Kendrick Perkins Is Back…Finally
With the regular season concluding tomorrow and one remaining roster spot, reports surfaced Monday that veteran big man Kendrick Perkins signed a deal to join the team for their upcoming playoff run.
Perkins, currently in his 15th NBA season, had a previous stint with the Cavs during the 2014-15 season and spent most of this season with the Cavs’ G League team, the Canton Charge.
Remember when Perkins posted, then deleted, that he was back with the team? Well, now he will have his chance, in theory, of course. But, what exactly will Perkins bring to the team that has seen its share of up and down moments since the season broke in October?
Kendrick Perkins announces on Instagram that he's signed with #Cavs. pic.twitter.com/EphbX0icK9
— Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) February 8, 2018
Since Perkins is just another veteran signing, it is unlikely that he will see much significant playing time during the playoffs since most teams, if not all, condense their rotations to about eight players at most. Of course, Perkins will bring a sense of veteran leadership and a fresh voice in the locker room. After all, Perkins has his own championship pedigree after winning the 2008 NBA Finals with the Boston Celtics.
At 6’10”, Perkins will also provide another option for Tyronn Lue to use in the paint. There is already speculation that Tristan Thompson will see his minutes reduced in the playoffs while the other big men, Larry Nance Jr. and Ante Žižić, are both young and will be passive participants in their first playoff appearance. With Kevin Love left as the sole key contributor of the group, the team will need someone to step up in the meantime.
Not to mention, Perkins brings toughness. He certainly does not look like a guy that most players would want to mess with and he could act as a militant when needed, echoing the moves of Dahntay Jones from the past two playoff appearances.
Remember when he “scuffled” with Jae Crowder, the now former Cavalier, from three years ago? After Crowder’s failures as a member of the Cavaliers, fans may not shy away from a recurrence of this kind of interaction should opposing players feel they can have their way with our team (i.e. Draymond Green).
Don’t expect much from this signing, but it would not be a big surprise should Perkins see some playing time over the next two months after the mishaps and lack of experience from other players on the team in his position.
Welcome back to Cleveland, Kendrick.
