Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes found themselves on the move again as the Cavaliers reshaped their roster before the trading deadline. Both were included in a 3-team, 11-player trade today and are now members of the Chicago Bulls. Gooden was traded for the third time in his career and is joining his fourth team. Meanwhile, Hughes was traded for the second time in his career and is joining his fifth team. Both players had previously joined the Cavaliers as supposed key pieces for a championship team but now find themselves out of the team's picture.
Both players joined the Cavaliers when the team failed to sign other players. In Gooden's case, he helped salvage a botched roster move after the 2003-2004 season. At the time, Carlos Boozer had asked for a better contract and made a promise to re-sign with the team if they did not pick up the option year on his rookie contract. Boozer went on to break this promise and signed a huge offer sheet with the Utah Jazz. It must be noted that, had Boozer kept his word, the hush-hush deal would have been considered tampering and the Cavaliers would have been punished. (Ironically, new acquisition Joe Smith was involved in a tampering situation with the Minnesota Timberwolves back in 2000, which cost the T-Wolves $3.5 million and 5 first-round draft picks while also voiding Smith's contract with the team.) With Boozer out of the picture, the team turned around and found Drew Gooden on the trading block in Orlando. Gooden had been a former college star with much potential, and his entry to Cavalier basketball temporarily helped GM Jim Paxson save his job. Paxson and Coach Paul Silas not only emphasized that Gooden was the better player (he was more successful in NCAA Basketball than Boozer), but Paxson took the double-crossing public--much like when he tried to embarrass the Los Angeles Clippers after a botched draft day deal in 2002 by taking the story to Sports Illustrated. Once the drama was over, Gooden was billed as the power forward for a soon-to-be-contending team.
The Cavaliers failed to make the playoffs that season (they may have made it had Boozer been with the team), but the unsuccessful run managed to force the exit of both Paxson and Silas. In their places, Danny Ferry and Mike Brown looked to build a better team than their predecessors. The first major move that needed to be made was finding a shooting guard/small forward to complement LeBron James. Since James was considered more of a slasher at the time, the team figured that the best complement would be a sharpshooter. It was made clear that either Michael Redd or Ray Allen would be the ideal fit. The Cavs first made an offer to Redd, but he opted to stay with the Milwaukee Bucks. Then, Allen spurned the Cavs' offer to stick with the Seattle Supersonics. The next best swingman on the market was a star player in the league, but this player appeared to be somewhat similar to James. Regardless, the team knew that they needed to wrap up this talent, otherwise known as Larry Hughes. Although not respected as an outside-shooting presence, Hughes was regarded as a better defender than Redd or Allen. The team went on to pull Hughes away from the Washington Wizards, labeling him as the 'Scottie Pippen' to the new 'Michael Jordan,' LeBron James.
Whether or not Gooden and Hughes were the Cavaliers' first choices at their respective positions, they managed to become part of a playoff-bound Cavaliers team. Gooden remained a nightly double-double threat and shot over .500 from the field. Similarly, Hughes brought to the table good passing and defending, becoming a team leader in assists and steals. He persisted through injuries and his brother's health problems to remain a decent scoring threat. Both players provided versatility and, at the time, withstood challenges from backups Donyell Marshall and Flip Murray for their starting spots. Away from the hype, they were capable players.
While Gooden and then Hughes were brought to the team to serve as the team's #2 or #3 scorer, neither player provided the consistency to solidify a place in the team's future. At times, both players appeared to fall out of favor with the coaching staff. This resulted in both players, especially Gooden, missing key minutes down the stretch in various games. Their inability to fill the roles of a physical forward like Boozer and a sharpshooter like Redd/Allen made their deficiencies show more. Gooden had (and still has) the potential to be an All-Star forward in the NBA, but he needs to exhibit better focus and aggressiveness. In his case, he needed to strive to be a little more like Carlos Boozer. On the other hand, Hughes found himself being forced (sometimes by others, sometimes by himself) to serve as a Michael Redd/Ray Allen-like player. As a result, Hughes veered away from some of his strengths (slashing, transition midrange jumpers) and played below his potential. His erratic shot-selection often left fans scratching their heads. The hype that surrounded Gooden's and Hughes's entrances to Cleveland, albeit deserved and well-marketed, was not sustainable.
In theory, both Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes have been replaced by better fits for the team. The four players that were acquired today help meet the big man and swingman needs that the Cavaliers still have. Ben Wallace and Joe Smith bring a more physical brand of basketball. Wallace brings a defensive presence inside, while Smith brings an offensive presence. Their physicality should complement the finesse style of Zydrunas Ilgauskas well. Furthermore, the combination of Gooden's departure and Wallace's and Smith's ability to play center paves the way for Anderson Varejao's future at power forward with this team. Regarding Hughes and the point guard, shooting guard, and small forward positions, the team has accomplished several concepts. First, they have added better perimeter shooting by acquiring Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West. Second, they added another point guard, allowing the team to utilize some 2 point guard lineups. In turn, Daniel Gibson now has more time to develop as a point guard and can play more freely at either guard position. Third, LeBron James can get more time at his desired shooting guard position. Sure, LeBron is built like a small forward, but his desire to be a shooting guard is publicly known. Also, with Hughes and Ira Newble gone, James gets to face the challenge of playing more consistent defense.
Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes joined the team to be key components of a winning team. They had arguably been so, reaching the playoffs in back-to-back seasons and taking the Conference crown last season. However, their inability to fit in at their respective positions had prevented them from remaining key components and left them looking expendable. Both Gooden and Hughes have had inconsistent, up-and-down seasons. Last night, they struggled at times but helped the team pull out a victory. However, with the excitement of them becoming members of the Cavaliers long gone, the trading deadline took both players out-of-town. Despite the bittersweet memories, at least Gooden and Hughes got a chance to play for a league title. Although they did not win that coveted title, at least they got to leave the team on a winning note.
