Is Charlie Cleveland Bound?

During the Eastern Conference Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers were brutally exposed. The Orlando Magic showed that the team is LeBron James and not much else, yea they can compete but they need the big dog to go crazy to win in the playoffs. The Cavs need another high scoring option and that player may be on his way. Charlie Villanueva is a restricted free agent and already expressed his desire to play with the King.

“Cleveland definitely is not a bad spot. I’ve played with LeBron. I played with LeBron in the McDonald’s All-American Game, and we played well together. Is there a possibility? Yes. Will it happen? Time will tell”, Villanueva said at ESPN.

Villanueva’s first choice is actually to stay in Milwaukee. And who can blame him with the success he’s had there? Last season he averaged 16.7 points and 6.7 rebounds over 26:53 minutes a game. Not bad numbers at all for the 25-year old power forward. I’m sure the Bucks would love to have him back but the problem is purely financial.

“I understand the situation Milwaukee is in financially,” Villanueva told Freddie Coleman. “They don’t want to go over the cap or what not (actually the luxury tax level). Whatever team decides to make the best offer, I’m going to think about it.

It’s a shame that that’s the case, especially for the fans. Yea, the Bucks were a dismal 34-48 but there are certain players you should bring back, Villanueva being one of them. Charlie was easily one of the teams best players, I can’t even count how many times ESPN would focus on him while showing Bucks highlights. I’m sure a majority of the fans who actually showed up were waiting for his highlight reel dunks.

But hey what can you do when general manager John Hammond is cheap and says the team won’t pay the luxury tax just to re-sign players. It’s so bad in Milwaukee the team might not even make the $4.6 qualifying offer to Charlie. If that happens the team won’t even get a chance to match other offers made.

What sucks for you Buck fans is that Cleveland is really a possibility for a player on the verge of stardom. I know I’d hate it if my Knicks trade David Lee or Nate Robinson to a rival, especially when that rival is a championship contender. But with it looking like Cleveland’s Anderson Varejao heading for free agency that Cavs could come calling.

Varejao can opt-out of his current contract and appears to be leaning that way. He’s set to earn $6.2 million this season but after setting career highs with 8.6 and 7.2 rebounds a game he’ll be looking for a raise. Crazy, I know. But with that being said Charlie would be the perfect replacement.

Here’s the reasons why.

Versatility – Charlie is probably one of the most versatile big men in the game. He’s 6’11 but a light 230 pounds. He’s got speed and size. He can play inside or outside, on the offensive and defensive ends. He’s a match-up nightmare. A perfect fit for Cleveland.

Defense – Villanueva is never going to be considered with one of the best defenders in the NBA, I don’t even know if you can say he’s above average. But he does bring a level of toughness to a unit, he can block the occasional shot, steal the occasional ball but something more importantly. Because of his versatility you can use him to guard the tall big guy on the perimeter (a Rashard Lewis) or the big guy in the middle (a Dwight Howard). Areas where the Cavs lacked.

“I think I would be able to help out a lot,” Villanueva said, “just the fact I bring my versatility and create mismatch problems. One of the reasons Orlando is in the Finals is because of Rashard Lewis. They have a legitimate big man (Dwight Howard) that demands attention, and they surround him with guys that can play on the perimeter.”

Offense – Charlie enjoyed his best offensive season in the NBA with those 16.2 points a game. More importantly he continued to develop his long range game, by averaging 34.5% from the 3-point line, the highest in his career. The confidence he gained in the shot was evident to as he averaged more then three shots behind the arc.

Scoring is something the Cavaliers really lacked against the Magic. LeBron did his thing but he didn’t get much help anywhere else. Charlie can definitely help there as teams have to respect his game. He’s not Mo Williams, he’s not Varejao, he’s not Delonte West. When Villanueva gets the ball and he’s got a decent look he’s not always going to look for LeBron he’ll take the shot. And when James is on the bench, they’ll still be a legit threat on the court.

There are no guarantees this will happen, but with Charlie already showing his interest I’m sure the Cavs will give him a call. Two main reasons. One it gives LeBron another weapon and possibly enough help to make him consider staying in Cleveland himself. Two if LeBron bolts in 2010 it leaves Cleveland with a proven scorer.

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Tags: Charlie Villanueva, Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James, Milwaukee Bucks, NBA