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 10
th 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.