Feb 8, 2012; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Anderson Varejao (17) tries to block a shot attempt by Los Angeles Clippers small forward Caron Butler (5) in the fourth quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-US PRESSWIRE

Anderson Varejao – Most want to trade Andy for a first rounder because he has a high market value right now, but I believe he is a perfect veteran player for a team full of young guys.  Each year Andy is at the top of the list for offensive rebounds, creating more opportunities.  Nothing inspires young players more than those hustle plays.  Andy is the heart and soul of this team and in my eyes, whatever the Cavs are offered wouldn’t be enough for him.

Tristan Thompson- Most Cavs fans may still be questionable about Thompson, but I believe he was the best rookie big man last year.  Kenneth Faried came on strong at the end of the year, but Thompson had some great games early in the year, and finished the year just as strong as he started it.  He didn’t look too motivated at the end of last year, but as a rookie, who lost as many games as we did, I don’t blame him.

Samardo Samuels- A force to be reckoned with in the paint, but inconsistencies on the court and problems with the coaching staff have caused him to lose minutes.  His weight loss has been a hot topic at Summer League.  He is relentless around the rim and brings a great attitude to this team.

Jon Luer- Great pick up by the Cavs.  He creates an outside presence for our big men and must be guarded on the perimeter.  Hasn’t stood out too much in his short NBA career, but he will be a great compliment to our current big guys who are more of the grinder type in the paint.

July 19, 2012; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Tyler Zeller (40) drives during the first half of the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Cox Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

Tyler Zeller- Great pickup by the Cavs front office.  A true 7-footer that can run the floor better than any other big man in the league.  He has a nice elbow jumper, similar to the great Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Kyrie and Zeller can work together to create a great pick-and-roll game, but don’t expect it early in the season.  I believe the 2012 ACC Player of the Year will fit nicely with this offense.

Mar 11, 2012; Atlantic City, NJ, USA; St. Bonaventure Bonnies forward Andrew Nicholson (44) rejects shot of Xavier Musketeers center Kenny Frease (32) during the second half in the finals of the 2012 Atlantic 10 Tournament at Boardwalk Hall. St. Bonaventure Bonnies defeat the Xavier Musketeers 67-56. Mandatory Credit: Jim O

had in the LeBron James era.

The other first round pick, which comes at number twenty-four overall, is an opportunity to grab a player who can become a key player on the roster. Assuming the first pick is a wing player, this second pick will most likely be a power forward or center. Prospects that could be available at pick twenty-four include Syracuse center Fab Melo, Ohio State power forward Jared Sullinger, and Iowa State power forward Royce White.

But above the other names, St. Bonaventure senior power forward/center Andrew Nicholson appears to be the most likely to land in Cleveland. Both SI.com and DraftExpress.com have him being selected by the Cavaliers with their second first round pick.

Nicholson stands 6’9, weights 234 pounds, and has a 7’4 wingspan. A native of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, Nicholson first came to the States when he began playing at St. Bonaventure in 2008. A two star recruit out of the Canadian prep scene, it’s actually quite remarkable that he has gotten to this point in his basketball career.

At St. Bonaventure, Nicholson was the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year as a freshman, second team All-Atlantic 10 as a sophomore and junior, as well first team All-Atlantic 10, Atlantic 10 First Defensive Team, and the Atlantic 10 player of the year as a senior. He was also an honorable mention on the NCAA All-American Team, as well as Atlantic 10 Tournament MVP. For his college career, Nicholson averaged 17.2 points per game, shot 57.5% from the field, grabbed 7.2 rebounds per game, and blocked 2.0 shots a game. DraftExpress.com had this two say about Nicholson:

“Andrew Nicholson has an interesting set of physical tools with his size and length to go along with an offensive skill-set that shows plenty of room for growth. On top of that, he appears to be an extremely intelligent person off the court (he’s a physics major), and didn’t start playing basketball until his junior year of high school.

Nicholson came into this season with huge expectations, both individually and team-wise, but hasn’t taken the step forward some had hoped he would. NBA decision makers will need to figure out why in trying to evaluate how much better he could become in the next few years, to decide if he’s a project worth investing in.”

In terms of how he fits in with the Cavs, I think he’d fit in well. He’d have to play right away (as the Cavs only have Anderson Varejao, Samardo Samuels, and Tristian Thompson as viable big men. Nicholson’s ability to play both power forward and center would be a great asset with this Cavs squad, he it would allow Byron Scott with his line ups. If Nicholson does indeed become a Cavalier, you could be him playing the four if Varejao is at the 5, the four if Thompson is at the five, and five if the Cavs decide to go small. Essentially, his versatility allows Scott to be creative with his line ups, as well as have the ability to match up well with any type of lineup.

Nicholson is undoubtedly raw, as he as only been playing basketball for six years. But if he reaches his full potential, he could a solid, 19 and 10 big man like Al Jefferson of the Utah Jazz. If that’s the case, and David Stern does indeed call Nicholson’s name at pick twenty-four, then the Cavs will have selected a key piece to the championship puzzle.

By “build the best team possible” I’m putting a lot of emphasis on the “team” part of that statement. While already building depth in the guard position with young ball-handlers Kyrie Irving, Daniel Gibson and Ramon Sessions and 8-year veteran Antony Parker, the Cavs now look to fix a problem that dates back to the beginning of last season: finding a “center”.

The physical and tall presence that a center should bring to the court every night is lacking in Cleveland. While Anderson Varejao is playing with a lot of energy, he’s not nearly as tall and physical enough to cover the other centers in the league. Semih Erden, Ryan Hollins and Samardo Samuels are still young and improving, but they have shown no signs of stepping up against another center when he comes in the lane.

Before I contradict myself, I would like to point out that I would rather have a really hard-nosed center on my roster than have a tall center that backs down in the lane. Someone that I think is being overlooked in this next draft class is Cincinnati Bearcat’s power forward Yancy Gates.

So what does drafting a 6-9 power forward have anything to do with fixing the big hole in the middle of Cleveland’s team? As crazy as it sounds, I think the Cavs should snatch Gates in the second round or take the chance that he may become undrafted.

Yes, Gates stock fell as he took a swing at a Xavier basketball player during the closing seconds of the Crosstown Shootout, but I really believe that he was sorry when he aired his apology live in the coming days.

Besides from him showing his worse side and his soft side, Gates is a mean and dominant player, both in the paint and on the boards. Although he has struggled in the games after his six-game suspension, Gates averages over a block a game, about 9 rebounds and 12 points on the season. For the most part, these are his highest numbers during his four years in Cincinnati.

Gates ability to post-up and take a shot outside the key makes him a dual threat to teams, as he already is a menacing dunk artist. Also his knack to hit game winners (usually a center would not get the ball in the clutch) is one thing that sets him apart from almost every other center.

Since the suspension the Bearcats have actually been giving Gates more of a center role, as they look to switch to the four-guard system as much as possible during the course of a game. His scoring may be down for now, but his interior play has improved tremendously.

Weighing in at 260 pounds (Varejao and Samuels also weigh in at 260), Gates is determined to work harder in the gym to build up his muscle mass. This would also increase his physicality as a player too.

My final thought on the Cavs situation when it comes to Yancy Gates is this; Coach Byron Scott has become a lot more accustomed to addressing problems with his players, even though he did not do a good job of it last year. He now has a stern personality at times, showing players that he is not messing around. Scott has the knowledge to form Gates into a center, but a formidable backup plan could be to put him with forward Tristan Thompson and watch the young men blossom.