Thompson or Love: Who should the Cavs start at center?

CLEVELAND– With all the off-season moves this summer, there are more than a few questions about what the Cavaliers new starting lineup could look like.

As we are just a week away from training camp, it’s no doubt these questions will intensify. One of the most interesting options out there is the possibility that head coach Tyronn Lue could move Jae Crowder into the starting lineup, while sliding Kevin Love over to the starting center position.

According to a new interview with cleveland.com, however, Lue is committed to starting Thompson at the five position, at least for now.

“Right now we’re just trying to get all of our pieces together and right now Tristan’s our starter,” Lue told cleveland.com’s Joe Vardon in an exclusive interview that took place in California where the Cavs are partaking in pre-camp workouts.

“I’m just thinking we’re going to run a lot more stuff through Kevin, more at the elbows, like we’ve done the last year and a half. Just trying to figure out with our new pieces and our new players and just see what works best for us.”

Lue has publicly toyed with the idea of keeping LeBron James and Crowder on the floor together as much as possible. At the introductory press conference the Cavs held two weeks ago for Crowder, Isaiah Thomas and Ante Zizic, Lue said that the two playing together allows James the ability to roam on defense.

At the same press conference, Lue also seemed to allude that Derrick Rose will start in the place of the injured Isaiah Thomas at point guard. Lue further expanded on some different lineups the team can put onto the court with cleveland.com

“Got a lot of different combinations we can throw out on the floor,” Lue told the site. “So with Bron and Crowder playing the three and the four, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Kevin will be at the five. It can be Tristan, it can be Channing [Frye].”

And finally, as Vardon pointed out in the story, there is also a possibility that fans will see Crowder, Love and Thompson on the floor together. In that scenario, J.R. Smith would likely play the two-guard and James would be point guard. Lue did not talk about that lineup possibility in the interview.

For now, only Lue knows what his preferred starting five is; however, as we enter the preseason that preference will be known publicly soon enough.