Cavs Vs Spurs: Comparing ’15-16 Rosters
Mar 12, 2015; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Danny Green (14) shoots the ball over Cleveland Cavaliers player LeBron James (23) during the first half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Shooting Guard
Shumpert stepped in as the Cavs starting 2 guard after J.R. Smith was suspended. The former Knick is a good defender who uses his athleticism to get after opposing players. Not overly big, he uses his quickness and hands to cause problems for three positions.
Offensively, Shumpert is still a work in progress. He struggles finishing at the rim, even though he can get there surprisingly well. With the Cavs Big 3, Shumpert’s biggest offensive contributions are in the open floor and as a spot up 3 point shooter. He bumped his 3 point shooting to 41% last year and should continue to see upticks with an off-season of health and settling in to his role.
His pure numbers are not overly impressive. He averaged 7.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists with the Cavs last year.
Green surprised many by taking a discount to remain with the Spurs. The former Cav has established himself as a very good 3 point shooter as well as a very good defender. His ability to space the floor while defending at a high level helps the Spurs system hum on both ends of the floor.
Last year, the 6’6″ guard had his best scoring season, 11.7 PPG, with 4.2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.1 block and 1.2 steals per game. He shot 42% from deep while averaging the most minutes and shots of his career. He attempted 5.6 shots from deep per game, more than half of his attempts last season.
At $10 million a year, the spurs have him locked up for at least 3 more seasons.
Advantage
Shump fits perfectly for the Cavs but Green is a far better player for the same overall contract, 4 years and $40 million.
Cavs – 1 Spurs – 1
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