I don't know if it was an omen, and if it was, I don't know what it meant.

About halfway through Monday's Media Day - the Christmas Morning of Cavaliers basketball - high winds knocked out the lights at a bustling Cleveland Clinic Courts, with local scribes, radio and TV personalities (and various Cavaliers) mulling around a dark gym for an hour until the annual affair was finally called.

LeBron James - who had already done his thing for a media throng - unofficially made it official when he jogged across the court, decked in his home whites, declaring: "OK - Media Day's over!"

Of course, nothing is over until the Diesel speaks - which Shaq did in the Cleveland Clinic Courts' weight room, the only indoor place that had enough natural light remaining.

"If it's a good omen, I want it," opined the Big Aristotle.

Shaq already seemed at ease with his new mates. "It's a great group of guys. I've been here about two weeks now and I've had some nice conversations. I know what they can do; they know what I can do. We're just going to get out there and gel, and it's going to be fun."

Last year, one of the Cavaliers biggest assets was the club's chemistry. That chemistry is part of the reason GM Danny Ferry didn't break up the team and bring Shaq here last February. But after just a couple encounters with the new-look Cavaliers, it looks like this group might enjoy each other even more.

"These guys have been in my house a million times already," said All-Star guard Mo Williams. "I'm from Mississippi, so those Saturday college football cookouts - that's me. I'm the king in pool, too. I've got the best record. Beat everybody at pool," emphasized Mo, making sure that reporters got that.

Mo knows that it'll take that same camaraderie to repeat last year's feat. (And it might take the team's new faces to surpass it.) One of the squad's leaders, Williams talked about how that chemistry can work for someone like his backcourt mate, Delonte West.

"I really don't know his whole situation, but whatever it is, when he's in the locker room, joking around - that's his safe haven. When he's in this gym, around us, it's like therapy to him. If he's open and wants to talk about it, we're all family. We'll listen and lend an ear."

West didn't speak much about it, choosing to respect the judicial process and concentrate on basketball.

"It was just bad timing, in front of Training Camp, but like I said, that's going to handle itself and all we can do is focus on basketball right now," said West.

Like the rest of his teammates, West - who looks like he's dropped a few pounds - is eager to see the Shaq-LeBron Show unfold.

"I know of Shaq, but I've never met him before," said West. "I know of his legendary on-the-court and off-the-court antics. I've been in Cleveland a couple hours now, and 30 minutes of that has been watching (Shaq and LeBron) carry on like a couple of big kids in the locker room. If that's a glimpse of how things are going to be like, I'm glad I'm here."

The Wine and Gold machine is ready to get back into gear - with the main ingredients from last year's 66-win season plus some new parts and the Diesel. And they're as eager to see how the pieces fit together as we are. 

Despite one of the most successful runs in franchise history, the Wine and Gold went back to the drawing board this summer. And after a busy offseason, the reloaded Cavaliers will have some questions to answer as they tip off Training Camp in just over one month.

1. Will the offense bog down with Shaq in the middle?

The Cavaliers offense has taken on various forms over the course of the LeBron James Era. And in 2009-10, we're in for another adjustment.

Last year's offense was predicated on the "drive-and-kick" - taking advantage of LeBron's ability to work his way to the hoop, his prolific passing skills and the presence of outside shooters like Mo Williams, Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak. Under that system - and the guidance of "offensive coordinator" John Kuester - the Cavaliers produced the highest-scoring duo in the NBA (Mo and LeBron - 46.3 ppg). And combined with the Wine and Gold's stingy defense, Cleveland was 38-2 when they topped the century mark.

Shaquille O'Neal won't be stepping out to drain the 18-footer like his predecessor in the starting lineup. Instead, Shaq will do his work in and around the paint - where LeBron likes to operate. Minus Kuester, who left for the head coaching job in Detroit, can the Cavaliers figure out a way to maximize both of their superstars talents and still keep their shooters happy and involved?

