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Cleveland Cavaliers: Why Richard Jefferson Will Be A Good Fit

By James D. Tillman III

Apr 26, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Richard Jefferson (24) celebrates making a three point shot against the Houston Rockets during the second half in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Rockets 121-109. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 26, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Richard Jefferson (24) celebrates making a three point shot against the Houston Rockets during the second half in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Rockets 121-109. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cleveland Cavaliers knew that one of the reasons they came up a bit short in this year’s Finals was a lack of depth in the backcourt. So in addition to re-signing LeBron James, Kevin Love and Iman Shumpert, they added Mo Williams to the mix as well.

But for those of us who think they are satisfied with what they’ve done so far during the offseason, such an assessment would be inaccurate.

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In fact, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Cavs are in the process of working on a one-year deal with 14-year veteran swingman Richard Jefferson. You have to appreciate the irony of this scenario for two reasons:

1) Like DeAndre Jordan, Jefferson had reached a verbal agreement with the Dallas Mavericks when the free agency period began, but then changed his mind and decided that he had a better opportunity elsewhere and 2) Last season, the Cavaliers acquired another former Mavs player in Shawn Marion for the sole purpose of bolstering the bench for a deep postseason run.

How did that work out?

Well, Marion appeared in just six playoff games, with averages of 0.3 points per game to go along with one rebound per contest. Taking that into consideration, acquiring another player that is past his prime could prove to be a waste of time, even if it is for the veteran’s minimum of $1.5 million.

Mar 24, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili (20) guards Dallas Mavericks forward Richard Jefferson (24) during the game at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Spurs 101-94. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 24, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili (20) guards Dallas Mavericks forward Richard Jefferson (24) during the game at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Spurs 101-94. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

However, I think that Jefferson will be a good fit for the Cavs. For starters, at 6’7″, he gives Cleveland additional length on the perimeter. Secondly, although Jefferson is in the twilight of his career, he played in 74 games for the Mavericks (16.8 minutes per game) during the 2014-15 campaign, including 18 appearances in the starting lineup. In other words, he is capable of providing James with some rest, something that was not feasible for the injury-riddled Cavs during the Finals.

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Another reason why adding Jefferson makes sense is because he is still a reliable scoring threat. Yes, I understand that he averaged just 5.8 points per contest in a limited role with the Mavs last season, but he does own career averages of 13.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists. And if the Cavs would’ve had another scorer during those rare moments when James was able to take a breather, it would have at least improved their chances of winning the series against the Golden State Warriors.

But if you’re still not buying into my line of reasoning so far, perhaps my next point will sway your thinking a bit. Along with being a reliable scoring option off the bench, Jefferson can also knock down the long ball.

Case in point, Jefferson has connected on 38 percent of his attempts from distance during his career. And last season, he shot a more than respectable 43 percent from beyond the arc.

Furthermore, Mr. Jefferson has converted at least 40 percent of his attempts from three-point range in four of the previous five seasons. And when you consider that the trio of Matthew Dellavedova, J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert shot a combined 29-for-102 (28.4 percent) during the Finals, I think it’s safe the say that the Cavs are in need of another player that can stretch the floor.

So while Jefferson is no longer the same player he was during his time with New Jersey Nets — a team in which he averaged more than 22 points per game in two separate seasons — Jefferson has shown that he is still durable (1,008 regular season games and 105 playoff games) and that he can produce when his number is called, as illustrated in the above video. In addition to that, Jefferson also brings playoff experience to the table, as he appeared in the NBA Finals twice (2002 and 2003).

That being said, Jefferson will definitely be a key addition for the Cavaliers as they attempt to prepare for another run at the title.

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