinfall victory.

- DJ Z defeated Tigre Uno, by pinfall: The match closes out with Uno nailing a missle dropkick on DJ Z and follows with a hurricanrana for a near fall. DJ Z lands a hurricanrana of his own on Uno, sending Uno into the ropes. Uno regains control and goes for the corkscrew splash. DJ Z dodges and connects with the springboard DDT. DJ Z covers, scores the pinfall and picks up 3 points for the pinfall victory.

- Gail Kim defeated Awesome Kong, by pinfall: The match closes out with Gail applying an armbar submission on Kong. Kong escapes and rolls Gail up for a near fall. Gail works on Kong's shoulder with kicks. Gail plants Kong with a DDT and lands more shoulder kicks. Gail lands a crossbody on Kong for a near fall. Kong grabs Gail and goes for a powerbomb. Gail fights it off and sunset flips Kong over to score the pinfall and pick up 3 points on the pinfall victory. Gail Kim celebrates her victory as Impact closes out.

** TNA World Title Series Scoreboard **

** As Of Week Four **

Group Tag Team Specialist: Matt Hardy 6 Points, Robbie E 3 Points, Davey Richards 0 Points, Eddie Edwards 0 Points

Group Future Four: Jessie Godderz 3 Points, Eli Drake 1 Point, Micah 1 Point, Crimson 0 Points

Group X-Division: Tigre Uno 3 Points, Manik 3 Points, DJ Z 3 Points, Mark Andrews 0 Points

Group TNA Originals: Abyss 3 Points, Bobby Roode 3 Points, James Storm 3 Points, Eric Young 0 Points

Group UK: Drew Galloway 6 Points, Rockstar Spud 3 Points, Grado 0 Points, Bram 0 Points

Group Champions: Austin Aries 4 Points, Ethan Carter 4 Points, Bobby Lashley 3 Points, Mr. Anderson 0 Points (Eliminated)

Group Wildcard: Kenny King 3 Points, Mahabali Shera 3 Points,  Aiden O’Shea 3 Points, Crazy Steve 0 Points

Group Knockouts: Brooke Tessmacher 3 Points, Awesome Kong 3 Points, Gail Kim 3 Points, Madison Rayne 0 Points

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

TV Tonight 10.28

By @nevaRWilliams

2015 WORLD SERIES
Game 2: Mets @ Royals (FOX, 8pm)

NBA
Cavaliers @ Grizzlies (FOX Sports Ohio, 8pm)
Spurs @ Thunder (ESPN, 8pm)
Timberwolves @ Lakers (ESPN, 10:30pm)

NHL
Penguins @ Capitals (NBC Sports, 8pm)
Predators @ Sharks (NBC Sports, 10:30pm)

MMA & BOXING
The Ultimate Fighter 22 (Fox Sports 1, 10pm)

====

Arrow (The CW, 8pm)
The Mysteries Of Laura (NBC, 8pm)
The Middle (ABC, 8pm)
Survivor (CBS, 8pm)
The Goldbergs (ABC, 8:30pm)

Supernatural (The CW, 9pm)
Chicago PD (NBC, 9pm)
Modern Family (ABC, 9pm)
Criminal Minds (CBS, 9pm)
IMPACT Wrestling (Destination America, 9pm)
Blackish (ABC, 9:30pm)

American Horror Story: Hotel (FX, 10pm)
Chicago PD (NBC, 10pm)
Nashville (ABC, 10pm)
Code Black (CBS, 10pm)
The League (FXX, 10pm)
South Park (Comedy Central, 10pm)
Moonbeam City (Comedy Central, 10:30pm)
You’re The Worst (FXX, 10:30pm)

Ring Of Honor Wrestling (Destination America, 11pm)
Uncommon Sense with Charlamagne Tha God (MTV 2, 11pm)

#WCW 10.28.15: Abigail Ratchford (@AbiRatchford)

By @nevaRWilliams

**PREVIOUS**
WCW: JoJo Babie
WCW: Sydney Maler
WCW: Katherine Lucia
WCW: Best of 2015 Woman Crush Wednesday... So Far

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

TV Tonight 10.27

By @nevaRWilliams

2015 WORLD SERIES
Game 1: Mets @ Royals (FOX, 8pm)

NBA
NBA Tip-Off '15 (TNT, 7pm)
Cavaliers @ Bulls (TNT, 8pm)
Pelicans @ Warriors (TNT, 10:30pm)

