In Cleveland, players are frequently neglected and underrated in the eyes of main-stream media. Seldom does a staff just like the Cavaliers perform on national television, and just Kyrie Irving could be considered a near household name. Irving is just a fantastic person, without doubt, but he does receive a great deal of credit for his success. Going further into the Cavs lineup, one player has certainly enjoyed a great period despite too little attention and anticipation. This person is reserve level guard Shaun Livingston. Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports A genuine Christmas present for the Cavaliers, Livingston was stated off waivers from the Washington Wizards on December 25th, 2012. While not much was thought of the signing during the time, it was clear Livingston was a significant upgrade from any of the backups Cleveland had tried to field for Kyrie Irving since trading Ramon Sessions last time. At age 27 and holding nearly 400 games of experience with him, Livingston is a steady and trustworthy hand for the Cavaliers.A He's helped transform the Cavs seat into certainly one of the best in the league when healthier, and helped simply take pressure off Irving when both come in the overall game together. In 45 games with the Cavs (12 starts), the former lottery pick is averaging 7.5 items, 2.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 23 minutes per game.A While these are nice however, not spectacular figures, one truly has to look deeper to recognize Livingston's contributions to the Cavaliers. For one, Livingston has been extremely effective in his play.A His PER with the Cavs is really a strong 14.9, the greatest of his complete career.A He's also firing an excellent 50.6 percent from the area and knocking down 85.2 percent of his free throws. Another key statistic, and probably the most critical for any position guard, is assist to turnover ratio.A Livingston is calculating 2.76 aids for everybody turnover, the best level on the Cavaliers.A For assessment, Irving's assist to turnover ratio is merely 1.8. This 2.76 is great, but so just how good? Considering the NBA leaders, this rate will work for 10th among all NBA level pads, copy or starting.A This puts Livingston above significant stars like Irving, Deron Williams, John Wall, Russell Westbrook and also future Hall-of-Famer Steve Nash. According to 82games.com, the Cavs are actually +9 overall in score with Livingston on the court despite their bad overall record.A This creation correlates to a percentage of 54.5 percent which is remarkable taking into consideration the Cavs' team winning percentage is just 30.8. Mind coach Byron Scott had this to express about Livingston in an interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer: "I have always been intrigued by Shaun, I have always loved his length," Scott said. "The undeniable fact that he handles the ball and can pass it. His attitude on the court. He only appears to match our bodies well. And I believe he would inform you in addition it needs to do with him being healthier. He is at a point in time today where he's probably as healthy as he's been because he is been in this league." His size and length, along with his health, are playing a large part in his success with the Cavs.A At 6'7", Livingston is the highest point guard in the whole NBA.A This size also allows him to play shooting guard, something he is also had to do a lot with injuries to people like Dion Waiters, C.J. Daniel and miles Gibson. Us TODAY Activities Yes, Livingston did all that the Cavs have asked him to do and then some.A The only bad surrounding him at this stage is definitely an uncertain future.A Livingston is a free agent this offseason and can sign with any team he chooses.A Cleveland will be a good idea to provide the veteran back, particularly if they wish to maintain the powerful second system they developed this season. He could perhaps not be the first person people consider when discussing the Cavaliers, but Livingston has truly been one of many most valuable. A silent, hard working, blue-collar kind of player, Livingston absolutely deserves more credit for what he is done on the Cavs this year and hopefully will continue to do using them as time goes by.
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