Kevin Love and Tyronn Lue are both key to the Cavaliers' season. (John Kuntz, cleveland.com)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers enter the 2018-19 season, the first after LeBron James' departure, with numerous questions.

Are the playoffs a realistic goal? Will head coach Tyronn Lue maximize the talent on this roster? How good of a coach can he truly be without James? Is Kevin Love capable of being a No. 1 option once again?

A little while ago, I asked fans on Twitter to submit their own questions, ones they believe will help shape the season.

Here are the most popular responses, with answers to each:

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What kind of defensive effort does it look like this group can muster. — Fred Lucas (@realsargon) September 27, 2018

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Defensive turnaround?

If there's reason to believe the defense will improve, this would be it. In past years, the Cavs didn't need to be great on that end of the floor during the 82-game grind. They had so much offensive firepower that they could just outshoot their mistakes and overwhelm most opponents.

They even admitted to holding back some of their best strategies for the postseason because that time of year was all that truly mattered.

That's not the case anymore.

The Cavs have to play harder than the opponent. They have to sprint, not lazily jog, back in transition. They have to pressure the ball on the perimeter. Players have talked about that becoming their new identity. Here's the thing: They need an effective scheme and high-level intensity to mask the fact that they don't have many quality individual defenders.

James was the tone-setter and he took a big-picture, long-term approach to most everything he did with the Cavaliers. That was fine. It worked quite well. Who would really argue with the results? But his lack of effort on defense, along with constant finger-pointing and a lack of respect for the regular season certainly didn't help with the team's overall defensive numbers.

Just by increasing the nightly effort, the Cavs will be able to stay out of the bottom.

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Are the cavs gonna be active at the trade deadline — Shawn Miller (@ShawnMiller_32) September 27, 2018

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Active in trades?

The Cavs recognize that they need to acquire assets.

That means adding pieces at any point to significantly improve their postseason chances will be extremely difficult -- and unlikely.

The biggest moves have happened already, and that balancing act of the future vs. present started back in February when general manager Koby Altman and his staff added Rodney Hood, Larry Nance Jr., George Hill and Jordan Clarkson. Three are expected to be core pieces in this new era. The other (Hill) has two valuable roles entering the season: Starting point guard and mentor.

The "additions" continued over the last few months, starting with extensions for Love and Nance.

It wouldn't be a surprise, however, to see the Cavs look to deal one or two pieces who won't be in Cleveland much longer, trying to recoup a draft pick or two.

Given the all-in approach, necessary with a James-led team, the Cavs are staring at a near-empty cupboard of trade assets. Restocking will allow them to be a contender for the next disgruntled star -- perhaps their best shot to add the high-level talent that's currently missing. Trading for one or two guys to marginally increase their playoff odds this season doesn't help with that.

If they start unloading players, sharpshooter Kyle Korver would be most likely. He has the most trade value. At least, when it comes to expendable pieces.

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Why are they wasting time trying to make the playoffs? — JK in CLE (@cle_kj) September 27, 2018

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Why try for playoffs?

This answer requires a deeper dive and much more reporting. It's coming to cleveland.com this week.

But there are lots of reasons behind this approach.

The Cavs are hoping to capitalize on the culture they spent four-plus years trying to create, and believe the infrastructure is strong enough now, especially with the right head coach and a good mix of players, to not disintegrate with James in Los Angeles.

They also wanted to keep Love. They believe he's one of the best players in the conference, and legitimate All-Stars aren't easy to acquire. Without an extension, they were staring down a dark hole that could've taken years to crawl out of. One of the questions Love needed answered was about the team's direction. If they chose the tanking path, Love wouldn't have re-upped.

But most importantly, the Cavs want their young core -- Collin Sexton, Cedi Osman, Hood, and Nance -- to be in an environment where winning and competing both matter.

Losing can become a disease difficult to cure. Even with an abundance of lottery luck, the Cavs needed James to return in 2014 to finally turn the corner. After going through such chaos with Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson, Anthony Bennett and others, the organization believes its new group of youngsters getting experience in meaningful games is something that will be invaluable.

Given everything this organization has accomplished recently, the Cavs owe it to themselves to give it a go early, to see if the kids can grow up quickly and see if Lue's new system will overcome talent deficiencies.

If things go south, the Cavs can pivot ahead of the trade deadline. But that compete-or-tank decision doesn't have to happen yet. It likely will get answered on the court.

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In your eyes, what are the odds that Kevin Love is a Cavalier at the start of next season? — Max Sheridan (@MaxSheridan24) September 27, 2018

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Kevin Love trade?

It's the NBA. Things change quickly. But all signs point to him being in Cleveland for the long haul. He wants to be here. The Cavs want him. Plus, as he gets older his value will only decline. For the Cavs, given the approach they're taking, his value will be highest here.

