Is Varejao an all-star?

[Mrofir]

through 12 games

35mpg
14ppg
14rpg
3ast
1.5stl
1.6TO
50%fg
79.1% ft and getting to the line respectable 3.6 times a game


Playing center position (I know I know) in the eastern conference.. wtf?

Tonight his stat line is with 9m left in the 3rd quarter -- 11pts, 14rebs, 3ast, 2stl, 1block

[IGotACoolStory]

If Hibbert could make the allstar game, I don't see why Andy V won't. Especially now that Dwight is in the West.

[Lebron23]

Yes

[FatComputerNerd]

he should be

[RedBlackAttack]

He should be without question. Now, whether or not the voters/coaches will do the right thing remains to be seen.

He is at it again tonight... In Memphis, he has 11 points on 5 of 7 shooting, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and a block early in the third quarter.

[jlip]

Yes. Is he in a contract year, or has he just improved as a player?

[RedBlackAttack]

Yes. Is he in a contract year, or has he just improved as a player?
He was actually playing almost as good last season until he suffered a season-ending injury right before the All-Star break. I thought he had a legitimate case for being an All-Star last year prior to the injury.

Fact is, Coach Scott has given him more freedom in the offense and he has flourished. His game was always self-contained in the James years. He had his role and stuck to it.

Now, he has been allowed the freedom to play his game... And he is damn good.

[FatComputerNerd]

Yes. Is he in a contract year, or has he just improved as a player?

he's always been this good, its just people are finally starting to notice

[AngelEyes]

through 12 games

35mpg
14ppg
14rpg
3ast
1.5stl
1.6TO
50%fg
79.1% ft and getting to the line respectable 3.6 times a game


Playing center position (I know I know) in the eastern conference.. wtf?

Tonight his stat line is with 9m left in the 3rd quarter -- 11pts, 14rebs, 3ast, 2stl, 1block

If he maintains these numbers then he is an all star.

[Mrofir]

he's always been this good, its just people are finally starting to notice


to be fair he's doubling his career stats in most categories so far this season. It's definitely a break out. He had a pre breakout season last year, averaging about 70% of his production so far this season.

There's some Nate Silver for yas

[HardwoodLegend]

He might emerge into a consistent, full-fledged borderline superstar.

Only going to give the Kobe stans more fodder to bring up when pointing out LeBron couldn't get it done with "help" in Cleveland. Maybe they already have, and I haven't noticed.

[Mrofir]

He might emerge into a consistent, full-fledged borderline superstar.

Only going to give the Kobe stans more fodder to bring up when pointing out LeBron couldn't get it done with "help" in Cleveland. Maybe they already have, and I haven't noticed.


lol superstar i think is pushing the envelope a bit, but I think he could be an all star for a few seasons, a la charles oakley

[FatComputerNerd]

omg andy :rockon:

[bdreason]

Right now he definitely is.

[andremiller07]

In the East yeah I doubt he be if he was in the West but great start to the year for him.

[InspiredLebowski]

Told you that contract was toxic when they extended him. Man, NBA salaries just keep exploding.

Anyway, absolutely. Anyone who disagrees is just flatly wrong.

[irondarts]

Yes.

[irondarts]

Tonight he finished with 15 points/22 rebounds

[RedBlackAttack]

Tonight he finished with 15 points/22 rebounds
+ 3 assists, 2 steals and a block.

Stat stuffer.

[swi7ch]

This year, yes.

[CavaliersFTW]

Anderson Chamberlain has been flat out dominating the boards this season, 23+ TRB% :bowdown:

[Rose]

No.


This is the year Smoove, finally makes his all star team since the center spot has been eliminated.

[red1]

chosen 2, doin what he do

[InspiredLebowski]

No.


This is the year Smoove, finally makes his all star team since the center spot has been eliminated.Andy's been far better this year.

[no pun intended]

If Hibbert could make the allstar game, I don't see why Andy V won't. Especially now that Dwight is in the West.
Not exactly. This year's All Star ballot removed the center option. Thus, it was easier for Hibbert to become an All-Star due to the limited amount of centers then. But I'm not removing any doubt that Varejao is playing at an all-star level. He very could make it.

[irondarts]

No.


