Feb 1, 2013; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving (2) reaches for a loose ball while being pressured by Detroit Pistons shooting guard Kyle Singler (25) during the second quarter at The Palace. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers (24-54) did not deserve to be close enough to the Detroit Pistons (27-52) near the end of the game taken the way they guarded the Detroit big men down low on Wednesday night. In the first quarter the Pistons scored 28 points, 24 of which were tallied in the paint. I’m not trying to take away anything from the Motown warriors – a team that ranks first in the Eastern Conference in points per game in the paint – but it was an excruciating sight watching every shot from rookie center Andre Drummond end in a dunk. Drummond, who finished with a game-high 29 points and 11 rebounds, converted on 10 of his 11 slam attempts. Even with the Cavaliers applying hack after hack on the 34.4 percent free throw shooter near the game’s close, bad decisions in crunch time led to the eventual 111-104 defeat that the Wine and Gold suffered at home to their Central Division counterparts. This contest completed the season sweep for Detroit – four games that the Pistons outscored the Cavs by a combined 42 points. The loss also dropped the Cavaliers to 3-13 within their division, which will be the worst or tied for the worst mark in the Association.

As already mentioned, Cleveland was mutilated in the paint from the game’s onset. It didn’t help that Detroit came out with a lot of energy, leading to six first-quarter fast break points. The effort was heralded by Detroit bigs Greg Monroe and Drummond, who combined to shoot 8-of-10 for 16 points in the first frame. Tyler Zeller was ineffective early on, Alonzo Gee went missing yet again and Kyrie Irving wasn’t in the ankle-breaking mood being matched up across from point guard Brandon Knight. Irving’s shooting game went flat yet again, as he only converted on one of his five attempts from the field in the first half. The miracle that was keeping Cleveland in this game goes by the name of Tristan Thompson – the workhorse for the Wine and Gold as of late. Thompson’s 11 points and six rebounds paced the Cavs and somewhat countered Cleveland’s transparent defense. He finished with 19 points and eight rebounds on the night.

Coming out in the second quarter with a lineup consisting of Dion Waiters (who returned for the first time since mid-March off the bench), Omri Casspi, Kevin Jones, Shaun Livingston and Marreese Speights, it looked as if things were going to go up in flames even though Cleveland was just down four points after 12 minutes of play. Detroit came out with their reserves as well, but quickly subbed in Drummond to take advantage of the Wine and Gold set. Fans saw the opposite of what I thought would quickly lead to an implosion, as players like Jones made the most out of their minutes by playing smart basketball. The rookie power forward finished with eight points and six rebounds, but his basket awareness and shifty eyes allowed him to get in place for those boards before a Pistons player had the chance to think where they should be positioned. The unselfish play from the aforementioned unit allowed Cleveland to go on a 19-6 run to start the quarter, but the problem all season long has been finishing strong and setting up the team with momentum for the second act. With less than six minutes remaining in the period, Cleveland folded as Detroit went on an 18-6 run to take a 53-49 advantage going into the half.

Still, things should have been a lot worse than how they actually were. Zeller and Gee were ghosts, as their 23 total minutes of play merited zero points and one rebound. Rodney Stuckey went off for 14 points and five assists, while Monroe and Drummond tallied 20 points and 10 rebounds on 10-of-13 shooting and accounted for most of the 34 points in the paint. Detroit ended up finished with 60 points in the paint, which was a ridiculous number considering that accounted for more than half of their final score. Thompson sought help to counter this onslaught from the bench in order to stay in the game, as Waiters, Casspi and Jones contributed 19 points.

