2013 Cleveland Cavaliers Off-Season Player Reviews: Anderson Varejao
Nov 27, 2012; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao (17) grabs a rebound in the second quarter against the Phoenix Suns at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
2012-2013 Season Statistics
GP: 25 MPG: 36 FG%: 47% PPG: 14.1 RPG:14.4
A Narrative 2012-2013 Season in Review
The season for Andy started off the same way this year. He would play well throughout the first half of the season and give us great minutes, then suddenly he would get injured. Andy was sidelined for the season when he developed a blood clot in his lower lung or scientifically known as a small right lower lung pulmonary embolism. However, like I said, when Varejao plays, he plays well. He led the league in rebounding for a moment in the first half of the season and gave us a solid double double practically every night. Some were even considering him to be a first time all star this season because of his stellar play. But the season didn’t end like Varejao or any Cavs fan wanted it to this year because of his season ending injury.
Off-Season Adjustments the Player Needs to Make
Varejao did many things for the Cavs this season, despite being sidelined with injuries. He hustled after the 50-50 balls, hit the boards and put up a solid 14 or 15 points every night. Should he work on something over the summer, he could improve his mid range jumper. With this, he could pull big men out from the paint. This way he is harder to defend too because the defense has to respect his shot.
Cavaliers Off-Season Options with Player
Varejao is under contract until 2015; a contract that is paying him $27 million. If the Cavs plan on releasing him, it may not be the best idea because they will have to be paying him for the next two years. But the Cavs don’t want unnecessary players on their roster who aren’t contributing for the whole season. Whole season, because Andy has gotten injured for nearly every season he has been a Cav and the Cavs are suffering from this. Just think how the Cavs would’ve done had Varejao not gotten injured. I guarantee they would’ve got the eighth seed in the eastern conference. But with Varejao sitting out almost whole seasons, the Cavs have something to think about this off-season on whether or not they want to shop Varejao.
How the Draft Could Effect the Player’s Standing on the Team
The draft may affect Varejao’s spot on the Cavs roster this off-season. The Cavs are looking at drafting Nerlens Noel with the #1 pick. But then again, this doesn’t mean Noel will start. The Cavs may have Varejao mentor Noel and have them play together in the starting lineup or Noel could be the sixth man.
How New Coach Mike Brown Changes Things for the Player
Mike Brown absolutely loved Andy during his first coaching stint in Cleveland. He admired and encouraged his aggressive playing style. Mike Brown could be the reason why Andy stays in Cleveland come next season.
What the Cavaliers Should Do With the Player (Including Options, Trade, Release or Keep)
The Cavs have a lot of options with Varejao. They could try and keep him and risk the fact of Varejao’s history of getting injured mid-season. But they also could try and release him because he has done somewhat of a disservice to the Cavs ( he is not the source of all of their problems) for the past few years because he hasn’t played full seasons.
What the Cavaliers Will Do With the Player
The Cavaliers will probably end up keeping Andy because the two parties have had good relations over the years. It is also a plus that Andy is a fan favorite. The Cavaliers will have to be careful with this decision though because of Varejao’s tendency to get injured at the worst times possible in the season.