2. Who will start at the two-guard and who will come off the bench?

The Cavaliers coaching staff and brass have always been high on Delonte West and whether he starts or comes off the bench, he'll still be an integral part of the club. West has always maintained that he's happy with either role.

West left everything on the floor against Orlando in the ECF, and has earned nothing but respect throughout the organization. And despite the fact that he can check players six inches taller than him doesn't mean that it's an ideal situation. With that in mind, the Cavaliers inked Anthony Parker this offseason.

Parker can also stick the open jumper, but has at least four inches on West. Defensively, they're in the same discussion. And no matter who starts, because West is also proficient at the point, they'll probably spend a lot of floor time together this season.

3. Will J.J. Hickson make strides between his freshman and sophomore seasons?

After being shut down late last season with a sore back, the jury on J.J. Hickson is still out. The No. 19 overall pick one year ago burst on the scene with a massive dunk on Emeka Okafor and went on to show flashes of his freakish athleticism through the first half of the season. But Hickson - who turns 21 on Sept. 4 - seemed to hit the rookie wall after the All-Star Break and, combined with the bad back, lost his minutes to fellow rookie, Darnell Jackson.

This year, both Hickson and Jackson will be asked to contribute even more and both have been working diligently at Cleveland Clinic Courts. Will it translate to the court this season?

4. Can Daniel Gibson rediscover the magic from his rookie season?

It seems like a long time ago that "Boobie" became a household name, almost single-handedly vanquishing the Pistons in Game 6 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals.

After raising his scoring average from 4.6 ppg in his rookie season to 10.4 in his sophomore campaign, Gibson regressed the season after signing an extension with the squad. Last year, Gibson's production fell to 7.8 ppg - dipping below 40 percent (.391) for the first time in his career. A nagging toe injury prohibited Boobie from being the player he wanted to be, but he did play well in the ECF against Orlando.

However, the Cavaliers have once again reloaded the backcourt, and unless Gibson can return to his rookie form, the minutes could be harder to come by in 2009-10.

5. What effect will Mo's playoff performance have on him moving forward?

During the Cavaliers playoff run last season, one reader wrote to ask me to: "... please tell Mo to relax."

That might have been the best fan suggestion that hit my mailbox all season. It became obvious by the time Cleveland was facing Orlando that Mo Williams - who had played a total of five postseason games before this year - was over-amped for the postseason.

Although the first-time All-Star averaged a respectable 16.3 ppg in the playoffs, Mo's numbers were down across the board in the postseason, including shooting percentage from the field (.467 to .408), from three-point range (.436 to .372) and from the stripe (.912 to .767).

No one could ever accuse Williams of not giving everything he had. But the man who plays fast without ever looking like he's in a hurry did both in the postseason.  A year of playoff experience should do Williams wonders next April.

6. How will Anderson Varejao react to a starting spot?

At the press conference to announce that he'll remain in Cleveland, when Anderson Varejao was asked about what it'll be like to play with the Diesel this year, he quipped, ""I hope Shaquille O'Neal doesn't mind coming off the bench."

Naturally, the Wild Thing got a good laugh. But it will be curious to see what Andy's role will be among the restructured frontcourt.

Last year, in 39 games off the bench, Varejao averaged 7.1 points on .526 shooting, with 6.6 rebounds 24.4 minutes. In 42 starts, he averaged 9.9 points on .542 shooting, 7.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 32.3 minutes. The Cavaliers were 33-9 with Anderson in the starting lineup. When the Wild Thing broke double-digits, Cleveland was 25-5.

Jamario Moon is definitely a three and Leon Powe won't be ready to roll until after the All-Star Break. Darnell Jackson and J.J. Hickson should improve, but there's nothing that would indicate they're ready to become starters this season. All that seems to indicate that No. 17 will be in the starting frontcourt alongside LeBron and Shaq.

7. There's no way LeBron can actually be better this year - can he?

It's difficult to find something that LeBron doesn't get credit for, but anyone who covers the Cavaliers knows that the reigning MVP is the embodiment of the sports cliché: "First one there, last one to leave."

