The Surprising Name Who Will Make a Big Impact for Cleveland Cavs in 2015-16
As he lay on the court writhing in pain, Cleveland Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao didn't know that yet another season would soon be cut short.
After battling for a rebound against the Minnesota Timberwolves just two days before Christmas 2014, Varejao collapsed near the baseline. With him being unable to walk to the locker room under his own power, a capacity crowd of 20,562 fell silent at Quicken Loans Arena.
Not Andy. Not again.
Varejao has missed an average of 42 games the past five seasons, each time going down with a different injury. This time it was a torn Achilles that ended his year prematurely—a nasty tear that's been known to alter or end many a career.
With the talk this summer being the rehab and eventual return of Kyrie Irving (knee surgery), Kevin Love (shoulder surgery), Iman Shumpert (wrist) and Timofey Mozgov (knee) and the free-agent signings of Mo Williams and Richard Jefferson, many have forgotten about Varejao.
The good news? After months of healing, Varejao is back to full-go and has looked like his normal self during the preseason.
Varejao's minutes and role will be closely monitored to maximize his court time and impact on the Cavs. While he's not the biggest name on Cleveland's roster, look for the team's longest-tenured player to finally have a healthy, productive season.
Role and Minutes
Last year, Varejao served as the Cavs' starting center in all 26 games he took part in. During this time he averaged 24.5 minutes per contest, displaying his usual style of nonstop hustle and tenacity.
Now with Mozgov carved in as the starter, where does this leave the 33-year-old Brazilian?
Cleveland's frontcourt appears to be deep, with Mozgov and Love set to start games, followed by Tristan Thompson, Sasha Kaun and Varejao. LeBron James and James Jones each logged time at power forward last season as well.
Coach David Blatt simply has to find minutes for his veteran big man, as Varejao brings too many positive qualities to the table.
This is actually a good scenario for both Varejao and the Cavaliers, however. At this point in his career, given his injury history, there's no way he should log heavy minutes.
In the past, Varejao's injuries often came on the heels of high usage rates when he was asked to do too much. Given his reckless style of play, requiring Varejao to do less may actually keep him on the court more.
So far, Varejao has done everything the Cavs hoped for and then some.
As Blatt told Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal:
"He’s honestly shown us a lot more than we could’ve even expected at this point in terms of his activity level, in terms of his mobility and in terms of his play. I’m pleasantly surprised with how far along he is. That’s a lot due to the fact he works so hard and Andy has such a good feel for the game in an unorthodox kind of way at times. His basketball savvy and his work ethic and his ability to bring it to the court is unusual. That’s probably what has made him such a good NBA player.
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In the Cavaliers' first regular-season game against the Chicago Bulls (a 97-95 loss on Tuesday), Blatt used Varejao for 11 minutes and 33 seconds off the bench. While that's not a great deal of time, Varejao made the most of his appearances. He finished first on the Cavs with a rating of plus-nine, tallying two points, two rebounds and a blocked shot while doing a nice job on his defensive assignments and showing no ill effects from the surgery.
Somewhere in the 10-15-minute range would be perfect for Varejao, depending on the matchup. So far, Blatt appears to be setting him up for success.
What Varejao Brings
Long ago, Varejao was just a floppy-haired, skinny kid who relied on his hustle and energy to make up for a lack of real basketball skills. While he's kept the hair, he has quietly morphed into one of the more versatile big men in the league.
We knew Varejao could rebound. Securing 7.7 boards per game (10.8 per 36 minutes) for his career has been no easy task. While in his prime, in the injury-shortened 2012-13 season, Varejao averaged 14.1 points and 14.4 caroms. Though it lasted just 25 games, it showed what he was capable of when he had the opportunity.
Defense has long been a calling card as well, even earning him a spot on the 2009-10 NBA All-Defensive second team. At 6'11" and 273 pounds, he has the size to cover most centers and the mobility to stick with power forwards.
This kind of versatility is key for the Cavaliers. Love cannot go muscle-to-muscle with centers in the paint, while Mozgov should never leave the restricted area.
Varejao can do a bit of both and, therefore, can be paired with either player. Given that both Love and Mozgov are coming off surgery this summer, having Varejao around to plug in will allow Blatt to ease their transition back.
What's gone unnoticed is the evolution of Varejao's offensive game. Having relied on putbacks and cuts early in his career, Varejao has now become one of the best mid-range shooters in the NBA.
From the 16-24-foot range last season, no one shot better than his 57.1 percent success rate (minimum one attempt per game, via NBA.com). That includes noted sharpshooters Chris Paul (49.5 percent), Dirk Nowitzki (47.5) and Kyle Korver (44.9).
While he's not going to be confused for a three-point threat anytime soon, this reliable jump shot helps gives the Cavaliers the spacing they need—something that fellow big man Thompson cannot do.
Varejao's activity level and familiarity with James (now in their eighth year together) only aid in the pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop as well.
There used to be a time when Varejao's hustle wouldn't show up in the box score or on any stat sheet. Thank goodness, those dark ages are over.
Not only does the eye test tell us that he is always on the move, but now advanced stats and player tracking technology do as well. Among players who weigh in at 250 pounds or heavier and log at least 10 minutes per night, last year Varejao ranked fifth in the NBA with an average speed of 4.7 mph while on offense, per NBA.com. His 4.1 mph average on defense was good for second overall.
Varejao will only continue to bring this trademark hustle every time he steps on the court. Finally, his offensive game has begun to catch up as well.
The Perfect Ending?
On a team with so many new faces and revolving parts the past two years, Varejao remains a steady force in the middle of all of it.
He's been through the good (five straight playoff trips), the bad (four straight lottery trips, multiple season-ending injuries) and the good again (everything since James' homecoming letter).
For Varejao's time in Cleveland to go full storybook ending, a title needs to be forthcoming. So many times he's helped the Cavaliers reach the second round and beyond with ultimately no ring to show for it.
This added postseason experience (71 games, 1,600 minutes) helps balance out those such as Irving, Love, Thompson and others who have made just a single trip. It helps to connect the veterans who have been there before to those who have yet to get a taste.
Every team with stars needs a player like Varejao who's happy to do the dirty work without plays being called his way. Don't take his unselfishness for meekness, however. It takes a tremendous amount of toughness and determination to return from a major injury—something Varejao has done now time and time again.
While James, Irving and Love will continue to dominate the headlines, look for Varejao to continue his solid overall play, whether it reaches the box score or not.
Finally healthy and with a minute-friendly role, he will make a big impact on this year's Cavaliers.
Greg Swartz has covered the Cleveland Cavaliers and NBA for Bleacher Report since 2010. Follow him on Twitter: @CavsGregBR.
All stats via Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.
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