We always thought that Anderson Varejao was a lock to start alongside Kevin Love in the frontcourt for the new-look Cleveland Cavaliers, but that assumption has proven wildly misguided. After David Blatt began Wednesday’s public scrimmage with Tristan Thompson as his team’s fifth starter, the Euroleague import admitted that he’s yet to decide who will open games at center.
David Blatt: "The obvious question is: ‘Who is the starter, Tristan or Andy?’ And I can tell you, I don’t know."
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 2, 2014
Bob Finnan of The News-Herald reported the same:
The Cavaliers are at least toying with the idea of starting Tristan Thompson at center…
Until the Wine and Gold Scrimmage on Oct. 1, it was thought 6-11 Anderson Varejao would be the starting center. Coach David Blatt said he has yet to make up his mind on who would start at center.
Cleveland’s other four starters are apparently set in stone: Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters, LeBron James, and Love. Merits of the three reigning All-Stars are obvious. Those of Waiters are much less so, and we believe he’s best suited for a role off the bench – especially on a team already employing primary handlers like Irving and James. But the Cavs are thin on the wing and Waiters, despite his deficiencies, is Blatt’s best perimeter combination of potential two-way impact.
Somewhat by force, then, starting Waiters makes sense. Putting Thompson instead of Varejao next to Love on the interior, though? We don’t get it.
Varejao isn’t a perfect fit next to Love. He’s not a shot-blocker, can be overmatched physically, and doesn’t draw double-teams in the post. But given the Cavs’ limited roster flexibility and especially compared to Thompson, the man they call “Wild Thing” is a remarkably apt partner for Cleveland’s most recently acquired superstar and the team in general.
Varejao’s passing ability will be a constant threat on a floor loaded with scorers. His quickness as a pick-and-roll defender can help mask the lack of Love’s. He’s willing to do and remarkably good at the dirty work that falls seemingly below pay-grades of Blatt’s Big Three, and his overall defensive influence – as communicator more than anything – will loom large for a team lacking any semblance of continuity.
Thompson’s case is laughable in comparison. He’s smaller than Varejao, offers less floor-spacing, rebounds at a lower clip, and doesn’t offer the defensive awareness of his far more experienced competition. And despite Thompson’s wingspan and generally high activity level, he just doesn’t protect the rim like Varejao – a key attribute for a big man playing next to Love.
According to NBA.com’s player tracking data, opponents took 5.2 shots at the rim against both players in 2013-2014. Thompson allowed players to make 58 percent of their shots in those scenarios, compared to Varejao’s mark of 54.8 percent. Neither number is a good one, but Thompson’s is downright dreadful – second-worst in the league among players who faced at least five such attempts per game. The Cavs would get eaten alive in the paint defensively if Love is paired with Thompson for a majority of his court-time.
It seems clear to us – Varejao is the choice. But Blatt remains unsure, and is at risk of needlessly harming his team’s chances if he decides to go Thompson’s direction.
Who do you think should start?
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