This is the year Smoove, finally makes his all star team since the center spot has been eliminated.
Varejao has been way better than Josh Smith. Smith has been playing like a complete moron this year.

[InspiredLebowski]

You sonsabitches keep hating on Hibbert I'm gonna take a flamethrower to this place

[RoundMoundOfReb]

idk. there is no mandatory center selection anymore.

[Rose]

Andy's been far better this year.
I agree, but all star isn't about voting. It's about name recognition.

So neither one might win that. But the coaches almost always go with the "well this guy's record is better than this guy so I'mma take x" Hence why certain players get screwed year after year (Josh, Bosh, for many years once KG switched conferences.) Or even worse when Rashard Lewis made it over Josh.

Or hell last year with Dirk, someone (Millsap) got screwed because of the fan vote.

Plus, Noah>Andy. get mad Cleveland. :coleman:

[MetsPackers]

He should be. Anyone who sees this guy play knows he's a monster on the boards even for his build. And this guy really has the ability to frustrate offensive players with his defense, which I love. Guy has great hands for the ball on defense, can take charges, makes blocks, and won't back down; does it all on defense although he is flawed in a few areas and can occasionally be exploited. But I don't really see guys going off on him.

His offense isn't terrible either. I haven't seen him too much this year, but in the mid stage of his development I always compared his offensive game to David Lee but a fair amount more skilled and versitile. Guy has great hustle on offense and just does all the little things. Thats a guy who earns every one of his points the hard way compared to stat padding bigs. Every play has an impact

Definitly deserving of a spot

[RedBlackAttack]

Plus, Noah>Andy. get mad Cleveland. :coleman:
It just isn't true this season... And, I do think Noah has been the better player the last few seasons. This year, Varejao is having an absolutely incredible impact on games.

I'm just going to put up some of his statlines from this season so far. Keep in mind we've only played 14 games...

vs. Wizards: 9 points, 23 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 blocks
@ Bucks: 20 points, 17 rebounds, 1 steal
@ Clippers: 15 points, 15 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 3 steals
@ Suns: 14 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
@ Brooklyn: 35 points, 18 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
@ Sixers: 14 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
vs. Sixers: 10 points, 19 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
@ Magic: 19 points, 17 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
@ Heat: 10 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals
@Grizzlies: 15 points, 22 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 2 steals

And, he's also been very efficient, even shooting 79+% from the free throw line so far... While bringing his usual energy to the defense.

I mean, look at those numbers... in 10 of 14 games so far this year, he has put up video game-like numbers. And, this isn't empty production. He has almost single-handedly kept us in games with Kyrie out and, while the Cavs' record may not show a lot of wins, we've been in literally every game right down to the end this year.

As you can see by the insane number of road games to start the year and the fact that the Cavs' roster has the youngest median age in the entire NBA (something like 23.5 years old on average), that is a recipe for few wins. But, Andy has been nothing less than spectacular and it would be a crime not to reward him for it with an All-Star bid.

[Rose]

It just isn't true this season... And, I do think Noah has been the better player the last few seasons. This year, Varejao is having an absolutely incredible impact on games.

I'm just going to put up some of his statlines from this season so far. Keep in mind we've only played 14 games...

vs. Wizards: 9 points, 23 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 blocks
@ Bucks: 20 points, 17 rebounds, 1 steal
@ Clippers: 15 points, 15 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 3 steals
@ Suns: 14 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
@ Brooklyn: 35 points, 18 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
@ Sixers: 14 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
vs. Sixers: 10 points, 19 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
@ Magic: 19 points, 17 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
@ Heat: 10 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals
@Grizzlies: 15 points, 22 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 2 steals

And, he's also been very efficient, even shooting 79+% from the free throw line so far... While bringing his usual energy to the defense.

I mean, look at those numbers... in 10 of 14 games so far this year, he has put up video game-like numbers. And, this isn't empty production. He has almost single-handedly kept us in games with Kyrie out and, while the Cavs' record may not show a lot of wins, we've been in literally every game right down to the end this year.

As you can see by the insane number of road games to start the year and the fact that the Cavs' roster is the youngest average age in the entire NBA, that is a recipe for few wins. But, Andy has been nothing less than spectacular and it would be a crime not to reward him for it with an All-Star bid.
I'm gonna say pace, and better coaching, plays a rather large part in that.(along with rosters to a certain degree) He's done an incredible job this year, against both good and bad teams. But like you said it's a young season still.

