Cleveland Cavaliers: Why Is Anderson Varejao Not Playing?

Although Cleveland Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao has not played much this season, his time is coming.

Many Cleveland Cavaliers fans are asking themselves the same question: What is happening with Anderson Varejao? Varejao’s lack of playing time has many Cavs fans scratching their heads as to why he is not on the court.

Cavs fans are very aware of the spark “the Wild Thing” can provide and the energy on the boards he brings. With Varejao’s crazy hair, constant diving on the floor, and leaping into the crowd, many Cavaliers fans are missing their favorite player.

So why is Varejao playing very limited minutes? Lets look at the facts. Varejao is averaging just over nine minutes a game, which is a main factor as to why he has had minimal impact on the Cleveland Cavaliers season. Over the last three seasons, Varejao has played 117 games, including two seasons in which he played only 26 games.

Varejao, who has an injury filled past as shown above, is taking a back seat to other options on the roster this season. Varejao’s “Wild Thing” persona might actually be putting himself in harm’s way. With a 6’10, 273 pound frame, diving onto the floor and into the stands has definitely taken a toll on his body.

However, Varejao did find himself in a crucial role in last Monday’s potential playoff preview versus the Golden State Warriors when former head coach David Blatt was at the helm. Varejao’s seventeen minutes in perhaps the biggest game of the Cleveland Cavaliers season up to this point, indicated one thing.

That indication was that the “Wild Thing” is part of a bigger plan than simply playing regular season games. Varejao at times looked to force his offense in some parts of the contest versus the Warriors, but looked to be his old self on the defensive end. Varejao was a crucial part of the Cleveland Cavaliers big man rotation.

So what does the future look like for Varejao? By the looks of the regular season numbers, one thing is clear, Blatt was resting Varejao for more important games in the playoffs. Will new head coach Tyronn Lue continue to do the same long-term? After all, Lue is not planning on doing things differently than Blatt, but instead he wants to do his responsibilities better.

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A lot of Cavaliers fans are questioning former coach Blatt’s and new coach Lue’s decision on Varejao, but it is indeed the right decision for both the player and the Cavs. Varejao has already played many games with the majority of the team, and is very comfortable in pick & roll situations with LeBron James as well as Kyrie Irving.

The Cleveland Cavaliers also have a grasp on first place in the Eastern Conference without Varejao, despite the Toronto Raptors being only two and a half games behind. Having a healthy Varejao in the playoffs is worth resting for the majority of the regular season. Should the Cleveland Cavaliers drop a few games here and there without Varejao to ensure that he will be healthy for the playoffs, is a trade-off I would take.

If last Saturday was any indication of Lue’s plan for Varejao, then the schedule is going to stay the same as Blatt’s.

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For all of you “Wild Thing” lovers, my advice is to wait until June, because it looks like Lue is going to wait to unleash the “Wild Thing” on the rest of the NBA during playoff time.

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