Power Ranking Cleveland Cavaliers Players Heading into 2014-15 NBA Season
Along with jerseys, shorts, shoes, towels and other various locker room items the Cleveland Cavaliers will need, nametags may actually top the list.
Of the 17 players currently on the Cavs' training camp roster, just five were employed by the team a year ago.
That's quite a number of new faces players will have to get used to, even if one is arguably the most famous on the planet.
Most casual NBA fans are familiar with guys like LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, but what about the other 14 players?
Here's how every Cavalier stacks up entering the 2014-15 NBA season.
Nos. 17-14: Holt, Crawford, Edwards, Kirk
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No. 17: Stephen Holt, G
2013-14 Stats (St. Mary's College): 15.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 0.8 steals, 19.6 PER
A former college teammate of Matthew Dellavedova, Holt is a talented combo guard who can knock down the three-ball (44.3 percent last season).
Holt joined the Atlanta Hawks' summer league team, where he averaged 8.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.2 steals in 23.8 minutes after going undrafted, per Cavs.com.
No. 16: Chris Crawford, G
2013-14 Stats (University of Memphis): 8.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.5 steals, 12.9 PER
An undrafted rookie, Crawford played for the Houston Rockets' summer league team before joining the Cavaliers.
A good defender at 6'4", Crawford is still very much a project on offense. He won't see time with the big club, but could get a run with the Canton Charge this season.
No. 15: Shane Edwards, F
2013-14 Stats (Canton Charge): 14.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 55.1 percent shooting
Edwards appeared in two games for the Cavs last season after spending much of the year in Canton.
A 6'7" athletic forward, Edwards could be used sparingly throughout the season when veterans like Shawn Marion or Mike Miller need a rest.
No. 14: Alex Kirk, C
2013-14 Stats (University of New Mexico): 13.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.7 blocks, 20.7 PER
Yet another undrafted free agent, Kirk may already be one of the best shot-blockers on the Cavaliers roster.
At 7'0" and 245 pounds, Kirk has great size for a center and should be kept on the final 15-man roster as insurance for Cleveland's bigs.
Nos. 13-11: Price, Amundson, Harris
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No. 13: A.J. Price, PG
2013-14 Stats: 1.6 points, 0.4 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 3.5 minutes
Price, 28, has played for the Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards and Minnesota Timberwolves during his five-year career.
His most prominent stint came as a fill-in for an injured John Wall and the Wizards during the 2012-13 season, where Price started 22 games.
No. 12: Lou Amundson, F/C
2013-14 Stats: 2.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, 0.6 blocks, 9.7 minutes, 9.1 PER
A scrappy, hustle guy with a good motor, Amundson could wind up being Cleveland's primary backup at power forward to Kevin Love.
With so many good scorers on the team already, the Cavs need a hard-hat guy like Amundson to rebound, defend and help protect the rim.
No. 11: Joe Harris, SG
2013-14 Stats (University of Virginia): 12.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 18.7 PER
Harris was the Cavaliers' second-round pick this year out of Virginia.
A sharpshooter, Harris is 13th on the ACC's career three-pointers list with 263. While he'll have to fight for playing time behind James Jones and Mike Miller, Harris could develop into a very nice specialist off the bench somewhere down the line.
No. 10: James Jones, G/F
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2013-14 Stats: 4.9 points, 1.2 rebounds, 1.4 3PM, 11.8 minutes, 15.4 PER
Jones was a nice pickup for the Cavs, as he's become a well-respected veteran around the league.
Throughout his 11-year career with the Indiana Pacers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers and Miami Heat, Jones has always been able to do one thing extremely well: Shoot.
A lifetime 40.3 percent marksman from deep, Jones is especially deadly spotting up and converting catch-and-shoot three-pointers.
He'll spread the floor for the Cavaliers on offense while also serving as a leader and mentor in the locker room.
No. 9: Matthew Dellavedova, PG
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2013-14 Stats: 4.7 points, 1.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 17.7 minutes, 10.7 PER
Dellavedova should serve as inspiration for all the undrafted rookies looking to latch onto NBA teams this year.
The former St. Mary's guard worked his way up the Cavaliers depth chart last season, eventually earning playing time and a handful of starts.
Dellavedova should complement this current group of Cavs well. He's a true pass-first point guard who rarely looks for his own shot. Dellavedova has also shown the intensity to be a great defender and can knock down the three-ball as needed (36.8 percent last season).
No. 8: Shawn Marion, F
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2013-14 Stats: 10.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.2 steals, 13.7 PER
Marion somewhat surprisingly agreed to a veteran's minimum deal in order to join the Cavaliers this summer.
A 15-year vet who's started over 1,000 career games, Marion should be a key piece of the Cavs' bench group.
Able to play and guard either forward position, Marion will often share the court with James and help take defensive pressure of him. Marion's amassed some eye-popping stats during his career, notes Joe Gabriele of Cavs.com:
"In terms of NBA elite, the man his teammates call “’Trix” is one of only four players in league history (joining Hakeem Olajuwon, Karl Malone and Kevin Garnett) with at least 17,000 points, 9,000 rebounds, 1,500 steals and 1,000 blocks.
