The Cleveland Cavaliers poor season last year secured the ability to draft Kyrie Irving with the top spot in the NBA Draft, but one can bet Dan Gilbert is expecting better results than a lottery pick this season. The road out of the cellar starts Monday evening for the Cavs as they host the Toronto Raptors.
Byron Scott's team represents an interesting mix of young and old, but the latter gets the nod in the opening night's starting lineup as Cavs.com currently projects Ramon Sessions, Anthony Parker, Omri Casspi, Antawn Jamison and Anderson Varejao will be the first players on the floor for the season-opener. It wouldn't be surprising if the young guns, particularly Irving, sneak into the starting lineup at some point during the season.
The Raptors aren't projected to be very good this year, but they'll try to prove the critics wrong with a team set to showcase DeMar DeRozan and Andrea Bargnani around an underwhelming supporting cast. The Raptors finished last place in their division last year with a 22-60 record.
Monday night's game will tip off at 7 p.m. with the television broadcast coming from Fox Sports Ohio. For more on the Cavs, be sure to check Fear The Sword.