Time to Break Glass for Cleveland Cavaliers' Veterans-in-Waiting

Not long after LeBron James announced he was returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers, it became clear what kind of roster general manager David Griffin planned to build around him.

Just three days after James' letter went public, Griffin abandoned his pursuit of young talent, opting for experienced veterans instead.

First came Mike Miller, James' friend and playoff hero from their time together with the Miami Heat. The following day, Cleveland reached an agreement with James Jones, another ex-Heat member with championship rings. Shawn Marion, a title-winner on the 2011 Dallas Mavericks, signed in September, while Kendrick Perkins was acquired following a February buyout with the Utah Jazz.

While all have faced little to no playing time throughout the season, this is precisely why Griffin formed a veteran team.

Now facing a rough second-round series against the Chicago Bulls without starters Kevin Love (injury) and J.R. Smith (two game suspension), the Cavaliers need these seldom-used veterans more than ever.

Mike Miller, G/F

Miller passed up more money from the Denver Nuggets last summer to join the Cavaliers, opting for another chance at a championship rather than the extra financial security.

Although Miller started just 15 of the 52 games he appeared in, being forced into big playoff minutes isn't a new experience for him.

As Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal notes, this is a similar situation to what Miller faced while with the Heat.

Miller has been in that position before. He played in just 39 games during the 2011-12 regular season, then rose from the ashes to make seven 3-pointers in Game 5 of the Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder and deliver James his first NBA championship.

Miller, however, believes the more difficult feat was the following year when he again played in just 59 games during the regular season, appeared sparingly throughout the postseason and then started four games against the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals.

Now in his 10th playoff run, there's nothing complicated or secretive about what he brings to the table. The 35-year-old wing can still space the floor and knock down three-pointers with the best of 'em when called upon.

While the 2014-15 season probably wasn't what he pictured, Miller's confidence should still be high.

It's difficult for shooters to remain hot without regular playing time, which helps explain Miller's drop-off in production. He finished the year with a career-low 2.1 points on 32.7 percent shooting from deep.

His season wasn't all bad, of course.

Prior to trading for J.R. Smith, Miller saw time as the Cavaliers' starting shooting guard. Much like Smith is used now, Miller was simply asked to space the floor and hit the open shot when the ball found him.

In this role, as he's done time and time before, Miller was quite successful. He made 40.8 percent of his three-pointers as a starter and 48.1 percent when lined up at guard. When coming off three or more days of rest, Miller converted on an impressive 53.8 percent clip from deep. The Cavaliers have enjoyed a week off from their final game against the Boston Celtics to Game 1 Monday, May 4, against the Bulls.

Much like his time in Miami, Miller must once again be asked to heat up at a moment's notice and be the floor-spacer the Cavaliers need.

James Jones, F

While Miller and Jones are both viewed simply as shooters, their roles were actually quite different this season.

Miller split his time on the wing between shooting guard and small forward. Jones was asked to play the role of backup power forward, stretching the floor as best as he could when Love needed a rest.

Jones spent approximately 45 percent of his total court time at the 4, a far cry from his role in Miami. In six seasons with the Heat, Jones lined up at power forward just 6 percent of the time.

The Cavaliers needed to keep the lane open for players like LeBron James and Kyrie Irving to drive and create plays. With no true stretch 4 to back up Love, Jones was forced into the same role despite regularly sacrificing significant size to his opponent.

With Love out for the remainder of the postseason, don't be surprised if Jones becomes the team's starter at power forward. As Jones told Bob Finnan of The News-Herald and The Morning Journal, he'll be ready.

But for me, nothing changes. You just have to continue to trust what you’ve been doing, what I’ve been doing and help the team. So when the time comes, I’ll make shots and when opportunities present themselves, I’ll capitalize.

What I do doesn’t change if I’m playing 2, 3, 4 or 5. I’m a shooter. So I’ll be ready to take my shots.

