Cleveland Cavaliers: Will Depth Be An Issue?

Fresh off of the first championship title in franchise history, no one can blame the Cleveland Cavaliers for basking in their long-awaited glory.  But, with their stiffest rivals retooling their respective rosters, the Cavs may soon face an issue of depth.

“CLEVVEEELLLLLAAANNNNNND… THIS IS FOR YOU!“, LeBron James shouted in a state of epiphany while celebrating the Cleveland Cavaliers’ first NBA championship.

It was just three months ago when the King finally delivered on his personal promise in bringing a championship crown to “the Land.”

In accomplishing the impossible — en route to becoming the first team ever to overcome a 3-1 series deficit in the NBA Finals — LeBron finally gained the unbridled admiration of basketball enthusiasts everywhere, young and old; or as the kids like to say, he put some respeck on his name.

Fast forward to present day, the Cleveland Cavaliers as a whole are still riding on their euphoric state.

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The Golden State Warriors could have signed Jesus himself this summer and Cavs Nation would have still remained unshaken. That is the type of invincibility and swagger the team’s fan base, upper management and the best player in the game has been flaunting all summer long.

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And, the truth is, who can blame them? After all the suffering and misery the city has endured, they deserve to bast in the glory for a change.

However, while the Dubs didn’t exactly acquire the services of the Son of God, they did the next best thing in bringing on board Kevin Durant to a 73-win team.

You remember all those wide-open looks Harrison Barnes clanked in the corner? Well, the Cavs might as well give up a layup if they apply the same strategy next season.

Meanwhile, Cleveland has pretty much stayed pat — bringing back the gang for another run at the ‘chip.  They even convinced Richard Jefferson to renounce his premature retirement announcement to back up James again.

The team did lose some material depth, though; most notably scrappy backup guard Matthew Dellavedova, who bolted to Milwaukee this offseason, while seldom-used center Timofey Mozgov got paid by the Lakers.

On the surface, they may not seem like huge losses, as the two combined to play a grand total of six minutes in their wins in Games 5, 6 and 7 combined; but, throughout the year, in particular Delly, the pair played an integral part to the Cavaliers’ collective depth.

You could argue, in fact, that Delly and Mozgov may have been the Cleveland’s second- and third-best players during their 2015 playoff run, when both the first taste of the postseason for both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love first taste at the postseason was cut short due to injuries.

It’s not so much that either Delly or Mozgov are irreplaceable by any means, it is the fact that they have made no-to-minimal effort to even metaphorically replace them.

With veterans Mo Williams mulling over retirement and J.R. Smith still unsigned, their depth chart looks awfully shallow as we sit just two weeks (!!!) away from training camp.

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Sure, the Mike Dunleavy Jr. acquisition was nice, but he will most likely serve as more of an insurance to Richard Jefferson as a versatile hybrid wing, with the size and ability to play some small-ball stretch 4.

In place of Mozgov, and playing behind Tristan Thompson, will be Chris Andersen.

The Birdman has had previous championship success alongside the King before — but he just turned 38 and is coming off an injury-plagued year; not exactly signs of hope for a big man who relies primarily on his motor and athleticism.

The backcourt looks to be in shambles, especially if Mo Gotti does decide to hang them up and/or Smith’s contractual standoff lingers through training camp.

The team looks poised to lean on the skills of D-League journeyman, Jordan McRae, and their diminitive 5’9.5″ rookie lead guard, Key Felder, to shore up their second-unit backcourt minutes.

And while the duo tore up the Summer League in Las Vegas just two months ago, they will be hard pressed to duplicate the unrelenting defensive ball pressure and heady pick-and-roll play that Delly brought to the table on a nightly basis.

Of course, as a perk of being a perennial  contender and proven champion, Cleveland will undoubtedly be a bookmarked destination for championship-hungry veterans during the NBA buyout season.

Depending on which teams under perform next season, the Cavs could find a solution by picking up a savvy backup guard when that time comes — much like how they swooped up Channing Frye last year, or how the Miami Heat picked up Joe Johnson.

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As of now, however, the Cavaliers brass seems too busy still patting themselves on the back for what happened three months ago without any concern, or addressing, for their immediate and forthcoming needs.

With preseason set to begin in T-minus 17 days, Cleveland better hope the trust in their youngsters pay off.