Cleveland Cavaliers Power Rankings: Who's Most Important for a Title Run?
The Cleveland Cavaliers don't care about the regular season.
It's why they occasionally rest LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. It's a big reason why the defense is sloppy on a nightly basis and why they can seemingly flip the proverbial switch when necessary.
With the playoffs just a few weeks away and a healthy roster finally coming together, it's time for head coach Tyronn Lue to come up with a serious postseason rotation.
The playoffs are a difference beast, as players who can shine on a nightly basis can quickly get picked apart by opposing teams who do their proper scouting.
These player power rankings are not sorted by who's had the best 2016-17 showing, but rather who will be most important to the Cavs when the real season begins.
Nos. 15-11: Felder, Sanders, Jones, Liggins, Williams
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No. 15: Kay Felder, PG
Career Playoff Stats: N/A (rookie)
With Kyrie Irving and now Deron Williams ahead of him, there's no way Kay Felder sniffs the postseason rotation.
The good news? He's been destroying the D-League, averaging 30.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 35.8 minutes over his nine games. Cleveland is doing the best thing possible by developing him in the minors for future seasons.
No. 14: Larry Sanders, C
Career Playoff Stats: 10.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, 57.6 FG% (four games)
Asking Larry Sanders to play a big role in the playoffs seems a bit unfair, considering he's played two NBA minutes in the past two years.
Although LeBron James' Miami Heat swept Sanders' Milwaukee Bucks out of the postseason in 2012-13, Sanders had a strong showing as a 24-year-old. By next year at this time, he could be back in a playoff rotation.
No. 13: James Jones, F
Career Playoff Stats: 3.9 points, 1.6 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 39.1 3P% (140 games)
Cruising toward his seventh straight NBA Finals (which surely has almost absolutely nothing to do with being a teammate of James during this time), James Jones' value will come via his tutelage and experience.
Cleveland has far too many wings ahead of Jones for the 36-year-old to manage any significant playing time, even though his 54.7 percent shooting from three this season leads the team.
No. 12: DeAndre Liggins, G
Career Playoff Stats: 1.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 33.3 FG% (eight games)
While DeAndre Liggins started 19 games for the Cavs this season for an injured J.R. Smith, he's been relegated to spot defensive assignments as of late.
This doesn't mean we won't see him pop up in a potential Finals rematch, though. In Cleveland's 109-108 Christmas Day win over the Golden State Warriors, Liggins helped hold Stephen Curry to just 15 points on 4-of-11 shooting from the field.
No. 11: Derrick Williams, F
Career Playoff Stats: N/A
Derrick Williams looks to be the latest playoff virgin to lose his title with the Cavaliers. He's been a tremendous pickup, averaging 8.3 points and 3.0 rebounds on 51.1 percent shooting from the floor and 40.0 percent from deep in 21.6 minutes.
The 25-year-old's true value may lie in his defensive versatility, however. Part of Cleveland's 6'7" and over lineup, Williams can switch on to four different positions, an invaluable weapon against a team like Golden State.
Nos. 10-6: Jefferson, Frye, Williams, Shumpert, Korver
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No. 10: Richard Jefferson, F
Career Playoff Stats: 11.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 47.4 FG% (126 games)
Derrick Williams is a younger, more athletic version of Richard Jefferson, but head coach Tyronn Lue still loves his 36-year-old vet.
Jefferson has filled every role the Cavs have asked him to this year, from backing up LeBron James to starting for an injured Kevin Love. His plus-4.6 net rating last postseason kept him on the floor, as his versatility will likely do this spring/summer as well.
No. 9: Channing Frye, PF/C
Career Playoff Stats: 6.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 0.5 blocks, 42.4 3P% (37 games)
While a poor matchup kept him out of the Finals rotation, Channing Frye was fantastic for much of last year's postseason.
By forcing opposing centers Andre Drummond, Al Horford and Jonas Valanciunas out of the paint to guard him on the perimeter, driving lanes were opened for James and Kyrie Irving. Frye shot 56.5 percent from three in 17 playoff games while recording a team-best plus-15.7 net rating.
Cleveland could face all three of those centers again, or another traditional big like Dwight Howard of the Atlanta Hawks or Marcin Gortat of the Washington Wizards. If Frye can repeat his performance from last year, his minutes still stay up.
No. 8: Deron Williams, PG
Career Playoff Stats: 18.5 points, 8.2 assists, 1.1 steals, 39.3 3P% (72 games)
Deron Williams has been a starter in every one of his 72 career playoff games—until now.
The 32-year-old should begin postseason play with a solid 15-20 minute per game role off the bench, which could shrink round by round. In the Finals last season, James and Irving handled the ball nearly every possession, as backup point guard Matthew Dellavedova was demoted to the bench.
Williams may see more Finals time than Dellavedova did, but expect his value to come primarily in Rounds 1-3.
No. 7: Iman Shumpert, G
Career Playoff Stats: 6.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 37.6 3P% (54 games)
After a strong start to the year offensively (40.3 3P% before All-Star break), Iman Shumpert's shot has been awful as of late (27.8 percent post break).
The good news? Cleveland needs bodies who can play any semblance of defense, and Shumpert qualifies. He's holding opponents to 36.8 percent shooting from outside 15 feet this season, and he will be key in relieving Irving from covering the opposing team's best guard.
No. 6: Kyle Korver, SG
Career Playoff Stats: 8.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 38.6 3P% (91 games)
Thanks to his 48.1 percent shooting mark from deep following the trade to Cleveland, Kyle Korver now leads the NBA with an overall success rate of 44.5 percent.
