The Cleveland Cavaliers might be trying to make a run for it after all

It didn’t take long for me as a novice, to see that in order for the Cleveland Cavaliers to make a run at anything this season, they were going to have to do four things.  Get rid of Dion Waiters, re-educate Irving on what a true point guard is, get first year coach to stop just showing up on camera and start coaching and bring a little more hustle after loose balls to their play.  With the new article as evidence, apparently I wasn’t the only one who thought that way.  The article is titled “Cavs Acquire Shumpert and Smith in Three-Team Trade” and it appears that two maybe three of these concerns have been addressed.  Now it’s Show Time.

The article reports that “The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired guards Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith from the New York Knicks and a protected 2015 first round pick from the Oklahoma City Thunder. In exchange, the Cavs will send guard Dion Waiters to the Thunder, and Lou Amundson, Alex Kirk and its own 2019 second round pick to the Knicks.   Currently in his fourth NBA season, Shumpert has appeared in 202 games (162 starts) with the Knicks, averaging 7.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals in 26.2 minutes per game. The 6-5 guard has ranked among the NBA’s Top 20 in steals-to-turnover ratio in two of his three pro seasons (15th with 0.91 in 2011-12; fifth with 1.16 in 2013-14). He holds a .348 career three-point percentage and was an All-Rookie First Team selection in 2012. This season, Shumpert is averaging 9.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 26.0 minutes over 24 contests (all starts).  Smith, an 11-year veteran, has played in 716 career games (173 starts) with averages of 13.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 26.1 minutes for New Orleans, Denver and New York. The 6-6 guard is also a career .370 shooter from the three-point line and .736 from the charity stripe. He has made at least 100 three-pointers in seven of the last eight seasons and was named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year following the 2012-13 seasons. This season, Smith is averaging 10.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 25.8 minutes through 24 games (six starts) with New York”.

Now with all those stats, you could probably get lost in all that but what makes these choices something to ponder and watch is Iman Shumpert is a pure basketball magnet.  If you come anywhere near him with that thing, you had better be on guard because if you divert your attention from it for one second he will have it half way down the court before you know it.  What better way than to throw any team off their game plan than taking away the very thing needed to make that plan work?  As far as J.R. Smith, he is a hustler as well and deadly at the three point line, now Mike Miller can finally get his back injury completely healed instead of playing hurt and not defending in the manner to which those of us who love him are accustomed to seeing.  Smith is a veteran and should not take long to get the scheme of how the Cavaliers want to work.  Smith will know that when James is on the floor, his job will be to find his spot and be always ready to get the ball.  With the addition of someone who is not afraid to steal and can shot the ball as well as another who can blanket you in defense and can dot that three almost anywhere, Cleveland may have more weapons in the starting line up and off the bench than any team wishes to see.