Cleveland Cavaliers: Eric Moreland may return before the season
Eric Moreland was waived by the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday afternoon as the team made room for point guard Toney Douglas. However, he may return.
Eric Moreland is recovering from a fracture in his left foot, an injury he suffered in December, according to CSN Bay Area‘s James Ham. After not being cleared to participate in training camp, Moreland was waived by the Cleveland Cavaliers as the team signed Toney Douglas. Moreland was battling for a roster spot as a camp invite but had a good chance to make the roster because of his ability to protect the rim.
While Douglas does provide valuable depth to the team, it appears the decision between Moreland and the Cavs was more or less mutual. Moreland re-aggravated his foot injury in April. As a result, the big man will miss six-to-eight more weeks of action before he’s fully healthy.
Until Moreland becomes more of a technician on the court, his foot injuries will likely follow him through his career. Big men who injure their feet have a history of consistently missing games for the rest of their career. Moreland, who consistently utilizes his athleticism to make plays, will have a greater risk of re-aggravating his foot injuries because of the nature of his game.
In Cleveland, Moreland will play behind a great technician in Kevin Love and great finisher in Chris Andersen. These players will greatly aid Moreland’s development as a player.
To this point, Kevin Garnett has been offered a spot on the Cleveland Cavaliers coaching staff. Garnett will be the biggest influence on Moreland. Garnett is one of the best two-way power forwards in NBA history and will help turn Moreland, who is bursting with potential, into a regular rotation player at the least.
If the Cavs do re-sign Moreland, it’s possible that the team is deciding to part ways with free agent J.R. Smith.
Although Toney Douglas has been signed to a make-good contract, with no guaranteed salary, he’s more or less a lock to make the team as a third point guard behind Kyrie Irving and rookie Kay Felder. DeAndre Liggins is also expected to make the roster.
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He joins a deep shooting guard group that includes Iman Shumpert, Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Jordan McRae. McRae, for his part, seems to be the player the team has pegged to replace Smith at shooting guard. While nothing is set in stone, the Cavs have tremendous depth outside of Smith.
Smith is undoubtedly a player the Cavs are better with than without, however he’s not a necessity. Moreland, on the other hand, may be. He’s a young, long, and athletic rim protector.
In the event that Tristan Thompson misses a game or the 38-year-old Andersen feels Father Time breathing down his neck, situations that are fairly likely to occur, Moreland will be a safety net at the end of the bench.
Time will tell if Moreland returns. If he does, Cavs fans should prepare for the possibility that Smith won’t return.
Would you want the Cleveland Cavaliers to explore Eric Moreland as an option when he gets healthy? Let us know in the comments section or tweet @KJG_NBA and @30for30Albertie.