Anderson Varejao

[Houston RZ34]

Varejao is a power forward who plays like a power forward; not a center. The best way to extend his career is to turn him into a stretch 4 to let him guard the Boshes and Fryes of the world and show out to the three point line on pick and rolls. We need to package TT and the Utah players to pick up a center and let Varejao back up Love. He just isn't made out to be a center as his perennial injuries show.

WHY CAN I ONLY LIKE THIS ONCE?!?!?!?

 

[natedagg]

Varejao is a power forward who plays like a power forward; not a center. The best way to extend his career is to turn him into a stretch 4 to let him guard the Boshes and Fryes of the world and show out to the three point line on pick and rolls. We need to package TT and the Utah players to pick up a center and let Varejao back up Love. He just isn't made out to be a center as his perennial injuries show.

I think we'll see how it goes for a couple of months. Like I said, I don't think there are many centers that AV will have a problem with. I agree with you that we might want to consider shipping out TT, although my preference is to wait and see how the first 20-40 games unfolds. I don't think that the Cavs, with LeBron's input or not, are sold on paying TT and keeping him in Cleveland. I know that he's with LRMR, but it seems like a jump to a conclusion to assume that he will re-sign and get paid more than market value simply because of that. I look at it like from LeBron and the Cavs' points of view, the best thing for them both is to win championships. I don't think TT's future contract will get in the way of that, nor do I think the loyalty to LRMR will. Total speculation on my behalf tho.

 

[shoes22]

Varejao is a power forward who plays like a power forward; not a center. The best way to extend his career is to turn him into a stretch 4 to let him guard the Boshes and Fryes of the world and show out to the three point line on pick and rolls. We need to package TT and the Utah players to pick up a center and let Varejao back up Love. He just isn't made out to be a center as his perennial injuries show.

I don't think Varejao is limited by these strict position definitions as you're describing. He's just a hustle player big man. His game is the same regardless of whether you call him a 4 or a 5.

 

[NasstyNate]

I don't think Varejao is limited by these strict position definitions as you're describing. He's just a hustle player big man. His game is the same regardless of whether you call him a 4 or a 5.

I agree that strict positions don't really matter on offense. However, his defense is really perimeter oriented and athletic centers are going to eat him up on the block, especially since Love isn't a great weak side help defender (though I'll admit I've only seen him play about 30 times or so). Plus, Varejao isn't great at covering others down low and certainly isn't a shot blocker. He just has no business banging inside.

His offensive game over the last couple years really reminds me of KG over the last five years. Pick and roll with a lot of elbow and baseline jumpers and little back to the basket. That's a power forward (I would like to see him be a little smarter on entry and back door passes and stop trying to be Sabonis, but oh well). Like I said, he's always been a power forward and has only become a center on this team out of need.

Even though I think TT is pretty much a garbage player, I'd like to see him start at C if we don't see any roster changes and let Anderson and Dion get to work on the second team. That second unit gives us an advantage over just about everyone else with that kind of offensive ability. Kiss the blown leads going into the fourth quarter goodbye.

 

[Pioneer10]

I agree that strict positions don't really matter on offense. However, his defense is really perimeter oriented and athletic centers are going to eat him up on the block, especially since Love isn't a great weak side help defender (though I'll admit I've only seen him play about 30 times or so). Plus, Varejao isn't great at covering others down low and certainly isn't a shot blocker. He just has no business banging inside.

His offensive game over the last couple years really reminds me of KG over the last five years. Pick and roll with a lot of elbow and baseline jumpers and little back to the basket. That's a power forward (I would like to see him be a little smarter on entry and back door passes and stop trying to be Sabonis, but oh well). Like I said, he's always been a power forward and has only become a center on this team out of need.

Even though I think TT is pretty much a garbage player, I'd like to see him start at C if we don't see any roster changes and let Anderson and Dion get to work on the second team. That second unit gives us an advantage over just about everyone else with that kind of offensive ability. Kiss the blown leads going into the fourth quarter goodbye.

Does anyone really eat up Andy on the block? For a guy without a lot of junk in the trunk he's a very solid post defender from what I've seen.

 

[NasstyNate]

Does anyone really eat up Andy on the block? For a guy without a lot of junk in the trunk he's a very solid post defender from what I've seen.

Brook Lopez really embarrassed Andy at the beginning of last year. Others were the Robin Lopez / LMA combo, Dalembert, Markieff Morris, and that game where John Henson turned into Hakeem. Obviously there's mitigating circumstances (TT being the help defender), and bigs are valued so much because they are so hard to guard, but in my opinion, Andy showed that he is not the answer at C defensively. That said, I do like him as a C to counter small ball lineups running the floor.

And that is without even considering his injury history. My biggest concern with him banging down low is his body is just not able to withstand it.

