Written by Jerry Roche

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As evidenced by the Cleveland Cavaliers’ recent performances—losses of 37 and 35 points at the Q—it’s imperative that owner Dan Gilbert and general manager Chris Grant immediately get Maj. T. J. “King” Kong (Slim Pickens) on the horn. Maj. Kong, you might remember, uttered these immortal words from the cockpit of his B-52 hovering over the Bering Straits:

“Well, boys, I reckon this is it: nuclear combat toe to toe. Now look, boys, I ain't much of a hand at makin’ speeches, but I got a pretty fair idea that something doggone important is goin’ on. The folks back home is a-countin’ on you and by golly, we ain’t about to let ‘em down...That goes for ever’ last one of you regardless of your race, color or your creed. Now let’s get this thing on the hump.”

This roster needs blowing up. Nuclear blowing up, judging by how the players have not been very competitive and their interior defense has been atrocious. Either talent is lacking, or desire is lacking, or perhaps even both.

To get back on track (and to quiet all the venom coming from their fan base), the Cavaliers need a new starting two-guard and two new starting forwards, all three of whom can consistently score and play at least a little defense. A decent center to back up Anderson Varejao wouldn’t hurt, either. And some bench strength.

Only two players on the current roster might be solid starters on a contending ballclub, and you know their names: Varejao and rookie Kyrie Irving. Both are virtually “untouchable,” even though Varejao could be too old to make any heavy contributions by the time the rest of the squad is playoff-ready.

Three players—Alonzo Gee, Samardo Samuels and rookie Tristan Thompson—might have a future with the team, but not as starters. All three are young and have potential. Gee has made tremendous strides in the past 12 months; Samuels could do the same over the next 12. Thompson, as awkward as he sometimes appears, has the highest ceiling of the three, but reaching that potential could be years away, simply because he’s such a raw talent.

At the other end of the spectrum, four players who’ve been on the roster since training camp have contributed hardly anything at all: Daniel Gibson, Omri Casspi, Semih Erden and Luke Harangody. Oh, every once in a while, one of them might score 10 points or grab a few rebounds, but realistically none has any value, either to the Cavs or in the trade market.

In recent weeks, the team has fiddled with remaking the end of the bench. Whoop-de-doo. It’s almost like Grant threw in all five cards and drew a pair of deuces, a six, an eight and a jack. New players Manny Harris, Lester Hudson, Donald Sloan and Luke Walton have not made any difference, nor will they (with the possible exception of Sloan, who shows promise as a possible back-up for Irving).

Here’s a prediction: until the team completely turns over at least three-fourths of its roster, it will not compete. If that means drafting five or six rookies and adding a few veterans through free agency or trades during the next couple years, so be it. Any way you look at it, it’s a huge job; given Grant's past performance, one might wonder if he is up to it.

What follows is a brief look at the import of every player on the roster to the Cavs’ future. There are no surprises here:

UNTOUCHABLES

Irving (PG) - will only get better; good enough to be an all-star as early as next season; more than anything, he needs a surrounding cast to take full advantage of his ball-handling skills and take some scoring pressure off him

Varejao (PF/C) - if Irving’s the brains of the operation, Varejao is its heart; the only question mark is if recent injuries will affect his style of play (and we hope not)

POSSIBLE KEEPERS

Gee (SG/SF) - reaching his maximum potential; can score from near the basket or afar; still makes too many bad decisions with the ball, but that’s something that can be corrected with coaching and experience

Thompson (PF) - needs to concentrate on rebounding and shot-blocking, because it’s highly doubtful that he could ever become a scoring threat from any part of the court other than throw-down distance

TOO OLD FOR THE FUTURE

Antawn Jamison (SF) - love the guy’s scoring ability, leadership and personality, but at 36 this should be his last year with the Cavs

Anthony Parker (SG) - doesn’t excel at any one thing, but he’s better than any other two-guard on the roster—which is a pitiful statement to have to make

GRADE: INCOMPLETE

Samuels (PF) - need to see more of him; could potentially become a poor man’s Kendrick Perkins, but needs lots of work

Sloan (PG) - not bad for a mid-season pick-up; has taken Ramon Sessions’ spot on the roster, at least temporarily

Walton (SF) - has shown good court savvy and passing ability since arriving from the Lakers in the trade for Sessions, but his value is probably as a second-stringer or injury replacement—tops

Hudson (SG) - who is this guy?

DETRITUS/EXPENDABLE

Gibson (SG/PG) - at the age of 26, his talent is already starting to erode, possibly because of a string of injuries over the years; not playing defense like he used to, nor is he shooting like he used to

Casspi (SF) - disappointment No. 1 among players that Grant obtained via trade; reminds us of Sasha Pavlovic in oh-so-many ways

Erden (C) - disappointment No. 2 among players that Grant obtained via trade; too slow afoot at both ends of the court to be a difference-maker

Harangody (SF) - disappointment No. 3 among players that Grant obtained via trade; all he brings to the table are hustle and erratic outside shooting

Harris (PG/SG) - love the guy, but he has not made any kind of an impact, and he’s been given enough chances