NBA Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland Cavaliers Must Acquire Big Man To Remain Title Contender

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By @Pat_Ralph

Anderson Varejao Cleveland Cavaliers

David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers suffered a huge blow this past Tuesday night when center Anderson Varejao tore his left Achilles tendon and was ruled out for the rest of the season.

While the loss of Varejao is obvious on the floor in terms of defense and rebounding, he is also a respected veteran in the Cavaliers’ locker room and a fan favorite. The injury to Varejao, combined with the Cavaliers’ less-than-spectacular start to the season, should prompt Cleveland to make a move and acquire a big man in order to remain a strong contender for the NBA championship.

Other than Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson, and yes possibly LeBron James, Varejao is the Cavaliers’ best rebounder and without question primary rim protector. Despite the fact that the NBA is a guard and small ball-driven league now, the need to have a big man as a rim protector is still present and highly recommended for any team looking to capture the Larry O’Brien Trophy in June.

As was expected by many coming into the season, the Cavaliers have seemed to click well offensively while struggling on the defensive end. Furthermore, the race for the Eastern Conference looks to be more competitive than expected as the Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards have all gotten off to very strong starts this season and look to be in contention for the long haul along with the Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls.

The best avenue for the Cavaliers to explore for picking up a big man is via their trade exception for, very likely, an expiring contract at the end of the season. Two names that seem to be at the forefront of the discussions are Kosta Koufos of the Memphis Grizzlies and Timofey Mozgov of the Denver Nuggets. Both would serve in a rim protector role focused primarily on keeping opponents away from the basket and controlling the glass.

The better option of the two is Mozgov, who has started every game this season for the Nuggets and is averaging numbers closer to those of Varejao. As a matter of fact, Mozgov’s rebounding, blocks and minutes averages are all higher than those of Varejao. However, while Mozgov is more of a typical big man, Koufos does provide a finesse-style of play around the rim which could be a unique addition to the Cavaliers’ roster. In addition, Koufos has an expiring contract while Mozgov is still under contract through next season.

Brandan Wright of the Boston Celtics would also be a very nice addition to the Cavaliers’ frontcourt. Wright’s athleticism and ability to efficiently score around the rim could be a nice weapon for Cleveland’s offense and could really help the Cavaliers’ spacing on the floor. The last thing Cleveland needs is more offensive firepower but Wright is still a very strong rebounder and outstanding rim protector. While Wright also has an expiring contract, the Celtics will very likely be looking solely for draft picks in a possible trade with the Cavaliers.

The last possible resort for the Cavaliers could be veteran big man Samuel Dalembert of the New York Knicks, who also has an expiring contract and is on the trading block. While Dalembert would bring size to the Cavaliers’ frontcourt, the veteran has been nothing special this season for the Knicks. Greg Monroe of the Detroit Pistons would be a good offensive and rebounding addition in the paint for the Cavaliers, but the unrestricted free-agent-to-be is not a rim protector and will not improve Cleveland’s defense.

The aforementioned Thompson has taken Varejao’s place in the starting lineup for the Cavaliers, while veteran big man Brendan Haywood is likely to see more minutes come his way now. In order to be a serious title contender, the Cavaliers must improve defensively and prove their ability to beat strong teams with size in the playoffs. While small-ball may work well for Cleveland throughout the regular season, an inability to play strong defense will wipe out that strength and offensive mismatch immediately in the playoffs.

This is the Cavaliers’ golden opportunity to begin strengthening their defensive and rebounding inefficiencies.

Patrick Ralph is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Pat_Ralph, like him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.

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