Written by Sam Amico

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Lots of random thoughts from the Cavaliers’ summer:
* There’s nothing new on the Cavs front, as general manager Chris Grant was traveling for the first few weeks of August. In other words, the team you see today is likely to be the one that starts the season. Or more accurately, don’t expect the Cavs to make any drastic moves between now and the start of training camp in October.

* Todd Porter of the Canton Repository was hosting a show on WHBC radio on which I was a guest, and he asked me how many games I thought the Cavs could win next season. My answer drew some laughter, but I stand by it. The answer was between 45-50 games -- and I’m leaning toward 50.

* Go ahead, call me crazy. You won’t be the first. But I’m sorry, no one in the Eastern Conference outside of Miami, Boston and Orlando frightens me. Yes, Atlanta is good. Yes, Milwaukee plays with heart. And yes, Chicago added Carlos Boozer. But both the Hawks and Bulls added first-time head coaches (Larry Drew and Tom Thibodeau, respectively), and there’s no telling how things will work out. Besides that, the Bulls BARELY made the playoffs last year. Is Boozer really going to be that big of a difference-maker?

* It’s true that the Cavs also have a new coach in Byron Scott, but you’re talking about a man with a decade’s worth of NBA head coaching experience. That includes two trips to the Finals with New Jersey (2002 and ’03). That’s a lot different than other Central Division contenders, whose coaches will be learning on the fly.

* In each of Scott’s previous two stops (New Jersey and New Orleans), his teams struggled mightily in his first season -- but quickly turned it around in his second. I truly believe things will be different with the Cavs, as Scott has more to work with than he did during his first years in the other jobs.

* I know, I know. You’re thinking, “More to work with? In Cleveland? Who is this Amico guy anyway??” But hear me out before demanding I am placed in a straight jacket and carted away to someplace where I’ll never be allowed to type again.

* First, Scott’s style is something we haven’t seen in Cleveland since the days of Lenny Wilkens, maybe ever. Now, the Cavs won’t just heave up shots like the Golden State Warriors, but they will be considerably more up-tempo than at any time during the Mike Brown era. (Not that that’s saying a whole lot.) The Cavs will push the ball -- and finally be a running, opportunistic team. And they have the pieces to make it work.

* They also have enough veterans who know what it takes to win. The list includes Mo Williams, Antawn Jamison, Anderson Varejao and Anthony Parker. Don’t be surprised to see Daniel Gibson shine in Scott’s system as well. Scott has openly talked about using Gibson and Williams as interchangeable parts in the backcourt, as both can really shoot and can run the point. The same is true of new acquisition Ramon Sessions. It might work very well in a free-flowing, fast-breaking system.

* It’s too early to say who will start, but I envision a Cavs lineup that looks like this: C Varejao, PF J.J. Hickson, SF Jamison, SG Sessions, PG Williams. Leon Powe and Ryan Hollins will be the first big men off the bench, with Jamario Moon and Joey Graham filling in at the swing positions, and Parker, Gibson and Danny Green at guards.

* Without Scott, I would predict that this team would win 35 games. But again, I honestly believe the coach is worth 10-15 more wins all by himself.

* Another thing to consider is the Cavs will be supremely motivated. The only thing these guys have heard since LeBron James left for Miami is that they aren’t good enough. But I can tell you that not one of them believes it. And extra motivation can go a long way, especially during the dog days of the regular season. If there is one thing this team won’t do, it’s loaf. Scott would never put up with it.

* You especially have to love the things Williams has said this off-season, most of which can be found on his Twitter account. Williams begged not to be traded, and told James the Cavs could have gotten it done had he stayed. Basically, Williams still WANTS to be here, and is now likely to become the new face of the franchise -- and the fans' favorite.

* Anyway, a lot of people are complaining that the Cavs haven’t done enough to improve the roster, but I think they are going about things wisely. Remember, the 1993-94 Chicago Bulls won 57 games the year after Michael Jordan left to play baseball. Jordan’s replacement that season? Uh, Pete Myers.

* Granted, those Bulls still had Hall-of-Famer Scottie Pippen, but I'm convinced some of these Cavs will really take it up notch with their newfound chance to shine. Hickson is one player, in particular, for whom we can have high hopes. He has a ways to go, but the talent is there. A lot of it will come down to whether or not he can finally hold onto the ball.

* Last season I was half-joking when I said the two most exciting NBA games I saw were Cavs games without LeBron. It had nothing to do with LeBron, clearly the greatest player in franchise history and a guy you always wanted on the court. Rather, it was that the rest of the Cavs had to play team basketball in the truest sense -- and were fighting to prove they were more than just their superstar.

* By the way, the Cavs won one of those games, beating San Antonio at home (97-95), and losing the other at Chicago (109-108).

* Finally, as I’ve said so many times, this team still warrants your support. The Cavs probably won’t win a championship this season -- but they didn’t win one in seven years with LeBron, either. Trust me when I say they should be just as exciting as ever. The ball is gonna move and the shots are gonna fly.

* Bottom line: Just because it’s a new era of Cavs basketball doesn’t mean you have to mail it in. Just the opposite, actually. This team will still compete. Laugh now, thank me later.

Sam Amico’s covers the Cavaliers for NBA.com and is a regular contributor to SportsTime Ohio and The Cleveland Fan. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/SamAmicoNBA.