Aside from being the team's (and league's) best player - both physically and cerebrally - LeBron is definitely one of the league's hardest workers. And just because he wasn't training with Team USA this summer doesn't mean that he wasn't working. In sporadic trips to Cleveland Clinic Courts, it's rare not to hear the hip-hop blaring from within the gym and not see James inside scrimmaging or just working with Chris Jent.

Like his idol, Michael Jordan, LeBron seems to get better in one area each year. When critics said Jordan was just a dunker, he developed a deadly jumper. When they said he couldn't play defense, he worked to become a defensive menace. After six years in the league, it's safe to say that the Cavaliers' No. 23 is cut from a similar cloth.

It's hard to imagine what the young King can improve upon, but a betting man would probably guess he'd like to get his free throw accuracy above 80 percent. He shot just under 75 percent in the postseason and left a lot of points at the stripe in the ECF against Orlando.

And if LeBron does make this improvement, he can be even better than last season. And if that's the case, Cavaliers' opponents will have even more question marks to deal with than you and I have in today's blog ...

The Cavaliers have been busy this offseason, but they're not the only Eastern Conference club on the move.

With the NBA's offseason at the unofficial halfway point - and with the dog days of August approaching - here's a quick look at what's happened in an already interesting summer in the East ...

1. Size Matters in C-Town - After falling to the Magic in the ECF, despite winning 66 games and sweeping the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Cavaliers did some re-tooling of their own - mostly to add size, length and athleticism. Enter 15-time All-Star and four-time NBA Champion, Shaquille O'Neal, to man the middle - providing LeBron James a low-post option that he's never had. The move sends Zydrunas Ilgauskas to the bench for the first time in his career. The Magic ouster also convinced the Cavaliers to stock up on long, athletic wing players - tabbing Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon in free agency and drafting Christian Eyenga and Danny Green.

2. Magic Touch? - Orlando was a missed layup and a pair of botched free throws from making the NBA Finals against L.A. very interesting. Instead, the Eastern Conference Champs re-loaded after the loss. Hedo Turkoglu bolted across the border, so the Magic sent Courtney Lee, Rafer Alston and Tony Battie to the Nets in exchange for 32-year-old Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson. Orlando also inked forward Brandon Bass and guard Matt Barnes, and they remain in the Eastern Conference's upper echelon despite the post-Finals shake-up.

3. Pistons Evolution - Since getting bumped by Boston in the 2008 playoffs, the Pistons have been slowly morphing away from the veteran-oriented squad that made six straight appearances in the Eastern Conference Finals. Chauncey Billups was dealt early last year, Rasheed Wallace left for Boston and Antonio McDyess is in San Antonio. Tayshaun Prince and Rip Hamilton remain - but for how long? The team now belongs to recent free agent acquisitions - Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon - as well as Detroit's young guards, Rodney Stuckey and Will Bynum. (Although another blast from the past - Ben Wallace - is rumored to return to Motown.)

4. Miami Vice - Dwyane Wade and Pat Riley have sparred in the media this offseason, and although their timelines might not match, but their goals are identical. Although the present-day Heat are still Wade and a group of talented youngsters like Mario Chalmers, Daequan Cook, and Michael Beasley, Miami looks to still be flirting with the idea of adding heavyweights, Lamar Odom and/or Carlos Boozer.

5. Capital Offense - After losing to the Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs in three straight years and a disastrous 2008-09, experts thought Ernie Grunfeld might finally bust up the Wizards. But Washington's brass decided to see what the Wiz can do when they're 100 percent healthy. Washington dealt the No. 5 overall draft pick to Minnesota for Randy Foye and Mike Miller and resisted dealing Caron Butler. If Agent Zero can return to form, the high-octane Wizards might just get the Cavaliers in the first round again.

