Written by Sam Amico

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It’s been an offseason of gut-wrenching change for the Cavaliers and I don’t care.

I love Cleveland, I love pro basketball and I love repeating the statement that no one man is bigger than the game. Or this team.

I never even had a problem with former Chicago Bulls general manager Jerry Krause when he said that organizations, not individual players, win championships.

As the Cavs enter training camp for the 2010-11 season today, that needs to be their motto. They need to believe they can get it done without a superstar. They need to believe that what everyone is saying about them is not true.

They need to believe, period.

Because right now, a little faith and a lot of elbow grease is all they got. And you know what? Sometimes that can be enough.

Either way, the Cavs are about to embark on a historical season. It could be surprisingly good, horrifically bad or (most likely) somewhere in between.

That’s because no matter what happens or how the Cavs play, the franchise will never be the same. Never again will a locally produced athlete become all the rage across the nation for the local team.

The Cavs could trade for Kobe Bryant or Kevin Durant or Carmelo Anthony … and none would ever be LeBron James. As painful as it is to say, James was a one-of-a-kind story. He’s gone now, the Cavs have turned the page, and so should you.

Because no matter what happens … well, as Coach Norman Dale said in the movie “Hoosiers,” this is your team.

Besides James, gone are Shaquille O’Neal, Delonte West, and one of our all-time favorites, Zydrunas Ilgauskas. The list doesn’t end there, as both former general manager Danny Ferry and coach Mike Brown (and his almost his entire staff) have been replaced.

What have the Cavs put in their place? Well, not much. At least, not much as far as anyone outside the organization is concerned. That’s because newcomers such as Ramon Sessions, Joey Graham, Ryan Hollins and rookies Christian Eyenga and Samardo Samuels have been inconsistent or are unproven.

So if you think the Cavs are finished, well, you’re not alone. And you might be right.

But you, like everyone else, would only be guessing.

The truth is, the Cavs enter training camp as perhaps the NBA’s biggest mystery. No one can say for sure how many wins James was really worth all by himself. Seriously. Twenty games? Ten? Fifteen? No one really knows.

Nor does it really matter right now. Right now, there is hope. Right now, the Cavs remain Cleveland’s pro basketball team.

And right now, that is good enough for me.

CAVS CAMP INVITEES

The Cavs tip off camp with Media Day this afternoon with many names you already know: Anderson Varejao, Mo Williams, Daniel Gibson, Antawn Jamison, Jamario Moon and a host of others.

But they also extended invitations to some names with which you may not be familiar -- all of whom are considered longshots to make the team.

That list includes former Cleveland State guard Cedric Jackson, who signed two 10-day contracts with the Cavs last season (and one each with San Antonio and Washington).

Also on the list:

* Tasmin Mitchell, an undrafted forward from LSU who was considered one of the nation’s best players as a high school senior.

* Former Michigan guard Manny Harris, another undrafted player and his state’s Mr. Basketball in 2007.

* Center Greg Stiemsma, who played at Wisconsin then last season with the D-League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce.

* And center Loren Woods, a 7-foot-2 veteran journeyman. Woods has played for five NBA teams and never averaged more than 3.9 points per game.

PRESEASON ESSENTIALS

Departures: F LeBron James, C Zydrunas Ilgauskas, C Shaquille O’Neal, G Delonte West, GM Danny Ferry, Assistant GM Lance Blanks, Coach Mike Brown.

Additions: G Ramon Sessions (Minnesota), C Ryan Hollins (Minnesota), F Joey Graham (Denver), G Christian Eyenga (rookie), F Samardo Samuels (rookie), GM Chris Grant, Assistant GM David Griffin, Coach Byron Scott.

Returnees: F Antawn Jamison, F/C J.J. Hickson, F/C Anderson Varejao, G Mo Williams, G/F Anthony Parker, G Daniel Gibson, G/F Danny Green and F Leon Powe.

Preseason schedule: Oct. 5 - CHARLOTTE; 7 - WASHINGTON; 10 - at Houston; 11 - at Dallas; 14 - SAN ANTONIO (in Pittsburgh); 16 - MOSCOW; 19 - PHILADELPHIA (in Cincinnati, FSN Ohio); 21 - MILWAUKEE (Columbus).

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