# I think the Cavs Made a Terrible Mistake...



## nanokooshball (Jan 22, 2005)

in offering Hughes a contract..... they need a shooter not hughes... what i am really scratching my head about is why didn't they go after joe johnson instead?

He can act as a primary ball handler, shoot the 3, and be LBJ's perfect match..... I think this combo could have grown into a MJ/Pip combo... LETHAL & Legendary (although i doubt they'd be as good)... and there are reports of him being unhappy with the suns


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## FreeMason Jr. (Jul 12, 2004)

Well, theres not much of a chance they'd get JJ. I really don't think he's going to leave the suns anyways.


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## futuristxen (Jun 26, 2003)

First you go after the unrestricted guys, then you roll the dice with the RFAs.

If the Cavs had tried to make a play on JJ, they might have lost Z, and Marshall in the process. The whole waiting period is a real free agent killer.

And when you have everyone in Arizona saying "We will match, We Will Match" starting back before the playoffs...well I guess that sinks in.

Ferry has been beyond reproach so far this offseason. For every move he's had a backup move.

First he tried Redd/Allen. Lost out on those. So then he got Hughes. And realized he still needed the shooting, so since he couldn't get a guard who shot, he went and got a power forward.

Donyell Marshall+Larry Hughes=Something greater than just Michael Redd.

There's also talk of the Cavs trying to get Jaric.

So let's see how Ferry finishes up. Still got a little bit of cap room, and a few tradeable assets.

Remember he is also bringing in a lottery pick with Luke Jackson. Who can also shoot it.


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## Deke (Jul 27, 2005)

they had to get someone or lebron is gonna get pissed and leave like shaq has done a lot of times, and end up screwin the team he leaves. it was just a quick free agency pick for a quick playoff spot but no championship goals, they shoulda waited til 06 if they wanted to be championship ready, ben wallace might be a big free agent next year with most of detroits contracts expirin.


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## myELFboy (Jun 28, 2005)

BenGordon said:


> they had to get someone or lebron is gonna get pissed and leave like shaq has done a lot of times, and end up screwin the team he leaves. it was just a quick free agency pick for a quick playoff spot but no championship goals, they shoulda waited til 06 if they wanted to be championship ready, ben wallace might be a big free agent next year with most of detroits contracts expirin.


i think LeBron needs to not carry the team on his shoulders. AI did it and that got the team in the first round out after winning one against Detroit. He needs a scoring sidekick, i guess larry hughes is the answer, but someone on that team needs to step up & become the leader. a team gelling together can take it far, look @ SA or Detroit. Big money contracts & big names don't always get a team far, i.e. New York or Dallas.


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## Sir Patchwork (Jan 12, 2005)

Hindsight never had to make a visit the optometrist, and therefore never met his son the optimist because he apparently only hangs with pessimistic folks.


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## futuristxen (Jun 26, 2003)

Sir Patchwork said:


> Hindsight never had to make a visit the optometrist, and therefore never met his son the optimist because he apparently only hangs with pessimistic folks.


You just blew my mind.


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## afireinside (Jan 8, 2004)

Hughes is not as bad as a shooter as everyone thinks. He won't shoot your lights out, but he will turn some heads.


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## c_dog (Sep 15, 2002)

aftermath said:


> Hughes is not as bad as a shooter as everyone thinks. He won't shoot your lights out, but he will turn some heads.


well yea he can have streaky moments, but he's just not consistent. he shoots about 27% from 3's.. personally i find that to be rather.. abysmal.

the cavs have said their #1 priority this season is to find a shooter to put along side lebron, and hughes isn't that guy. he's just another athletic, but poor shooting wing player. this kinda reminds me of the whole "dream team" fiasco where many of us thought we needed to add shooters on the team(redd, bibby, billups) rather than stacking the team with an abundance of athletic wings(jefferson, lebron, marion, odom, carmelo).

the only bright side with this is *marshall*. the guy changes everything. i would agree hughes is the worst possible signing.. but you know what, he is athletic, can finish, and can make things happen on the court and cause easy fast break points with his steals. the fact that his signing leaves enough cap space to resign Z and a shooter the caliber of Marshall makes the signing look a lot better. i think Marshall will fill the shooting needs for the cavs next season.

the best thing about this is that it gives the cavs fans a lot more faith in danny ferry. the guy seems to know what he's doing. he know he needed to get a wing to put along side lebron but redd/ray/JJ were out of the relm of possibilty so he got hughes.. then he filled the shooting needs by signing marshall.. and in the process is able to retain Z. certainly the guy seems to know what he's doing.


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## SeaNet (Nov 18, 2004)

I think Larry Hughes is going to be a great sidekick for Lebron. When Lebron learns the mental side of defense, the two of them are going to be a holy terror on the perimeter. Hughes can do a little bit of everything. What they need is a PG who can shoot. Plus, they've got a bunch of young guys on the bench who are touted as shooters. At least one of them will develop into a shooter they can rely on, and they'll have that too. Hughes is a solid pick up. They might have paid a bit much for him, but he's a great compliment to LBJ.


