Flip Murray Attempting NBA Comeback, Should The Cavs Bring Him Back?
Flip Murray is attempting to make a comeback in the NBA after playing overseas for several seasons. Should the Cleveland Cavaliers attempt to bring him back?
Ronald Flip Murray is attempting to make a comeback in the NBA, according to Basketball Insider‘s Alex Kennedy.
Murray, 36, last played in the NBA during the 2009-10 season for the Charlotte Bobcats and Chicago Bulls. He played for eight teams in eight full NBA seasons, and never had a better stint than with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Murray played in 28 games with the Cavs, starting 25 of them, and averaged 13.5 points per game while shooting 44.8 percent from the field.
He also played in 13 playoff games with the Cavaliers, starting five of them. He averaged 8.1 points and 3.2 rebounds per game in 30.7 minutes per game.
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Depending on which team he was playing on, Murray was either a point guard or a shooting guard. At 6-foot-4, he had the ability to guard two positions and play two positions on the offensive end. He’s never been a good three-point shooter, he excelled at attacking the lane and getting points inside the three-point line.
The Cavs could use a combo guard behind Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith, who should be back next season despite waiting to re-sign. Is Murray the right fit for the Cavs?
Murray is more of a slasher that excels off the ball. He has never been a good three-point shooter, with a career three-point percentage of 30.4 percent. Neither of these factors make him a great fit coming off the Cavs bench.
Murray would be able to contribute defensively, despite having a career -1.6 Defensive Box Plus/Minus (DBPM) rating. In fact, Murray’s lowest DBPM rating of his career came when he was with the Cavs, with a -0.3 DBPM.
He has the ability to defend two positions at his height. Whether he has the quickness to stay with the quicker guards in the NBA is yet to be determined.
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Throughout his career, Murray has accumulated 7.8 defensive win shares, compared to 0.7 offensive win shares. He has been able to have success on the defensive end of the court.
Transitioning back to the offensive side of his game. Murray has never been a great ball handler. He has averaged 2.3 assists and 1.5 turnovers per game over the course of his career. Coupled with a 23.5 career usage rate, those aren’t great numbers in trying to have efficient possessions.
There are better options for the Cavs if they are attempting to bring in a veteran combo guard. At 36, there is no telling how Murray will adjust to a game that has gotten quicker at the guard positions.
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Bleacher Report wanted to see Murray return in an article they wrote in 2012, but he was 33 then. Now he will try to make a return to the NBA, but it won’t likely be in Cleveland.