Noah's averaging 14-10-4-2 on 49 from the field and 77 from the line. Honestly I think they're really even, I was just trolling. Aside from the absolutely gaudy rebound numbers from Anderson, they're fairly even. One thing here or there a bit for one or the other. The difference is rosters, in regards to rebounding. Boozer for all the shit he is, at least typically gets his 8+ boards, and Taj is good for another 6 or so. Deng gets his 7ish.

Whereas, with the Cavs it's Thompson with 8 and then Zeller with 5 and it drops off after that.

Also it's not like the bolded teams have any major rebounders, aside from Reggie Evans (who probably didn't see much time in that game. No disrespect to Andy, I like the guy, and he's having a good year, hell a great year for him, and modern day centers. But I don't think he gets the all star nod, mostly because there's no center spot.


Also I'm gonna back up my original argument. Another case of who had the better numbers. Griffin over Love. Despite Love's absolutely ridiculous rebound numbers made it over Griffin because he could dunk really pretty.

[RedBlackAttack]

I'm gonna say pace, and better coaching, plays a rather large part in that.(along with rosters to a certain degree) He's done an incredible job this year, against both good and bad teams. But like you said it's a young season still.

Noah's averaging 14-10-4-2 on 49 from the field and 77 from the line. Honestly I think they're really even, I was just trolling. Aside from the absolutely gaudy rebound numbers from Anderson, they're fairly even. One thing here or there a bit for one or the other. The difference is rosters, in regards to rebounding. Boozer for all the shit he is, at least typically gets his 8+ boards, and Taj is good for another 6 or so. Deng gets his 7ish.

Whereas, with the Cavs it's Thompson with 8 and then Zeller with 5 and it drops off after that.

Also it's not like the bolded teams have any major rebounders, aside from Reggie Evans (who probably didn't see much time in that game. No disrespect to Andy, I like the guy, and he's having a good year, hell a great year for him, and modern day centers. But I don't think he gets the all star nod, mostly because there's no center spot.


Also I'm gonna back up my original argument. Another case of who had the better numbers. Griffin over Love. Despite Love's absolutely ridiculous rebound numbers made it over Griffin because he could dunk really pretty.
I said he deserves the All-Star nod, but prefaced it by saying I'm not sure the fans/coaches will give it to him. Those are two different things. None of us can control the votes aside from casting our own. I don't think there is much doubt he deserves it, though.

Also, I'm fairly confident in saying Varejao is a better rebounder than Noah. It doesn't have much to do with who they're playing with or any other variable like pace. If you watch him, you see how ridiculously talented he is at tracking and timing rebounds.

The easiest way to see the separation is through offensive rebounds. A vital statistic that has nothing to do with a big guy simply sitting under the rim and cleaning up the mess, but to me, separates the good rebounders from the great rebounders. Giving your team extra possessions in a game can easily be the difference between a win and a loss.

Varejao right now is averaging 5.8 offensive rebounds a game to Noah's 4.0, which might not seem like much, but it is when you take a look around the league. And, Noah is averaging more minutes per game (39.4 to 35.7).

In fact, no one in the league is really even close to Varejao when it comes to extra possessions through offensive rebounds. Check it out...

1. Anderson Varejao - 5.8
2. Zach Randolph - 5.0
Kenneth Faried - 5.0
4. Roy Hibbert - 4.4
5. JJ Hickson - 4.2
6. Omer Asik - 4.0
Joakim Noah - 4.0
8. Tyson Chandler - 3.9
9. Derrick Favors - 3.7

There are only three guys in the whole league who are averaging 5.0 offensive rebounds per game and only four guys with 4.0 or more. Varejao is at a fairly incredible 5.8 per game.

His offensive rebounding numbers get more impressive the more you research them...

The qualified NBA leaders in offensive rebounds per game last year were Kevin Love and Demarcus Cousins at 4.1.

The last player to average 5 rebounds or more for a season was Elton Brand in 2001-02 with 5.0.

The last player to average 5.8 or more rebounds in a season? You guessed it, Dennis Rodman back in 1996-97 with 5.8. His best season in that department was 1991-92 with 6.4.

