CLEVELAND: It was a little more than a year ago at this time when Cavaliers coach David Blatt insisted there wasn’t much separation between Tristan Thompson and Anderson Varejao.
They had similar skill sets, they competed for the starting center job throughout the preseason and they were core pieces on one of the league’s best teams.
One year later, all of that has changed. Thompson on Thursday reached the rare feat of 300 consecutive games played, while Varejao reached the rare feat of playing in a game.
This isn’t the way Varejao expected his comeback season to go, but it’s the position he’s been forced into because of the Cavs’ frontcourt depth. He scored nine points in 11 key minutes during the second half after Timofey Mozgov sat out with a strained right shoulder.
Varejao’s role is about to at least temporarily increase. Mozgov was diagnosed with a strained right deltoid following an MRI on Friday and will miss 10-14 days.
The Cavs are down to just two healthy starters now in Kevin Love and LeBron James. Mo Williams had his own MRI on Friday, which revealed inflammation in his ankle. He will miss Saturday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks and is listed as doubtful for Monday’s home game against the Orlando Magic.
Mozgov’s absence until December should make Varejao the interim backup center after he totaled just 14 minutes in the five games prior to Thursday. He has as many Did Not Play — Coach’s Decision stat lines this month (two) as he’s had in the past 10 years. He maintained throughout the preseason his return from Achilles surgery was going to be measured in baby steps, but until Mozgov’s shoulder injury Varejao struggled getting off the bench at all.
“It’s not easy. It’s really tough because as a player you want to play, especially when you feel like you’re not done, like you can still play,” Varejao said. “The main thing is to stay ready and I was able to help the team.”
Varejao will never complain over his lack of playing time. He is the consummate professional. So is Thompson, who has fought through ankle sprains, stitches and even a bout of food poisoning to keep his active games streak alive. If not for a severely sprained left ankle that cost him seven games during his rookie season, he never would’ve missed a game. As it is, his streak is the second-longest active streak in the league behind Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (333).
Thompson is the fifth Cavalier to play in 300 in a row, joining a list that includes Jim Chones (361), Austin Carr (351) and Danny Ferry (301).
“I think it’s unbelievable,” LeBron James said. “Those guys, they take care of their body. They have a lot of luck behind them as well. They’ve been able to have sprained ankles or bum knees or whatever the case may be, just playing above the rim like they do, and still being able to play the next night. It’s very commendable, for sure.”
David Blatt said Thompson was hit hard in Tuesday’s loss at the Detroit Pistons, to the point where Blatt had to ask trainer Steve Spiro if Thompson would be able to play Thursday against the Bucks.
“He looked at me like I was crazy,” Blatt said. “What are you kidding me? Of course he’s going to be out there. It’s Tristan.
“It’s great to know that a guy like that always wants to put the jersey on and get out there and help you. And he is that kind of guy, too. He is a warrior. He is going to give you everything he has, if he’s right, not right. And if there’s a way for him to play he will play. There’s no quit in that guy at all. No days off in his character, that’s just not the way he rolls.”
Varejao would like to be that way, but injuries have sapped away the last few years of his career. He’s back now, healthy now and was just waiting for a chance. He proved Thursday he can still play when called upon.
“It’s not easy,” Varejao said. “You never know how much you can do in practice because you never know if you’re going to play or not.
“It’s definitely a different season for me not playing a lot. I thought I would play a little more, but it is what it is. … The main thing is to stay ready.”
Smith accused
Cavs guard J.R. Smith is accused of choking a 19-year-old man during the team’s trip to New York last week, the Daily News reported. Smith was not arrested and it took the man, Justin Brown, three days to file a police report after the incident, according to the Daily News report.
“The allegation is completely false,” Smith’s attorney, Alex Spiro, told the paper.
Brown was with friends around 4 a.m. on Nov. 13 not far from where NBA players Thabo Sefolosha and Pero Antic were arrested last spring. When Smith declined their request for a photo, a group of young men began jeering him. The Daily News reported Smith, 30, checked Brown against the exterior of the building and put his hands around Brown’s neck.
“We are aware of the story and have spoken to J.R. about it,” Cavs General Manager David Griffin said in a release. “J.R.’s attorney has issued a statement on the matter and there will be no further comment from the team on this at this point.”
Jason Lloyd can be reached at jlloyd@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Cavs blog at www.ohio.com/cavs. Follow him on Twitter www.twitter.com/JasonLloydABJ.