There have been many articles posted that have questioned the amount of talent on the Cleveland Cavaliers team roster. If you would have asked me at the end of last season about my thoughts on the talent level of the Cavs, my answer would have been “they need a lot more talent.” With the offseason additions and the trade for Kevin Love finalized, I think that they have, for most part, answered the call. The acquisition of another superstar in Love gives Cleveland the new “Big 3”; LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love. So with all of these changes, is it possible now that the Cavaliers have too much talent?
The Cavaliers have quite the roster at this point in the offseason. Let’s take a look at the Cavalier’s starting five. They currently have a top 5 point guard in Kyrie Irving. Irving is a 2 time NBA All-Star and 1 time NBA All-Star MVP which makes him an obvious member of the Cavaliers Big 3. Dion Waiters, in many recent articles, is also projected to be a top 5 shooting guard this season. Waiters brings a lot of talent to the table and there are few young stars at that position better than him. With a break out year, the Cavaliers could have the first ever Big 4 with Waiters included.
LeBron James will be running the show at small forward. James does not need an introduction or reasoning behind why we feel he is talented, everyone knows LeBron is the best player in the league right now. The newly acquired Kevin Love will be holding down the Cav’s starting power forward position. Kevin Love will be bringing a lot to the table in terms of talent and skill. Love is a 3 time NBA All-Star with all the right potential in the world to become elite at his position. Putting him alongside LeBron and Irving will only make him better. Then there is Anderson Varejao, a long time Cavs player who is known for his defensive abilities and also his hustle. Varejao is not elite by any stretch of the imagination currently, but he brings a certain energy to the floor that many players cannot match. Anderson Varejao also played the best seasons of his career while LeBron was his teammate. It is expected that he will have a great season offensively and defensively this year.
{adinserter 2} The depth of talent continues onto the bench of the Cavaliers. Tristan Thompson will now be coming off of the bench due to the signing of James and the trade for Kevin Love. He can play either small or power forward and being a former starter will be an added bonus to bring off of the bench. Cleveland made some big veteran signings this off season bringing on board James Jones, Mike Miller, and Shawn Marion. All 3 of these players have been a part of a team that has won a NBA Championship, which means all three bring a different mentality to the team. James Jones is a small forward with pretty much unlimited range on the court. He is known as a three point specialist and is hard to stop once the shots start dropping. Mike Miller, another three point specialist, will be coming in to give Waiters a break. Miller is a solid option to have coming off the bench and allows Cleveland to spread the floor while he is on it. Then there is Shawn Marion, a 4 time NBA All-Star who has had plenty of experience on the basketball court. Marion allows the Cavaliers to have additional veteran mentorship along with bringing a certain level of accountability to the team. Cleveland also has big man Brendan Haywood, who at times can be dominating underneath the rim. They also have some young talent in Matthew Delladova, Joe Harris, and Dwight Powell all of which have untapped potential.
The talent level on a team is always never really enough for NBA fans but it is safe to say that Cleveland has plenty of it. The talent level is covered all around for Cleveland and they have pieced together a great team. If this current roster stays healthy, it is apparent that the Cavaliers have the most talented roster in the NBA. There is also potential for Cleveland to add more talent. By doing this they will be even more dangerous and deadly. To answer the question, there is no such thing in too much talent or being too talented! As long as the Cavs work together next season, there is no stopping Cavs Nation.