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## phipsiboy (Apr 3, 2005)

i know everyone looks at the numbers for hughes from last year and his 27% from 3pt range, but has hughes ever played with a real inside presense (big z)? i think with both z and lebron hughes will get more open looks and that 27% will turn into something closer to 35%. that along with lebron, marshall and jackson off the bench makes us a much better shooting team from the outside.

last year it looked like the cavs players were afraid to shoot 3pt fg's, and they should have been because with the exception of lebron they all sucked. at leash hughes won't be gun shy and he'll have some confidence. once he starts getting good open looks i think he'll really start to knock them down.


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## The OUTLAW (Jun 13, 2002)

While the Cavs needed some outside shooting from somewhere, they really needed a second scorer on the team. They pretty much got 0 production out of the 2 last year from Harris/Newble. I think that the acquisition of Marshall's shooting as well as a good shooting 1 not to mention any improvement that would come from Sasha/Jackson can make up for any deficiency that they had last year.


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## B-Ball Fanatic (Jul 29, 2005)

The Cavs did what was needed, go out and get one of the best free agents possible. They obviously did this to keep Lebron from having negative views of the front office. Larry Hughes may not be the scorer they need, but he does make it up in defense. Last year Larry Hughes made the All-Defensive team, as well as contributing to a playoff team. This guy will be someone who helps out Lebron, but still lets Lebron do his own thing. If he comes in Cleveland and quickly learns his role they will be more successful.


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## clien (Jun 2, 2005)

larry hughes was the best option available..he will only make the cavs better


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## Spriggan (Mar 23, 2004)

I think people keep forgetting that Larry Hughes is replacing the legendary Ira Newble in the starting lineup. Not only is that addition by substraction, but Hughes is a fine young player. The Cavs will be much better next season.

And no, Newble's defense isn't very good.


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## Big J (Jul 29, 2005)

clien said:


> larry hughes was the best option available..he will only make the cavs better


I totally agree! How could signing a 22/6/5 guy be a "terrible mistake"? He's going to give the Cavs another all-star caliber player with excellant defensive skills. Larry Hughes definately wont make them worse, I can assure you that. It's gonna give the Cavs a good scorer to compliment Lebron James, and seeing as how both players have excellant all-around games, they're gonna be tough for any backcourt to handle. If they could just add a scoring point gaurd, they'd have a perfect backcourt!

Ray Allen, Joe Johnson, or Micheal Redd might have been better fits true enough, but the Cavs couldnt land them. They picked up the best on the market at the time, and Hughes is still quite young. I see the James/Hughes duo becoming quite potent in the futute!


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## Shanghai Kid (Mar 7, 2003)

phipsiboy said:


> i know everyone looks at the numbers for hughes from last year and his 27% from 3pt range, but has hughes ever played with a real inside presense (big z)? i think with both z and lebron hughes will get more open looks and that 27% will turn into something closer to 35%. that along with lebron, marshall and jackson off the bench makes us a much better shooting team from the outside.


He did shoot very good percentages playing with MJ, but that was more about the reduced 12-13ppg point guard role than anything else. He's not the kind of Bowen/Ginoboli type of guy who will benefit from open looks. He's a pure volume scorer. He got plenty of open looks last year but still missed them. It's not about open looks with him, he's just streaky. He can miss the open shot but later in the game he'll nail it with a hand in his face. It's better if he doesn't take 3s, they're usually frustrating.

He's actually a pretty solid, consistant midrange shooter though. People are accurate in saying Hughes is not a good long range shooter, but I honestly think his midrange game is very good. He's a slasher at heart tho, his first option is usually to drive.


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## Shanghai Kid (Mar 7, 2003)

Big J said:


> I totally agree! How could signing a 22/6/5 guy be a "terrible mistake"? He's going to give the Cavs another all-star caliber player with excellant defensive skills.


Well if you want to play devil's advocate you could say that Hughes suddenly had career highs in every single category in a contract year after 7 years in the league. How much of it was improvement and how much of it was giving extra effort for a fat paycheck? You could also say he usually only plays 60 games a year.


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## Benedict_Boozer (Jul 16, 2004)

Your right Shanghai but every option had their negatives.

Redd - no defense
Allen - going on 30 years old already
JJ - restricted = Cavs could end up with nothing
Hughes - injury / boosts numbers in contract year

Any 1 of those 4 is a tremendous upgrade over Newble, and James was happy with the signing. Really that's the bottom line for the Cavs.


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## iloveu (Aug 28, 2004)

I think it was more Hughes actually finding his niche with a team and in his natural position than it being a contract season. The cavs didnt HAVE to get a shooter. They needed another scorer to provide points along with Z and LBJ. His mid range game should help them a lot though since no one on the cavs could even hit an open midrange shot last season. Hughes should compliment lebron very well with his versatility.


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## Nutritionals (May 9, 2005)

> If they could just add a scoring point gaurd, they'd have a perfect backcourt!


