Joe's back to help the Cavs out...and 'Bron's feeling it!

I know that it’s been a week, but kudos has to go to Cavs’ management for adding Joe Smith to the roster. I can’t say it enough – it was a much needed addition and will help to tighten up an already well-rounded bench. I went on record last offseason in saying that the only setback we had was losing Joe in the trade with Milwaukee that brought 2009 All-Star Mo Williams. As sweet justice would have it, Mr. Smith is back, and as one report I read pointed out, his return makes the trade look more as if it were a straight up trade between Cleveland and Milwaukee – Damon Jones for Mo Williams. I’ll let you guess who won that trade.

The Cavs caught a lot of heat for not picking up newly-acquired Celtics Stephon Marbury and Mikki Moore. Even before the Smith pick-up, I was ok with not picking up either of those two guys for a couple of reasons. First of all, Marbury, in my opinion, would add nothing to the backcourt rotation here in Cleveland. Right now, the rotation of Williams, Delonte West, Daniel Gibson, and Sasha Pavlovic is working well, quite well. In addition, as much as I have been a fan of Marbury’s talent for a bulk of his career, I can’t overlook the disruption he has brought to every NBA team he’s been on (except his final year in Phoenix – look it up, great career year). On top of that, unless Rajon Rondo gets hurt for an extended time, I’m not sure about his impact in Celtics green. As far as Mikki Moore, I’ll let Cleveland fans tell that story. I won’t forget him donning a New Jersey Nets jersey and unsuccessfully trying to bully himself on the Cavs in the 2007 NBA Playoffs (again, look at the tapes – you’ll see it). I never really cared for his game and still think that his energy is overrated. Maybe he’ll just be another set of fouls that the Celtics can use come playoff time to save Garnett and Pierce.

And, of course, why I love Joe Smith. Joe was a #1 draft pick a little over a decade ago but never quite reached equivalent fame. Regardless, this guy knows his role and comes to work. He contributed in a major way following last year’s mid-season trade to the Cavs and showed everyone, including myself, how dedicated he was to playing his role and helping this team get to a championship. I was a little disappointed that we had to lose him this past season to get ahead, but now that he’s returned, it all comes back full circle. Bottom line – the Cavs needed one more “insurance policy” to fortify this year’s championship run, considering Ben Wallace’s injury and the ever-present need for a strong bench. Thanks Ferry and crew, this cup of Joe may be the final jolt that we needed to reach the NBA Championship.