The Cleveland Cavaliers Need Another Rim-Protecting Center. Like, Now.
It would be in the Cleveland Cavaliers best interest to get a shot-blocker immediately and for him to be a part of the rotation.
If the Cleveland Cavaliers can’t stop players from getting to the rim, they should at least protect it.
That isn’t to say Tristan Thompson hasn’t been a solid rim-protector this season. To the contrary, Thompson has anchored the Cavs defense when on the floor. Nonetheless, when he’s off the floor, teams take advantage of Channing Frye’s lack of strength, agility and shot-blocking instincts.
The numbers? The Cleveland Cavaliers currently rank 26th in blocks per game with 4.0.
Their defensive rating of 107.4 is 23rd in the league. Opponents have an effective field goal percentage of 51.7, 20th in the league. They give up 13.3 second chance points, which ranks 21st in the league. All of those factors, which contribute to the Cavs losses, can be solved with the addition of a rim-protector.
It’s not as if it’s something the Cleveland Cavaliers don’t know of course.
They signed Andrew Bogut last Thursday but he sustained a season-ending injury in his debut. Prior to Bogut’s signing, the Cleveland Cavaliers worked out Larry Sanders. Not only did they have serious interest in Sanders, they seemed to like him as well.
Both have been known as tremendous shot-blocking presences in their career.
Related Story: What Would Larry Sanders Bring To The Cleveland Cavaliers
While the Cleveland Cavaliers have made it known Bogut will be waived, they’ve also said that they don’t feel the need to add another center during their road trip. Their road trip ends this weekend, with the finale in Houston against James Harden and the Rockets. While signing a center immediately may not seem necessary, with 19 more games remaining in the season, there’s only a short time to get the big man in the rotation.
Make no mistake about it, the center needs to be in the rotation. Thompson and Frye usually play in tandem at center but with Kevin Love out, Frye is needed at the 4 position as well.
While Love’s naturally leaves playing time for a big man, another issue is getting rest for Thompson, who terrorizes teams with his hustle and energy. Thompson, who is already undersized for the center position, plays hard every possession and has played in every possible game for the last five seasons. Quite simply and quite frankly, he needs some rest. There’s a fair chance when you see Thompson he sounds fatigued and looks the part, with dark circles under his eyes.
Whether the team signs Sanders, or another center they’re said to have on their radar in Eric Moreland of the NBA Development League’s Canton Charge, remains to be seen.
It just needs to happen, period.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have trouble stopping perimeter penetration, a defensive issue compounded by a lack of rim-protection. Conversely, having who can alter shots at the rim will allow the Cavs to apply more pressure on the perimeter, as the threat of a shot-blocker will deter opposing offenses from attempting to venture into the paint in the first place.
With a more predictable offense to guard against,and no need to bring help to the inside, the Cavs should be able to contest three-point shots more consistently and efficiently.
Right now, teams make 10.5 three-point attempts per game (25th in the league), shoot 28.5 threes per game (20th in the league) and make 37.0 percent of their three-point attempts (24th in the league) when they play against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Hearing that the Cavs are in no rush to add help to a position of need, for both purposes of providing both depth and production, makes little sense for a team that needs to build as much continuity as possible before the playoffs.
When the center performs well and the team performs better defensively, the hope is that Tyronn Lue will play the player who is best for the team’s success on a consistent basis.
Related Story: Ranking The 5 Best Centers To Replace Andrew Bogut
How much do you think the Cleveland Cavaliers need a rim-protector? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.
*Team stats referenced from stats.nba.com