The Progression of Gooden's game

[aaronr]

I was a Gooden critic when the trade for Battie was made because I hadn't been impressed with his game or his attitude on those occasions I'd seen him play during his first two seasons. So he was a pleasant surprise last year, partly because he played pretty well but moreso because he showed me he wasn't the head case I thought he was. I think he's showing continued development this year. It's not so evident in the stats I posted earlier in this thread, but you certainly see it on the court. Offensively, he's hoisted up very few bad shots compared to last year, so he seems content with his more limited offensive role. And defensively, he rotates better and battles harder one-on-one. You can't say much for the Cavs' trades in recent years, but getting Gooden (and Varejao too) for Battie was a total steal. Gooden's become an asset since he's been with the Cavs. If he doesn't stay with the team after this year, then he should at least bring another asset to it.