Top Five Cavs Small Forwards Of The Gund/Q Era

Nov 17, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers mascot Sir CC clowns around with assistant coach Phil Handy before the game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Denver Nuggets at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

#3 Lamond Murray

Being a seventh overall pick is tough as the expectations for such a player are much higher than most rookies. Lamond Murray came to the Cavs after being traded by the L.A. Clippers during the 1999 off-season in exchange for Derek Anderson and Johnny Newman.

A gifted scorer, Murray was the team’s second leading point-maker behind Shawn Kemp in 1999-00 averaging 15.9 points

He never lived up to the expectations of being a high draft pick, but Murray brought much-needed offensive punch to a Cavaliers offense that was sputtering during the early 2000’s.

Murray was the top small forward for the team before a certain King came along and took hold of that position for the rest of the decade. A gifted scorer, Murray was the team’s second leading point-maker behind Shawn Kemp in 1999-00 averaging 15.9 points and ultimately led the team in scoring at 16.6 points per game during his last year with the Cavs.

While with Cleveland, Murray was one of the most consistent scoring threats for a team that lacked a superstar player. 2000-01 was a down year for the small forward, but he quickly made up for it with a better campaign during the 2001-02 season. Despite this, the Cavs floundered, averaging only 30 wins a game during Murray’s three-year stint with them.

After the Cavs acquired the talented but mercurial Darius Miles, Murray believed he would have a challenger for his spot on the starting lineup, preferring instead to be traded. The Cavs obliged and he was traded to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for center Michael Stewart and a future first-round pick in the offseason.

Overall, Murray averaged 15.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.2 steals, 43.7 percent from the field, and 39.3 percent from three as a Cleveland Cavalier.

Next: How Many Remember This One?