Hey, Cavalier fans! It's A.C. - what's happening?

I've been passing the summer enjoying the great outdoors out on the links, but I'm starting to get that bug for basketball. Training Camp is basically right around the corner.

This will be a new-look Cavaliers club in 2009-10. The big difference - figuratively and literally - will be in the middle, where Shaq will move into the starting lineup ahead of Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who's been a fixture there.

I don't think moving to the bench will be a problem for Z.

I remember when I got to that point in my career, because of the numerous knee operations. I was only a 24-minute-per-night guy anyway. And I think that's about where Z wants to be.

Whether it's at the beginning of the game, the midst of the game or the end of the game - he just wants his minutes. And he's going to get them, regardless. Because Shaq can't afford to play more than 25-30 minutes, himself. So the minutes are going to be there. Where you get them doesn't really count. What does is that you make them productive. And I think that's how Z's going to look at it.

You have a different mindset, coming off the bench - and Big Z will begin to understand that.

As a starter, you focus on the guy that you have to guard and how he fits into their system. As a starter, you know who's coming off the bench, but you don't focus on one particular guy. It's a different mindset when you come off the bench.

When I came off the bench, I wanted to make sure that I brought energy to the game and that I knew what was going on within the game. In other words, if they're fast-breaking us, you want to stop the outlet passes, rebound better, and so forth. When we wanted to speed the game up, you'd try to create turnovers and get out on the floor more. The tone of the game has already been set. The starters set that tone.

And to be honest, Big Z going against second team centers can't hurt either. With Yao out until who knows when, we have the last two conventional centers in the league. And to able to take advantage of it is really going to help our team.

Danny Ferry made some nice moves over the summer. But I'd also like to see some of our current guys step up from last year to this year.

I was looking for J.J. to do that, and I'm hopeful that his back situation is improving.

If he's worked on his 15-foot jumper, that young man has a chance to be really effective this year. But he's got to be consistent with that shot, because he's going to get a ton of those. You can improve on everything else - almost through pure experience - but you have to work on your jumpshot. His jumper is loose. He has to get consistent and tighten it up a little bit. If he can do that, he has potential to become an All-Star.

For last year's rookies - J.J. and Darnell - the game will slow down for them. Once you know what you're going to face, it changes everything. When I started out, I was in awe of all the names: Walt Frazier, Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Phil Chenier, Nate Archibald. I was all into that. I was wide-eyed. But the next year I knew what to deal with. I knew that I had to be ready every night.

LeBron's contract situation is back in the news. I don't put much into it; it's just the media looking to stir the pot.

It could become a distraction for LeBron if it's not handled right. But it's already started and the situation's been talked about for years, so LeBron knows how to deal with it. The team already knows how to deal with it. They know it's going to be there.

Shaq's going to deflect a little bit of it. But LeBron's a man; he knows how to deal with this situation. And his objective is to win a Championship. So I don't think LeBron is going to let some gossip about where he might play next season affect his pursuit of the Championship. He's already been disappointed after last season, so he should have intense focus this year, because he knows: it ain't over until you cross the finish line.

Just because you have a lead in the race doesn't mean squat. It's like Satchel Paige said: "Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you."  LeBron understands that in that race to the Championship, you don't look back. You just go full-go until you pass that finish line.

One thing about LeBron's offseason that's made me happy is that he took the summer off - no Team USA for the first time in, I believe, the past three summers.

It's a matter of self-preservation. I'm glad he didn't go because he has to give his body a rest. He takes a great deal of punishment during the season and then he'd go through a summer of basketball, taking even more punishment. He needs to take a rest - let his body cool out. Let the muscles get back to normal. (Maybe even get a little flabby.) And build yourself back up. You have to take a break because sooner or later, it'll catch up to him. Then you're talking about nagging injuries. And you certainly don't want that.

Like everyone else, I've already started marking up next season's schedule. Naturally, we'll be in L.A. for Christmas. (Usually, we're home.) And I think we'll be gone over Thanksgiving, as well. But that's what happens when you have Shaq and LeBron on your team. So, it's an interesting schedule. I think our longest road stretch is the one that culminates with that Christmas game against the Lakers.

We have 24 of our last 40 games at home, so that's a good ratio to establish ourselves down the stretch. That helps you establish any type of postseason positioning that you might be looking for.

Again, I really think this year they understand, it's not the best record that counts. It's playing the best basketball you can play, heading into the playoffs. That has to be the mindset.

They have experienced a lot of the ups and downs of what it takes to win the Championship, and I think they're about ready to cross that finish line now.