6. One More Celtic Run - The Celtics are inching closer to the dreaded "closing window" as they try to squeeze one more Championship run out of the power trio that Danny Ainge assembled two years ago. This offseason, the C's added Rasheed Wallace and seemingly toyed with the idea of trading Rajon Rondo. Leon Powe likely won't return and Big Baby Davis still hasn't signed with a club. Boston had an epic run in last year's postseason, but they'll need to stay healthy to make one more run at the Ring.

7. Garden Statement vs. New York State of Mind - While the Knicks look like they're still shaping their roster for next summer - eschewing Nate Robinson and dragging on David Lee, the team across the Hudson is slowly building a nice young core, including newly-acquired Courtney Lee, along with Devin Harris and Brook Lopez. The Knicks are hoping Darko can give them something, hoping Danilo Galinari's back will hold up all season and hoping Jordan Hill can ease the pain of not coming away with Ricky Rubio or Stephen Curry on Draft night.

8. Take Off to the Great White North - Another team with a wary eye on 2010, the Raptors stunned the hoops world when they landed Hedo Turkoglu, who looked like a lock to sign with Portland. Unfortunately, the addition of the nine-year pro puts Brian Colangelo in somewhat of a financial bind. (One that allowed the Cavaliers to sign Anthony Parker and Dallas to sign Shawn Marion.) The reloaded Raptors still have All-Star Chris Bosh, along with Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon and 20-year-old DeMar DeRozan from USC.

9. Young Blood - Unlike last season, the Western Conference should see the biggest influx of interesting rookies, but the East should still have some curious freshman storylines. At No. 10 overall, the Bucks tabbed the point guard Minnesota didn't draft, Brandon Jennings, who bypassed a freshman season with Arizona to play overseas. UNC's Tyler Hansbrough's late climb landed him at No. 13 to Indiana. The Pistons grabbed the angular Austin Daye and New Jersey drafted Terrence Williams from Louisville. Cleveland's first round pick - Christian Eyenga - will likely spend this season in Spain, but second-rounder, Danny Green, has a shot to crack the rotation.

10. Coaching Carousel - Three coaching vacancies were filled in the East this offseason, and all three have ties to Cleveland. First, former Mike Brown charge - and the team's "offensive coordinator" - John Kuester landed the Pistons vacancy as Joe Dumars replaced Michael Curry after one year on the job. In Philly, former Cavalier draft pick, Eddie Jordan, makes his return to the bench. Unfortunately he won't have Andre Miller to run the show. And finally, Cuyahoga Heights native, Flip Saunders, will take over the bench duties for Jordan's old club, the Wizards.

The Cavaliers have been a busy ballclub between an eventful Draft day and yesterday's signing of free agent swingman Anthony Parker.

And while Danny Ferry and his staff are constantly attempting to make the team better, it seems like - for the moment - some of the offseason's smoke is starting to clear.

Through all of the Wine and Gold's early offseason maneuvers, I've written about what I think. (It's my job.) But, as a self-professed sports-talk-radio and fan-forum junkie, I've been keeping up with your thoughts on what the Cavaliers have done - both good and bad - and thought I'd try to find out a little more.

So here's 10 Questions. You can answer them in the "leave a comment" area below or just to yourself. Are these questions skewed in favor of the Cavaliers? Of course they are. (That's my job, too.) But that's the beauty of cavfanatic.com -- you can skew them however you'd like.

The Wine and Gold will likely continue their renovation through the summer. But from where we stand here in mid-June, what are your thoughts on the following?

1. On Monday afternoon, the Cavaliers inked free agent Anthony Parker. The 34-year-old swingman is coming off three straight seasons averaging double-figures with Toronto. He will essentially assume Sasha Pavlovic's spot in the backcourt and will likely compete with Delonte West for the starting spot.

Do you think Anthony Parker is an upgrade?

2. On June 25, Cleveland acquired Shaquille O'Neal for Pavlovic, Ben Wallace and cash considerations. O'Neal - a four-time Champion and 15-time All-Star - will be 38 when the season concludes. He will be the Cavaliers starting center from Day One and comes to Camp motivated for another Ring and a shot to silence Dwight Howard (and maybe a two-year contract).