NHL
Blue Jackets @ Devils (FOX Sports Ohio, 7pm)
Lightning @ Blues (NBC Sports, 8pm)

NFL
Inside The NFL (Showtime, 9pm)

======

The Flash (The CW, 8pm)
Best Time Ever With Neil Patrick Harris (NBC, 8pm)
The Muppets (ABC, 8pm)
NCIS (CBS, 8pm)
Fresh Off The Boat (ABC, 8:30pm)

Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC, 9pm)
The Voice (NBC, 9pm)
iZombie (The CW, 9pm)
NCIS: New Orleans (CBS, 9pm)
Face Off (SyFy, 9pm)

Chicago Fire (NBC, 10pm)
Wicked City (ABC, 10pm)
Limitless (CBS, 10pm)
Finding Carter (MTV, 10pm)
Ink Master (SPIKE, 10pm)
Taco Trip (Cooking, 10pm)
Chopped (Food Network, 10pm)
Tosh.0 (Comedy Central, 10pm)
Drunk History (Comedy Central, 10:30pm)

Cliff's Edge 10.27.15: Cleveland Cavaliers Season Preview #Cavs

By @CLG2282

It is that time of year again folks.  Time to play some basketball.  And if you're a Cavaliers fan, you most likely have some fairly lofty goals.

The end of the 2014-2015 NBA season left most of the Cleveland supporters with a bittersweet taste in their mouths.  Bitter, of course, because the Cavaliers did not win the finals and bring a trophy to Cleveland for the first time in decades.  Sweet, because LeBron is back and Cleveland is a legitimate title contender.  The Cavs at the end of last season were even preseason favorites to win the championship.

Now that we have seen how that ended up, let's take a look at what has changed between now and June.

As the playoffs wrapped up, the Cavs were looking at a roster that, from top to bottom, was absolutely riddled with injuries.  Not just a sprained ankle or a sore wrist, the Cavs faced injuries that could be season-ending, no matter what point they occurred in the season.  So it was clear that from the moment the Finals were over, that the Cavs needed to add depth and rehabilitate.

We did not seem to do much in (regarding the immediate future) the direction of adding to our depth in the draft.  A rather underwhelming draft saw the Cavs select Duke guard Tyus Jones late in the 1st round and Sir'Dominic Pointer from St. John's at the end of the 2nd round.  They would end up trading Jones to the Timberwolves for their 2nd round pick, Rakeem Christmas.

What was the sum of these movements in the draft? It resulted in none of the three players being on the Cavs roster heading into the season opener.  In fact, the Cavs only have 4 new players on the roster this year.  That is almost a complete one-eighty from last season that had more than half of the Cavs roster coming in from different teams.

Two of the new additions were once part of the Cavaliers organization. Mo Williams, who played for the Cavs from 2008-2011 and Sasha Kaun, whose draft rights were traded to the Cavs, but never actually played a game.

Though head coach David Blatt was reluctant to play his older veterans when we needed extra bodies the most, the Cavs picked up long time veteran Richard Jefferson. Most recently a member of the Dallas Mavericks, Jefferson averages just under 6 points per game and will hopefully add needed depth to the small forward position.

With the exception of Mo Williams, the organization's offseason moves have been interesting to say the least. It seems like there was much more talent out there that would have been a lot more helpful.

There were also a few contract discussions that you may have heard about.  After laboring back and forth all summer long, the Cavs and Tristan Thompson finally came to an agreement on a 5-year, $82 million contract.

They definitely used as much time as they could getting that deal done. Thompson missed the entire preseason, as well as the camps and workouts before hand. The result being what most think of as Thompson being over paid. From the looks of things however, if the Cavs did not feel like they needed him, they would not have signed him.

Tristan was key in the Finals for the Cavs filling in for an injured Kevin Love. He was able to rebound and defend well enough to help keep a short handed Cleveland team in the series. Now with Love back to live action basketball activities, the quest for a trophy is well under way.

Despite the returns of Thompson and Love, there was a slight set back to getting the team back to full strength. Kyrie Irving's kneecap injury is going to take a while longer than originally thought.  The new timetable is looking like a mid-January return for the Cavaliers all-star point guard.

Cleveland will also be missing it's best perimeter defender in Iman Shumpert to start the season. Shumpert had surgery on his right wrist which is also his shooting hand. Tagged with an 8-12 week time table, Shumpert will likely be out past Thanksgiving as well.

