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Trust the Point Guards

All off-season, the focus for the Cavs has been finding a new point guard. Fans and analysts alike have called for a perimeter shooting, playmaking veteran point guard. Mike Bibby matches this description, but at what cost? He already makes a ton of money and is at the end of his prime. If the Cavaliers do convince the Kings to take Gooden and Jones for Bibby, what would that leave for the Cavs in the post? Also, with Bibby being as offensive-minded and successful as he has been, would he be able to take fewer shots to accommodate the other Cavaliers, especially LeBron in the clutch? As things stand, whether or not the shot selection is good or someone else is open, LeBron takes about 90% of the Cavs shots in the closing seconds of games.

Another guard, Steve Blake, is a younger point guard that fits this description fairly well. However, in returning to the Blazers, Blake took a bigger contract than the Cavs could have, would have, or should have offered. On his old contract, Blake looked like a pretty good fit. With the new contract, though, he looks like an overpaid average point guard. Blake can do some good things on the offensive end, but his defense could be deemed subpar. Moreover, he has not seen much playoff basketball in his career.

Other names mentioned have included Mo Williams, Rafer Alston, and Brevin Knight. While up-and-coming, Williams is very much like Daniel Gibson as a point guard with a two-guard mentality. Meanwhile, Rafer Alston is flat-out overrated. Lots of people talk about how good he is, yet he has not really done much in the NBA. For example, he failed to help lead the Rockets out of the first round this past season. His attitude seems reminiscent of recent Cavs outcast Jeff McInnis, a point guard with great passing ability that would rather be a shoot-first loose cannon while playing porous defense. Lastly, Brevin Knight passes the ball and plays good defense. Yet, aside from struggling as a jump-shooter, he has had enough trouble staying healthy. Minus the lockout shortened 1999 season, Knight has played 70 or more games during the regular season only once in nine seasons (during his rookie season). Eric Snow, who is quite comparable to Knight as a player, has missed only 1 regular season game over the past five years.

Believe it or not, the current point guard situation for the Cavs is pretty good. Daniel Gibson is pretty much the future at the point guard position for Cleveland. He is a perimeter shooting, playmaking point guard that currently sees better success playing the off-guard alongside another point guard. His willingness to adjust and attack the basket changed the outlook of the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Meanwhile, Eric Snow has been the best point guard the Cavaliers have had since Andre Miller. While he is now past his prime, he is still a solid veteran point guard that distributes the ball on offense while defending both guard positions on the other end of the court. The only real complaints about Snow last year were the uncharacteristic missed free throws and lay-ups. He knows that his jump shot is not the best and, in turn, does not rely on it (unlike the majority of the team). The third point guard of the bunch, Damon Jones, started for the Miami Heat in the 2005 Eastern Conference Finals before joining the Cavs. While his claim of being “one of the top five shooters in the world” is a stretch, he has been a clutch shooter when called upon. He has also had to work hard to become a mainstay in the NBA, having spent a good deal of time in the Continental Basketball Association. An argument could be made that this group of point guards is similar to the Spurs’ crew that won the 2003 Championship (Tony Parker, Speedy Claxton, and Steve Kerr) alongside then-forward Danny Ferry and under then-Assistant Coach Mike Brown.

As it stands, is the point guard position the problem? Sure, there are definitely problems when there is no point guard in the lineup. Otherwise, the point guards do a pretty good job of distributing the ball. While Gibson, Snow, and Jones have their share of turnovers, the players that surround them do as well. When it all comes down to it, the Cavaliers offense plays too much on the perimeter. In the Finals, the team stubbornly relied on its jump-shooting, missing three after three and not getting second-chance opportunities. Sadly, the team last season too often played offense the way their defense wanted the opponents to play offense—settling for these second-rate, deep jump shot attempts. While the team may be able to upgrade at the point, the better choice would be to improve the decision-making of the offense. As it stands, Gibson, Snow, and Jones can pass the ball all game long, but the passing will prove futile if the guys who get the ball do nothing with it.

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