| Cleveland’s Iron Giant Authored by Patrick Daher - February 12, 2008 - 2:04 pm
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Standing at 7’3” with a freshly shaven head, Z is impossible not to notice, but in his first six years he was virtually invisible missing a total of 287 games. He missed all of his rookie season, came back in the 97-98 season and averaged 13.9 ppg while earning the Rookie Challenge MVP award and All-Rookie First Team. The Cavaliers eventually signed him to a six-year, $70.9 million contract but bad luck and breaks ensued.
Chronic foot problems and a number of surgeries, five to be exact, sidelined the big fella and had him contemplating retirement. Z could have easily walked away with the money and hung up the sneakers. Through perseverance and hard work, not to mention screws and hard plates in his feet, Z was able to fight his way back and is now a big piece to the Cavaliers’ championship aspirations.
Indeed, the foot surgeries have slowed down Z’s ability to exhibit the great footwork he once possessed, but his value to the Cavaliers has never been greater. Ilgauskas ranks 2nd in scoring for the Cavaliers behind King James, 2nd in field goal percentage shooting 47.5%, 2nd in free throw percentage shooting 82.2%, 1st in blocks with 84, and is the only player to appear in all 51 games for the Cavaliers.
Aside from statistics, Zydrunas has also shown his desire to reward an organization that stood by him through the years. In 2005, Z took a pay cut when he signed his extension so that the Cavaliers could afford complementary pieces like Larry Hughes, Damon Jones, and Donyell Marshall.
His deft shooting touch and chemistry with LeBron on pick and rolls has made him the 2nd most dependable player on the Cavaliers. His defense has also improved as evidence by his 1.6 bpg, constantly disrupting shots with his length and improved help side defense. With Shaq’s departure to the Suns, it is hard to argue that Z is the best true center left in the East behind Dwight Howard.
Ilgauskas’ contributions extend much further. Using Reina’s Floor Impact Counter (FIC), Ilgauskas has an FIC40 of 15.6 ranking him ahead of notables Andrei Kirilenko, Manu Ginobili, and Dwayne Wade. In addition, his 186 offensive rebounds rank him 4th behind Tyson Chandler, Al Jefferson, and Dwight Howard. Z’s ability to tap rebounds to himself and teammates, coupled with Drew Gooden and LeBron James in the frontcourt has helped the Cavs hold a +3.00 rebounding margin over their opponents, 2nd in the league behind Houston’s league leading +3.76.
Durability no longer remains an issue. Zydrunas has played in 396 games out of a possible 410 over the last five years. The scars still remain on the feet of a player who has worn the Cavaliers jersey his entire career, but the healing process will come full circle once the Cavaliers win a championship and No.11 is seen hanging in the rafters at Quicken Loans Arena. |