Jones averaged 11.5 minutes a game in the Cavs' first-round series against the Celtics. While coach David Blatt has been quiet about the Cavaliers' new lineup and rotation, one can only assume we'll see a lot more of Jones in Round 2, possibly in a starting role.

Shawn Marion, F

Like Miller, Marion passed up more lucrative offers to join the Cavaliers in this, his final NBA season.

Marion enjoyed a solid start to the year before a nagging hip injury caused him to miss 20 of the Cavaliers' final 27 games. He's spent the season spread out anywhere from shooting guard to power forward, filling whatever defensive need Cleveland had at the time.

For Marion, his job now is to become Shane Battier 2.0.

Battier was the Heat's combo forward from 2011 to 2014. Miami would often pair him with James, using Battier as a small forward on offense before making him guard the opponent's power forward. This allowed James to become more flexible on offense while keeping him from having to guard bruising 4s.

Let's hope Blatt watched those games, as it was a wildly successful formula for Miami.

Marion brings this same type of versatility to the Cavaliers. At 6'7" and 228 pounds, he's got the right combination of speed and strength to guard multiple positions. While his three-point shooting dipped this season (26.1 percent), opponents still have to honor his spacing.

This isn't the first time Marion has been called upon to fill in for an injured teammate, either, notes Lloyd: "[Caron] Butler was the second-leading scorer for the Mavericks when he was lost for the season, but Marion was available to step right in and the Mavs never lost their stride. They stormed through the West and took out LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals."

Now finally healthy following his hip issue, look for Marion's defensive versatility to play a big role against the Bulls and beyond.

Kendrick Perkins, C

When compiling a list of NBA players you wouldn't want to come across in a dark alley, Perkins would sit firmly at the top.

The 6'10", 280-pound center rarely smiles, instead choosing to play the role of intimidator and enforcer should things get chippy. When Love got his arm pulled from its socket against the Celtics, Perkins made sure the Cavaliers weren't going to lay down and accept Boston's physical play.

Perkins is someone who's been through the fire before. Although a starter, he was very much a role player on the 2008 Celtics team that won it all. He knows the value that less prominent players can have in the postseason, telling Bleacher Report back in March:

It takes one role player to win a series. You need to have guys step up and be ready. You've got to pay close attention to detail, the little things. The team that always wins the championships, they do the little things better than other teams. They do the little things better than everybody else.

Perkins, although not a strong scorer or rebounder at this point in his career, can still provide a lot of these aforementioned little things that the Cavaliers need. He can set devastating screens, help protect the paint and make opponents think twice about going overboard with physical play.

As Irving told Matthew Florjancic of WKYC Cleveland following Game 4 against the Celtics:

He's definitely one of our veterans that we've leaned on. He's playoff tested, has a championship, knows what it takes and knows his role. I take care of Big Perk, and Big Perk takes care of us. It's just as simple as that. He knows what he's supposed to do. We just lean on him. When things get a little chippy, we all know one person in this room that is going to come in and stop all that, and that's Big Perk for us. He's going to continue to do what he does.

Chicago has a nice core of big men with Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic, all of whom won't be afraid to mix things up inside. With Love out, Tristan Thompson will be forced to play more power forward and less center, opening up some minutes for Perkins at the 5.

Noah is a well-known agitator and has had plenty to say to and about James and the city of Cleveland in the past. Should he get a little too vocal, one can bet Perkins will have a response.

All playoff teams need a tough guy like Perkins to watch their back and step in when things get physical. The Cavaliers will also rely on Miller and Jones to space the floor, while Marion brings his defensive specialties to the table.

Griffin brought all four to Cleveland due to their playoff experience, previous success and variety of skills. The past nine months have all been building to this. It's time for the Cavaliers' veterans to prove their worth.

Greg Swartz has covered the Cleveland Cavaliers and NBA for Bleacher Report since 2010. All stats provided by Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.