Cavs at the 2 — Does Wade start? Should he?

Now that the have Bulls agreed to accept $8M of the unearnable $23M they were going to have to pay Dwyane Wade to play this year and let him go Sunday night, and that he's officially signed by the Cavaliers, seems like most people are talking like he's going to be their starting point guard.

Yes, he's a LeBron James running buddy from Heat title days. But, is the the best option there?

Per my previous blogging about the Chicago buyout, maybe not.

The big takeaways from that? Wade is NOT a good three-baller, he's not a good defender, and he continues to lose penetration ability.

So, if not him, who?

J.R. Smith is a more efficient and more prolific three-baller. And, until last year, had a plus rating on offense/defense points. He was injury-riddled last year, and if he's back from that, will likely be back at a plus rating. Kyle Korver, for his age, white man jokes and all, has a better offense/defense rating. No, really. And, he's definitely a better 3-baller. Iman Shumpert is not a defensive addition. Nor a playmaker.

Given that Kyrie Irving was traded for Isaiah Thomas, who won't be back, at least not at 100 percent, until January, what about playing him more at the point?

Well, he'd get roasted on D. But, he can still dish. And, if Derrick Rose is your starter until Thomas is ready, you need somebody playing some minutes there.

I'd bring Wade off the bench where he could either play the point, especially if Korver is coming in off the bench at the 2 at about the same time, or play the 2 in a rotation where LeBron, even more than normal, becomes a point forward. Or, what the heck, make him the oversized point guard.

As for minutes? No more than 28 a game now; no more than 24 after Thomas is back.

Wade may bring leadership skills along with the mindset of knowing how to play with LeBron. Contra the hype, he doesn't bring a full, or probably not even a half-full, gas tank.

As I said in my buyout post, sure, this all looks great on paper. It would look a lot better five years ago.

Otherwise, LeBron, Smith in reality not just paper, perhaps, and Tristan Thompson are the only three players who can be counted on for lockdown D. And LBJ will be 33 this season and Smith 32. There will be some "pacing" involved.