 

[chuck0609]

Theyre going to need big minutes from someone else during the season. Andy simply isn't going to hold up based on recent history. Its a damn shame they lost Zeller in the trade to move Jack's contract. I mean it had to happen apparently, but just a bad twist.

 

[Pioneer10]

Brook Lopez really embarrassed Andy at the beginning of last year. Others were the Robin Lopez / LMA combo, Dalembert, Markieff Morris, and that game where John Henson turned into Hakeem. Obviously there's mitigating circumstances (TT being the help defender), and bigs are valued so much because they are so hard to guard, but in my opinion, Andy showed that he is not the answer at C defensively. That said, I do like him as a C to counter small ball lineups running the floor.

And that is without even considering his injury history. My biggest concern with him banging down low is his body is just not able to withstand it.

May have a bad game because he was rusty to begin the year after his injury but AV has stood his ground for the most part against Lopez.
Lopez has averaged 17.3 on .45% field against Andy which I wouldn't put in the embarrassing category. Their previous matchup AV put up 35 and 18 against Lopez which is embarrassing the other way

Robin Lopez got 8 points and 2 boards in their last game and has been otherwise essentially a non-factor in their previous head to heads

Morris has played well against the Cavs but from my recollection a lot of that came with Tristan on him. Plus Morris, doesn't get his points from posting up on the block. He tends to face up and Andy does tend to overhedge which can get his man open looks if he can cut hurt or fade to the 3 point line

The Dalembert example is again weird: the previous year Andy put up 18 and 20 versus him while Dalembert put 1 and 0 points!

So I agree if AV hasn't gotten back into shape (i.e. better shape then last year when he admitted that he hadn't been able to workout) it would be a problem. Doesn't look like the case from what we've seen from the World Championship tuneups.

 

[stowfan]

I could get yelled at for this, but I think TT would work well at center with our starting lineup. TT may not be that tall, but he has plenty of strength. One of the reasons TT has so many shots blocked, is he gets a lot of offensive rebounds and tries to put them back up in heavy traffic.

 

[kevin02]

 

[Omar The Horse]

One of the reasons TT has so many shots blocked, is he gets a lot of offensive rebounds and tries to put them back up in heavy traffic.

Or he just has a weak launch on his standing vertical combined with low offensive awareness and finishing capability.

 

[VAIN1]

Taking Anderson Varejao for Granted
http://kingjamesgospel.com/2014/08/28/taking-anderson-varejao-granted/


So how effective is he?

According to 82games.com, Anderson Varejao had a tremendous impact on the Cavaliers’ fortunes. Last season the Cavaliers outscored opponents 108.3-106.2, or just over two points, for every 100 possessions Varejao was on the floor. While that might not seem impressive, they were outscored by 7.6 points (111.2-103.6) for every 100 possessions he wasn’t in the game. This swing of 9.6 points per 100 possessions is enormous, and a larger differential than any other player on this season’s team with the exception of Kevin Love. He also excels in ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus statistic, which is designed to measure a player’s overall effectiveness independent of his teammates. Last season Varejao’s RPM of 4.06 ranked 26th in the entire NBA (fourth among centers), ahead of fellow centers Marc Gasol, DeAndre Jordan and Chris Bosh among others. Similar to his ratings above, much of his effectiveness was on the defensive end, where he ranked 23rd in the league with a Defensive Real Plus-Minus score of 3.59. Still, he ranked fifth among all centers in Offensive Real Plus-Minus, making him one of the most well-rounded big men in the game. Varejao also ranked 51st t in the league (seventh among centers) in Wins Above Replacement last season with a score of 6.88. This would rank 10th among centers if it was his projection for this year.

So what makes him so good?

For a more detailed look at Varejao’s defense I highly recommend this piece by Trevor Magnotti over at Fear the Sword. Suffice to say Anderson Varejao’s energy and quickness have helped him do a great job covering perimeter players, he has had to switch on in pick-and-roll situations over the years. His activity is also a constant source of frustration for fellow big men, and while he allowed a high field goal percentage at the rim and is not a shot blocker, he also allowed an extremely low amount of field goal attempts at the rim (5.3 per game compared to 10.3 for DeAndre Jordan and 8.8 for Dwight Howard). So he simply does not allow opponents to shoot in the first place as a way to make up for his lack of shot blocking (Tristan Thompson is strong here too, allowing just 5.2 FGA at the rim per game).

Another obvious strength is his rebounding. Last season Anderson Varejao averaged 18.0 rebounds per 100 possessions and 12.6 rebounds per 36 minutes. His rebound rate of 19.6 was eighth among centers and ninth in the entire NBA. Varejao was 10th in the league (seventh among centers) in defensive rebounding rate, which shows his effectiveness in ending the other team’s possessions, a skill he shares with teammates Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson.

