End of Season Grades.

(Photo from Foxsports.com)

With Cleveland's season over, there is only one thing left to do, root for any team that plays Miami. Looking back over the course of the year, there were some bright spots in the Cavaliers season. It's almost hard to remember that at one point this season, the Cavs were in the playoff hunt. It didn't hurt that they play in the East, however there are pieces in place as the team moves forward. Here, I'll try to grade every notable Cavaliers performance over the course of the season in my eyes. Here we go!

Kyrie Irving
In a league that is quickly becoming dominated by point guard play, the Cavaliers struck gold with this kid. There is no question that a big part of what Cleveland was able to do this year and what they'll be able to do in years to come, was and will be because of Irving. He can score from anywhere on the floor, get his team involved and can even throw in the occasional jaw-dropping block. His defense has gotten better and he's the best free-throw shooter on the team. Safe to say this 19 year-old kid is the best player on the Cavs roster. I haven't even mentioned his multiple game-winners as a rookie. At 18.5 ppg and 5.4 apg, the rookie of the year award is already his. The only concern for me right now are the injuries. If you can ignore that he's 19 and playing like he's been in the league for ten years, if nothing else, he's made Cleveland fun to watch again.
Grade: A-

Anthony Parker
AP is a tough one to decode, he's old and nearing the end of his career and in fact may have played his last game, but who knows at this point. Parker is a shooter on a team without shooters and judging from the production at his position, the two guard is near, if not at the top of Cavalier needs. There are too many upgrades out there via the draft or free agency that I don't see Parker starting next year if he plays at all. AP can't guard many people and doesn't really get to the rim. He's a spot-up shooter that played his best without a facilitator (Played his best games without Kyrie). He was a decent role player on a non contender. The question is can he do it if the Cavs are contending, or better yet, can the Cavs contend with him starting?
Grade: C-

Alonzo Gee
Gee was the pleasant surprise of the season to me. Gee averaged almost 11 points a game, but more importantly brought a lot of energy to the game, whether he was in off the bench or starting. Gee is a plus defender and I never really worried about him getting torched no matter who he was guarding. He has an explosive step towards the rim and has the ability to finish. If I'm looking ahead, I see Gee of more of a sixth man, bringing his energy and defense off the bench, and believe me, that isn't a bad thing.
Grade: B

Antawn Jamison
Oh Jamison, where to start? First off let me say that Jamison has always been one of my favorite players to watch, even before he donned the wine and gold. With him almost certainly done in Cleveland he was a valuable piece of the puzzle, if only for mentoring Tristan Thompson for the year. His 17.2 points a game were second only to Irving, and his 6.3 rebounds per game is commendable considering how he plays. Jamison is another defensive liability though as I don't think he even knows what it is. Irving was a direct beneficiary of Jamison's (strange) scoring mentality. It seems he can score from anywhere out of nowhere with the craziest shots you could ever see. That's a big part of what made him special. From a leadership standpoint as well, he is second to none.
Grade: B+

Anderson Varejao
I can't say enough about the Wild Thing, in my eyes, he's the most underrated player in the NBA. This man comes out and plays harder than anyone, from start to finish, from season start to end, of course barring injuries. Sadly, he was only able to play 25 games this season. Coincidentally, when his injury kept him out of the remaining 41 games, the Cavaliers playoff hopes started to fade. He averaged 11 points and 12 rebounds a game, which was good enough to garner All-Star votes. Varejao will be back next year, and hopefully he can stay healthy throughout the year to see the Cavs through the season into their potential playoff run.
Grade: Incomplete

Tristan Thompson
TT is a fun player to grade, his potential is through the roof. Athletically, he's a freak. His motor, much like Varejao, is always running. He's a defensive stud who is finally showing flashes of an offensive game. He averages about 24 minutes a game, and throws down 8.2 points and 6.5 rebounds a game. He'll even throw a block a game in there, even though he swats at everything in his bubble. Stats don't really justify how valuable Thompson is though. The stats will improve, but defensively he's already a force. There are good things in this kids future, and this year started him out on the right track.
Grade: B-

As far as Cleveland notables go, I think that about covers it. There are other players who are noteworthy for the Cavs, but for whatever reason didn't play enough. I honestly believe that barring injuries to Irving and Varejao, Cleveland would have been an eight seed right now instead of having the third best shot at getting Anthony Davis. If everything does indeed happen for a reason, this draft pick may put the Cavs over the top, instead of being that perennial seven or eight seed. Time will tell.