Which Cleveland Cavaliers Training Camp Invitees Could Make the Roster?
Among the original six training camp invitees on the Cleveland Cavaliers roster this preseason, only four remain.
After previously waiving guards Chris Crawford and Stephen Holt, the Cavs have to make a decision on guard A.J. Price, forwards Shane Edwards and Lou Amundson and center Alex Kirk.
With the roster currently set at 16, Cleveland only needs to waive one more player before the start of the regular season.
Who stands the best chance of surviving the final cut, and which player will be booking a flight home shortly?
Lou Amundson, F/C, 6'9", 225 pounds
The veteran of the group, Amundson has spent eight years in the league and now joins his ninth NBA franchise.
Teams looking to the 31-year-old forward for offense are going to be severely disappointed, but that doesn't mean he can't help out in other areas.
Amundson's game is built on hustle, especially on the defensive end.
Per 36 minutes of play for his career, Amundson has averaged 10.1 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.0 steals. Last season with the New Orleans Pelicans, the team allowed 3.8 fewer points per 100 possessions with Amundson on the floor, per 82games.com.
He's earned a pesky reputation by getting under the skin of opponents, a la Anderson Varejao. One could even think of Amundson as a poor man's Varejao, given their comparable hustle, rebounding and defensive ability.
Given Varejao's injury history, Cleveland should definitely want to keep Amundson around for some extra insurance in the post.
Chance of Staying: 80 percent
A.J. Price, PG, 6'2", 195 pounds
Price was brought in to battle with Matthew Dellavedova for the backup point guard job. While he hasn't done enough to win the job outright, Price has played well enough to earn a spot on the team.
The 28-year-old guard has played for three teams during his five years, most notably as a starter with the Washington Wizards in 2012-13 while John Wall recovered from a knee injury.
In five preseason games, Price has cracked double-digits in the scoring column twice. He's shown a solid outside stroke, especially during an overtime win against the Miami Heat in Brazil. Price finished the game with 12 points in 20 minutes, connecting on 3-of-4 three-pointers.
Even when his shot's not falling, Price has shown the ability to be a willing distributor. In a loss against the Memphis Grizzlies, Price tied for the team lead with four assists in just 12 minutes off the bench.
With Kyrie Irving handling the bulk of the minutes at point guard, playing time could be scarce for Price. That being said, Irving has sustained a plethora of injuries in his three seasons. The Cavaliers are well aware of this and may not feel comfortable with Dellavedova as the only backup point guard on the roster.
Price would bring some experience and depth to the position.
Consider him safe for now.
Chance of Staying: 75 percent
Alex Kirk, C, 7'0", 245 pounds
Kirk is a monster of a man who the Cavs scooped up after he went undrafted following a three-year career at New Mexico.
His first action for Cleveland actually came earlier this year in the Las Vegas Summer League. During that time, Kirk averaged 5.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in 15.4 minutes a game.
Obviously, size is the greatest attribute Kirk brings to the table. While his body resembles that of the traditional NBA center, Kirk has shown the ability to knock down the outside jumper as well.
If he wants to earn a role with this team, Kirk has to be able to play defense and protect the rim. Cleveland desperately needs someone who can come in and cause some panic when opponents drive the lane.
While in college, Kirk was an excellent shot-blocker.
Last year he swatted 2.7 shots a game to go along with 13.3 points and 8.7 rebounds. Cleveland probably couldn't care less about his scoring as long as Kirk plays defense and helps anchor the post.
Again, with Varejao's injury history, the Cavs may want the extra size around.
Kirk, like the two guys before him, will likely make the final roster.
Chance of Staying: 70 percent
Shane Edwards, SF, 6'7", 220 pounds
Edwards is the only player to have actually suited up for the Cavaliers last season, but he may very well be the final cut this year.
Although he only played two total games for the Cavs, Edwards did see healthy playing time with the D-League's Canton Charge. He averaged 14.2 points and 5.4 rebounds in 46 games with them a season ago.
So, given his experience around the club, why will Edwards be the next player released?
It could very well be his position.
While small forward has plagued the Cavaliers for years, it's now become their deepest area.
LeBron James, Shawn Marion and Mike Miller will essentially take up all available minutes at the 3, with James Jones serving as an option as well. Nothing against Edwards, but there's just no way he can crack that veteran rotation on a championship-caliber team.
Bob Finnan of The News-Herald and The Morning Journal also believes Edwards will be the odd man out:
When assembling the Cavaliers' player power rankings this preseason, Edwards came in at No. 15 out of 17. The only two ranked lower, Holt and Crawford, were waived on Oct. 19.
Barring some sort of major positional change or miracle growth spurt, Edwards' time with the Cavaliers could soon be coming to an end.
Chance of Staying: 5 percent
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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