The Associated Press

CLEVELAND - Has anyone seen the Cleveland Cavaliers? They seem to be missing.

Surely, it can't be them taking the floor in fashionable wine-and-gold uniforms. And all these fans waiting in ticket lines for hours outside Gund Arena, could they be there for a team that lost 65 times last season?

Oh, and there has to be some reasonable explanation for the No. 23 jerseys popping up all over the place. No, they're not Wizards or Bulls jerseys.

They're LeBron James jerseys, and they're fashionable in places such as Los Angeles and New York, where the Cavs of old weren't even on the radar.

Behold them now, radically different in so many ways.

They've changed uniforms, returning to the wine-and-gold colors they wore in the 1970s, and have ditched the "Cavs" logo for the more stately "Cavaliers."

Cleveland also has upgraded its roster with draft picks and free agents while hiring a proven NBA coach with a winning resume.

Although some of the alterations were planned long ago, there's one major reason for the makeover: James.

"I've been here for seven years, and I've seen everything. It's a lot better around here now," Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas said. "Last year, we had empty crowds. Nobody cared about us. This year, everyone has smiles on their faces."

By winning the league's draft lottery, the Cavs were able to draft James, the Akron high school phenom who one day hopes to lead his home state's NBA team to a championship.

That could be years away, especially since the Cavs went just 17-65 last season and don't have nearly enough talent to compete with the league's elite.

James, though, has given fans hope.

"This is the most excited I've ever been going into a season," said first-year Cleveland coach Paul Silas. "I'm excited. The players are excited. The whole city is excited."

The 59-year-old Silas is a perfect fit for the young Cavaliers, whose 12-man roster will include seven players with less than four years of NBA experience.

Silas has been through this before. In Charlotte and New Orleans, he developed the Hornets into playoff contenders and molded youngsters Jamal Mashburn and Baron Davis into All-Stars.

Now he'll try to do the same with James, Ricky Davis, Carlos Boozer, Darius Miles, DaJuan Wagner, Kevin Ollie, Chris Mihm, J.R. Bremer and the rest of the Cavaliers.

"We've got some great athletes," Silas said. "Now, I've got to make them basketball players."

Cavs' projected starters

Pos.	Player
Forward	Ricky Davis
Forward	Carlos Boozer
Guard	LeBron James
Guard	Darius Miles
Center	Zydrunas Ilgauskas

2003-04 schedule

Date	Opponent-time
Nov. 5	Denver, 8 p.m.
Nov. 8	Washington, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 10	New York, 7 p.m.
Nov. 15	Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 18	L.A. Clippers, 7 p.m.
Nov. 21	Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Nov. 29	Memphis, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 6	Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 9	Toronto, 7 p.m.
Dec. 11	Detroit, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 13	Boston, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 17	Houston, 7 p.m.
Dec. 23	New Orleans, 7 p.m.
Dec. 26	Chicago, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 28	Portland, 7 p.m.
Dec. 30	Indiana, 7 p.m.
Jan. 6	New York, 7 p.m.
Jan. 20	Seattle, 7 p.m.
Jan. 22	Sacramento, 7 p.m.
Jan. 24	Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 26	Orlando, 7 p.m.
Jan. 28	Miami, 7 p.m.
Feb. 4	L.A. Lakers, 8 p.m.
Feb. 7	Washington, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 9	Boston, 7 p.m.
Feb. 11	New Jersey, 7 p.m.
Feb. 18	Dallas, 7 p.m.
Feb. 20	San Antonio, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 23	New Orleans, 7 p.m.
Mar. 3	Atlanta, 7 p.m.
Mar. 6	Milwaukee, 7:30 p.m.
Mar. 10	at Toronto, 7 p.m.
Mar. 14	Indiana, 3 p.m.
Mar. 16	Chicago, 7 p.m.
Mar. 19	Utah, 7:30 p.m.
Mar. 21	Detroit, 4 p.m.
Mar. 23	Phoenix, 7 p.m.
Mar. 27	New Jersey, 7:30 p.m.
Apr. 2	at Milw., 8:30 p.m.
Apr. 3	Golden State, 7:30 p.m.
Apr. 6	Toronto, 7 p.m.
Apr. 10	Miami, 7:30 p.m.
Apr. 12	Milwaukee, 7 p.m.
Apr. 14	at New York, 7:30 p.m.