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A 2011 NBA champion with the Dallas Mavericks, Marion should continue to add to Cleveland's plethora of experienced players.
No. 7: Mike Miller, G/F
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2013-14 Stats: 7.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.3 3PM, 12.5 PER
Miller, 34, remains one of the best three-point shooters in the game today.
One of James' closest friends in the league, Miller helped the Miami Heat capture back-to-back NBA titles in 2011-12 and 2012-13.
While he's missed plenty of games in the past with various injuries, Miller took part in all 82 contests for the Memphis Grizzlies last season. His 45.9 percent shooting from deep was good for third in the league.
Like Jones and Harris, Miller will be relied upon to knock down shots, whether it be via spotting up or coming off screens.
The Cavaliers have plenty of players that can create double-teams which lead to open looks.
Miller should enjoy a nice year taking advantage of this.
No. 6: Tristan Thompson, PF/C
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2013-14 Stats: 11.7 points, 9.2 rebounds, 0.4 blocks, 14.9 PER
While a final decision has yet to be made about the team's starting center, Thompson appears to be in the lead.
An excellent rebounder, Thompson finished second among all power forwards on the offensive glass last season with 3.3 a game. A large part of his job this year will again be to clean up misses and finish off easy looks inside.
Thompson may never live up to his No. 4 overall draft position, but make no mistake, he's a very good player and a great fit for this Cavaliers team.
No. 5: Anderson Varejao, C
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2013-14 Stats: 8.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.1 steals, 17.0 PER
While Thompson may be younger and more athletic, Varejao is still the Cavs' best center whether he starts or not.
Long thought of as just a hustle player, Varejao keeps improving his game, even at age 32.
His rebounding has always been solid (10.9 per 36 minutes of play for his career), but it's Varejao's offensive game that's really taken off. Last season, he converted 47.2 percent of his mid-range jumpers and shot 49.5 percent from the field overall.
Injuries are still very much a concern, but with Thompson and Kevin Love on board, Varejao's workload should be reduced this season.
No. 4: Dion Waiters, SG
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2013-14 Stats: 15.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 14.0 PER
Despite primarily serving as the team's sixth man the past two seasons, Waiters appears to be coach David Blatt's starter at shooting guard to begin the year.
A dynamite scorer, Waiters' adjustment to playing more off the ball and deferring to others will be key to his success. Waiters and Kyrie Irving haven't even proved they can share a ball, much less with LeBron James and Kevin Love also on the floor.
For Waiters, all the talent is there.
How he chooses to utilize it while sacrificing for the team, especially since he's eligible for a contract extension next summer, remains to be seen.
No. 3: Kyrie Irving, PG
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2013-14 Stats: 20.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.5 steals, 20.1 PER
How does one know that their team has enjoyed a successful offseason?
Probably when their best player now becomes just their third-best.
Irving may be taking a backseat of sorts, but he doesn't seem to mind. After three years of lottery trips, Irving should finally be ready to help guide a winning team.
Just 22 years old with some of the best handles in the league, we should see Irving's efficiency reach career-best levels now that he's paired with James and Love. Irving's always possessed a nice three-point stroke but was forced into taking too many contested shots last season given the Cavs' lack of scoring help.
While he may not reach 20-plus points a game this season, Irving should still be in the 17-18 range with higher assists and shooting numbers to boot.
No. 2: Kevin Love, PF
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2013-14 Stats: 26.1 points, 12.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 26.9 PER
Having long enjoyed the alpha-dog role, Love now becomes the ultimate NBA sidekick.
An offensive juggernaut that can score from anywhere on the floor, Love is perfect for David Blatt's offense. The Princeton offense requires big men to handle the ball at times and make plays for others. No power forward in the league collected more assists than Love's 4.4 a game last season.
When players like James, Irving and Waiters drive the lane, Love can step outside and knock down the open jumper, should teams decide to double down low.
Terry Pluto of The Cleveland Plain Dealer notes, "Love is such a skilled scorer with so many ways to put the ball in the basket. He also seems to already have chemistry with LeBron James."
For Love, that may ultimately prove to be the most important aspect of his game this season.
No. 1: LeBron James, SF
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2013-14 Stats: 27.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.6 steals, 29.3 PER
While there's not much doubt about James' spot on these rankings, his role with the team is still to be determined.
During his first stint in Cleveland, and even with the Miami Heat when Dwyane Wade was sidelined, James had to put up gaudy scoring numbers.
Now, surrounded by Love, Irving, Waiters and others, will he still look to score as often?
James is also an outstanding passer and defender.
His playmaking ability will certainly be needed. Considering the level of talent around him, James could realistically come close to breaking his personal-best 8.6 assists per game. With the offensive-minded Irving and Love starting beside him, James will also be forced to anchor the defense.
Now back with the Cavs, a championship is once again the goal.
The biggest change in working for one? He no longer has to do it alone.
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.
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