Jamario Moon filling big shoes

Jamario Moon knows he's a good dancer and a good comedian. Equally important, he certainly knows he's not LeBron James. Still, Moon has the unenviable task of trying to replace James at small forward this season for the Cavs.

"You can’t replace a guy like that," Moon said. "He was basically everything. He scored, he passed, he rebounded, he played defense. We’re not trying to replace him. We’re trying to work with the guys we’ve got. We’re going to put the best guys on the court that are going to give us the best chance to win. That’s all we can do."

It's a fairly realistic approach from a fairly realistic player. Moon knows that this is a huge opportunity for him. He just turned 30 over the summer and he'll be an unrestricted free agent after this season -- something he was eager to point out on Monday. A nice season as a starter can result in an equally nice new contract next season, provided there is a next season.

Byron Scott loves the athleticism Moon brings to the position, but wants him to focus in defensively and follow the techniques he wants used. Too often, Scott says, Moon gets by on sheer athletic ability. He has only averaged 7 points per game for his career, but Scott believes that could climb this season in the Princeton, which often features the forwards as scorers.

Moon is working diligently on his 3-point shooting (see video below) in an effort to be a better scorer. But while he can take advantage of his role in this offense, Scott wants his primary focus to be on defense.

"The 2s and 3s in this league are so good offensively, he really needs to focus on that defensive end," Scott said. "If he can get 8, 10 or 12 points for us, that’s kind of gravy."