Birdman soars no more, but gives Cavs guts

Chris Andersen may be the world's largest insurance policy, all 6-foot-10 and 245 pounds of him.

But it is his massive size, his status as the consummate NBA "big body," that makes him attractive to the Cavaliers. It is also why they signed him to a free-agent deal this offseason.

At 38, Andersen is ancient for most basketball players. He goes by the nickname "Birdman," but it's been a while since he's soared like a bird. He's put on about 25 pounds since he regularly rocked the rim.

Nor will Andersen ever be called a scorer. In each of the past three seasons, he's averaged less than four shots and 5.5 points a game.

So what did the Cavs see in Andersen?

Well, for one, they like the fact that he's always willing to "hit somebody," according to Coach Tyronn Lue on NBA TV. "We need somebody who will hit people."

By that, Lue means Andersen will deliver clean hard fouls at the rim. He is the opposite of some of today's soft big men, who prefer to hang out on the perimeter and avoid banging bodies and getting bruised near the basket.

Offensively, Lue likes how Andersen has always seemed to be in the right place at the right time.

With tattoos covering just about every inch of his body, Andersen looks like the world's tallest wall of graffiti. But he is an intelligent player who performs his role with plenty of pride.

Oh, and then there's the whole LeBron James connection.

Andersen played with James (and James Jones) when Miami won the title in 2013, then again when the Heat lost to San Antonio in 2014. The Cavs also tried to trade for Andersen when James returned to Cleveland that summer.

So Andersen has the trust of his coach and his team's star player. Those two things alone can get you a contract and some playing time.

But he also fills a need. He is sort of the older version of Tristan Thompson, a backup center who will mix it up and stay in your face.

The Cavs need a player like that coming off the bench. They didn't just sign Andersen because LeBron likes him.

In four preseason games, Andersen averaged 3.8 points and 3.5 rebounds. He gets in the opponent's way. He gets to his spot. He understands the concepts of spacing, putting a body on someone and crashing the glass.

He took a rocky road to the NBA, entering the draft out of little Blinn (Texas) Junior College. He spent some of his formative years in a group home after his father left and his mother was unable to provide. He was suspended by the league in 2006 for violating the anti-drug policy.

But that was a decade ago and Andersen has been a model teammate and citizen since. He may not be an All-Star, but he has size and qualifies as a champion.

These days, those are some of the overriding qualifications to play for the Cavaliers.