But Drummond continued his dominance of Cleveland’s defense in the second half by continuing to visit the paint with ease. He shoots 70.8 percent at the rim on the season, but there was no stopping the former UConn star on Wednesday. Zeller and Thompson couldn’t play physical enough down low to bring Monroe and Drummond more outside in an uncomfortable zone. Zeller was pushed around and Tristan was receiving minimal help. Still (again), Cleveland was pulled back into the game once again late in the third quarter. In the final 15 or so minutes of play, Kyrie Irving became the superhero we haven’t seen in a while: Mr. Clutch aka Mr. Fourth Quarter. 19 points were scored within that time frame, but not even all the missed Drummond free throws in the world were enough to take home the W at home. Irving finished with a team-high 27 points and nine assists.

This one really stings, taken that it was against a team that Cleveland “should” beat, even though they haven’t beaten them once this season. With four games left on the schedule, things can’t get that much worse. We’ll see on Friday, when the red-hot New York Knicks come to town for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.

Jan 5, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Shaun Livingston (14) fouls Houston Rockets point guard Jeremy Lin (7) in the fourth quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The current Cleveland Cavaliers roster has a lot of faces that are not known to the average fan. Sure they may know two rookies tasked with helping Kyrie Irving resurrect the Cavaliers (Dion Waiters and Tyler Zeller), but do they know the Cavs recently added a former All-Big East player who was not drafted in June?  Or how about the fact that the Wine and Gold also recently claimed a former budding star whose career was derailed by one of the most horrific knee injuries in the history of the NBA? Or what about the fact that the Cavs just recalled a former Wisconsin star was a Third Team All-American as a senior?

Kevin Jones, Shaun Livingston and Jon Leuer may not ever be household names in Cleveland, but right now, on one of the worst teams in the NBA, opportunities are aplenty for this trio of players, albeit in different ways.

So, without further adieu, get to know Jones, Livingston and Leuer

Kevin Jones

The former West Virginia Mountaineer was recalled from the Cavs D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge, on December 4^th. In Canton, where he was playing 41.0 minutes a game, Jones averaged 23.6 points and 12.6 rebounds. For his NBA career, the stats are obviously much lower (1.8 points per game, 1.4 rebounds per game, 50.0 percent shooting from the field). However, in the Cavaliers last two games against the Rockets and Bulls, head coach Byron Scott has given Jones regular minutes. In 12 minutes against Houston, Jones had six points and three rebounds in replacing an ineffective Luke Walton. Against the Bulls, Jones scored four points and had two rebounds in twenty minutes of action. Jones’ minutes are likely to be cut once Anderson Varejao returns and Zeller returns to the bench, but he could still receive minutes on a limited scale.

Jones has a nice inside-outside game at the power forward position, even if his below-average height limits it at times. He can shoot from mid-range with decent accuracy, and in his minutes in Cleveland since his return, he has been active on the boards. Jones will never be a star in the league, but he could develop into a nice role player on a contending team. I just hope the he does not become Samardo Samuels 2.0, and be banished to bench warming for undisclosed reasons.

Shaun Livingston

Livingston, once a Duke commit, was the fourth overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers. While drafted as a point guard, Livingston also spent time playing shooting guard for the Clippers. While he showed potential, Livingston missed a lot of time due to injury in his first three seasons, missing 101 of 246 regular season games. That may have been a foreshadowing of what happened on February 26^th, 2007.

On that fateful day, Livingston suffered what may be the most gruesome knee injury in the history of the NBA. The injury, which saw Livingston tear his ACL, PCL, MCL, his meniscus, dislocate his patella and dislocate his tibiofemoral joint, was so graphic that ESPN had to warn its viewers ahead of time of the content in the clip.

Since the injury, Livingston has bounced around the NBA a little bit, playing for the Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzlies, Tulsa 66ers of the D-League, Oklahoma City Thunder, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Bobcats, Milwaukee Bucks, Houston Rockets and Washington again before ending up with Cleveland on Christmas Day. Since his arrival in Cleveland, Livingston has entered the rotation ahead of one-hit wonder Jeremy Pargo. Livingston also has received meaningful minutes ahead of Waiters, currently the Cavaliers sixth man.