Now, obviously we are only 14 games into the season. Looking at history, it is unlikely Varejao can maintain this pace of offensive rebounds, assuming he stays healthy throughout the year. But, when he got hurt after 25 games last year, Varejao was the NBA leader in offensive rebounds with 4.4.

I'm going to guess that it has been a while since, even after just 14 games into the season, a player has averaged 5.8 a game. That's just nuts.

You're right... Their numbers are fairly even... Except for rebounding and it is because Varejao is a more skilled, frankly better rebounder than Noah. There's no shame in that, because I think Andy is the best natural rebounder in the game.

[chips93]

andy is a god at dribble handoffs

he just always makes the right decision, if you play too tight on the handoff, he will throw the backdoor pass, then the defender has to respect that, so after that he can really hit the defender on the pick, so the cavs guard can get a free driving lane to the basket.

its the little things that can make all the difference

interestingly, when asked about his career rebounding numbers, he said that he sitn doing anything different this year.

also, and i hate to say it, i think hes lost a step or two defensively. he used to be one of the best pick and roll defenders in the league, hes just very good now. he occassionally gets caught out of position, which never happened a year or two ago.

[chips93]

regarding andersons rebounding, and that he plays alongside weak rebounders, that is true, zeller and tristan are pretty aveage on the boards.

but the thing is, even with two middling rebounders playing big minutes, andy still has the cavs as a very good rebounding team.

when anderson is on the floor, the cavs rebounding rate is a ridiculous 35.7%, the nuggets as a team are first in the league in this category at 35%

so when anderson is on the court, the cavs are effectively the best offensive rebounding team in the league. when hes off the court we rebound only 18.8% of our misses (which would rank as second last in the league).

thats a huge disparity, and it speaks to how many balls anderson keeps alive on the glass for somebody else to rebound, and how much attention he draws from the opposing team, when boxing out (coach spo spoke before the miami game that it takes multiple defenders to box andy out), on top of the offensive boards that he grabs himself.

he has a simlar impact on the defensive glass, when hes on the court, the cavs rebound 76% of our misses (the raps are first in the league as a team at 75%) and when hes off the court, we rebound only 71.8% of our misses. that would rank in the both quarter of the league.

andys impact on the glass is undeniable. when hes on the court, we are an elite rebounding team, when hes off the court, we are a pretty below average rebounding team.

EDIT: all stats come from basketballreference.com, who now have on/off court stats :banana:

[DukeDelonte13]

:applause: dude is finally starting to get some respect. Decent contract too.

If he keeps this play up no way the cavs are going to let him go.

[jbryan1984]

This is for sure his year, lets just hope he stays healthy. I don't see any other center in the east close to him though.

[It's A VC3!!!]

he definitely wont get voted by the fans and i dont think coaches will vote for him simply because of the cavs record

[Nero Tulip]

Yes. Is he in a contract year, or has he just improved as a player?

He's been the most underrated player in the NBA for a while. Now he's just a little bit underrated.

[fefe]

he definitely wont get voted by the fans and i dont think coaches will vote for him simply because of the cavs record
Agreed, team record might keep him out of it.

[Bigsmoke]

players like him can only make it depending on their teams success.

[All Net]

Right now? Yeah

[Black Joker]

dude is ridiculous; he has more offensive rebounds this season (75) than missed shots (71)

[Rose]

dude is ridiculous; he has more offensive rebounds this season (75) than missed shots (71)
Vesely with more fouls than points>


:D

[Whoah10115]

There should be 15 all-stars, period. Whatever tho. 2 or 3, Varejao and Bosh should make the team. Neither one is truly a C (most certainly not Bosh) but they're playing C. Noah is also very deserving. Those 3 should make the team right now. Still early tho.




You sonsabitches keep hating on Hibbert I'm gonna take a flamethrower to this place



Relax, Colonel Slade.

[Jolokia]

The front court will consist of:

Lebron - Starting SF
Carmelo - Starting PF
Chris Bosh - Starting C or Back Up
Kevin Garnett - Back up C or Starting
Paul Pierce - Back up SF

Leaving the back PF open.

