Power Ranking Cleveland Cavaliers Players Heading into Final Month of Season
In the last Cleveland Cavaliers' power rankings report, we saw the addition of Timofey Mozgov, Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith. LeBron James was locked in the No. 1 spot with Kyrie Irving scuffling a bit, and James Jones was buried near the bottom.
Now, with only a month remaining in the regular season, David Blatt's rotation is finally rounding into shape. Cleveland has added veteran center Kendrick Perkins, Shawn Marion is returning from an injured hip and Irving has resumed his superstar-level play.
For those new to the rankings, guys are placed based off overall talent, not necessarily how they've played in the last few weeks, months or even season. Their "stock," however, reflects changes based off the previous rankings from Feb. 20.
With the Cavaliers having taken over the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, it's up to the following 14 players to ensure they stay there heading into the postseason.
Nos. 14-11: Haywood, Harris, Miller, Perkins
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No. 14: Brendan Haywood, C
Stats Since Last Ranking: 0.7 points, 0.7 rebounds, 0.3 steals, 4.2 minutes
Stock: Falling ⇓ (13)
Haywood, 35, isn't seeing game action even in blowouts these days, something the veteran center seems to be cool with, via Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group.
"I feel like I'm the secret weapon. My mindset is that the coaching staff doesn't want to let the other coaches in the league have film on me. So when the playoffs come along, they're going to unveil the secret weapon and they're not going to know what hit them. They're never going to see it coming. Me included.
"
Pure gold.
No. 13: Joe Harris, SG
Stats Since Last Ranking: 1.6 points, 0.7 rebounds, 4.3 minutes, 30.8/33.3/60.0 shooting
Stock: Falling ⇓ (11)
Harris continues to split time between the Cavaliers and D-League affiliate Canton Charge. He's received fewer than 10 minutes of court action over the last eight games.
Being the team's only rookie, his playing time is now limited to lopsided affairs. Harris should spend the remainder of the season soaking up all the knowledge he can from guys like Mike Miller and James Jones.
No. 12: Mike Miller, SG
Stats Since Last Ranking: 0.4 points, 1.3 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 5.7 minutes, 16.7/20.0/N/A shooting
Stock: Falling ⇓ (10)
Despite dropping out of Blatt's rotation, Miller plans to pick up his player option next season to stay with the Cavs.
"Shooting is always a necessity in this league, and keeping guys good in the locker room is sometimes just as important as anything else," Miller told Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. "I think some of the qualities I can bring can last for a while."
No. 11: Kendrick Perkins, C
Stats Since Last Ranking: 2.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 0.2 blocks, 40.9 FG%, 8.0 minutes
Stock: N/A
The newest Cavalier probably hasn't received the court time he would ideally like, but Perkins is certainly making the most of his minutes.
In their most recent win over the Brooklyn Nets on March 18, Perkins put together four points, six rebounds and a block in just seven minutes. His mobility may be limited, but Perkins is still a serviceable rim protector that Cleveland will need come playoff time.
No. 10: Shawn Marion
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Stats Since Last Ranking: 4.5 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 6.8 minutes
Stock: Falling ⇓ (8)
We haven't seen much of Shawn Marion lately, as the 36-year-old has appeared in just two games over the last month due to an ailing hip.
Cleveland needs to find a way to work him back into the rotation, especially for the playoffs. His defensive versatility is invaluable, as are his previous postseason accomplishments and knowledge.
The Cavaliers are better defensively and on the glass when Marion is on the floor, even if his 4.9 points and 3.4 rebounds are both career lows.
No. 9: Matthew Dellavedova, PG
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Stats Since Last Ranking: 2.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 32.4/33.3/90.0 shooting
Stock: Steady ⇔
Cleveland and Delly have a weird relationship.
If he's on the court for 15 minutes or less, moving the ball, playing defense and setting guys up, it loves him. Should Matthew Dellavedova get extended time, his weaknesses tend to surface and fans notice. The Cavaliers are just 3-7 when he plays 30 minutes or more and 13-5 when he gets 15 minutes or less.
Despite only having two true point guards with Dellavedova and Irving, Blatt continues to make the mistake of playing both together at times. He needs to do a better job of keeping Delly at that 15-minute plateau, using him only in brief periods to rest Irving.
No. 8: James Jones, F
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Stats Since Last Ranking: 6.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 45.6/46.8/63.6 shooting
Stock: Rising ⇑ (12)
The man known as "champ" has emerged onto the scene once again, and most thought Blatt had forgotten about him altogether.
Over the last month, James Jones has been the Cavs' best deep threat, converting nearly 47 percent of his three-pointers. Blatt likes to use Jones as his stretch 4 in smaller lineups, as his presence helps space the floor for guys like James and Irving to drive.
The bad news? Jones isn't a particularly good defender and especially struggles when forced to cover opposing power forwards. With him on the floor, the Cavaliers are allowing teams to score 113.6 points per 100 possessions, the second-highest amount of any player.
No. 7: Iman Shumpert, SG/SF
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Stats Since Last Ranking: 6.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 35.4/26.0/77.8 shooting
Stock: Steady ⇔
While his shooting percentages have dipped recently, Iman Shumpert's playing time hasn't been affected.
Why? Shumpert has become Cleveland's best overall defender, regardless of position. The Cavaliers allow a stingy 101 points per 100 possessions with him in the game, a number that balloons to 108.1 points when Shumpert sits. This 7.1 point difference is the highest on the Cavs, besting even James and Mozgov.
