A Q&A with Chris Manning of SB Nation’s Cavaliers site Fear the Sword.

What needs to happen for this to be an enjoyable season for Cavaliers fans?

The Cavs need to be really, really good again. That's simple to say, but no one rooting for this team will be happy unless Cleveland reaches the finals again, at the very least. Fans also need to see some growth in the team and at least sort of think this team can actually beat the Warriors to win it all this year.

Being able to end Kyrie Irving's first season in Boston is also something Cavs fans hope happens.

Cleveland Cavaliers / Projected Starters
Position	Starters	Bench
Guards	Isaiah Thomas (injured) Dwyane Wade	Derrick Rose Jose Calderon
Wings	LeBron James Jae Crowder	J.R. Smith Kyle Korver Iman Shumpert Jeff Green Richard Jefferson Cedi Osman
Bigs	Kevin Love	Tristan Thompson Channing Frye Ante Zizic

What makes Cavaliers fans most excited about this year? What makes Cavaliers fans most nervous?

All of the new pieces — Jae Crowder, Isaiah Thomas, Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, etc. — give the Cavaliers a new vibe. This is a team that should play and look different than it has in years past, and it truly may be better off for it.

What's worrisome is that the Cavs won't adapt in a meaningful way and will try to recycle what worked the past few years with a different group that won’t take it well. It's also possible that the new pieces don't jell, and who knows what that could mean moving forward this year and beyond.

Gut Check

Survey data collected from site writers and editors. The wider the graph the more optimism and trust the fans have in their team! The grey line indicates the average of all sites' collected data.

9.3

Out of 10

How good will your team be this year

5.3

Out of 10

Are they on the rise or on the decline

6.6

Out of 10

Are fans happy with the team’s direction or angry

8.7

Out of 10

Are they trying to win now or build for the future

What storyline might a national audience be missing about the Cavaliers?

People should be paying attention to Kevin Love and how he changes in the fourth year of his Cavaliers tenure. With Kyrie Irving gone, Love will likely be asked to do more and should be featured more than in the past few years. It also looks like he will start at center for the first time. How he adapts to that role on both ends should say a lot about where the Cavaliers are headed this year.

Why should neutrals pay attention to the Cavaliers this year?

This is a different Cavaliers team than in years past.

With all of the moving pieces this summer — especially with a certain someone — this won’t be the same dynamic we've seen play out the last three seasons. No one can really say how this mix will work out and what happens if it does or doesn’t.

Plus, the Cavaliers have LeBron James. He seems especially motivated, and any LeBron James team is a must-watch.

What's your prediction for the season?

58-24, No. 1 seed in the East. This could be an MVP year for LeBron.