The past few months have been full of lamenting over what the Cavaliers should and could do with their off-season. We knew from the get-go that we wouldn’t have much of a play in the free agent market. You know, because of that crazy salary cap thing. And while we saw a few teams make moves, we were unable to do such – mostly due to our lack of quality assets of which to trade. No Baron. No Monta. No Redd.
But then there was Ron Artest. Captain Crazy. Malice in the Palice. But despite the whole “somewhat nuts” persona, several commenters around these parts had expressed interest, while others opposed. And while I was a bit “glass half empty” regarding a possible acquisition, I’m now revisiting my opinion. Obviously, hindsight will be 20/20 on this one, as the Rockets may be fed up with him before the season even starts.
But when you see what Houston gave up for Artest, you have to imagine that the Cavaliers at least tried to send Sacramento an offer. Right?
A veteran point guard in Bobby Jackson and rookie forward Donte Green was all it took. Now I’m not saying that Green is a scrub by any means, but similar to Houston, we’re looking to win now. And I know that we do not exactly have a huge inventory of quality assets, but Bobby Jackson? The Kings signed Beno Udrih this off-season, so Jackson will be a back-up at best.
Sure, Artest is a bit of a loose cannon; zany, even. Plus, he plays the same position as LeBron James – at least on paper. But he’s also a passionate lock-down defender that can hit the open shot and run the floor. Something that we have very little of. Couple all of this with the fact that he cost Houston zero starting players, you have to wonder if the Cavaliers front office missed the boat on this one. Or did we not even try at all?
