Saturday, July 01, 2006 Branson Wright
Plain Dealer Reporter
Daniel Gibson's road to the NBA was right on track following a sensational freshman year at Texas.
After leading the team in scoring, assists and steals, he appeared on his way to becoming the next great Texas point guard, and the comparisons to super quick T.J. Ford, traded Friday from Milwaukee to Toronto, began to flow. But something happened along the way. Gibson, freshman of the year in the Big 12, was moved to shooting guard midway into his sophomore year. The result? His scoring, field-goal percentage and assists dipped slightly. Gibson finished the year and, surprisingly to some, he was finished at Texas after just two seasons.
"I talked with my coach [Rick Barnes] and my parents and that's pretty much all I needed," Gibson said. "Sometimes you just reach that point in your life where you feel like you can make that step. You feel like you can graduate and take those steps forward. It was time for me and my family to experience something different."
Shannon Brown, the Cavaliers' No. 1 pick (25th overall) in the NBA Draft, and Gibson, the Cavs' first second-round pick (42nd overall), were introduced to the media on Friday at The Q. Many draft experts liked the Cavs' selections. In Brown they get a player whose style is similar to Dwyane Wade and in Gibson a player who reminds some of former Pistons guard Joe Dumars.
Coach Mike Brown is elated with the possibilities this fall.
"It'll be interesting to see how these guys pan out in their NBA careers," Brown said. "I know they're talented young guys that are willing to learn, and they're great people. We needed some basketball players and they're basketball players that are athletes. Anytime you can get the type of talent that we did, that just upgrades your whole team. I'm excited to have both of these guys."
The Cavs also are excited that Gibson has the ability to help the team improve on what they lacked last season. The Cavs finished the previous season last in the league in backcourt scoring at a little more than 17 points a game. If all goes well, Gibson will come off the bench this fall and not only display playmaking skills but knock down open jumpers and shoot with success off the dribble.
Gibson, who shot 41 percent from the field in two seasons at Texas, does not lack confidence in his game.
"I see a lot of Jason Terry and Chauncey Billups [in my game]," Gibson said. "I'm that mode of point guard."
Unlike Terry and Billups, Gibson fell to the second round and that was further indication to critics that he should have remained at Texas for at least another season. Former Cavs coach John Lucas believes otherwise.
"People that criticized him for coming out of college early didn't know that Texas lost some low-post presence that made Gibson so effective as a freshman," said Lucas, who has worked with Gibson in Houston during the past few summers. "[Former Texas center] Jason Klotz commanded a lot of attention and when he was double-teamed, that gave Gibson a lot shots. . . . Texas played more of an inside game this past year."
Nevertheless, Gibson made his decision and he is now a member of the Cavs. It is an opportunity not only to prove he made the right choice but an opportunity for something even bigger.
"Cleveland's the perfect place for me," Gibson said. "I get to be a part of greatness. LeBron James says it all. Being placed around him is the perfect opportunity for me to flourish."
