After LeBron James decided that he will come back to his home town team, the odds of the Cleveland Cavaliers hoisting their first NBA title next season just went up considerably. That's according to the odds-makers in Las Vegas who put the Cavs in a commanding 4-1 adds to win the 2015 NBA Finals.
Even the defending champions San Antonio Spurs who dismantled the Heat in their recent finals match up are less favored than than the Cavs with a 5-1 odds. Obviously, the big boys in Vegas are seeing something brewing in Cleveland with LeBron's arrival. After all, they put Cleveland 80-1 a week ago when LeBron was still undecided as a free agent and the odds have been slowly falling as the likelihood of a return to Ohio grew.
As a matter of fact, the price adjustments started a couple of weeks ago, according to The Linemakers website, when James decided to test the free agency market and rumors began to surface that he will end up reuniting with the Cavaliers. The odds-makers are predicting that LeBron will have a significant impact on the team which only won 33 games last season. The Cavs missed the playoffs but they won the first pick in this year's draft lottery.
Since Jame's departure from the Cavs four years ago, the team has become lottery bound every year. In the following season following LeBron's signing to Miami, Cleveland only won 19 games prior to a 61-win season. In the next three seasons, the team managed only a grand total of 78 wins without a single playoff appearance.
Bur right now, things suddenly look a lot more promising for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The team is young but it is also loaded with talent. With Kyrie Irving's 5-year extension - after he averaged 20.8 points and 6.1 assists last year - the teams has fortified their future. And now they have a promising draft talent in Andrew Wiggins as well as Anthony Bennett who seems to be proving that he is not a bust with his recent outing in the Las Vegas Summer League.
And with Jame's arrival, the Cavs now have a leader who is a seasoned, playoff tested veteran who knows how to win championships. LeBron's presence with the Cavaliers also attracts big free agent names like Kevin Love that can further increase their chances at an NBA title.
Tully LeBron James changes a lot of things for a team. Even the loss of James effectively ends any chance of the Heat making a return to the finals. Miami's odds are listed at 50/1, behind 15 other teams.
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