Wednesday, July 18, 2007

New Point Guard, same as the old Point Guard

Brian Windhorst reports that the Bibby deal seems to be dead, and that the Cavs will most likely wait for a trade to improve the team, not jumping at a free agent. And that could take a long time.

So, our starting point guard...Larrrryyy HUUUUUUUUGHES!

–Right now, the Cavs are considering opening the regular season with Larry Hughes at point guard. They are exploring other options to be sure, but in the short term it may very well be the best option if the roster stays intact. Please consider the following:

Here are numbers from the 24 games Hughes started at point guard in the regular season:
Record: 17-7
PPG: 99.6
FG pct.: .464
APG: 23.4

In those games, Hughes averaged 15.4 points and 4.1 assists.

Numbers when someone else started:
Record: 33-25
PPG: 95.6
FG pct.: .440
APG: 19.8

He may not be the total answer there, but I often think many fans overlook his value because everyone thinks about his contract first. He does not produce at a near-max deal level, that is a reality. He should not be shooting so many jumpers. But he is a quality player and was a big part of many Cavs wins over the last two years.