2013-2014 Player Review
It's that time of the season where I evaluate the performance of every player that is currently on the roster. I also give an insight to what possibly might happen to them in the following off-season.
Kyrie Irving
71 games (71 starts)
21.7ppg 8.2apg 2.1spg .536FG%
Although he was hit by a few injuries, Kyrie Irving still played the most games in a season in 2013-2014. And his season was pretty spectacular. His points per game number was slightly lower than his 2012-2013 mark, but his efficiency was incredible. In fact, he led all guards in field goal percentage, with an incredible 53.6 percent success rate from the field.
He also picked up a few accolaides as well. He made his second All-Star appearance and was selected in the first team for both the All-NBA and All-Defensive teams. Kyrie has an exciting future ahead of him, and let's hope his best years are with the Cavaliers.
Dion Waiters
72 games (72 starts)
16.5ppg 4.5apg .514 FG% .842 FT%
Waiters had an awful start to the season. The difference between his best and worst games was massive; one game he looked like the second coming of D-Wade, and the next, he couldn't hit a shot. But as the season progressed, he became far more consistent and he also picked up a lot of the slack when Kyrie Irving was injured.
Dion Waiters has All-star potential and with Kyrie Irving, could be a part of one of the most lethal backcourts in the league.
Chuck Shaw
68 games (68 starts)
7.6ppg 3.5rpg .515 FG%
His numbers don't jump out at you, but his presence cannot be underrated. Shaw is a guy who can do it all. His athleticism sees him make highlight plays, but it also helps him block shots, get rebounds and dive onto loose balls. He doesn't see many plays run for him, but he is a more than capable 3rd or 4th option behind Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters.
Tristan Thompson
78 games (78 starts)
11ppg 6.4rpg 0.9bpg .545 FG%
He's a little short for the power forward spot, but his leaping ability more than makes up for it. Sorry; I've been hearing that a lot this season. Apparently every coach in the league also thinks he's a guy you can't fall asleep on. But no matter how repetitive, it's all true; underestimate Tristan Thompson at your own risk.
The best way to describe Tristan is deceptive. Just when it doesn't seem like he's doing much, he's dropped 15 points. He's a guy who can slip under the radar when everyone else is paying attention to Irving, Waiters and Redick. He also provides the Cavaliers with a lot of second chance opportunities. All in all, Tristan Thompson is a valuable piece of the puzzle.
Anderson Varejao
82 games (82 starts)
7.2ppg 7.5rpg 0.8bpg .542 FG%
After playing just 25 games in 2012-2013, Anderson Varejao was the only player for the Cavaliers to play all 82 games. His points and rebounds per game practically halved from the season before, but his constant presence in the game made this a career season for him if his stats didn't.
With all that said though, Anderson Varejao is a guy on the wrong side of 30, with two young prospects behind him in the rotation. If the Cavaliers pick up his team option, they'll owe him 9 million in the 2014-2015 season. A sign-and-trade looks to be a great possibility at this time.
J.J. Redick
77 games (13 starts)
15.1ppg 3.6apg .448FG% .391 3PT% .923 FT%
J.J. Redick ended up being the team's biggest acquisition for the season, and this was recognised by the NBA, as he received the 6th man award. Redick's ability to hit open threes was a big factor in the Cavaliers getting closer to the post-season.
Marreese Speights
50 games (2 starts)
5.9ppg 3.4rpg .592 FG%
He didn't get much love on offense at the beginning of the season, but towards the end. Speights' role in scoring increased. One advantage he has over Thompson is his mid-range shot is almost automatic if he's left alone. In fact, it could even be argued that Speights is more skilled than Tristan Thompson.
Speights has a team option that's around about the mid level. The Cavaliers would gain an effective bench big if they choose to execise the option.
Alonzo Gee
76 games (14 starts)
7.4ppg 2.8rpg 1.9apg .560 FG% .322 3PT%
It seemed like Gee made so many big plays, but he didn't receive the credit that was due to him. From day one, he was underestimated and probably had a chip on his shoulder ever since. The fact is, he's probably the best finisher on the team. He's also very active on the defensive end, getting in the way of passing lanes and stripping the ball away from players in the paint. Here's hoping he can remain patient with the franchise, because he is quite a good player.
Gary Neal
36 games (5 starts)
7.6ppg .429FG% .353 3Pt%
Neal was primarily signed as an insurance policy, as Kyrie Irving got injured. This led to him not particularly fitting in at any point of the season. He had no designated role, and this will probably lead him to search for another team in free agency. In saying that though, he had some outstanding games when he starting at shooting guard. If the franchise wasn't so high on Dion Waiters and J.J. Redick, Neal could have a significant role in Cleveland for many seasons to come.
Tyler Zeller
57 games (2 starts)
4.8ppg 4rpg 0.8bpg .532 FG%
Tyler Zeller finds himself in an awkward situation. He backed up Anderson Varejao for most of the season, but never got a starting opportunity because of Varejao's surprising durability. But when Zeller got injured, De La Cruz did a great job in his absence. Because of this, a decision needs to be made on one of the centres in this squad, because it's hard to see them all co-existing. Tyler Zeller is a solid centre on both ends, and if Varejao leaves, there's a good chance he'll be the starting centre. Unless Varejao gets traded for another centre.
Cesar De La Cruz
25 games
4.8ppg 4rpg 1.3bpg .590 FG .913 FT
Cesar was regarded as the worst player to be picked in the 2013 NBA Draft, but the Cavaliers took a chance on him. The chance paid off defensively, as the Cavaliers looked better when his 7'3 frame was protecting the rim. Offensively, he has less range than Tyson Chandler, but is strangely one of the best free throw shooters on the team. With this said, there have been worse players in the NBA selected because of their height, and with more work on his offense, De La Cruz could be something special.
Tracy McGrady
24 games
5.4ppg 1.2rpg .483 FG% .650 FT%
It's shocking to see that Tracy McGrady only played 24 games. But with his game well and truly on the decline, he was never expected to play every game. He had the odd game where he provided the Cavaliers with an offensive spark, but he mostly looked sluggish on the court. He's stated in the media several times that he'll be looking elsewhere next season, so this is the last we'll see of T-Mac in a Cleveland jersey.
Charlie Villanueva
53 games
6.5ppg 1.9rpg .450 FG .355 3PT
Villanueva is an interesting case study. At his best, he can provide Cleveland with a bunch of points in a hurry. He could average 20 points a game if he had more court time. But the deficiencies in his game are glaring. For a guy his size, he's a terrible rebounder; or at least far worse than Tristan Thompson or Marreese Speights. Cleveland has an offensive structure that revolves around good guard play, so he's not the greatest complement to that.
Austin Daye
69 games
5.9ppg 2rpg .436 FG .408 3PT
Austin Daye had a few good games for Cleveland, but for the most part, he didn't get into much of a rhythm. This probably has something to do with how Byron Scott used him. His height often gets him pidgeon-holed as a power forward, when he's really a wing player.
Mike Bibby
11 games (3 starts)
7.2ppg 4.5apg 2.3spg .458 FG
Who would have thought the guy who had a two year break from the league would come back and lead the NBA in steals per game. Bibby came to Cleveland with no expectations placed on him whatsoever. He was an extra body for the Cavs, who'd likely pick up garbage minutes. Instead, he was thrown right into the deep end, as he started his second game back in the NBA. To everyone's surprise, he contributed straight away.
There's speculation that this was Bibby's last season, but if he chooses to go around for one more, he could find his way back to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
