Cleveland Cavaliers: Thank You, Channing Frye
By Luke Duffy
It’s time Channing Frye was recognized for all that he has given to the NBA for both the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers.
While the NBA world continues to marvel over the exploits of LeBron James and Kyrie Irving in securing the Cleveland Cavaliers their first championship, other important pieces to that puzzle are only now starting to get a look in.
J.R. Smith’s postgame press conference is still fresh in everybody’s mind, meaning fans have already forgotten he started every postseason game, shooting 43 percent from three-point range. He went missing during some big moments, sure, but without his ability to hit some audacious shots, the Cavs wouldn’t have gotten as far as they did.
Kevin Love, the much maligned big man who never could seem to get it right in Cleveland colors, is now being looked at as a savior for how he defended Stephen Curry late in Game 7. Winning erases all bad memories, and right now the glow coming from Cleveland is blinding.
One guy who you won’t hear too much about throughout all of this is Channing Frye. A midseason addition in a trade with the Orlando Magic, in some ways Frye was the unofficial final piece to their championship puzzle.
It’s easy to say Cleveland would have won a title without him. After all, he only appeared in 26 regular season games, starting in three. But if you look at what he left behind in Orlando, you begin to see that Frye was the perfect fit with the Cavaliers, and that ultimately helped them win it all.
The Magic began to fall apart at the turn of the year, going 7-19 through the months of January and February as their playoff push faltered. Frye left the team midway through February, and along with his cousin Tobias Harris being moved to the Detroit Pistons, this led to the season ending badly for the Magic.
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Frye was more than a floor spreading big man there; he was a veteran leader in a locker room full of fresh young faces. Overnight his role changed, as he landed on a contending team with many strong personalities already established there.
To come into that environment, and play his role the way he did, deserves credit that Frye is not likely to get. He was also a clear upgrade over Anderson Varejao, a fan favorite and close friend of James who was shipped out to make room for Frye.
Once he joined the Cavs, the 33-year-old was able to provide a more concentrated dose of the many positives he brought to the Magic. Offensively he was far more polished than Varejao, as well as Timofey Mozgov.
While not a big factor defensively or on the boards, unlike Tristan Thompson, Frye gave the Cavs another way to play against other teams. That versatility cannot be understated, as being able to beat teams in different ways was how the Golden State Warriors had won it all the year before.
On the court he played 17 minutes a night during the regular season, and actually averaged more points with Cleveland (7.5 per game) than he did with the Magic (5.2). His rebounding numbers saw an slight increase as well (3.6 per game, up from 3.2).
Even his field goal percentage moved from 43.5 percent to 44.1 percent. Perhaps most telling of all, was his Player Efficiency Rating of 11.8 in Orlando jumping up to 14.9 once he made the move. Clearly then this was a small move that left a subtle, yet effective, mark on their season.
Once the playoffs began, Frye did see his time on the court decrease (13.9 minutes per game), and he only appeared in 17 games. When called upon though, which wasn’t often, his shooting numbers were insane. His effective field goal percentage was 78.3.
Frye shot 65 percent from the field, and 56.5 percent from the three-point line. With numbers like that you’d think Frye hardly shot the ball, but he did average 4.1 field goal attempts a game during the playoffs.
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That’s still a low number, but when you consider that’s only two less a night than during the regular season, it shows how he was ready for his brief moment when it came his way.
It’s great to see Frye win a championship and be an unsung hero on the team, as this is the same guy who missed an entire season with the Phoenix Suns as a result of an enlarged heart. Health is more important than the game of basketball, and it was thought that Frye may never return.
To do so, and then land on a Magic team that needed his leadership, before being moved and winning a title, is kind of perfect really. In one season we got to see all that is great about this guy, both on and off the court.
A complete professional who helped a young team grow, before returning to the playoffs for the first time in eight years to help the city of Cleveland realize its destiny. Players of this caliber are few and far between in a league dominated by numbers and flashy play.
That is why we need to say thank you to Channing Frye, for all that he has done for the teams he has played on, and basketball as a whole. As a supporter of the Magic I had wanted for quite a while to see him moved to a contender while he could still contribute, as he deserved it more than most.
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Not many people will talk about it,but he can now add NBA champion to his impressive resume after posting the most important year of his career to date.