You probably know that I’m first and foremost a Bulls fan.  It’s been a tough couple of years, but I think we are finally on the upswing and ready to seriously compete.  But as good as my Bulls are, I can’t deny the Cavaliers are going to be extremely good, especially with the impending acquisition of Kevin Love.

How good?

That’s a matter of debate.

I heard on ESPN today that Vegas is placing the Cavaliers as three-to-one favorites to win the whole enchilada next season.  Wha-huh?  Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, guys.

Yeah, LeBron James is the best basketball player in the entire world – no doubt.  Yes, the Cavaliers look great and if they get Ray Allen to join they are only getting better.  But you cannot discount the Bulls, and you certainly can’t ignore the eternal phenomena known as the San Antonio Spurs.  The Trailblazers, the Warriors, and the Clippers could also go all the way if they get hot.  Heck, I’ll be honest, I think the Heat have even recovered from James’ exit pretty well.

Yes, Kevin Love is fantastic and I’m glad he’s going to get a chance to play for a team trying to win immediately.  But, as Miami’s big three can tell you from their first year, there’s something called chemistry that must come into play.  Irving, James, and Love have never played together on the same floor at the same time as far as I know.  They each excel at their position, they each spread the court, and they each do their own unique thing that shouldn’t trample on the others’ egos, but I think they’ll still need a year to build that elusive chemistry.

So, let’s take a breath and slow that championship talk down.  What’s going on with the Cavaliers is wonderful for the league, for the players involved, and especially for the community, but I think we need to avoid getting caught up in the moment.  Will they escape the East?  Yeah, I can see that.  But can they beat the West?  Right now I’m inclined to say no, but we’ll have to wait and see the guys actually play together before we can know for sure.

Wait and see … that’s not a popular concept among people who talk sports, is it?

You know I love my Billy Shakespeare, and as he told us in The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, “Love moderately.”