Chris Andersen: 3 Potential Replacements For The Cleveland Cavaliers

King James Gospel takes a look at three centers that can replace Chris Andersen for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Chris Andersen is out for the season after having surgery to repair a torn ACL. Andersen, who was signed this summer to be depth at the center position and be an “enforcer” for the Cleveland Cavaliers, hasn’t had a regular role in the rotation for the defending champions but without him being able to play the Cleveland Cavaliers have a void at center.

It’s not that Andersen was just a rim-protector or an able finisher. He was a player that the Cleveland Cavaliers could depend on if Tristan Thompson, who has played in 394 regular season consecutive games was suddenly unavailable or Channing Frye, who can be schemed out of games with small lineups, wasn’t the player Lue needed to call on.

Andersen, whose age did begin to show signs of affecting his play, was still one of the most mobile centers in the NBA though isn’t as explosive a leaper as he used to be. “Birdman”, as he’s been called throughout his NBA career, was also one of the league’s best “tough guys”. When the playoffs resume and teams start trying to take James out of his (the) game with physicality, having a guy like Andersen on the floor is manna from heaven. Andersen might still be on the team if the Cavs are unable to offload his contract in a trade. However, he won’t be rushing into potential skirmishes as he’s recovering from a torn ACL.

With Andersen out for the season, there are a few players that could replace him.

Dec 23, 2014; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center Larry Sanders (8) reaches for a rebound during the second quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Larry Sanders

Larry Sanders made headlines this summer as he took to social media with cryptic images many thought to be symbolic of the teams he had a chance to play for as he made a comeback attempt. In one picture Sanders tweeted out, an image of cast members from the 1979 film The Warriors.

In the other picture, a cavalier donning red velvet attire was tweeted out.

Needless to say, Sanders had the NBA world clamoring to find out what his next tweet would say as it seemed like he was destined to be joining one of the two teams from the last two NBA Finals.

However, the Golden State Warriors went on to re-sign Anderson Varejao and sign Javale McGee. Varejao has started one game for the Warriors while Zaza Pachulia is out with a wrist injury. McGee has found his best place with the Golden State Warriors to be in the starting lineup.

The Cleveland Cavaliers signed center Chris “Birdman” Andersen, a fan favorite and a favorite of the face of the Cleveland Cavaliers franchise, LeBron James. Andersen never got much lift this year, looking like Father Time was creeping up on his 38-year-old body. However, he is and was still an energetic player for the Cavs who was attempting to expand his game even as he approaches the end of his playing days. Now Andersen is out for the season with a torn ACL.

Sanders, who became a starter in the league in his third season and had quickly shown the ability to be a game-changer on defense with his length and athleticism averaged 9.8 points, 9.5 rebounds (3.2 offensive rebounds), 2.8 blocks per game in his best NBA season. He did all this while only playing 27.3 minutes per game. He also shot 63.3 percent out to three feet from the rim while finishing 7th in Defensive Player of the Year voting.

Sanders hasn’t played professional basketball since the 2014-2015 season but is only 27-years-old .

Nov 4, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Eric Moreland (25) against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns defeated the Kings 118-97. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Eric Moreland

Eric Moreland is designated as the Cleveland Cavaliers’ affiliate player on  the Canton Charge, their exclusive NBA Development League affiliate team. An affiliate player, as defined by the NBA Development League, is a player that can retained by the pro team after being waived (after training camp) and immediately assigned to the team’s NBA D-League team. In the Cavs’ case, that would be the Canton Charge.

Terms like that seem like the predecessor to the NBA’s decision to expand the roster to 16 or 17 players.

(Note: these players are still technically free agents and can sign with any team.)

That’s not to say that an affiliate player on a NBA D-League team is a member of a NBA roster, just that an affiliate player would have a great chance to be a member of an expanded NBA roster.

To that point, Moreland was in training camp for the Cleveland Cavaliers this summer but was unable to participate in basketball activities as he recovered from a foot injury that he re-aggravated in April. The Cleveland Cavaliers eventually waived Moreland although they made him an affiliate player on the Canton Charge.

Moreland is a lanky defender who can put the ball on the floor and post-up with equal effectiveness on offense. Defensively, aside from his length, his mobility, motor and quick hands allow him to be a playmaker. So far this season, the 6-foot-10, 220 pound Moreland is averaging 12.7 points, 10.5 rebounds. 2.3 steals. 2.2 blocks and 1.3 blocks per game as the starting center for the Canton Charge. He’s currently fifth in rebounding percent.

