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The Cleveland Cavaliers preseason has been as lack luster as we all expected with LeBron James playing minimal minutes and he’s expected to miss the rest of the preseason. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love recovering from injuries sustained last season, but Love is scheduled to make his 2015-2016 debut this Sunday against the Toronto Raptors. With James, Irving, and Love sitting out for most of the preseason this gives opportunities for players to show why they deserve a roster spot.
With the Cavaliers roster pretty much set in stone they have one roster spot available and there’s one player who is making the most out of the preseason, and it’s all coming in his second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Jared Cunningham. The former Oregon State guard who was drafted by Cleveland back in 2013, but shipped to the Dallas Mavericks in a draft night trade. Cunningham now gets a chance to rejuvenate his career by making a championship contending roster.
Cunningham has played in five games and has averaged 13 points, but has proven he could provide some depth which may be called upon as Kyrie Irving recovers from his knee injury suffered in Game 1 of the NBA Finals last season. The Cavs signing Mo Williams in the off-season and bringing back Matthew Dellavedova certainly gives Cleveland depth at the point guard position, and LeBron James handling most of the point guard duties Cunningham would not be asked to handle the ball too much. Cunningham not only provides depth he will give the team a lengthy defender to help disrupt players around the perimeter.
The biggest weakness of Cunningham though is his streaky shooting which we’ve seen in preseason after his breakout 31 point game against the Philadelphia 76ers going 8/10 from the field he’s just shooting 6/26 from field in the three games after. The good thing is the Cavaliers have enough offensively gifted players that they will not ask Cunningham to do much scoring if at all if he does make the roster. Outside of Austin Daye I think the Cavaliers will give Cunningham the final roster spot, and with Iman Shumpert out after having wrist surgery that could increase his chances of making this team.