If the Cavs get blown away by an offer from a team that feels Love is the missing piece in their title quest around the trade deadline, then the front office will consider it.

Perhaps an opportunity arises in the summer of 2019 for a team that comes up empty in a hunt for a free-agent star. If they feel they can get a pair of on-the-rise players -- similar to the Indiana-Oklahoma City swap for Paul George -- then the Cavs would consider that as well, believing it's better for the team's future. But Love isn't George, and that kind of offer seems unrealistic.

Trading Love, the team's best player who was actually willing to commit shortly after James bolted, isn't at the top of their to-do list.

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At what part of the season will Dan and Koby decide whether to push for a playoff spot or tank? — MannyFresh (@MannyFresh013) September 28, 2018

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When would the Cavs change their plan?

January.

One, it's when Love is legally allowed to be moved. Unlikely, of course. But it's one option.

Take a look at that schedule. I count 12 games against playoff teams, including seven on the road. Yes, that's out of the 15 games on the schedule during the most grueling month of the season that also includes a lengthy road trip beginning in New Orleans and ending in Denver, also making stops in Houston, Los Angeles (hello, LeBron), Portland and Utah in between.

How good are the Cavs? Where do they fall in the standings? Are they really going to stick with their approach?

By the end of January, they will have those answers -- just in time for the Feb. 7 trade deadline.

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How good of a coach is Lue really? With no LeBron to hide his flaws can he last. — Don Kuhlman (@kuhlbreeze1980) September 27, 2018

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Lue's coaching potential

For those who still need this question answered, it will come this season. But people inside the organization rave about Lue. His peers have praised his ability to put players in a position to succeed and adapt during both a game and series. The players have repeatedly spoken about him always being able to recognize which buttons to push.

The Cavs likely don't win the NBA title in 2016 without a coaching switch from David Blatt and Lue challenging James during the Finals against the Warriors. Love has spoken about Lue helping him transition into the third wheel, someone who needed to sacrifice for the betterment of the team's success. The Cavs probably don't get back to the Finals this past year without Lue taking over the defense and turning it respectable. His decision to go back to Thompson was pivotal as well.

On a recent podcast with cleveland.com, former GM David Griffin had this to say about Lue receiving criticism for the team's dreadful regular-season defense.

“It's hard to scheme a lack of effort,” Griffin said. “And they got lack of effort from a whole bunch of people. But I think what was important for Ty, and this was always the case with us, when Ty takes over the defense, which is what he does in the playoffs, he turns the water off of whatever the best weapon is that the opponent has, and that's because he's so good at taking away what you do best. We're going to beat you because he has enough time to prepare.

"There's a reason Toronto had to change as radically as they did and a big part of it is Ty Lue. He completely took away the two greatest weapons they had. That's all Ty Lue. That's his genius.

”So the same person they are faulting for the faulty defense in the regular season is the guy whose magic makes it possible to get stops in the playoffs. When he takes over the defense, things change radically. I think moving forward Ty is going to have to learn from that and moving forward he's going to have to understand just as you are now intimately involved with the guards on the floor, this defense has to be yours again, and if it's not going to be his they could struggle again."

Lue's played alongside some of the league's best and has earned their respect as a player and a coach. He always tailors his system to the team's strengths.

It's not just his brilliant regular-season record. It's not just that he's never had a season end earlier than June as a head coach. It's not just that he has the lone Cleveland championship in 52 years. It's everything else.

“Ty has done a great job with this team with (LeBron) and he will do a great job without him," Pistons head coach Dwane Casey said recently. "He is a good coach and a lot of times that gets lost because you have a great player like LeBron James. They're a different team, but a very sound team. This team is a lot different than when LeBron left last time. Cupboard is not as bare. I have all the confidence in the world that Ty will do a great job with this team.”

Lue's going to have a chance to put in a system, one not beholden to his star player. If the Cavs overachieve, Lue will be at the center of it.

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What type of offense will the Cavs run? Will it be more ball and player movement or will they stick with the high pick iso ball? Will we see how good of a coach Lue can be now? — Chris Crimaldi II (@Chris_2113) September 27, 2018

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New-look offense

I wrote a story about this earlier during training camp. Thompson said there are Boston qualities to it. Love mentioned Indiana as a comparison.

There will be plenty of movement, little isolation and a committee approach with a bunch of different players staying involved throughout.

Here's the link that will provide the answer about the offense.

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Is JR ready to accept more of a "6th man", mentor role ? — StephieC (@StephieJoC) September 27, 2018

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JR Smith's role

Smith's leadership has been great. The Cavs have been blown away.

Early in the preseason, he pulled Sexton to the sidelines while the Celtics were shooting free throws. That's just one example. He gave a passionate speech early in camp to the younger players, demanding that they take workouts more seriously, according to The Athletic.