An overlooked part of Anderson Varejao’s game is his passing. Last season was the second in a row in which the big man averaged over two assists per game, a solid number for a big man. His assist ratio of 19.2 ranked third among centers behind Joakim Noah and the seldom-used Zaza Pachulia and ahead of Marc Gasol, widely acknowledged as one of the best passing big men in the game. A lineup of Varejao, Love, Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters and LeBron James features five above-average to excellent passers who should be a thing of beauty to watch on offense.

Arguably the most improved part of Varejao’s game over the years has been his scoring ability. During the early part of his career Varejao was absolutely horrific with the ball in his hands. He had no ability to put the ball on the floor and no range whatsoever. Now, besides his cuts to the basket, layups, putbacks and the occasional dunk, Anderson Varejao has developed a versatile scoring game. He is tremendous from midrange, both at the top of the key and to the left of the basket, providing additional spacing for the team. When an opposing big man did close out on him, Varejao used his quickness and a now solid handle to drive past him and finish at the rim. While not an offensive focal point, Varejao must be respected and his man cannot leave him. Considering his teammates this season, that may not be possible.

Thought Id share my favorite parts of the article.

 

[Kypus]

Games played over the last 4 years: 31, 25, 25, 65

Get this man a backup. Or rather get him back where he belongs, in the backup role. That is all.

 

[VAIN1]

Get this man a backup. Or rather get him back where he belongs, in the backup role. That is all.

Games played over the last 4 years: 31, 25, 25, 65

I think a lot of this was from our sneaky tank tactics of Chris Grant. He held people out a lot longer they generally needed a few times.

 

[CavsHomer]

VAREJAO FEELING HEALTHY AFTER TOUGH FOUR YEARS WITHOUT LEBRON

GRANADA, SPAIN – Derrick Rose isn’t the only player looking to use the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup as a springboard to a healthier and more successful NBA season for a title contender.

Cavs center Anderson Varejao would love to put some injury issues behind him as well. In the four years since LeBron James left Cleveland, Varejao, who turns 32 later this month, has averaged just 37 games per season, dealing with injuries to his upper and lower body.

James is back and Kevin Love has arrived. With Kyrie Irving and a bunch of shooters, the Cavs’ offense should be ridiculously good. But their defense will ultimately determine how far they go, and Varejao will be a big part of their success on that end of the floor.

With Mike Brown on the bench and Varejao playing 65 games last season, the Cavs improved from 27th to 17th in defensive efficiency. And they allowed 4.4 fewer points per 100 possessions with Varejao on the floor than they did with him on the bench.

The Cavs lack rim protection, but the last two seasons in which they had James and (a healthy) Varejao together, they ranked in the top 10 defensively. Brown was the coach then. David Blatt, who has had strong defenses with the Russian National Team, is the coach now.

As Blatt gets ready to put his new super team together on both ends of the floor, Varejao is in Spain with his Brazilian national team, a contender for a World Cup medal. Brazil is in a tough Group A, where it will play Spain on Monday (4 p.m. ET).

In Granada, after a win over Iran on Saturday, Varejao spoke with NBA.com about his health and the upcoming season.

NBA.com: How do you feel now compared to the last couple of years?

Varejao: I feel pretty good. I feel like I’m 100 percent. I feel like I’m moving a lot better. I’m healthy. I feel like I’m in shape. So this helps a lot.

Does this tournament really help you get your legs back and get back in basketball shape?

Varejao: Yes, it does. I believe the preparation that we had was about 40 days. And now we have the tournament. I just want to stay healthy.

How do you look back at the last four years, not only not playing with LeBron, but not being able to play a full season?

Varejao: Tough four years for me. It was very tough on me. It wasn’t easy, because every year that I was doing well, people were talking about All-Star, this and that, and then I would get hurt. So it wasn’t easy, but it’s all past now. The good thing is that I’m in shape, I’m healthy, and I’m looking forward to the next season.

How good can the Cavs be defensively?

Varejao: To me, defense is all about effort. If we put effort in, I believe we could do really well.

Have you talked to David Blatt?

Varejao: I did when he signed. I spoke with him during the soccer World Cup. I was in Brazil and he called me. I spoke with him once.

What do you know about him?

Varejao: I know that he’s a winner. He won the Euroleague last year. When he was with Russia he beat Brazil in the Olympics. With six seconds left in the game, they beat us.

He’s a good coach. He’s a winner. Everybody that I asked about him said good things about him. Anthony Parker played for him [at Maccabi Tel Aviv]. He said he’s one of the best human beings that he’s met and he’s a great coach.

Do you feel like you fit pretty well with Kevin Love on the frontline?

Varejao: I feel like I have to do what I always did when I played with LeBron, set screens, roll to the basket, be ready whenever I have a chance to go to the basket, play defense and rebound

http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2014/...ealthy-after-tough-four-years-without-lebron/