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Edy Tavares Records 6 Blocks In His Debut

By Quenton S. Albertie

Apr 12, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Norman Powell (24) drives to the basket between Cleveland Cavaliers center Edy Tavares (40) and guard James Jones (1) during the second half at Quicken Loans Arena. The Raptors won 98-83. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 12, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Norman Powell (24) drives to the basket between Cleveland Cavaliers center Edy Tavares (40) and guard James Jones (1) during the second half at Quicken Loans Arena. The Raptors won 98-83. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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Edy Tavares recorded six blocks in his debut with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Edy Tavares, the albatross center that the Cleveland Cavaliers signed prior to their season finale, recorded six blocks in 24 minutes in his debut. Tavares also recorded ten rebounds (four offensive) while only having two turnovers and three fouls.

There’s only one word with that type of performance. Wow.

He looked like a man among boys in the NBA Development League (NBADL), especially with the amount of undersized centers that NBADL teams play. However, he continued to look like a playground bully with the Cavs.

Other things to note about Tavares?

Defensively, he keeps his hands high, has nimble feet, stays vertical and shows great timing. He’s a true shot-blocker, always willing to send shots back to the hardwood. Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz points out an interesting comparison for Tavares in terms of his height.

Zydrunas Ilgauskus. Big Z. A center who wasn’t very nimble on the court but he was incredibly skilled on offense and changed a fair amount of shots around the rim defensively with an average of 1.6 blocks per game in his NBA career.

Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin says Tavares is a different signing than Sanders, who the Cleveland Cavaliers saw as a Tristan Thompson-like player that could switch onto multiple positions with his mobility. Griffin sees Tavares as a true center and special shot-blocker.

Tavares was also signed as a practice body, a player who would make scoring around the rim more difficult for the Cavs in practice.

For Tavares, he doesn’t feel like being on the Cleveland Cavaliers is real yet.

However, with a deal that lasts from this season through the 2018-2019 season, he’ll have time for his star-struck expression to wear off.

While the Larry Sanders Experiment was fun to track, the Edy Tavares Experience is already paying dividends on the court.

Related Story: Why Larry Sanders Was Cut And Could Return

What do you think of the Cleveland Cavaliers signing Edy Tavares? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.