Cleveland Cavaliers: DeAndre Liggins will play well next to LeBron James

DeAndre Liggins may be LeBron James’ favorite player to play with by the end of the Cleveland Cavaliers season. The versatile guard can replace Matthew Dellavedova’s loss.

When looking at the NBA’s “One Team: One Stat” column, an interesting statistic appeared and became the boldest statement of the Cleveland Cavaliers offseason. The Cavs outscored opponents by 16.7 points per 100 possessions in 1,177 minutes with Matthew Dellavedova and LeBron James on the floor together. This was the fifth best mark of two-man units behind four Golden State Warriors units.

Needless to say, Dellavedova was more than a scrappy Aussie. As evidenced by Dellavedova’s play at St. Mary’s College, with Team Australia and the Cleveland Cavaliers “Delly” is a tough and heady two-way player. The Cavs will need to replace that. The three best components of Dellavedova’s game are his three-point shooting, tough defense, and his ability to facilitate on offense.

There are many players who can provide the three-point shooting of Dellavedova on the Cavs. The team was careful to add players who could space the floor for the Cavaliers and do it consistently. There are two players who on par with Dellavedova defensively in Iman Shumpert and DeAndre Liggins.

Shumpert has made his mark in the NBA as an aggressive defender. Liggins has broad shoulders and good length on an NBA body. He’s an aggressive defender who’s won the NBA Development League’s Defensive Player of the Year honors in each of the past two seasons.

The reason lineups with both James and Dellavedova on the court were so successful is because those lineups featured the Cavs two best facilitators. These lineups often weaponize James in the pick-and-roll as both the screener and the ball handler from the power forward position.

When James plays at his normal small forward position, he may still defer ball-handling responsibilities to Dellavedova. With Dellavedova operating out of the pick-and-roll 47.6 percent of the time, James is put in position for easy scores because of Dellavedova’s court vision, passing ability and understanding of the game. Delly often gets the ball to James where he can attack the rim off the pick-and-roll or after a wrap around pass after he penetrates into the lane.

This also allows him to both rest more on offense and function as somewhat of a decoy as Dellavedova gets others involved. Last year, the Cavs ran “Horns” sets to perfection with Dellavedova and James on the floor together.

Although this was a way James got easy buckets, Richard Jefferson, Iman Shumpert, Channing Frye and Dellavedova himself were often on the receiving end of an assist.

Because of Irving’s scoring nature, James plays point-forward incessantly. This is a role James willingly accepts and one he excels at. Yet the team is much more dangerous when they’re able to find James, the best player in the world, for easy buckets in the pick-and-roll game.

As the Cavs play both Irving and James off-the-ball at their up-tempo pace, defenders will be tasked with going one-on-one with the duo Bleacher Report considers to be the most fearsome in the NBA. J.R Smith (if re-signed), Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson fit well in around this trio as floor spacers and rim-rollers.

Dellavedova and Thompson had a special connection last year. According to Basketball Reference, this two-man unit outscored opponents by 11.4 points per game. That was the seventh-best, two-man unit for the Cavs.

When James joined that group they outscored opponents by 17.8 points per game. That was their third-best, three-man unit. When Love joins that three-man lineup, they outscored opponents by 25.3 points per game, the best of any four-man unit the Cavs put on the court.

Offensively, only one player is naturally gifted enough as a passer to make these types of plays for his teammates. Liggins, who made an assist on 30.7 percent of his touches last season for the NBA Development League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce.

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Irving and Shumpert were the backcourt duo for the Cavs in their best lineup without Dellavedova. However, there was a steep drop-off in the points produced. There was an even greater drop off in the number of assists.

Liggins will knock down more shots from three-point range as well. In the 2013-14 season, while playing for the Skyforce, Liggins shot 46.0 percent in the regular season and 36.0 percent in the playoffs. In the 2014-15 season, Liggins shot 32.0 percent in the regular season but 42.2 percent in the playoffs.

However, last season, Liggins shot 43.4 percent from downtown in the regular season for the Skyforce. In the postseason that number fell to 41.5 percent. While Liggins has had a dry spell shooting, he’s normally on from behind the line. Meanwhile, Shumpert is a career 33.4 shooter from three-point range.

Last season, Liggins shot 75.8 percent on catch-and-shoot three pointers. Liggins, like Dellavedova, will be a great option off-the-ball in these situations. Dellavedova, who shoots 39.8 percent from three-point range for his career, made 48.8 percent of his catch-and shoot threes last season.

A player’s catch-and-shoot ability matters with James’ approach to the game. James kicks it out to shooters on drives, as any player would. However, he also makes rifle passes crosscourt from the perimeter. James’ ability, but more importantly his intent, to get guys the ball as they spot-up behind the perimeter makes it imperative for players to be able shooters.

Shumpert has value as a defender, and can play in a second unit with Liggins and Jordan McRae (or even Kay Felder), the Cavs shouldn’t expect Shumpert to become a great facilitator or three-point shooter in one season. Liggins on the other hand, has demonstrated the ability to be both, like Dellavedova.

Like the player James played best with.

Liggins should be put in the rotation early and often for the Cleveland Cavaliers next season. He’ll make the game easier for everybody, including James. He has an endorsement from John Calipari and fits in perfectly with the tough defensive attitude Ty Lue wants the Cavs to exhibit.

Do you think DeAndre Liggins can replace Matthew Dellavedova? Let us know in the comments section or tweet @KJG_NBA and @30for30Albertie.