Out of the three newbies, Livingston’s tenure may be the most interesting.  With his history of bouncing around the NBA, the rest of the season will likely indicate if the Cavaliers commit to him as Irving’s backup for at least next season. If he can average six points and a few assists in 10-15 minutes a game, we can call Livingston a piece of this team – for now.

Jon Leuer

Leuer has a skillset that no other Cavalier has, and it could work to his advantage in his pursuit of earning playing time. A “stretch” four with the ability to step out and hit jumpers, Leuer is a different player than any other “big” on the Cavaliers roster. At Wisconsin, he improved every season, going from averaging 2.9 points as a freshman to 18.3 as a senior. In college, Leuer’s lowest shooting percentage was 46.6 percent as a sophomore, and his highest was 52.2 percent as a junior. He also hit threes at a decent clip in college, as he made 40.5 percent in his four years as a Badger.

With Jones now receiving minutes and Varejao set to return against the Hawks on Wednesday, Leuer may not have a real window of opportunity in Cleveland. That window could be even smaller if the Cavaliers end up dealing Varejao to Oklahoma City in a deal that nets them Perry Jones III, a stretch four like Leuer. Also, working against Leuer is Scott’s favoring veterans over young talent. And with young guns Thompson, Zeller and Jones already in the mix up front, it might take an injury for Leuer to get some minutes.

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As a whole, this trio is not a group of young building blocks that will help Irving bring the Cavs back to prominence. But there is talent here, and there is potential that could be tapped with the right coaching and playing time. They all have different assets that they can bring to this team, but some have more potential than others. Jones has the highest ceiling of all, while Leuer seems like a player who may be stuck in the limbo that is the NBA D-League. Livingston’s height makes him a favorable backup at point guard, but whether or not he’ll be able to contribute enough for the Cavs to keep him around is yet to be solved. But all it takes is one injury to open up a window of opportunity for each guy to get this big break, and that big break could change everything.

Today we will be discussing Anderson Varejao’s value, Cleveland’s fourth quarter woes, the Luke Harnagody/Kevin Jones swap, David Stern’s comments toward San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and Rajon Rondo’s recent antics.

Cavaliers Corner

Nov 27, 2012; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao (17) dunks in the third quarter against the Phoenix Suns at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-US PRESSWIRE

First Question: How valuable is Anderson Varejao to this Cavaliers team?

Zachary Kolesar: Right now Varejao is ranked 11th in the NBA right now in PER, with a score of 23.91. Wild Thing is extremely valuable to the Cavaliers, now more than ever. Looking into the future, I think Andy would be a wonderful and energetic bench play for Kyrie Irving once he starts to age some. He’s not showing any signs of that now, so the Cavs can rest easy. He’s everything that an NBA superstar would want, so it is in Cleveland’s best interest to keep him around even once he becomes a role player.

Dan Pilar: We wouldn’t have a win without him. Suns coach Alvin Gentry said that he plays every possession like it’s his last. The extra possessions he brings to a team are priceless. His energy has been great for this young Cavs’ team. Trade him or not, I can’t give you an answer; that’s something for Chris Grant to decide. His price tag has gone way up, so finding a willing buyer is the hard part now. But if he stays, you can be for damn sure you’ll see his jersey up in the rafters at the Quicken Loans Arena shortly after his retirement.

Nov 21, 2012; Cleveland, OH, USA; Injured players Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard Daniel Gibson (left) and point guard Kyrie Irving (2) sit on the bench during a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-US PRESSWIRE

Second Question: What is the solution to Cleveland’s fourth quarter woes?

ZK: Sadly there is no quick fix in sight without Kyrie Irving in the layup. Since he came to Cleveland he has been the player for the Wine and Gold who could step up when they needed him the most and deliver buckets down the stretch. What the Cavaliers can do without Irving in the lineup is give Varejao the freedom to shoot late in the game. He is by far the Cavs’ best shooter this season, and has looked almost automatic from the field. Andy is the key right now.