LeBron James, as of a week and a half ago, also joined the injury squad. He has reportedly been dealing with some back issues and received anti-inflammatory shots. However, there is no long-term time table for LeBron to sit out as he will be ready for the opener. I suspect it's just a routine precaution and body maintenance thing, similar to his two week hiatus around Christmas last season.

So with all the injuries and weird moves and contract disputes, we're here.  It's opening day of the 2015-16 NBA season.  The expectations are now higher than ever.

After losing to Golden State in the Finals with a very shorthanded team, many are eager to get this journey rolling. Those are most likely the people that feel like the Cavs would have won the series if they were at full strength.

What we have to look forward to:

The Cavs have added needed depth to the point guard position behind Kyrie. Mathew Dellavedova did a decent job replacing Kyrie, but simply wasn't enough to help get the team over the hump. With the addition of Mo Williams and the young Jared Cunningham filling the final roster spot in the preseason, there is a lot of offensive and defensive depth at the guard position.

This biggest improvement going into this season will be the fact that our big time players will not be new to the big stage. Last year only James, J.R. Smith, James Jones and Timofey Mozgov had previous playoff experience.  James and Jones were the only two to play in the finals, or see significant playoff minutes for that matter.

Kyrie, Tristan and Love now have played serious, meaningful late season basketball games. We have seen players get caught up in the atmosphere of the playoffs and under perform. So it is promising to know that those first time jitters should now be behind the Cavs.

The roster for Cleveland is now two deep at every position. The only position that does not have a solid back up is the small forward. But luckily for Cleveland, that is the position occupied by LeBron James, who does not miss many games.  Having a viable replacement at each position gives depth and allocated minutes that will allow players to rest and be fresh.

For what it's worth, there should not be too much competition to win the Eastern conference. There are a couple good teams and that is absolutely where the conversation stops. No team in the East has the talent that Cleveland has with maybe the exception of the Chicago Bulls. The Atlanta Hawks, whom the Cavs destroyed in last season's playoffs, will be competitive but won't go very far in the playoffs.

The Celtics are a good, young team, but are still building and likely are another season away from being real title contenders. A healthy Miami team could make some noise. With veterans Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh leading the way and Hassan Whiteside's rising stock, they could make a run deep into the playoffs.

Overall, the Cavs should be able to get thru the East and make another finals appearance. That would be where the road gets really tough. Possibly facing a rematch with the Golden State Warriors is not out of the picture. They are still a good team and cleared some cap space to make moves down the road, all while keeping their core guys together. Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are still very young and improving.

Another challenge, and my personal pick to win the West, is the San Antonio Spurs. The system under coach Greg Popovich that has stood the test of time is always dangerous. Couple that with one of the league's rising stars in Kawhi Leonard and the offseason acquisition of star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, the Spurs jump to the very top of the title contenders list. Not to mention the normal gladiator gauntlet that is the Western conference.

Overall, the Cavs looked primed and ready for another title run. They have their same nucleus of talent, shooters, defenders and are one more year matured into coach David Blatt's scheme. Getting all of the "first time jitters" out of the way should allow the team to settle into the season and get down to business. They now know what it is like as a team to be at the big stage. Though Irving and Love didn't play in the Finals, they now know what it's like to be in that atmosphere. For the most part, they should also know what is expected of them.

I'm sure there are a lot of Cavs fans circling the Christmas day game with the Warriors on their calendars. However, it's just another regular season game. What we want to watch for is the further advancement of chemistry and comfort with each other as teammates. We want to see how the players take their first year and build off of the experience and learn from mistakes. Those are the kinds of things you want to see from a team being constructed to win a title.

If last year's work is anything to go off of, it appears that this team is ahead of schedule. We all expected a playoff run but not necessarily a trip to the finals. So heading into the 2015-16 season, the Cavs have all of their major pieces back. If everything goes well medically,  you can expect the Cavaliers to be back in the finals. With a lot more experience and maturity.

We can expect the Cavs to play well at home as usual. I would expect a record of 31-10 at home, a place where they obviously feel very comfortable and feed off of the crowd. Considering the rest of the East and the strong West, I think the Cavaliers finish above .500 at 24-17 on the road. Giving them a 55 win season. Of course, the possibility that they finish better is likely but I want to account for games that may be lost due to guys getting rest or injury. 55-27 sounds like a plausible record for Cleveland in the quest to a championship.


Let the games begin!