Why do you keep saying that? Cavs have 28 from Bron, 22 from Hughes, 12 from Marshall, 15 from Gooden and 17 from Z, as well as Luke Jackson, even though noone is sure what he will do. We dont need a scoring PG, just a good low volume shooter type PG who can run the break and pass the ball.


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## Shady* (Jul 3, 2005)

Everyone is really underrating Hughes' shooting.

Besides, whos to say that the Cavs don't get a good shooting PG next year? Thats what they really need, with LeBron at SF and Hughes at SG, they'll be set and they'll be contenders. :biggrin:


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## Big J (Jul 29, 2005)

I say that becuase there's not really a true shooter on the Cavs until they signed Donyell Marshall. With Hughes & James driving & demanding double-teams, it would be good to have a gaurd who can shoot waiting for an open look behind the arch.


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## Nutritionals (May 9, 2005)

Oh ok, I thought you ment a Baron Davis type scoring PG, not a shooter. I agree then.

PS. Lebron dosent just drive, he did shoot 36% from 3pt land last year, something a lot of people forget.


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## John (Jun 9, 2002)

nanokooshball said:


> in offering Hughes a contract..... they need a shooter not hughes... what i am really scratching my head about is why didn't they go after joe johnson instead?
> 
> He can act as a primary ball handler, shoot the 3, and be LBJ's perfect match..... I think this combo could have grown into a MJ/Pip combo... LETHAL & Legendary (although i doubt they'd be as good)... and there are reports of him being unhappy with the suns


This is only a mistake if James need pure shooters to succeed. Pippen was never a great shooter but they wont championships as well.


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## The OUTLAW (Jun 13, 2002)

Pippen wasn't a great shooter, but he was a pretty good shooter and Kerr etc were actually outstanding shooters.


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## SamTheMan67 (Jan 4, 2004)

People forget that this isnt the lebron that almost shot lower than 40 percent his rookie year. Hes learned to shoot fairly well, and would have finished shooting around 50/36 if not for jackin up shots at the end of the year because no one else could score. He isnt exactly ray allen from 3 but u can count on big 3s in crunch time from him


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## Pioneer10 (Sep 30, 2004)

Well it sounds like JJ wanted to be a number 1 option on a team and he definitely wouldn't have been that on the Cavs


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## The OUTLAW (Jun 13, 2002)

Not to mention a max contract along with a player and 2 first rounders is more than the Cavs could have paid.


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## Biggestfanoftheknicks (Apr 14, 2005)

nanokooshball said:


> in offering Hughes a contract..... they need a shooter not hughes... what i am really scratching my head about is why didn't they go after joe johnson instead?
> 
> He can act as a primary ball handler, shoot the 3, and be LBJ's perfect match..... I think this combo could have grown into a MJ/Pip combo... LETHAL & Legendary (although i doubt they'd be as good)... and there are reports of him being unhappy with the suns



I gotta know why LJ is such a ghost in threads like these. You know that kid can shoot and pass, quite well, he did get injured and he does need to learn to play without the rock but the talent really is there?

What gives, am I off?


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## Nutritionals (May 9, 2005)

> I gotta know why LJ is such a ghost in threads like these. You know that kid can shoot and pass, quite well, he did get injured and he does need to learn to play without the rock but the talent really is there?
> 
> 
> What gives, am I off?


Can someone translate that to English please


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## John (Jun 9, 2002)

The OUTLAW said:


> Pippen wasn't a great shooter, but he was a pretty good shooter and Kerr etc were actually outstanding shooters.


But u dun run picks for Jordan by actually forcing role players to make some shots to keep the defense honest.


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## GM3 (May 5, 2005)

ezealen said:


> Well, theres not much of a chance they'd get JJ. I really don't think he's going to leave the suns anyways.


What a difference two months makes.


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## KingoftheCourt23 (Jul 20, 2005)

I dont think it was a mistake. He was the best available at the time so they signed him. They needed some kind of an upgrade at SG and got it in Hughes.


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## The OUTLAW (Jun 13, 2002)

John said:


> But u dun run picks for Jordan by actually forcing role players to make some shots to keep the defense honest.


Yes you do. In fact that is what you are really counting on when you run a pick and roll. that the star player is going to draw both players and therefore leave the other player to hit the shot. I believe that was what Kerr, Ferry etc did for their prospective teams. 

Isn't this thread a bit outdated anyway?


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## The OUTLAW (Jun 13, 2002)

I should have figured that it was "LeBron hater extraordinaire" John that brought back this old and outdated thread.


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## Cap (Nov 5, 2003)

John said:


> But u dun run picks for Jordan by actually forcing role players to make some shots to keep the defense honest.


Stop bumping old threads with senseless posts or you'll be suspended. I love you John, but you're pushing it.


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## John (Jun 9, 2002)

EHL said:


> Stop bumping old threads with senseless posts or you'll be suspended. I love you John, but you're pushing it.


Yeah, like Cavs forms are extremely busy.


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## Pioneer10 (Sep 30, 2004)

John said:


> Yeah, like Cavs forms are extremely busy.


 We've actually had a big increase in traffic


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