Byron Scott names Cavaliers starting lineup for Tuesday
By Zak Kolesar
Oct 17, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) talks with guard Dion Waiters (3) during the second quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wachovia Center. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE
The Cleveland Cavaliers announced their starting roster for the 2012-13 season opener against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday. Head coach Byron Scott said on Monday that Kyrie Irving (PG), Dion Waiters (SG), Alonzo Gee (SF), Tristan Thompson (PF) and Anderson Varejao (C) would be the starting five for now. The average age of the five aforementioned is 23.7 years, but with the way Varejao has been playing it could only be a matter of time before rookie Tyler Zeller could nab his spot.
If that unlikely scenario happens, the Cavaliers would boast one of the youngest starting lineups in the history of the league. Zeller would bring the average age all the way down to 21.6 years. Overall the roster has an average age of 24.9 years and only has two plays 30 years of age or older on the team.
Here is a look at the final 15-man roster for the 2012-13 season:
SF – Omri Casspi (age 24)
SF – Alonzo Gee (25)
SG – Daniel Gibson (26)
PF – Luke Harangody (24)
PG – Kyrie Irving (20)
PF – Jon Leuer (23)
SG – C.J. Miles (25)
PG – Jeremy Pargo (26)
PF – Samardo Samuels (23)
PG – Donald Sloan (24)
PF – Tristan Thompson (21)
C – Anderson Varejao (30)
SG – Dion Waiters (20)
SF – Luke Walton (32)
C – Tyler Zeller (22)
The starting lineup that the Cavaliers had last year to begin the season against the Toronto Raptors is quite different from what the Wine and Gold will go with this year. Antawn Jamison is off in Los Angeles looking to prove that he can be a formidable sixth man for a championship-caliber team, Anthony Parker retired, Ryan Hollins is with the Clippers, Ramon Sessions is helping the Charlotte Bobcats rebuild and Christian Eyenga is without a job. The 2011-12 squad also only carried thirteen players on their opening day roster.
The main difference between the two rosters from a year ago is the starting lineups. In 2011-12 the Wine and Gold had an average age of 28.4 years in their lineup against the Raptors. Two players who sat on the bench to open the season, Thompson and Gee, will now see their chance to start the season against the Wizards. I think mistakes will be plentiful from the onset, but for the most part the Cavaliers will move the ball with more precision and quickness than the team did last year. One of the things that still worries me is the Cavs presence down low. Thompson is a much better defensive option than the aging Jamison was, but the lackluster effort that Varejao performing with during the preseason has to be somewhat concerning.
Overall this starting lineup marks a new era for Cavaliers basketball. They are taking the Oklahoma City Thunder approach at making a formidable playoff team, then building from that. The Thunder had a starting lineup last season with the average age of 24.4 years, so the Cavaliers are very close to being an Eastern Conference supremacy with another well-planned draft and hard-nosed tutoring from Byron Scott.