This is a chance for Smith to redeem himself. The 2017-18 season was an unmitigated disaster. It appears he's learned from it and has set out to make this one much more memorable -- if not on the court because of the logjam on the wing, he's determined to do it behind the scenes.

But training camp is sort of a honeymoon phase. It's the time of year when there's plenty of fun and outlandish optimism.

When the season gets going for real and the challenges start to come, will Smith be willing to accept a role that doesn't feature consistent playing time? When the losses begin piling up, will he stay committed to the approach he's had during training camp?

I think many inside the organization are asking the same.

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How high is Collin Sexton's ceiling? Do we have Russell Westbrook, Kyrie Irving, or George Hill. — Josh Brown (@WeirdJBronavich) September 27, 2018

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Sexton's future

It's hard to put a ceiling on a teenager, isn't it? I'm not trying to dodge the question either. It's just so incredibly early. Perhaps the best response I can give is it's up to Sexton and how quickly his jumper becomes reliable.

Westbrook is too lofty. He's an athletic freak. Sexton isn't Irving either. His offensive repertoire isn't nearly as vast.

I've heard the Eric Bledsoe comparison a few times and think it makes sense.

After three tough years in Los Angeles, Bledsoe blossomed into a starting-caliber point guard. He's averaged at least 15.7 points in each of the last five years. He also hovers right around five assists per game. Bledsoe uses his speed, quickness and strength to make up for a still-shaky jumper.

That's what Sexton will have to do early.

Still, the 19-year-old guard knows he needs to keep defenses honest to open up the other areas of his game. He needs to prevent teams from sagging off him and potentially cripple Cleveland's offense. If he becomes more accomplished from the perimeter, Lue will also be able to use Sexton off the ball, which would allow him to fit in a variety of lineups.

The Cavs think highly of Sexton, and he works daily with player development ace Mike Gerrity, who used to be a college point guard.

The team has been thrilled with Sexton's growth already in a short time, and that should continue with more experience.

I think, given the opportunity in front of him, he has a shot to be one of the finalists for Rookie of the Year.

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Do you think if we are trending not to make playoffs - Gilbert will look to trade Love and other pieces off for Draft picks ? — SportsHistoryDigest @NFLSportsStream (@CleveStream) September 27, 2018

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Most likely to be traded

The Cavs recognize that the worst-case scenario during the season is fighting for a playoff spot, finishing outside the top eight in the standings and still losing their first-round pick to the Hawks.

Like other teams, Cleveland isn't enamored with this upcoming draft class. That helps soften the blow if the pick ends up outside the top 10 and goes to the Hawks because of the Korver deal. But it would still be a lost asset.

If it looks like playoffs aren't realistic, then I fully expect the Cavs to start moving players and protecting their pick.

Love would be further down the list though.

In order, combining their value with Cleveland's willingness and outside interest, I would rank it this way: Korver, Hill, Thompson, Smith.

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Can Love be the man?

Will role players when the Traitor was here step up and be more productive?

Can Ty Lue coach? — Scott J. Merritt (@sjm0524) September 28, 2018

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Can Love be No. 1?

The man, huh? What's your definition of that?

Expecting him to be the player who averaged 26 points per night twice with the Timberwolves is too much. The Vegas oddsmakers set his point total over/under for this season at 20, which I think is a touch low.

My guess is he gets around 22 points and 12 rebounds -- if he stays healthy. That, of course, is not a given. The closest he's come to a full season was his rookie campaign, when he missed just one game.

The five-time All-Star worked hard this offseason, trying to prepare his body for a bigger workload.

His usage rate will go up significantly and he still ranks in the 79th percentile in points per post-up. The Cavs will use him in ways they never did in the last four years because they were an isolation-heavy team that played to the strengths of James and Irving. Who wouldn't have run that much ISO with two of the league's premier creators? He will get to facilitate more and work inside the paint. With most NBA teams taking a switch-heavy approach on defense, the Cavs will try to attack the mismatches.

Think Al Horford with the Celtics after Irving's injury. The stats weren't gaudy, but Horford was vital to the team's success.

Love doesn't want to go back to being that "empty-stats" player or "Minnesota Kevin Love." He wants to contribute to winning at a high level and understands what this team needs from him on a nightly basis.

Love's game is more advanced than the Minnesota years. He's also different. That doesn't mean he will put up better -- or equal -- numbers. It just means he's more ready to be the No. 1 option and handle all the responsibilities that come with that new role.

Still, in an ideal situation Love would be the No. 2 or No. 3 option. With him as the top dog, the Cavs' zenith is a plucky six, seven or eight seed that becomes a tough out in Round One -- similar to Indiana last season.