Andy has to be at least a top 2 on this list to even have a chance:

Greg Monroe - 17/9.5, PER 20.34
Brook Lopez - 19.2/6.5/2.7, PER 24.53
Josh Smith - 15.2/7.1/2.1, PER 13.37
Luol Deng - 17.2/7.5, PER 14.3
David West - 16.6/8.0, PER 19.33
Tyson Chandler - 11.6/8.6, PER 21.42
Danny Granger - 18.7/5, PER 18.68

Will he be an allstar? I say its a close call. It depends how much noise the Cavaliers make the next 10 games or so. I think guys like Josh Smith will become more productive as the season unfolds and probably take that last PF spot based on reputation since people thought he deserved it in years past.

The guards will go to:

Dwyane Wade - 100%
Ray Allen - 100%
Rajon Rondo - 100%
Deron Williams - 100%
Kyrie Irving - 100%
Jrue Holiday
Joe Johnson
Monta Ellis
Brandon Jennings
John Wall

So it'll be pretty difficult for Varajao to get a spot but it's very possible. He deserves it.

[gabepizza]

Not with Cleveland at 3-11.

[Real Men Wear Green]

A team with Cleveland's record could have 1 All-Star. The question is, who's more deserving, Irving or Varejao?

Still plenty of time for Cleveland to fix their record or for Varejao's stats to slip. Unfortunately I'd put my money on Varejao's rebounding going down, 14.7 woud be one of the greatest seasons we've seen since Rodman.

[CavaliersFTW]

A team with Cleveland's record could have 1 All-Star. The question is, who's more deserving, Irving or Varejao?

Still plenty of time for Cleveland to fix their record or for Varejao's stats to slip. Unfortunately I'd put my money on Varejao's rebounding going down, 14.7 woud be one of the greatest seasons we've seen since Rodman.
Kevin Love?

[Whoah10115]

Right now, KG is not an all-star. He'd have to be voted in.


Bosh, Lopez, Varejao, Noah. Those guys deserve to be on the list. There are no PF's who are actually playing PF who should be making the list right now. The only guy playing PF who should make it right now is Carmelo.


So honestly, even with the C position dead, there should be 4 guys on the team and a 5th (Monroe) being considered, right now. Of those guys, only Lopez is a true C. Varejao and Noah are combos. Bosh is a straight PF who can play C, Monroe is a PF who's more adept to play C than Bosh is, but he isn't a C.

[nbarumorz]

Right now, KG is not an all-star. He'd have to be voted in.


I'm probably wrong but I thought the All-star game contestants were entirely dependent on the fan vote?

[Real Men Wear Green]

Kevin Love?
"One of." Not the same as saying it's the top season since Rodman.

[CavaliersFTW]

"One of." Not the same as saying it's the top season since Rodman.
ah, gotchya :cheers:

[jlip]

I'm probably wrong but I thought the All-star game contestants were entirely dependent on the fan vote?

The startes are voted in by the fans, but the reserves are determined by the coaches (I think.)

[greymatter]

For the East, yes. By virtue of there being a bunch of shitty talent at F/C outside of Garnett and Bosh.

It's for the same reason why you can have trash like Tyrone Hill and Dale Davis make an AS team. To be fair to Varejao, he's at least playing better than those two did when they made it.

[Just2McFly]

He wont get in over Horford/KG/Bosh/Smith etc...

[lilgodfather1]

If there was still a C spot on the ballot, then I think you could say he would be for sure if he could keep it up. Since there isn't any more, I can't say for sure if he will, but I hope he does. He deserves it for sure, but then again so does Noah.

[Whoah10115]

He wont get in over Horford/KG/Bosh/Smith etc...



If the break was now then only Bosh would be certainly chosen ahead of him by coaches. KG or Bosh could start. Horford and Smith wouldn't get votes. Smith is not playing well. And I don't think the coaches think otherwise.

[chips93]

ive barely watched any hawks games, but they are first in the league defensively, so surely one of the hawks bigs are playing great defense?

[Whoah10115]

ive barely watched any hawks games, but they are first in the league defensively, so surely one of the hawks bigs are playing great defense?



Yea, to say Smith isn't playing well isn't fair. His defense has still been impressive. Horford is solid there. Neither of them are playing as well as Varejao tho.


The Hawks might be very good if the rest of Smith's game comes back. Tho maybe too in the middle.

