Jamario Moon Fills in for Ailing Cavs
Written By: Scott | Category: Cleveland Cavaliers | Comments: 11
With his teammates suffering ailments ranging from the flu to a sore wrists, Jamario Moon decided to take matters into his own hands as the short-staffed wine and gold took on the Dallas Mavericks. Following a game in which Mike Brown and his former boss Greg Popavich decided to leave things in the hands of their respective assistants, the recently added Moon filled up the box score to the tune of 18 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and only one turnover.
Acquired more for his defense and athleticism, Moon showed his ability to knock down jump shots as well by sinking four three-point field goals. Many reports from this preseason have touted Moon’s ability to jump out of the gym, but to see a night like this from a situational role player can only make Cavs fans feel better about the depth throughout the roster.
In 30 minutes of playing time, Moon was 5-of-10 from the floor and a perfect 4-of-4 from the line.
Moon will likely fill the role of Wally Szczerbiak last season by playing anywhere from the two to the four depending on the situation. His versatility and athleticism will provide strong wing defense, something that Szczerbiak ocassionally lacked. While Wally was more known for his ability to drain the long ball, Moon should be able to fill in as a more across-the-board member of the team – albeit with fewer high-fives.
When Danny Ferry added Moon to the roster, Rock analyzed some of Moon’s offensive numbers for those that were a bit concerned about his streaky shooting.
Last season Moon’s True Shooting Percent was .567 for the season and his Effective Field Goal Percentage was .537. Comparatively, Mo Williams’ TS% was .588 and and his eFG% was .548 while Delonte West’s TS% was .559 and his eFG% was .530. While Moon’s eFG% on his jumper is .465, a good amount lower than Mo’s .545 or Delonte’s .503, the overall numbers illustrate Jamario’s ability to efficiently score.
By no means with the Cavaliers look for their new forward to put up 18 and 10 at any point during the season, but his production in the preseason sure looks to be worth every penny of his $2.7 million that he will receive this season.
Eight days until opening night…
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(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)
Author: Scott
Scott is a co-founder/editor of Waiting For Next Year who resides in Cleveland, Ohio. Feel free to follow him on Twitter or email him at scott@waitingfornextyear.com.Scott has written 2013 articles for Waiting for Next Year.
I know it’s preseason and all, but fact that the Cavs second stringers are giving opposing starting units a run for their money is definitely encouraging. I don’t think there is going to be many minutes for Moon, but I’m hopeful he can deliver when he’s on the floor. Bringing in Parker in Moon are going to be just as important to this team as bringing in Shaq.
I know it was only one game, but recall the last game of the season where half of the team sat. This year, that starting unit would now consist of several players that were starters on their former teams. Gotta love it..
To quote Remember the Titans: Shootin’ Hewps.
I just keep telling myself that this guy used to be Sasha Pavlovic and that makes me smile.
I had a good laugh this morning when I saw Wally turned down a $1.4 million offer from the Nuggets. Apparently, the cost of high-fiving has gone up…
I would high five equally at a more effective rate for half that much. GEORGE KARL HOOK IT UP!
I’m going to wear a Cavaliers “10″ jersey for halloween this year and go as a corpse.
@7 but at least you’ll have great hair
Since Wally moved out of Cleveland, pomade sales have plummetted.
@Denny: Maybe, but can you also execute the fist pump and butt slap at a high level? Wally was not one dimensional.
The shooting numbers don’t speak to Moon’s streaky shooting, they reflect how his overall shooting percentages are strongly buttressed by his remarkable ability to score when he gets the ball near the hoop.
If the Cavalier offense is content with letting Jamario Moon take the jumpers that used to be taken by Wally and Sasha, the overall offensive efficiency won’t be significantly improved. The Cavs need to make sure that Moon is utilized by sending him to the hoop, not by allowing him to float out beyond the three point arc.
Then again, being a streaky shooter who just takes open shots at the top of the key turned Trevor Ariza into a $50M player, so anything is possible.