If any player can replace they type of playmakers that Tristan Thompson and Chris Andersen are as mobile, athletic centers, it’s Moreland.

Apr 19, 2014; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Hasheem Thabeet (34) fouls Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph (50) on a shot attempt during the second quarter in game one during the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Hasheem Thabeet

Hasheem Thabeet is a former second overall pick who has had his moments in the NBA but never put it all together. The biggest question about the big man? His work ethic.

Two months ago, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders pondered the same question I’m pondering now. Can Thabeet salvage his NBA career?

He’ll be 30-years-old next February and hasn’t played at the NBA level since the 2013-2014 NBA season. That season, Thabeet averaged 1.2 points, 1.7 rebounds and .4 blocks in 8.3 minutes per game in 23 contests.

Those aren’t numbers to get anyone excited.

However, if Kennedy gets to tell the tale, and he did, Sanders’ career is very salvageable.

Thabeet, who is 7-foot-3 and has a 7-foot-6 wingspan, 9-foot-6 standing reach and 34-inch max vertical jump, averaged 13.6 points while shooting 64 percent from the field, 10.8 rebounds and 4.2 blocks in his final season at the University of Connecticut. Per 36 minutes, Thabeet averaged 8.5 points while shooting 58.8 percent from the field, 9.9 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game in his first season with the Memphis Grizzlies.

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Those same Grizzlies who had Marc Gasol starting his sophomore season. There aren’t many excuses to give Thabeet, however, he wasn’t placed in a position to be as effective as possible at the start of the season after the team also acquired Zach Randolph. Regressing in his second season behind inefficiency, a lack of aggression and swings in the effectiveness of his play (otherwise known as a sophomore slum), Thabeet was sent to the Houston Rockets in just his second season and was the last player on the bench for a team that had  centers Yao Ming and Brad Miller.

Then he was shipped off to the Portland Trail Blazers and was hard-pressed to find playing time behind their bevy of established big man. After that, he was finally sent off to the Oklahoma City Thunder and produced in limited time but after Steven Adams was drafted with the Thunder;s twelfth overall pick, it was back to the chopping block for Thabeet.

To make matters worse, in the time he’d been gone the NBA entered a new era defined by spacing, shooting, versatility and mobility. Traditional centers who lacked the ability to guard on the perimeter or shoot were all but extinct.

In Basketball Insiders piece on Thabeet, it was revealed that Thabeet has worked on his both his fundamentals, shooting and understanding of the game while working alongside famed trainer Frank Matrisciano and former NBA executive Milt Newton. A career 57.8 percent shooter, Matrisciano had gotten Thabeet shooting free throws at 84 percent. Thabeet had also worked on mastering signature moves of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olujawon and Danny Manning.

Unbeknownst to many, Thabeet even worked out for the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Washington Wizards this summer and they were all impressed.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are another team that may took a look at Thabeet’s frame and see a player who can be a potentially dominant rim-protector. Though he won’t start in front of Tristan Thompson and may not even play every game for the Cavs, he’d still be a valuable part of the roster and valuable depth.

Sep 26, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue and general manager David Griffin talk to the media during media day at Cleveland Clinic Courts. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Who Do The Cavs Choose?

Whether or not the Cleveland Cavaliers sign any of these players is questionable as it depends on what the team does in the trade market. However, within these three player the Cavs have few value free agents that they can choose from.

Furthermore, while these players haven’t played in the NBA in years. They possess physical profiles that should allow them to be effective when they return to the NBA. They also have had time to watch how the new generation of big men must defend to be considered rotation players for playoff contenders.

Out of these options, my choice would go to Moreland of the Canton Charge. Not only has he played some semblance of NBA basketball recently and will adjust to the NBA easier than the other two, Moreland has been versed in Cleveland Cavaliers schemes and terminology with the Charge. Moreland is also the most versatile player in the group and able to play both forward and center for the team. He’s the player most like Thompson but is already a better scorer.

While any player the team signs will be a reserve center and not guaranteed a spot in the rotation, they’ll be one of the most important pieces on the team.

Would you want any of these centers to replace Chris Andersen for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Do you have another player in mind? Let us know in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.