[Just2McFly]

If the break was now then only Bosh would be certainly chosen ahead of him by coaches. KG or Bosh could start. Horford and Smith wouldn't get votes. Smith is not playing well. Horford has not been as good. And I don't think the coaches think otherwise.
Horford hasn't been good? :wtf:

[Whoah10115]

Horford hasn't been good? :wtf:



I meant to say "He" as in Josh Smith...repeated myself...almost, typo instead lol.

[RedBlackAttack]

Yes folks, he's at it again tonight.

We are midway through the third quarter against the Suns.

Anderson Varejao - 20 points (10-of-15), 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

There is still 4 minutes to play in the 3rd quarter. Six of his 14 rebounds are offensive. :bowdown:

[FatComputerNerd]

andy working on a 20/20 game

[RedBlackAttack]

Varejao finished with 20 points (10-15), 18 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block tonight.

[Rose]

Varejao finished with 20 points (10-15), 18 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block tonight.
:applause:

[Spaulding]

He should join the Heat!

:banana:

[RedBlackAttack]

He should join the Heat!

:banana:
If there were odds for each team in the league and where Andy may end up, the Heat would be in 30th place with a resounding 0.00%.

His likeliest destination outside of Cleveland would probably have to be OKC. They have that valuable Toronto pick to dangle in front of the Cavs, as well as some young talent. Also, Varejao would go a long way in helping them beat Miami, which is always a plus.

[EnoughSaid]

Dude is probably a Top 3 C at the moment. Rebounding like crazy, a respectable scoring average around 15 ppg, and he's playing defense. :rockon: :bowdown:

[Whoah10115]

Scott said Varejao was great and everybody else sucked...verbatim.

[RedBlackAttack]

Scott said Varejao was great and everybody else sucked...verbatim.
Pretty accurate. Byron's not one to pull punches. We need Kyrie back... pronto.

[Levity]

Scott said Varejao was great and everybody else sucked...verbatim.

"anderson varajao was great tonight. everybody else sucked. anything else you wanna know?"

hahahah such a great quote.

[Rose]

Smoov. 25-8-3-2-3
Jao. 20-18-3:rolleyes:

[konex]

I voted for him. No big has been better in the EC

[FindingTim]

I never thought I'd utter these words, but Varejao is absolutely an all-star this year (so far). The big men in the East are weak, and Andy has been a statistical beast. He has a double-double in 10 of 14 games, and has 6 games of at least 15-15!!

Check out these points/rebounds statlines from Nov 27 back to Oct 30:
20-18
15-22
10-15
19-17
10-19
14-15
4-7
35-18
6-8
14-10
15-15
20-17
12-5
9-23

:biggums:

:coleman:

[Hotlantadude81]

No, his team is 2-9 on the road and something like 5-14 or something. He is about the only half decent player on his team right now, so naturally his stats are high.

[alleykat]

could be if he keeps it up. all-star to me literally means part of the all-star roster. he could have all-star numbers but still not be an "all-star".

look at Johnny Moore of the spurs. he almost averaged a double double for the season but still never made the all-star team. I feel if Varejao keeps it up he has the potential to be.

[Sharmer]

through 12 games

35mpg
14ppg
14rpg
3ast
1.5stl
1.6TO
50%fg
79.1% ft and getting to the line respectable 3.6 times a game


Playing center position (I know I know) in the eastern conference.. wtf?

Tonight his stat line is with 9m left in the 3rd quarter -- 11pts, 14rebs, 3ast, 2stl, 1block

Yes, but Hendo never made it, and he had better stats in 08.

[RedBlackAttack]

No, his team is 2-9 on the road and something like 5-14 or something. He is about the only half decent player on his team right now, so naturally his stats are high.
Naturally. Because all big men on bad teams are capable of averaging 15+ rebounds a night, including almost 6 offensive boards a night... A number which hasn't been averaged for a season since Dennis Rodman's 2nd best rebounding year.

He was doing it when Kyrie was playing for the first 10 games of the year. He's been doing it since Kyrie has sat out the last five games.

At some point, people are going to have to recognize how insanely good he's been.

There is a reason that this team -- which you have deemed as having one "half decent" player on the roster -- has been in almost every game this year, including recent late-game leads in Miami and in Memphis. This team was in those games almost completely because of what Varejao is doing.


