The Beacon Journal PITTSBURGH - Here is a preseason scouting report on the Cavaliers... ? You've heard about Larry Hughes being able to score, averaging 22 points last season. You probably know that Hughes was first-team All-NBA defense last season. But what was most impressive about him Tuesday night at Mellon Arena was his ballhandling, as he played much of the 96-86 preseason victory against the Boston Celtics at point guard -- and played well. ? Hughes has a knack of throwing excellent bounce passes through traffic. He does not get fixated on one side of the court as he starts the offense. He really is an old-fashioned, Joe Dumars-type guard capable of playing either backcourt position. ? Cavs coach Mike Brown started Hughes and Damon Jones in the backcourt, and it was Hughes who took over at the point -- Jones gravitating to shooting guard, where he seemed most comfortable. Jones doesn't have the same quickness and ability to break down defenses off the dribble as Hughes, which is why it might be Hughes who plays a lot of backup point guard. ? Jones has tremendous range on his jumper, and he's not shy. He's 4-of-16 from the field, 4-of-13 on 3-pointers. No reason to worry, because this guy has a history of really being able to shoot -- and make defenses respect him. ? It's a safe guess that Eric Snow and Hughes will start in the backcourt, with Jones coming off the bench to supply offense. Snow will look better this year for the simple reason that he's playing with better players and for a coach who believes in him. ? LeBron James sat out this game with a minor strain of a chest muscle, but his ballhandling skills mean that the Cavs will have several players on the court capable of starting their offense and leading a fast break. ? The Cavs have talented players who can play multiple positions, giving Brown plenty of options. Hughes and Jones can play both guard spots. James can play anywhere but center. Luke Jackson can play shooting guard and small forward. Veteran Donyell Marshall is best at power forward but can play all three frontcourt spots. The Cavs are a much more versatile and athletic group than a year ago. ? Jackson is making a strong early impression. He is moving extremely well, showing no signs of his back surgery last January. The Cavs' No. 1 pick in 2004 displays a nice shooting touch, especially from 3-point range on the wing. But he's also athletic, able to leap and drive to the basket. He will push Ira Newble and Sasha Pavlovic hard for playing time at both the backup shooting guard and small forward. ? Jackson has made 5-of-9 from 3-point range and has 26 points in the two preseason games. He's 6-foot-7 and needs to do more than grab two rebounds in 44 minutes. He also has shown nice passing skills. ? Drew Gooden has been setting up inside to become a low-post scoring threat, and he does have the size, moves and strength to be effective near the basket. That's important, because he's the Cavs' only consistent inside scoring threat besides Zydrunas Ilgauskas. So far, Gooden is off to an excellent start with the new coaching staff. Brown is spending a lot of time encouraging Gooden, the coach realizing that Gooden can mean so much to the Cavs if he feels wanted. ? Alan Henderson will become an important player, especially with Anderson Varejao out for several months with shoulder surgery. The 6-foot-9 Henderson is a 10-year veteran who is best at power forward but also will play some backup center on this team. He's not much of a scorer but does defend and rebound. They don't have a real backup center unless Jahidi White (quad injury) can get healthy and get in shape. The other free-agent big men just don't have much talent. ? It's fun to watch Marshall shoot. The 6-9 veteran tosses in 3-pointers from the corner as if they were free throws. He also has long arms, which helps him rebound. He's a natural scorer from the outside. The last big man whom the Cavs had with his shooting range was someone named Danny Ferry, the current general manager who made it a priority to sign Marshall. Source
