5 Things to Watch Heading Into Training Camp

Camp Scott is rapidly approaching and the Cavalier roster is starting to take shape.  Nevertheless, their are still a lot of question marks surrounding this roster heading into camp.  Here are five things Cavs fans need to look at:

Feb 28, 2012; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard Daniel Gibson (1) dribbles up the court after picking up a loose ball against Houston Rockets forward Chandler Parsons (25) as referee Sir Allen Conner follows the action in the fourth quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-US PRESSWIRE

5. Who will emerge as backup PG? The Cavs traded for Jeremy Pargo this offseason, hoping that he emerges as the backup point guard. We still have Donald Sloan who showed some promise late last year, and of course there is Daniel Gibson. Gibson struggles to find minutes because of his size. He doesn’t have the ball-handling skills or dribble-drive skills to run an offense as a true point guard. Dion Waiters also has the ability to run the point, as he did sometimes at Syracuse, but I doubt they drafted him to be backup point guard. This team lacks depth at the one and two guards, so someone must emerge as a true backup that this team can rely on.

4. Who is the Cavs starting small forward? Last year it was Omri Casspi; we all know how well that worked out. The early season favorite has to be Alonzo Gee, who finalized his deal Monday. Gee proved last year that he can be in the starting rotation and can be a solid contributor on offense and an even better contributor on defense. Another player who will get some small forward minutes will be C.J. Miles. I don’t think he will start right away and Scott will have him lead the second team when Irving is not out on the court.

3. The shape of Waiters. It was no secret in Summer League that Waiters was out of shape. It looked like he was a step slower than all the other guards on the court. As he heads into Camp Scott, he better have done himself a favor by losing some of that weight he put on. Head coach Byron Scott has always said his team will never lose a game because they were not properly conditioned. Hopefully Waiters takes a page out of Samardo Samuels’ book and sheds some extra poundage, or else he’ll find himself on the end of the bench.

2. The chemistry of Irving and Waiters. Chris Grant drafted Waiters because he firmly believed he was the best player available and he thought he would be a good swingman to Kyrie Irving. In basketball, it’s not always about if you have the best talent on your team, but how your team plays together. Chemistry between players takes a while to develop. With Waiters and Irving being friends before they both attended college, it will be interesting to see their relationship in the beginning of camp.

January 10, 2012; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Anderson Varejao (17) dribbles up court during the first half against the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-US PRESSWIRE

1. Who emerges as the leader? The Cavaliers most experienced players are: Luke Walton, Anderson Varejao and newcomer C.J. Miles. I do not think that Walton is one of those players who our younger guys can look up to. Varejao or Miles have never been in the leadership role, but with Antawn Jamison and Anthony Parker gone from last year, Varejao may have to take on a new role. His hustle play gets fans excited and can inspire a player. Believe it or not, we can turn to a 20-year old to be a leader as well. Irving is immediately looked as a leader to rookie Dion Waiters. Irving has shown great poise and confidence in his first year in the NBA.