I will also note that tonight's win in Atlanta was the 11th road game the Cavs have played of 16 total games this season. Any other team in the league even close to playing that many road games thus far? Further, the Cavs have played 11 road games of the last 14 overall. Absurd schedule thus far.

Throw in the loss of a player with the talent of Kyrie Irving, it seems silly to punish a guy because wins have been hard to come by. He is an All-Star without question. The only thing is will he be rewarded as such.

[FindingTim]

I'm with you, RedBlackAttack-- Andy has been a straight-up gansta this season. He is far better than I ever thought he'd become.

[DukeDelonte13]

scary thing is is that he could still get better. his game does not depend on athleticism.

[FatComputerNerd]

His current 0.804 FT% is what has surprised me more than anything, considering he is 0.617 for his career.

I always knew he could score, rebound, and pass like he's been doing.

[RedBlackAttack]

Time for the nightly Anderson Varejao killer statline.

Currently through three quarters against Portland....

13 points (5-7 FG, 3-4 FT)
14 rebounds (7 offensive)
4 assists
1 steal

Still a whole quarter to play.

Cavs up 76-70, btw.

[Wavves]

Good player having a great season. Love watching him play, wish all players played with his energy and hustle. Very deserving of an all-star appearance this year.

[GOBB]

He's having a really good start but I can't put him top 5 Centers

[RedBlackAttack]

Just under 4 minutes to play...

Anderson Varejao
15 points (6-8 FG, 3-4 FT)
15 rebounds (7 offensive)
5 assists
1 steal

Just had a sweet pass to Gee to tie the game.

[GOBB]

He's a pretty good passer than I give him credit for. I hate his soccer antics but what he does is what my Sixers would need. Rebounding hustle toughness. Whatever offense he can give you is icing on the cake. Cleveland getting quite a bit of icing.

[RedBlackAttack]

He's a pretty good passer than I give him credit for. I hate his soccer antics but what he does is what my Sixers would need. Rebounding hustle toughness. Whatever offense he can give you is icing on the cake. Cleveland getting quite a bit of icing.
His offense is no longer icing on the cake. It's becoming a real weapon, night-in and night-out. He's added a nice baseline and 15-18 foot jumper to his arsenal and he's also shooting 80-percent from the free throw line.

Guy is averaging 15 points on 53% shooting coming into tonight. And, he's got 17/15/5, plus excellent defense on LMA all night.

[gabepizza]

Yeah he's an All-star. Just not a starter. I would put James, Bosh, Anthony and Noah ahead of him, just because of the Cavs having the third worst record in the league. But with those crazy numbers he deserves a reserve role. He should be the Eastern Conference's Kevin Love.

[GOBB]

His offense is no longer icing on the cake. It's becoming a real weapon, night-in and night-out. He's added a nice baseline and 15-18 foot jumper to his arsenal and he's also shooting 80-percent from the free throw line.

Guy is averaging 15 points on 53% shooting coming into tonight. And, he's got 17/15/5, plus excellent defense on LMA all night.

I've seen the baseline enough to know that's a good shot. I haven't seen the 16-18 enough to give him that shot. Funny he has become a weapon offensively. Is it going to continue? I do know he is a good pick n roller. If he continues this by seasons end Ill give the guy more props. I haven't been a big fan of his game. Like you said he is someone u hate but love when he is on your team.

[Wavves]

His cuts inside from the corner 3 are great to watch. He's quicker than many would think.

[RedBlackAttack]

I've seen the baseline enough to know that's a good shot. I haven't seen the 16-18 enough to give him that shot. Funny he has become a weapon offensively. Is it going to continue? I do know he is a good pick n roller. If he continues this by seasons end Ill give the guy more props. I haven't been a big fan of his game. Like you said he is someone u hate but love when he is on your team.
I wondered if he would keep it up 5-6 games into the season. After 17 games? Yeah, I think it's here to stay. And, I can't express enough how difficult the Cavs' schedule has been to start the season. He just continues to produce, night after night, regardless of the opponent.

[IGOTGAME]

His offense is no longer icing on the cake. It's becoming a real weapon, night-in and night-out. He's added a nice baseline and 15-18 foot jumper to his arsenal and he's also shooting 80-percent from the free throw line.

Guy is averaging 15 points on 53% shooting coming into tonight. And, he's got 17/15/5, plus excellent defense on LMA all night.

