Jeff McInnis

McInnis joins a crowded point guard role with Jason Kidd, Travis Best and Jacque Vaughn. Look for McInnis to see the bulk of the backup minutes behind Kidd and perhaps see minutes side by side with Kidd as well. McInnis has one of the best assists to turnover ratio in the game. With players like Jason Kidd, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson to pass to, we should see a spike in McInnis's assist totals.

The Cavs picked up Eric Snow as well in the offseason, but for right now McInnis appears to be the designated passer-to-LeBron. McInnis is a good percentage shooter (44.7 percent from the field, 36.2 percent from long range), and put up 6.1 assists per game in 03-04. Coach Paul Silas is talking about playing McInnis and Snow simultaneously, which probably means more scoring and fewer assists for McInnis, as Snow is more of a traditional playmaker.

McInnins, who averaged just 17.5 minutes per game in 2002-03, may emerge as the starting point guard coming out of camp. He will compete with perennial scofflaw Damon Stoudamire, who remains on team suspension. Portland is a team that will undergo a transition in 2003-04. Beyond Rasheed Wallace, Bonzi Wells and Zack Randolph, there is no clear indication of who will log important minutes. Just two seasons ago as the starting point guard for the Clippers, he averaged 14.6 points and 6.2 assists. The talent is there; will there be opportunity? New general manager John Nash wants to clean house and improve the image of the team, which may result in increased minutes for McInnis. We’ll keep a close eye on the training camp activity and exhibition box scores to get a clearer picture of how coach Maurice Cheeks intends to use McInnis.