Do you think Shaquille O'Neal is an upgrade?

3. In what still looks like a three-team race for the top spot in the East, the top triumvirate has been busy trying to keep pace. The Celtics added Rasheed Wallace but may lose Big Baby Davis. The Magic lost Hedo Turkoglu, Courtney Lee and Rafer Alston, but added Vince Carter and Brandon Bass. And in the Cavaliers' division, the Pistons lost Wallace and Antonio McDyess, but acquired Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon.

So far this offseason, have the Cavaliers kept pace with their Eastern Conference adversaries?  

4. LeBron James played in the 2006 World Championships, the 2007 Tournament of the Americas Olympic qualifiers and the 2008 Olympics in Bejing. Of course, his NBA team had gone deep into the postseason in-between each Team USA appearance.

Will NOT taking part in any Team USA basketball activities be beneficial to LeBron James' upcoming season?

5. The acquisition of Shaq will move Zydrunas Ilgauskas to the bench and the signing of Anthony Parker will mean he or Delonte will join the second unit. Daniel Gibson should come to Camp healthy after nursing a toe injury through most of last season and Tarence Kinsey has a year under his belt. Wally Szczerbiak and Joe Smith are free agents. J.J. Hickson and Darnell Jackson will be looking to be part of Coach Brown's regular rotation.

Is the Cavaliers' bench stronger than last year's?

6. J.J. Hickson was shut down late last season with a back ailment, but has been progressing steadily. He showed flashes of brilliance as a 19-year-old out of N.C. State, but like most rookies, struggled with consistency. Jackson, a four-year man fresh off a National Championship at Kansas, started slowly, but came on strong to finish the 2008-09 season.

Will J.J. Hickson make a leap from his rookie to his sophomore campaign? Will Darnell Jackson?

7. Along with Pitt's DeJuan Blair, who was tabbed by the Spurs at No. 37, rookie Danny Green - picked nine spots later at 46 - was considered by many to be the steal of the 2009 NBA Draft. The "surprisingly athletic" Green played - and won - more games than any other Tar Heel in school history while rewriting the ACC record books with his versatility.

Can Danny Green crack the rotation by year's end?

8. With Shaq and Z entering the final years of their respective deals, the Cavaliers recently re-signed free agent big man, Anderson Varejao. The Wild Thing is coming off the best season of his career - starting 42 games, averaging 8.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. The Cavaliers were 33-9 with Andy in the starting lineup, 25-5 when he notches double-figures.

Are you pleased to have Anderson Varejao in the fold for the foreseeable future? Do you think LeBron is?

9. As mentioned, Shaq and Z will be in their last seasons under their current contracts. Varejao's deal is nominal for a versatile 27-year-old big with 60 games of postseason experience. Anthony Parker's deal is negligible.

Have the Cavaliers offseason moves been cognizant of the not-too-distant future?

10. With all these moves in mind - and some moves that are likely yet to come ...

As of July 15, 2009, how do you feel about the Cavaliers?

Usually, the Fourth of July holiday is one of baseball's benchmarks. But it's slowly becoming a hoops junkie's holiday, too. And now that Independence Day has come and gone, expect things to heat back up.

With the free agency period tipping off on July 1, the landscape of the league is in constant flux - almost daily - through the rest of the summer. Players can begin to sign with teams starting July 8, but there's already been some seismic shifts to the NBA, most notably in the Eastern Conference.

So far, the Cavaliers have made the biggest splash - which is bound to happen any time Shaquille O'Neal makes a landing.

After being mauled in the middle by Dwight Howard in this year's ECF, the Wine and Gold dealt Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic to Phoenix in exchange for the Diesel. The 15-time All-Star and four-time NBA Champion gives the Cavaliers an inside presence that they haven't had since LeBron's arrival. Zydrunas Ilgauskas is a two-time All-Star and he holds a handful of franchise records, but he's not the force that Shaq is - even at 37 - on either end of the floor.