I remember this conversation. He was playing that well and looks to be back in top form. Scary that this guy is 4th or 5th best player on the Cavs.

[Fudge]

Bron has FOUR all-star caliber players on the team this season. No f*cking excuses whatsoever.

[RedBlackAttack]

I remember this conversation. He was playing that well and looks to be back in top form. Scary that this guy is 4th or 5th best player on the Cavs.
As always, injuries will tell the tale with Andy. On the bright side, with Love now on hand and Tristan moved to the bench, they'll be able to space out Andy's minutes more closely. It's weird, because Varejao actually deserves the "injury prone" tag at this point, but he's never had a serious reoccurring injury and virtually of his problems have been freak incidents. He missed almost the whole 2012 season with a blood clot in his lung.

Wrists, shoulders, fingers... those are the other kinds of issues that cost him games in the past. Especially in the season that this thread was created in, Varejao was absolutely playing at an All-Star level. He was averaging more offensive rebounds per game through the first quarter of the season than any player since Dennis Rodman in his absolute prime (1996). And, there hadn't been anyone else even close until Varejao prior to the blood clot.


He's going to get a ton of garbage points and with so much attention paid to LeBron, Love, Kyrie and Dion, he'll be able to work the middle of the lane almost totally unimpeded most of the time... and he can really work it when he gets a guy on an island.

I'm not sure a lot of people totally realize how good Varejao can be in a situation like this. Plus, he's so good at taking charges and playing the pick-and-roll defensively... will be fun to watch him.

[ArbitraryWater]

This was like the last time Andy was completely healthy... Now he looked amazing during the preseason, like a ****ing Brazilian Hakeem Olajuwon... He can give "us" 15/15 on 50+% with solid hustle defense :applause:

[ballinhun8]

Hated him before when the Cavs were relevant.


Guess I'm back to rooting against him again.

[FatComputerNerd]

Big 5 baby! :rockon:

[Lebronxrings]

Bron has FOUR all-star caliber players on the team this season. No f*cking excuses whatsoever.
Oh yeah, don't forget Marion man :rolleyes:

[DukeDelonte13]

Cleveland would go crazy if he ever got an all star nod. He's a huge fan favorite.

I don't know if he is going to get the minutes to put up the type of production that would justify it though.

[Demitri98]

There hasn't been a peep about this guy. He'll really make or break their defense.

[BrownEye007]

Oh yeah, don't forget Marion man :rolleyes:
Holy shit your right! 6 all star caliber players. Just wow... If the Cavs don't win the chip this year I don't think Bran can ever be considered top 10 GOAT.

[CavaliersFTW]

14 and 14 - LeStans have no idea how good he is they think nobody ever made threads about this guy until he was traded. Idiots :facepalm

[SouBeachTalents]

14 and 14 - LeStans have no idea how good he is they think nobody ever made threads about this guy until he was traded. Idiots :facepalm

In 25 games, of which his team lost 20

[CavaliersFTW]

In 25 games, of which his team lost 20
Was it "his" team?
Basketball is 5 on 5 not 1 on 1.

[SouBeachTalents]

Was it "his" team?
Basketball is 5 on 5 not 1 on 1.

No, but I'm not overly impressed by stats put up on teams that are winning 20% of their games. Besides, this was over 3 years ago, it doesn't have much bearing now anyway

[LikeMike]

Another player damaged by the LeBron factor.

[Rocketswin2013]

kyrie irving needed more help, right? i thought cleveland lost 60 games a year because no one had talent.

[RedBlackAttack]

In 25 games, of which his team lost 20
Did you happen to look at the roster? It was a 20-year-old Kyrie, Andy and a whole lot of nothing.

Tristan hadn't figured things out yet and Dion Waiters was Kyrie's "robin." Alonzo Gee, Boogie Gibson, CJ Miles, Tyler Zeller... that was the rotation.

Varejao was playing like an All-Star before he had the serious health scare that year (blood clot). What is the purpose of disparaging him at this point?

[Keno]

he only looks like an all-star when playing alongside lebron. other than that, dude is a total scrub.

[Uncle Drew]

he only looks like an all-star when playing alongside lebron. other than that, dude is a total scrub.
His best year came when LeBron wasn't here. I'd say LeBron held him back all those years and made him a spotup shooter.