Written by Demetri Inembolidis

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After 149 long days, the lockout has finally perished.  I will never be able to hear the word “progress” for the rest of my life without having nervous ticks.  Other words that I want to permanently delete from the world’s vocabulary are “fair and “consequences.”  The lockout was anything but a fun experience. Thankfully we can look ahead to the future of the Cavaliers and put this mess behind us.

Moving forward, there are plenty of questions without answers.  For starters, the details regarding the salary cap are hazy.  It will be easier to see what kind of moves the Cavs can make once a clearer picture is painted about the CBA.  Until then, we can look at the Cavs as they are currently constructed and what the team’s needs are.

Two of the best players play the same position.  If history is any indication, Byron Scott will most likely start Kyrie Irving at the point guard position.  Given the rocky relationship that Scott and Baron Davis have had in the past, this may be a point of contention.  Davis is accustomed to starting and has done so in 678 of his 806 career games.  Eighty-two of those games off the bench came in his rookie season.

The shooting guard positional depth for the Cavaliers is laughable.  Baron Davis has the size to play the position, however he plays best when he is running the offense and has the ball in his hands.  Asking him to play off the ball could result in a good amount of possessions where Davis is camping out beyond the three-point line and taking his time to return on defense.

Byron Scott is left with the choice of starting Manny Harris, Alonzo Gee, Christian Eyenga, Ramon Sessions, Daniel Gibson, Baron Davis or Anthony Parker (if he is re-signed).  None of these options are ideal.  Manny Harris and Christian Eyenga are too raw.  Alonzo Gee is is currently in Europe and better suited to play small forward.  Ramon Sessions is not a good shooter and Baron Davis operates best when he plays point guard.  This leaves Daniel Gibson and Anthony Parker.  According to Tom Reed of the Plain Dealer, it is the Cavaliers’ priority to re-sign Parker.  If he is brought back, I expect him to start.  In an ideal world, Cleveland would not be interested in bringing back a 36 year old guard to start on a rebuilding team.  If I were coach Byron Scott, I would strongly consider starting Daniel Gibson.  There are bound to be defensive issues with Gibson starting, however the Cavaliers is a flawed team that will have issues no matter who is on the floor.

The small forward position is similarly dismal.  Expect Omri Casspi to start on opening day and probably play plenty of minutes.  I would be surprised if Chris Grant picked up Joey Graham’s 1 million dollar option.  The depth beyond Omri Casspi at the small forward position is lackluster.

The Cavaliers other strength is at power forward.  Between Anderson Varejao and Tristan Thompson, I expect opposing power forwards to struggle scoring and grabbing rebounds against Cleveland.  Of course, that will be a different story when Antawn Jamison is playing at power forward.  Because of Anderson Varejao's lackluster shooting, it makes sense to start Antawn Jamison despite his defensive issues.  Additionally, Jamison's shot selection needs a lot of work.  On average, he took 4.7 three point attempts per game.  In eleven games in February, he took as many as 5.8 threes.  That's far too many for a power forward.  Despite all of this, he is one of the few guys on the Cavs who can score and his ability to stretch the floor helps the other players.  He's not an ideal player to start for a rebuilding team and I expect Byron Scott to look to Tristan Thompson sooner than later.

Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, the center depth is practically just as bad as it is at the shooting guard and small forward positions.  Anderson Varejao, who is finally healthy, will presumably start at center for the Cavaliers.  Ryan Hollins will get most of the backup minutes due to Semih Erden’s broken left thumb which he sustained playing for Besiktas in his native homeland of Turkey.

As evident by the lack of depth in three of the five available positions, the Cavaliers need talent.  Because of this, I would be surprised to see the Cavs take advantage of the amnesty provision.  The new CBA will require that a minimum salary be used on the team payroll.  Cutting Baron Davis or Antawn Jamison with the intention of gaining cap space could result in the Cavs overpaying for a free agent and being stuck with them for longer than if they bypass the amnesty provision.  The Cavs should hang onto Baron Davis and Antawn Jamison because they are better than anybody who would replace them and ironically it could end up being better for the overall cap flexibility of the team.

The 2011-2012 season for the Cavs seems grim, but playing out the season is the best possible thing that could happen.  Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson need to get experience playing in the NBA.  Additionally, it will be beneficial for the team to play their first season after the hangover that occurred as a result of the events in the summer of 2010.  This season will be a difficult one in the wins-and-losses column, but it will be a step in the right direction for the franchise.  Here’s to a good season and remember to consider the big picture if the Cavaliers struggle.