Sure, Mike Brown was the NBA Coach of the Year in the 2008-2009 NBA season but he was badly outcoached by Stan Van Gundy in the Eastern Conference Finals last year. The Magic shredded the Cavs’ defense which was often doubling in the paint and leaving players like Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu open beyond the three point line. This off-season GM Danny Ferry brought in Shaq, Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon with the idea that they would be able to clear up the Cavs’ problems on defense. Mike Brown has absolutely no excuse not to get to the NBA Finals and win it. He has now been the coach of the Cavs for 4 years and he is 211-117 (64.3%) during the regular season. He is also 36-24 (60%) in the post season where the team has not lived up to expectations. Rumors abounded that the Cavs’ owner wanted to fire Brown and hire Pat Riley so Brown will likely be on the hot seat all year long.

The Cavaliers have the best set of centers in the NBA without a doubt. 37-year old Shaquille O’Neal was brought in from the Suns over the off season in a trade. He played in 75 games for the Suns last season and he averaged 30.0 minutes, 17.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.4 blocked shots per game. O’Neal is the rare player who shot better from the floor (60.9%) than the free throw line (59.5%). The real reason the Cavs brought in O’Neal was to battle with Dwight Howard and Kevin Garnett in the Eastern Conference. With Zydrunas Ilgauskas as his backup the Cavs should be key an eye on O’Neal’s minutes which should keep him healthy. 34-year old Zydrunas Ilgauskas is probably the Cavs’ second best center in team history (behind Brad Daugherty). He will slide into a backup role this season for the Cavs but he could probably start on at least 20 teams in the NBA right now. Big Z played in 65 games for the Cavaliers last season and he averaged 27.2 minutes, 12.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 1.3 blocked shots per game. Ilgauskas has improved his jump shot to the point that he shot 38.5% from three point range last season.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE CENTERS IN 2009-2010: A+

27-year old Anderson Varejao got the big bucks over the off season to start at power forward. He played in 81 games for the Cavs last season and he averaged 28.5 minutes, 8.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game. Varejao plays like his hair is on fire as he dives for loose balls and battles for every rebound. He has not developed much of a jump shot as of yet as most of his shots are around the paint. 21-year old J.J. Hickson will likely see an expanded role in his second season with the Cavs. He played in 62 games as a rookie last season and he averaged 11.4 minutes, 4.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.1 assists per game. Hickson will likely see a bump to 15-18 minutes per game and he should be able to handle it well. 23-year old Darnell Jackson is also a 2nd year player for the Cavs. He played in 51 games for the Cavs last season and he averaged 8.4 minutes, 1.9 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.2 assists per game. Jackson won’t get many minutes unless Varejao or Hickson get injured. 25-year old Leon Powe could be the ace in the hole for the Cavs. He is rehabbing right now but he should be ready to return to action in late January or early February. He played in 70 games for the Celtics last season and he averaged 17.5 minutes, 7.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game. Signing Powe was a great move by Cavs’ GM Danny Ferry.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE POWER FORWARDS IN 2009-2010: B-

This is where the King reigns! 24-year old LeBron James is the best player in the NBA right now as he can do everything on the basketball court. He played in 81 games for the Cavs last season and he averaged 37.7 minutes, 28.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.2 blocked shots per game. His scoring might even go down a little bit with Shaq in town but his assists should go way up. Regardless of the stats LeBron puts up he is a team player who cares most about winning games. He makes everyone on his team a better player. When he needs a break (which isn’t too often) 29-year old Jamario Moon will man the small forward spot. He played in 80 games for the Raptors and Heat last season in which he averaged 25.9 minutes, 7.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game. His game is a lot like Anderson Varejao’s as he plays all out, all of the time especially on defense. He also is a fantasic finisher on fast breaks usually with amazing dunks. 24-year old Rob Kurz will be sitting near the end of the bench for the Cavs. He played in 40 games as a rookie for the Warriors last season and he averaged 11.1 minutes, 3.9 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game. Kurz’ biggest asset is his shooting as he nailed 39.5% of his threes last season.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE SMALL FORWARDS IN 2009-2010: A+

26-year old Delonte West will be the starting shooting guard for the Cavaliers again this season. He is a solid all-around player who doesn’t require the spotlight. He played in 64 games for the Cavs last season and he averaged 33.6 minutes, 11.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game. West is a good spot up shooter who should really benefit from all of the double teams on Shaq and LeBron. The Cavaliers were very smart to sign Anthony Parker who will back up West this season. The 34-year old Parker played in 80 games for the Raptors last season and he averaged 33.0 minutes, 10.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Parker is a good defender on the perimeter and he has a good three point shot. Like West, Parker is a team player who doesn’t require a set amount of shots per game. Daniel Gibson, rookie Daniel Green or even LeBron James can handle shooting guard if the need arises due to injury.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2009-2010 SEASON FOR THE SHOOTING GUARDS: B