DP: Get stops defensively. During the three-game road trip we play against Orlando, Miami and Memphis, we played great on both ends of the court for three quarters. Then when the fourth quarter hits it just seems the Cavs weren’t trying at all on defense. The inability to close games out has really killed this team, but you can’t be too worried about it. We have a bunch of 20-some year olds who make up our roster. They’ll continue to face the rough times and will learn from them, and grow as a team.

Mar 7, 2012; New York, NY, USA; Connecticut Huskies center Andre Drummond (12) defends West Virginia Mountaineers forward Kevin Jones (5) during the second half of the second round at the Big East Tournament held at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE

Third Question: Will recently signed power forward Kevin Jones have a chance to make an impact with the Cavs?

ZK: Don’t look too much into this, but I do believe that Jones is back where he belongs. His talents were overlooked in the NBA draft, and now he is getting a possible chance at playing time at the highest level. Jones, in my opinion, is a better talent than players above him such as Jon Leuer, who doesn’t see much playing time to begin with. I don’t think we will see much of the former Mountaineer, but I wouldn’t be shocked because Byron Scott is trying to find a solution to the bench woes.

DP: His numbers were outstanding in Canton. Obviously those numbers won’t translate over, but expect him to be an improvement. He hasn’t been able to get much production out of our power forward position and Jones is a very versatile scorer. During his career at West Virginia he would single handily beat opponents and was definitely the most outstanding player in the Big East. How he didn’t win player of the year is a travesty. I expect him to bring another dimension to this offense. He is just as dangerous outside on the perimeter as he is rebounding.

NBA Roundup

Nov 29, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich reacts during the second half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. The Heat won 105-100. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

Fourth Question: What do you make of NBA commissioner David Stern’s statement regarding the San Antonio Spurs sitting their stars against the Miami Heat?

ZK: At first I applauded Stern’s actions, but then I quickly changed my opinion. Would the commissioner have cared if the Spurs were going up against the Cavaliers or the Milwaukee Bucks? Probably not, but because this was a Thursday night game, something that has become a staple for the NBA, he had to act. The game was close and exciting anyways, so Stern looked mighty foolish on Thursday. It is Gregg Popovich’s team, so he can do whatever he likes with his squad.

DP: I can understand sitting some of his players because they were on the back end of a tough road trip, but I think Popovich over-stepped his bounds by sending them home on a plane early. I expect a fine for the Spurs and Coach Popovich. I don’t think Stern can suspend anyone in this position because I don’t think the NBA rules will allow him. Popovich is one of the most respected coaches in the NBA, so I don’t expect the punishment to be too harsh.

Nov 28, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Brooklyn Nets power forward Kris Humphries (43) blocks the shot of Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo (9) during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-US PRESSWIRE

Fifth Question: Is Rajon Rondo a poison to the Boston Celtics?

ZK: Rondo has been padding his stats since who knows when, and it was clearly visible that he was putting chasing the record this season before winning. The crafty point guard would dish out six assists in the first quarter and then have an easy path to getting into the double digits. A fight with Kris Humphires stopped all record talk, and resulted in an ejection and suspension. With Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett aging, Rondo needs to grow up and become the floor general that is best for this team.

DP: Poison? He’s the glue for that team. No way would they have gotten as far as they did in the playoffs last year without him. Without him, they’re an average team. People saw malice in the Humphries foul. I saw a shifting of powers. Since Garnett got in Boston, he was the leader; on the court and off. With his age and decline in play, that’s no longer the case. Rondo saw this as an opportunity to stick up for one of HIS players. I’m okay with him getting in the face of the bigger Humphries. I mean, Humphries had to have seen this coming, he is the most hated man in the NBA according to Forbes.

Make sure to check back next week to see what Chris Manning and Jerry Bulone have to discuss at the “Weekly Roundtable.”