The Cavaliers were a 66-win team without the Diesel and they didn't give up any core players from that team to get him. Big Ben's limitations had become glaring - he attempted 13 shots in 14 playoff games, operating on a bad wheel the entire time. Pavlovic was never able to live up to his potential in Cleveland. In 344 games as a Cavalier - with a role that fluctuated from starter to afterthought - Sasha averaged exactly 6.0 points per game.

Shaq's presence immediately puts opponents in a pick-your-poison position. Foes can either double Shaq or LeBron James. And if they figure out that dilemma, both players will find Delonte West, Mo Williams or Daniel Gibson spotting up or driving-and-kicking. LeBron's numbers - especially his assists - should make another jump this season.

Of course, the Cavaliers have a free agent dilemma of their own to deal with in Anderson Varejao.

If the numbers are what they were reported - (the signing moratorium is still in effect) - then the deal Charlie Villanueva is about to sign with Detroit should have some bearing on Anderson's value. The Wild Thing - a fan favorite who's beloved by his teammates - is a tough, versatile player, but his limitations were exposed against Orlando.

Including the postseason, the Cavaliers were 43-13 with Varejao in the starting lineup. In those 56 games, Andy averaged 9.2 points and 7.4 boards per contest. Cleveland would probably like to add more scoring to that starting spot, but to have a young big like Varejao who can play both spots effectively is also vital. Remember - both Z and Shaq are in the final year of their contracts.

The Cavaliers will also be looking for one of - if not both - of last year's rookies to contribute in 2009-10.

J.J. Hickson showed glimpses - shooting .515 from the floor in limited action. Only 20 years old, Hickson - who last saw action on April 5 - will be counted on to continue his development. Second-rounder, Darnell Jackson, bloomed later in the season. In the last month of the campaign, he saw time in every game but one. In his longest run of the season - in the finale against Philly - Jackson went for 15 and 8.

This year's first-rounder, Christian Eyenga, will likely continue to develop overseas, while Danny Green - who Cavs tabbed at No. 46 - could possibly dent the rotation this year. Some scouts feel Green was the steal of the second round, and there's something to be said about a man who's won more games as a Tar Heel than any other player in UNC's rich history.

Depending on J.J.'s back, all three players should get their chance to show Chris Jent and the Cavs staff their stuff when Las Vegas Summer League tips off this weekend in Sin City.

While the Wine and Gold continue their attempt to lure free agents to the North Coast, other teams have made their moves as well. The Celtics have reportedly reeled in Rasheed Wallace, the Lakers have landed Ron Artest and Ben Gordon will join Villanueva in Motown. With Hedo Turkoglu on the move, the Magic dealt for Vince Carter.

The Turkoglu defection might be the lynchpin for the remaining free agency season. After spurning the Blazers, Hedo instead opted for Toronto. It would have been nice to get the 6-10 playmaker out of the Conference, but it also handcuffs the Raptors financially. Signing Turkoglu makes it very difficult for Toronto to financially retain players like Shawn Marion and Anthony Parker.

All these moves are just from the first few days of free agency. This is around the time that those "hoops junkies" from the first paragraph tend to grow impatient. Sometimes they even get a little star-struck. Trevor Ariza becomes Scottie Pippen and Charlie Villanueva becomes James Worthy.

But as Danny Ferry has said on countless occasions, he's building the team to win now and consistently into the future. And while he and the brass are constantly looking to improve the team, they're not going to make a move that'll jeopardize the franchise's plans one year from now. They can sign a player that they like to a long-term contract now, or they can sign a player that they love to a long-term contract next summer.  

The Cavaliers will be patient and they will not be star-struck. Ferry was pilloried by impatient fans last summer before fleecing Milwaukee for All-Star guard Mo Williams in early August. And that move worked out pretty well.

So sit back and enjoy the second phase of the NBA's offseason. It's just starting to get interesting.