Where's the Drive?

Not to dampen eccentric moods after an impressive win against the Bucks, but reality has struck Cleveland in unfortunate circumstances. As one who covers Jamario Moon, and has been following him since 2005, I know you (Cleveland) have had just about enough of him. It became obvious enough that Coach Byron Scott elected to start Joey Graham, who appeared in only six games before solidifying a starting role.

This isn't a surprise however. You weren't expected to be a competitive team, and the most obvious obstacle was the small forward position. Now the problem with Moon can be seen from miles away. It's a problem that I have noticed over my several years watching Jamario play and it's still a mystery to me why he doesn't drive to the basket. My high school coach coached Moon while he was in Albany playing in the CBA and he told me the same thing. He has always been reluctant to drive to the rim, which makes zero sense to me. With his frame and athletic ability, all Jamario needs to do is get a foot in the paint and he could simply take off from there. His jumping ability is unreal and if he can't get to the rim, he'll more than likely get fouled. He's a pretty solid free-throw shooter but he never gets the opportunity to cash in from the line because he's too busy pitching a tent from beyond the arc.

Last night was one of the first alley-oops I've seen from him all year. Now as an intelligent NBA coach, I know that an isolation play for Moon will never appear in the playbook. It shouldn't. I don't know why he's hesitant to drive but it's pretty clear that it's the answer to his playing time. Another reason for his minimal playing time is his defense. Moon has been a distinguished defender and this year his game simply isn't up to par.

One word.

Drive.