Andy Once Again Vital In Win, But Should He Have To Be?

Whatever it is that allows Anderson Varejao to sustain his high energy level, game in and game out, he needs to start sharing it with his teammates.

In a game against the worst team in the NBA (New Jersey) the Cavs started off the game looking as if their mere presence on the floor was enough to make the Nets cower in fear and just hand the Cavaliers an easy road win. With some uninspired play, and resorting back to the stand-still-and-watch-LeBron offense far too many times, it only took about six minutes on Saturday afternoon for the Cavs to find themselves in a 5-12 hole.

Vajerao replaced JJ Hickson on the floor, and quickly picked up a defensive and offensive rebound. Still by the end of the first quarter, the Cavaliers remained in a seven-point hole (19-26). By the end of the game though, Varejao finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds, and still logged the second-most time on the floor to LeBron, and the Cavaliers escaped with a 94-86 win.

Maybe my expectations are too high….maybe I am spoiled by a successful team…..maybe I just don’t realize that it takes to play at a high level throughout an 82-game season. Maybe….just maybe….it’s me. However, I can’t help but get frustrated when I see a team play uninspired basketball, when they are far more talented their opponent. I also can’t help but wonder how JJ Hickson continues to start, when his typical game is what we saw on Saturday…..4 points in 15 minutes.

Games like the one against the Nets should have been a perfect opportunity for LeBron James to play enough to keep himself in tune, and then watch from the bench as his teammates did the rest, allowing the Nets fans to just watch LeBron sit, with that yearning look in their eyes, under the ridiculous belief that they stand a snowball’s chance on the equator of having James playing for the Nets next season. Instead, James had to lead the team in minutes and scoring again, and without the help of Varejao, could have been lamenting a disgusting loss against New Jersey, instead of being happy to escape with a win as the Cavs head back home.

As for Hickson, I challenge you to find a more underwhelming starter in the NBA than him. If there ever was a term “Token Starter”, Hickson would be the poster child for that term. He is just not yet ready for prime time. He had a few good games early in the season, but hasn’t sniffed that level of production since. It is apparent that coach Mike Brown wants Varejao to energize his second unit, and you can’t argue with the results. Still you have to wonder what the Cavs would be doing with a REAL starter in the lineup instead of Hickson. Cavs GM Danny Ferry has forgotten more about basketball than I know, so I am sure he is not blind to this rather odd situation with his starting lineup. So, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see the Cavaliers make a move before the trading deadline to bring a bona fide starting power forward onto the team, and to see Hickson either benched, or moved as a part of that deal.

Tags: Anderson Varejao, Danny Ferry, JJ Hickson, LeBron James, Mike Brown