Previewing Cleveland Cavaliers Starting Lineup, Rotation for 2014-15 Season

Few, if any, starting lineups will be as exciting to watch this season as the Cleveland Cavaliers.

While LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving are locked in as starters, the rest of the first five has yet to be decided.

The remainder of coach David Blatt's rotation should be intriguing as well. With a healthy mix of veterans and youth on the roster, Cleveland could be one of the deepest teams in the league as well.

Based off training camp and early preseason action, here's what we can expect the Cavs starting lineup and rotation to look like for the 2014-15 season.

Point Guard

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Starter: Kyrie Irving, 6'3" 193 pounds

A no-brainer here.

Irving has started every single game he's played in with the Cavaliers, 181 in all.

Asked to carry the scoring load the past three years, Irving can now be more of a distributor with two of the league's top three point-per-game leaders coming to Cleveland. Look for his shooting numbers to make a nice rebound from a season ago, although Irving's career scoring average of 20.7 points could see a dip.

Fresh off a five-year, $90 million extension this summer, Irving should continue his role as the Cavs floor general for the foreseeable future.

Minutes: 35

Role Player: Matthew Dellavedova, 6'4" 200 pounds

While Dellavedova had to fight to make the team a season ago, he's now comfortably cemented as the team's primary backup to Irving.

A scrappy one-on-one defender who Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal calls one of the NBA's best, "Delly" has become a fan favorite in Cleveland.

A willing passer, the Cavs scored 4.6 more points per 100 possessions with Dellavedova on the court last season, per 82games.com.

Minutes: 10

Shooting Guard

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Starter: Dion Waiters, 6'4" 225 pounds

While his spot in the opening lineup is far from guaranteed, Waiters has started both the Wine and Gold Scrimmage and preseason opener against Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Waiters has spent the majority of his career as the team's sixth man, a role he could conceivably return to at some point this season. An instant-offense guard with a quick first step, Waiters has thrived with the ball in his hands but disappointed when asked to play off of it.

If Waiters can improve his catch-and-shoot numbers (42.1 percent last season, via NBA.com/Stats), he'll likely stay with James, Irving and Love in the starting five.

Minutes: 30

Role Player: Mike Miller, 6'8" 218 pounds

Miller has come off the bench thus far, but could be a better fit than Waiters as a starter.

An off-the-ball guard who can help spread defenses with his outside shooting, Miller brings a wealth of regular-season and playoff experience to the Cavaliers.

While he doesn't possess the playmaking abilities that Waiters does, Miller has proved to be the superior three-point shooter (40.9 to 34.2 percent, lifetime). With drive-and-kick players like James, Irving and Waiters, Miller should have plenty of open opportunities this season.

Minutes: 10-15

Benchwarmer: James Jones, 6'8" 215 pounds

Jones was the first veteran to jump on board the Cavs train after James announced his return home.

An 11-year veteran, Jones will essentially play the same role as Miller, just not as often. A catch-and-shoot aficionado, Jones should also help stretch the defense.

With shooting guard set to be a deep position for the Cavaliers, Jones' minutes may be sparse at times. If Miller's shots aren't falling on a particular night, then we could see more of Jones off the bench.

Minutes: 0-5

Small Forward

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Starter: LeBron James, 6'8" 250 pounds

James may still be clinging to his 20s, but Blatt has already expressed concern over his star player's usage this season.

Following the lead of Gregg Popovich's San Antonio Spurs, Blatt isn't afraid to rest his players at various points in the regular season notes Bob Finnan of The Morning Journal and The News-Herald.

"The fact we may need to rest him and others at different points during the preparation process and even during the season, in my mind, it’s the right and smart thing to do," Blatt said.

This could definitely be a good thing for James, who averaged over 40 minutes a game during his first seven years in Cleveland.

Now with a heavily-upgraded supporting cast, James' playing time and usage shouldn't be as extensive. Expect healthy playing time, but not nearly the same workload James has been tasked with during his first 11 years.

Minutes: 35

Role Player: Shawn Marion, 6'7" 228 pounds

Marion was a big signing for the Cavs, as he brings championship experience and the ability to guard multiple positions.

At 6'7" and nearly 230 pounds, Marion can play either forward spot backing up James and Love. His role will primarily consist of defending the opposition's best forward and rebounding while James needs a rest. Cleveland could also use him at the 4 alongside James in smaller lineups.

While Marion won't recieve the 30-plus minutes a night he's gotten throughout his 15-year career, he should be a regular part of the rotation.

Minutes: 20

Power Forward

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Starter: Kevin Love, 6'10" 243 pounds

No offense to the great Larry Nance, but Love could quickly become the best power forward in team history.

Just 26 years of age, the Cavs should feel comfortable giving Love plenty of playing time at the 4, even spotting him some occasional minutes at center in small lineups.

Only five times in NBA history has a player averaged 20-plus points, 11-plus rebounds and at least one three-pointer over the course of a season. Love has accomplished this feat three times, with Hall of Fame forward Charles Barkley and now-teammate Marion being the only others.

While we may see a drop in those historical stats, Love should still provide plenty of scoring, rebounding, outside shooting and outlet passes this season.

Minutes: 35

Role Player: Lou Amundson, 6'9" 225 pounds

A late addition to the Cavaliers roster, Amundson actually fits the team quite well.

A scrappy defender and shot-blocker, Amundson has averaged 10.1 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.0 steals per 36 minutes for his career.

With a talented offensive player like Love in front of him, Amundson will be relied upon to do the dirty work and help protect the rim for the Cavs this season.

Minutes: 5

Center

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Starter: Tristan Thompson, 6'9" 238 pounds

While many thought it would be Varejao beginning games for the Cavs this season, Thompson has thus far been used as the starting center.

Blatt hasn't officially named his regular-season starter at the 5 yet, telling ESPN's Dave McMenamin, "The obvious question is: ‘Who is the starter, Tristan or Andy?’ And I can tell you, I don’t know."

While Varejao has the size and experience advantage, Thompson is more durable and a better athlete overall.

Regardless of who ends up in this spot, Cleveland will primarily feature a three-big rotation of Thompson, Varejao and Love.

Minutes: 30

Sixth Man: Anderson Varejao, 6'11" 267 pounds

Likely the first man off the bench at any position, Varejao will again play an important role for Cleveland.

After beginning last season as the team's starter, Varejao was benched in favor of Andrew Bynum, and then again for Spencer Hawes. At age 32, he's still a fantastic rebounder who pulled down 9.7 a game last season.

James' only remaining teammate from his first run in Cleveland, Varejao should enjoy being part of a contending team once again.

Minutes: 20

Benchwarmer: Brendan Haywood, 7'0" 263 pounds

While he missed the past season following foot surgery, Haywood has suited up in preseason action for the Cavs thus far.

Now 34 with plenty of rust, it's unclear what Cleveland can expect from Haywood over the course of a season. For now, it's best coach Blatt keeps Haywood's minutes low while he continues his recovery.

With Varejao's injury history, Haywood may be depended on more later this year.

Minutes: 5

Greg Swartz has covered the Cleveland Cavaliers for Bleacher Report since 2010. Connect with him on Twitter for more basketball news and conversation.

All stats provided by Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.