Tar Heels in the Pros: The Cleveland Cavaliers Cannot Judge Talent too Well
Danny Green was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2009. Yep, the same organization that LeBron James said “Adios!” to via “The Event” on ESPN during the summer of 2010. We can argue whether LeBron’s decision to “take his talents to South Beach” was tactful, but that’s for another convo. I wonder who was the genius (pun intended) responsible for getting rid of Danny Green? After his first season with the Cavaliers, he was not brought back to the team because Manny Harris took the last spot. I’m not going to criticize Manny’s skill set because obviously he can play. The purpose of my column is to criticize the Cleveland Cavaliers organization.
Let’s compare Manny and Danny. Harris is currently averages 5.6 points, 0.5 steals, one assist, and two rebounds a game. He is also shooting 73% from the charity stripe, and 29% for trivectors during the 2012 season. Meanwhile, Danny is putting up these numbers: 9.0 points, 0.9 steals, 1.4 assists, and 3.6 rebounds a game. He is also shooting 79% from the charity stripe, and 41% for three during the 2012 season. As for player efficiency ratings (PER), Manny’s PER is 10.29. Danny’s PER is 14.83. This statistic was developed by ESPN columnist John Hollinger.
The PER adds a player’s positive accomplishments, subtracts a player’s negative accomplishments, and nets a per-minute rating of a player’s performance. PER is per minute and pace-adjusted. The higher the PER, the more productive a player is. Just in case this is a foreign language to you, let’s look at LeBron James to better explain PER. James has the highest PER in the NBA. Surprised? His PER is 30.54. Chris Paul is second with a PER of 26.63. Dwyane Wade is third with a PER of 26.44. Danny Green is ranked #138. Manny Harris should be ranked #283; however, for some reason he was omitted from the list. You can check for yourself HERE
Danny Green is ranked ahead of players such as Nick Young, DeMar Derozan, O.J. Mayo, Shane “Who’s Your Daddy?” Battier, Ricky Rubio, Brandon Bass, MarShon Brooks, and J.J. Redick. I also forgot to mention that Danny starts ahead of Manu Ginobili and Stephen Jackson on San Antone’s depth chart, whereas Manny is second on the depth chart at the shooting guard position behind Anthony Parker. Harris also plays 15.6 minutes a game, while Green plays 23.6.
After digesting all of this, I hope that you agree and wonder what the Cleveland Cavaliers organization has been thinking. They messed up the Carlos Boozer situation several years ago. They tried to low-ball him, even when his performance surpassed their expectations. So, he bolted to Utah. Now, he is a starter for the Chicago Bulls who are contenders for a championship. Second, while LeBron James played in Cleveland, they did not surround James with talent that would bring an NBA championship to the state of Ohio. Now, Danny Green starts for the San Antonio Spurs who sit in first place in the Western Conference. I chose to leave out the ridiculous “open” letter that Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert wrote during the summer of 2010. It is not bad luck. In fact, there is no such thing. In this case, Cleveland lacks “know-how,” “show-how,” and “know-what.” In contrast to my disgust for the Cavs, I have the utmost respect for the Spurs organization.
This is not solely due to Danny’s situation. My respect for the Spurs is much deeper. Greg Popovich is a great coach. The Spurs management judge talent exceptionally well, especially international talent. Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are prime examples. Who knew who these players were before they played at San Antone? Gary Neal came out of nowhere as well. Who knew that Matt Bonner would be the first player from the runner-up 2000 Florida Gators basketball team to win a championship ring in the NBA? I sure didn’t. Bottom line: the Spurs choose players who are well-mannered individuals who fit their style of play. The Spurs organization possesses “know-how,” “show-how,” and “know-what.” Swag…
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