Both players joined the Cavaliers when the team failed to sign other players. In Gooden's case, he helped salvage a botched roster move after the 2003-2004 season. At the time, Carlos Boozer had asked for a better contract and made a promise to re-sign with the team if they did not pick up the option year on his rookie contract. Boozer went on to break this promise and signed a huge offer sheet with the Utah Jazz. It must be noted that, had Boozer kept his word, the hush-hush deal would have been considered tampering and the Cavaliers would have been punished. (Ironically, new acquisition Joe Smith was involved in a tampering situation with the Minnesota Timberwolves back in 2000, which cost the T-Wolves $3.5 million and 5 first-round draft picks while also voiding Smith's contract with the team.) With Boozer out of the picture, the team turned around and found Drew Gooden on the trading block in Orlando. Gooden had been a former college star with much potential, and his entry to Cavalier basketball temporarily helped GM Jim Paxson save his job. Paxson and Coach Paul Silas not only emphasized that Gooden was the better player (he was more successful in NCAA Basketball than Boozer), but Paxson took the double-crossing public--much like when he tried to embarrass the Los Angeles Clippers after a botched draft day deal in 2002 by taking the story to Sports Illustrated. Once the drama was over, Gooden was billed as the power forward for a soon-to-be-contending team.
The Cavaliers failed to make the playoffs that season (they may have made it had Boozer been with the team), but the unsuccessful run managed to force the exit of both Paxson and Silas. In their places, Danny Ferry and Mike Brown looked to build a better team than their predecessors. The first major move that needed to be made was finding a shooting guard/small forward to complement LeBron James. Since James was considered more of a slasher at the time, the team figured that the best complement would be a sharpshooter. It was made clear that either Michael Redd or Ray Allen would be the ideal fit. The Cavs first made an offer to Redd, but he opted to stay with the Milwaukee Bucks. Then, Allen spurned the Cavs' offer to stick with the Seattle Supersonics. The next best swingman on the market was a star player in the league, but this player appeared to be somewhat similar to James. Regardless, the team knew that they needed to wrap up this talent, otherwise known as Larry Hughes. Although not respected as an outside-shooting presence, Hughes was regarded as a better defender than Redd or Allen. The team went on to pull Hughes away from the Washington Wizards, labeling him as the 'Scottie Pippen' to the new 'Michael Jordan,' LeBron James.
Whether or not Gooden and Hughes were the Cavaliers' first choices at their respective positions, they managed to become part of a playoff-bound Cavaliers team. Gooden remained a nightly double-double threat and shot over .500 from the field. Similarly, Hughes brought to the table good passing and defending, becoming a team leader in assists and steals. He persisted through injuries and his brother's health problems to remain a decent scoring threat. Both players provided versatility and, at the time, withstood challenges from backups Donyell Marshall and Flip Murray for their starting spots. Away from the hype, they were capable players.
While Gooden and then Hughes were brought to the team to serve as the team's #2 or #3 scorer, neither player provided the consistency to solidify a place in the team's future. At times, both players appeared to fall out of favor with the coaching staff. This resulted in both players, especially Gooden, missing key minutes down the stretch in various games. Their inability to fill the roles of a physical forward like Boozer and a sharpshooter like Redd/Allen made their deficiencies show more. Gooden had (and still has) the potential to be an All-Star forward in the NBA, but he needs to exhibit better focus and aggressiveness. In his case, he needed to strive to be a little more like Carlos Boozer. On the other hand, Hughes found himself being forced (sometimes by others, sometimes by himself) to serve as a Michael Redd/Ray Allen-like player. As a result, Hughes veered away from some of his strengths (slashing, transition midrange jumpers) and played below his potential. His erratic shot-selection often left fans scratching their heads. The hype that surrounded Gooden's and Hughes's entrances to Cleveland, albeit deserved and well-marketed, was not sustainable.
In theory, both Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes have been replaced by better fits for the team. The four players that were acquired today help meet the big man and swingman needs that the Cavaliers still have. Ben Wallace and Joe Smith bring a more physical brand of basketball. Wallace brings a defensive presence inside, while Smith brings an offensive presence. Their physicality should complement the finesse style of Zydrunas Ilgauskas well. Furthermore, the combination of Gooden's departure and Wallace's and Smith's ability to play center paves the way for Anderson Varejao's future at power forward with this team. Regarding Hughes and the point guard, shooting guard, and small forward positions, the team has accomplished several concepts. First, they have added better perimeter shooting by acquiring Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West. Second, they added another point guard, allowing the team to utilize some 2 point guard lineups. In turn, Daniel Gibson now has more time to develop as a point guard and can play more freely at either guard position. Third, LeBron James can get more time at his desired shooting guard position. Sure, LeBron is built like a small forward, but his desire to be a shooting guard is publicly known. Also, with Hughes and Ira Newble gone, James gets to face the challenge of playing more consistent defense.
Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes joined the team to be key components of a winning team. They had arguably been so, reaching the playoffs in back-to-back seasons and taking the Conference crown last season. However, their inability to fit in at their respective positions had prevented them from remaining key components and left them looking expendable. Both Gooden and Hughes have had inconsistent, up-and-down seasons. Last night, they struggled at times but helped the team pull out a victory. However, with the excitement of them becoming members of the Cavaliers long gone, the trading deadline took both players out-of-town. Despite the bittersweet memories, at least Gooden and Hughes got a chance to play for a league title. Although they did not win that coveted title, at least they got to leave the team on a winning note.