It’s been reported that Cleveland Cavaliers big Ante Zizic will be out for about four weeks due to a plantar fasciitis injury, and given that, it’d make even more sense for Cleveland to sign training camp invitee big Marques Bolden to the team’s other two-way deal.
Heading into 2019-20, I’d think that Cleveland Cavaliers third-year big Ante Zizic could continue to make nice strides, as he did when given opportunities to play in meaningful minutes in the 2018-19 season.
Though reported injuries to key Cleveland bigs Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson (who combined to miss 99 games last year) played into Zizic getting more meaningful minutes last season, Zizic clearly seemed to be a promising reserve interior scorer and quality roller for the Cavs in coming years.
Zizic made the most of his opportunities when on the floor in 2018-19, as he had respectable averages of 7.8 points and 5.4 rebounds in 18.3 minutes per game in 59 appearances, which included 25 starts (per Basketball Reference).
Zizic reportedly got into peak shape this offseason, too, which though the Cleveland Cavaliers have Love, Thompson, John Henson, and Larry Nance Jr. already on the roster (and Cleveland has a two-way big in Dean Wade that will likely play on occasion), it didn’t hurt Zizic’s case for minutes that he was in the best shape of his life.
Unfortunately, though, Zizic did not get to participate in any of the Cavs’ preseason games due to discomfort and soreness in his left foot, and on Thursday, per a team press release, Zizic will reportedly miss about four weeks.
Here’s the majority of what the status update said.
"“Imaging at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health and evaluation by the Cavaliers medical staff revealed Zizic is experiencing plantar fasciitis in his left foot. Zizic will now undergo a period of treatment and rehabilitation and his return to play will be updated as appropriate.”"
This plantar fasciitis news is really rough to hear for Zizic, who again, I believe, could make nice strides in his third season, and even with the injury, with Zizic’s post polish and the mid-range touch he flashed last year, I’d still think it would be wise for Cleveland to pick up Zizic’s team option for the 2020-21 season, which could realistically happen at the end of this month.
With Zizic sidelined, though, it seems there’s all the more reason for the Cavaliers to sign training camp invitee big Marques Bolden, who was tied with other camp invitee big Jarell Martin for the Cleveland lead in blocks in the preseason (according to NBA.com), to the team’s other two-way deal heading into the start of the 2019-20 season.
The aforementioned Henson did not play in the preseason at all due to right groin soreness (in the first two games), and then a reported ankle injury he suffered before the third preseason game against the Boston Celtics in warm-ups (which kept him out of the last preseason game as well).
Henson, who has averaged 1.5 blocks in 20.1 minutes per game in his career (per Basketball Reference), could have given the Cleveland Cavaliers some good rotational rim protection and a solid rolling threat, but with him feasibly having nagging injury issues (he also didn’t play at all for Cleveland last year after being traded to them by the Milwaukee Bucks due to a left wrist ligament tear), and with Love and Thompson’s potential for injury issues, it’d make sense for the Cavs to sign Bolden to their other two-way deal.
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The 21-year-old Bolden, who averaged 1.7 blocks in 19.0 minutes per game last year at Duke (per Sports Reference), has flashed the potential in preseason that he could be a solid rotational rim protector for Cleveland head coach John Beilein in some minutes in what would be no more than a 45-day sample, and maybe with more time to develop predominantly with the Canton Charge, Bolden can add more to his offensive game, at least on the interior.
Considering the Cavaliers reportedly waived camp invitee wings Sindarius Thornwell, J.P. Macura, Daniel Hamilton and Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot (per a team press release), those aren’t candidates for the Cavs’ 14th roster spot or the other two-way, at least at the beginning of the year.
Though I could’ve seen Thornwell potentially land the 14th roster spot or the other two-way with how he could be a very good perimeter defender for the Cavs in some spot minutes, the Cavaliers have a ton of guards in Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, Jordan Clarkson, Brandon Knight and Matthew Dellavedova (at least to begin the season, as Clarkson, Knight and Dellavedova are expiring) that could warrant meaningful minutes (and Thornwell isn’t realistically a 3).
Cleveland can use some rotational rim protection, and on a two-way deal, Bolden would make sense, with this injury to Zizic.
Given that Bolden’s offensive scoring output is limited, though, and with the team feasibly trading Thompson and/or Henson at some point before the 2020 trade deadline, with them being on expiring contracts and with being able to provide quality defensive play for contenders in some minutes, I’d think more minutes should open up Zizic as the season progresses, and I’m not sure if Bolden is worth keeping around for more than the initial 45-day limit.
Conversely, maybe a developmental small forward would be presumably with the team’s 14th roster spot.
Again, though, with Bolden being a quality rolling and screening presence, and being a solid developmental rim protector for Beilein and company, this Zizic injury gives all the more reason for the Cleveland Cavaliers to sign Bolden with their other two-way deal going into the 2019-20 regular season.
I also touched on why Cleveland should give Bolden a long preseason look with Zizic and Henson not looking as though they’d play in preseason at all before, and with the way Bolden defended well, he’s earned more opportunity when the games do count.
Bolden and Martin reportedly lasted through the first round of cuts going into the new season, but Bolden proved to be a contributor that played within himself more, whereas Martin, who shot 4.0 three-point attempts per game, shot just 18.8% from deep (per NBA.com).
The Cavs would be better off going with Bolden to give them rotational rim protection with their other two-way going into the regular season and with this Zizic injury, and not a player in Martin that’s likely going to just jack up three-point shots when he’s not a very capable three-point shooter at all.