CAVALIERS PREVIEW On the brink of something big

LeBron James and the remodeled Cavs should mature into a playoff team.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Outside the arena, he's surrounded by those who fulfill his wishes, answer his requests and attend to his every need. After all, operating LeBron James Inc. requires a multitude of hands.
But unlike his first two years as a pro, James now has plenty of assistance on the floor, too.
"I know I don't have to do too much this year," the Cavaliers' All-Star forward said, leaning back and flashing that multimillion-dollar smile. "I've got a lot of help. I don't have to dominate the ball. I don't have to play 42 minutes each night. We've got so much firepower. It's like being in high school again."
Minus the homework.
Two months shy of his 21st birthday, James and the remodeled Cavaliers should mature into a playoff team this season. They were on track to be one last season, until collapsing in the final 1 1/2 months.
But with James acting as the chief talent recruiter, the Cavs signed free agents Larry Hughes, Donyell Marshall and Damon Jones this summer. They also re-signed center Zydrunas Ilgauskas as part of an off-season spending spree.
"Now I got a guy like Larry Hughes, who can break down a defense as well as I can," James said. "I got a guy like Damon Jones who can shoot from half court, and a guy like Donyell Marshall, who can play 3, 4 or 5, pick and pop and rebound the ball. It's so exciting. It's unbelievable what our potential can be."
Poor finish in 2004
The Cavs were poised to end a six-year postseason drought in 2004-05, but a confluence of events -- an ownership change and the firing of coach Paul Silas, chief among them -- resulted in an unexpected downfall.
After peaking at 31-21 on Feb. 23, the Cavaliers lost 19 of 30 and finished tied with New Jersey for the Eastern Conference's eighth and final playoff spot. But because the Nets won the season series between the clubs, New Jersey qualified and in the process deprived James of his first playoff visit.
"Those losses come back to haunt you," James said. "For two years they've come back to haunt me."
James did all he could to scare away those defeats a year ago.
With an improved outside jumper, he averaged 27.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game, becoming just the fifth player in NBA history to average at least 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for a season.
But perhaps more impressive were James' numbers in the final weeks as he single-handedly carried the Cavs. In the last 10 games, he averaged 31.5 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.9 assists, capping his season with a 27-point, 14-rebound, 14-assist effort in a win at Toronto.
Getting help
It still wasn't enough.
"He couldn't do it by himself," said Hughes, who last season averaged a career-high 22.0 points along with 6.3 assists and 4.7 assists for Washington.
Hughes, a 6-foot-5 swingman, was the first of Cleveland's off-season additions, signing a five-year, $60 million deal with the Cavs, who many believe settled on Hughes when their pursuit of sharpshooter Michael Redd hit a dead end.
Playing on a Wizards team that rarely stressed defense, Hughes managed to lead the league in steals (2.89). He'll be Cleveland rookie coach Mike Brown's No. 1 defensive stopper, assigned to guard the opponent's top scorer -- a role that James, whose defense has improved, struggled in a year ago.
Hughes, too, gives the Cavs another offensive weapon. In Brown's offense, the point guard, shooting guard and small forward have interchangeable roles, so whomever gets the ball on the break -- James, Hughes or one of the points, Jones or Eric Snow -- can take it and go.
"It's definitely going to be fun," Hughes said. "I understand what LeBron's doing and the kind of player he is and I understand where I fit in. I'm a guy who plays hard for 48 minutes, so is he. I like what he does. I like that he's aggressive. I'm here to support him and to make him even better."
James and Hughes have a chance to be a dynamic duo. Some have gone so far as to bill them as the league's best perimeter combo since Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen ran the Chicago Bulls.
"Larry's a big addition," James said. "People want to look at it as Mike and Scottie or Batman and Robin, I don't know. I just look at it as another great addition."
Talking big
Jones and Marshall, two veterans who bolster Cleveland's bench, give the Cavaliers legitimate 3-point shooters -- something the club has desperately needed the past two seasons. Cleveland was the league's fourth-worst 3-point shooting team in 2004-05.
"I am the best shooter in the world," said Jones, who started 66 games for the Miami Heat last season. "Period."
James and his teammates are equally blunt about their goals this season. Anything less than a playoff berth is unspeakable.
"I don't have any more excuses," he said. "Two years was more than enough time to make excuses about not making the playoffs or things like that. I've become a real man now. It's up to me to expand my game."