Over the last 15 games, Shumpert is limiting shooters to just 25.5 percent from deep, including 26.4 percent from anything over 15 feet, via NBA.com.
No. 6: Tristan Thompson, PF/C
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Stats Since Last Ranking: 7.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 0.3 blocks, 62.3/N/A/75.0 shooting
Stock: Steady ⇔
Although he's part of the bench crew now, it's Tristan Thompson who typically finishes games for the Cavaliers at center. This isn't by mistake, either. Given his durability, Thompson typically gets better as the game goes along.
In the first half this season, opponents are shooting 62.8 percent against him within six feet of the basket, per NBA.com. In second halves, however, Thompson holds them to 53.2 percent, a drop of 6.7 percent from their season average. In fourth quarters alone, this success rate falls all the way to 47.9 percent.
Set to become a restricted free agent this summer, the Cavaliers need Thompson and should be prepared to offer more than the $50 million he reportedly turned down in the offseason.
No. 5: Timofey Mozgov, C
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Stats Since Last Ranking: 10.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, 61.2/N/A/81.8 shooting
Stock: Falling ⇓ (4)
The only real complaint one can make with Mozgov is that we don't see him nearly enough.
Although Mozgov is the Cavaliers' starting center, backup Thompson has actually been featured more over the past 15 games (24.4 minutes to 23.3 minutes). We rarely see Mozgov in the fourth quarter, despite his impressive impact on both ends.
Cleveland is 13.1 points per 100 possessions better with Mozgov on the floor, second only to James. He has the second-highest offensive rating of any Cavalier at 121, due to his efficiency and strong play alongside the Big Three.
No. 4: J.R. Smith, SG
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Stats Since Last Ranking: 12.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.4 steals, 42.9/42.6/82.4 shooting
Stock: Rising ⇑ (5)
Smith seems to be enjoying his time in Cleveland, recently sharing the following message on his Instagram account:
I love all my teammates! From this team to all the others I've been on! But this is the most fun I have had on any team!! Thank you @cavs#TheLand
The Cavaliers love Smith, and he's been loving them right back. As Joe Vardon of the Northeast Ohio Media Group notes, that special bond has been igniting his play.
"What is clear is that Smith is reveling in the camaraderie he's found on the Cavs. He's averaging 12.6 points and shooting 41.5 percent in 31 games for Cleveland, but is also contributing a career-high 1.7 steals and seems comfortable waiting on the wing for James and Kyrie Irving to find him.
"
Over the last month, Smith has led the Cavs in three-point makes (2.7) while finishing second in steals, third in assists and fourth in scoring.
No. 3: Kevin Love, PF
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Stats Since Last Ranking: 15.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 43.4/41.5/75.0 shooting
Stock: Steady ⇔
Regardless of the non-stop chatter about Love's role in the offense and fitting it, he's made a major impact on the Cavaliers.
Love is Cleveland's best and most consistent rebounder. His defensive effort has improved greatly as the season's progressed, and his outside shooting has been spot on as of late.
He knows his role with the team and has put up solid scoring numbers even alongside James and Irving. As Love told Nina Mandell of For The Win:
"I think it’s ever-evolving. I think I’ve been on the perimeter quite a bit but I’m been fortunate to be able to mix it up, and as I mentioned earlier, play an inside-out brand of basketball. So that’s what I was trying to do last night: Take the ball to the hoop, be aggressive play in the paint, but also space the floor so Kyrie [Irving] and LeBron [James] could play down.
"
Love's true test will come in the postseason, which to this point has been unfamiliar territory for the seventh-year pro.
No. 2: Kyrie Irving, PG
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Stats Since Last Ranking: 23.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals, 50.0/42.9/91.8 shooting
Stock: Steady ⇔
Kyrie Irving became the only NBA player this season to record multiple 50-plus point games, dropping 57 in a 128-125 overtime win against the San Antonio Spurs on March 12. That total set the franchise record, besting teammate James' previous mark of 56.
Over his last five games, Irving is averaging 29.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists while shooting a ridiculous 69.6 percent from deep.
As he recently told Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group, Irving isn't just asking for respect anymore:
"I have a confidence in myself that whether you like me or not, I really don't care because I'm going to command your respect, especially out there on the floor where you can't deny me. I was that guy on the cusp trying to fight my way up and I still am. I still feel that way. I'm always going to have that attitude, but in terms of what everybody else thinks, I really don't care.
"
Just short of his 23rd birthday, Irving is quickly nearing superstar status.
No. 1: LeBron James, SF
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Stats Since Last Ranking: 25.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 1.8 steals, 49.6/40.0/64.1 shooting
Stock: Steady ⇔
As good as Irving is, he's still not quite on James' level.
The Cavaliers are 16.8 points per 100 possessions better than their opponent with the four-time MVP on the floor, far and away the best total on the team.
According to Love, there's more to James than just flashy stats, via Nina Mandell of For The Win:
"I think he’s very cerebral. He’s a guy that, you know, just soaks everything up. He knows what play is coming from the other team. We’re watching film and talking about the other team and personnel and you know what they want to accomplish out there on the floor and he’s the one speaking up. It’s the coaches that have the scout, but he’s been around the league many times and knows other team’s coaching staff and how other players like to play and goes out there and speaks his mind and kind of tells us how we’re going to play out there.
"
As good as Mozgov, Love or even Irving may be, the Cavaliers will still only go as far in the playoffs as James can lead them.
Greg Swartz has covered the Cleveland Cavaliers and NBA for Bleacher Report since 2010.
All stats provided by Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.
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