With his ability to space the floor and play either wing position, Korver should be an integral part of the rotation and help cover for Shumpert's poor shooting as of late.
5. J.R. Smith, SG
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Career Playoff Stats: 12.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 35.2 3P% (90 games)
J.R. Smith finally returned to the starting lineup against the Denver Nuggets on March 22, marking the first time Cleveland had its opening-day five together since Dec. 20.
After signing a four-year, $57 million contract this offseason, Smith has struggled with a shaky shot and rehabbing from a broken right thumb. He's shooting just 32.9 percent from the field and 33.7 percent from three in 28 games.
Now that he's back between Kyrie Irving and LeBron James, however, Smith should settle into his typical sniper mode. Head coach Tyronn Lue calls him the Cavs' best wing defender, a title he very much lives up to when the focus is there.
Despite his seemingly awful offensive start, the Cavaliers have been better on both ends of the ball with Smith on the court (plus-3.1 points per 100 possessions overall).
Assuming Smith recovers his shot and locks in mentally on defense, he'll become an incredibly valuable weapon for the Cavaliers this postseason.
4. Kevin Love, PF
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2016-17 Stats Per Game: 14.6 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 41.7 3P% (24 games)
Kevin Love's postseason experience has come exclusively in Cleveland—with mixed results.
Although he was fantastic during the first three rounds last year (17.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, 44.6 3P%), his poor matchup with the Golden State Warriors raises some concerns moving forward. He put up just 8.5 points and 6.8 rebounds while working his way back from a concussion, shooting 36.2 percent from the field.
If this was a traditional player power ranking, Love would still be in the top three. Assuming the Cavs will meet Golden State again in the Finals, how much will he ultimately factor in?
In two (healthy) regular-season games against the Warriors this year, Love managed just 11.5 points and 4.5 rebounds while recording a plus/minus score of minus-14.3, his lowest against any opponent.
When the Warriors put a small lineup with Draymond Green at center, Love has an incredibly tough time keeping up on the perimeter and needs to be subbed out.
Of course, should the San Antonio Spurs or Houston Rockets reach the Finals by some miracle instead, Love's value jumps significantly. As good as his regular season has been, he must find a way to contribute more against Golden State for Cleveland to repeat.
3. Tristan Thompson, C
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Career Playoff Stats: 8.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.0 blocks, 54.5 FG% (41 games)
Surprised that Tristan Thompson is more valuable than Kevin Love come playoff time? Don't be.
While Love's offense can be picked up by J.R. Smith, Kyle Korver and Deron Williams, no one can replicate Thompson's offensive rebounding and interior defense.
Thompson is the answer to the Golden State Warriors' small-ball lineup, as he's got the athleticism and footwork necessary to cover Draymond Green while also switching on to guards as needed.
In last year's Finals, Thompson had the highest net rating (plus-8.8) of any Cavalier. Love was sixth overall with a plus-1.0 rating.
"Whatever I got to do for our team to be successful that's what I'll do," Thompson told Bleacher Report earlier this season. "If I got to roll every day and have 0 points and 15 rebounds and we win championships, that's fine with me."
Even though Love is the more talented player overall with his combination of offense and rebounding, Thompson has proved to be more valuable against Golden State.
2. Kyrie Irving, PG
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Career Playoff Stats: 22.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 44.3 3P% (34 games)
Kyrie Irving was built for the big stage, as evidenced by his championship ring and Olympic gold medal achieved before age 25.
Now entering his third playoff run, he's shown no signs of hesitation when asked to take and make big shots in equally large situations. There's no doubt he'll finish second in total minutes behind LeBron James, as the Cavaliers' need his scoring and playmaking ability.
"Getting into the lane, I'm fairly good at, so coming downhill and bigs are coming at me and they're attacking me. If I see a layup, if I see a jump shot, I take it," Irving told Bleacher Report in November. "If I see an opportunity for a teammate to get a great shot, I'm going to hit them. It's just more or less just playing in the game, being physically loose and mentally tight. Just going out there and just playing."
In the final five games against the Warriors last June, Irving put up 30.8 points on 50.8 percent shooting, including 41 in a must-win Game 5. His go-ahead shot over Stephen Curry in Game 7 is the stuff of legend now in Northeast Ohio.
Getting Irving some rest over the final few weeks of the regular season is crucial, as he'll have to log 35-40 minutes most playoff nights to record a W.
1. LeBron James, SF
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2016-17 Stats Per Game: 28.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 47.8 FG% (199 games)
What kind of a Cavs list is complete without LeBron James at No. 1?
The next time he appears in a postseason game will mark the 200th of his career, as James already sits No. 9 overall on the all-time list.
Not only is he the most valuable Cavalier this postseason, but he will look to win NBA Finals MVP for a fourth time. Should Cleveland advance, this would mark the seventh straight year James has reached the postseason pinnacle.
When discussing the greatest NBA player of all time, one has to start taking a serious look at James, says Bleacher Report's Kevin Ding:
"What LeBron James did last spring, though, left an indelible mark.
Wherever you had him among the game's greatest players ever, he earned himself a promotion by upsetting the game's greatest regular-season team ever in such an improbable way, thus winning his third NBA championship.
James' mission this regular season, according to a league source, was to build on that still-developing legacy. In tangible goals, he was seeking to earn a fifth NBA MVP that would help him compare to Jordan (five), Bill Russell (five) and Abdul-Jabbar (six).
"
Of course, a fourth title would certainly help his case as well.
Stats via Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com and are accurate through March 22.
Greg Swartz is the Cleveland Cavaliers Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @CavsGregBR.
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