Week in Review – 04.10.09
April 10, 2009While We’re Waiting… Scott Lewis, Indians Struggles, Tom Thibodeau, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas
April 11, 2009With the Indians struggling, and the Cavaliers anxiously waiting for their big game on Sunday against those dreaded Celtics, I would like to touch base on something that got very little air time here earlier in the week.
The Plain Dealer
Last Sunday, April 5, Eric Snow’s career ended with the Cavaliers, as the team was finally able to receive medical insurance to provide for his contract this season. Eric Snow, the former Canton McKinley Bulldog, played his final four seasons in the NBA with his “hometown” Cleveland Cavaliers. He may go down as one of the most under-appreciated players in franchise history, but as I detail in my bio on the WFNY About page, he had some very memorable moments in a Cleveland uniform.
In his four seasons with the Cavaliers, he played in a total of 267 games, including playing in all but one regular season affair in his first three years. He never averaged more than 4.8 points or 4.2 assists per game in his years with Cleveland, but will possibly go down in history as one of the best defenders of his day.
He was a key reason why the Cavaliers reached the second round of the 2006 NBA Playoffs, as he averaged 6.6 points and 2.8 assists in 31.4 minutes per game. In addition, he is probably most famous for his successful runs in the 2002 and 2003 NBA Playoffs with the Philadelphia 76ers as a backcourt helper with Allen Iverson.
I am probably the youngest WFNY writer, and thus more so than the other writers around here, I grew up with the way Eric Snow played the game. His defensive tenacity and pass-first mentality were huge assets for the Cavaliers in the early years of LeBron James. He will not be an Hall of Famer when things are all said and done, but had five seasons of 82 games played and was a second-team All-Defensive team selection in 2002-2003. I loved watching his defensive aggression spread around all of the different players on the team, and I think that he is responsible for some of the current team’s defensive abilities.
When he was drafted out of Michigan State as the #43 selection in the 1995 NBA Draft, expectations were clearly low for the offensively limited point guard. After thirteen years in the NBA, including a 2000 honor with the NBA Sportsmanship Award and the 2005 Players Association Community Citizenship Award, I think he has proven himself in the league. He was a rare breed of an NBA player, one that probably will not be in the league for a long time, but I am sure glad that I was able to witness some of his years in a Cleveland uniform, pushing this team to play well in the months of May and June.
Thank you very much Eric Snow for your many years of charitable work across the country and for your time with the McKinley Bulldogs and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
13 Comments
He also created a situation in which Paul Silas tried to speak Chinese.
He also took about 2 years off my life everytime he attempt a shot.
You’re so young.
No doubt that he’ll end up coaching somewhere down the road. I think the play that will always stand out in my mind was when he was put in to guard Vince Carter in clutch time in the playoffs and he caused VC to dribble off of his foot and iced the series.
Good times.
Yeah, I was a fan of Eric Snow’s as well. I agree that he is/was a big reason the team is so defense -minded. I think he was on the downhill side of his career when he came here, but still provided the team with what it needed. A veteren leader, a defensive presence, and an above average guard. I’m with Scott. That was my favorite Snow moment. I hope if (when) the Cavs win the title, The Snow-Man gets a ring too.
Much love to Snow! a true professional and a very strong defensive player. As much as I feel fans blame him for his offensive shortcommings, and the downfall of the cavs at times I truely think HE helped many on that team including Lebron James better understand how to playt real defense.
Best fo luck Eric!!! One question IF tha cavs win the title does he still get a ring? He was ont he roster almost all season long after all.
I forgot to even mention that back in 2002, Kobe Bryant singled out Snow as the defender most capable of guarding him in the NBA. Snow will certainly land a coaching job within the next few years here, and I am glad he was able to spend his final years in the league back with his hometown team.
He played a big role in helping a young and inexperienced team beat Washington in ’06 and then give the “mighty” Pistons their greatest challenge in years. He also helped us go all the way the following year with some great defense along the way.
*tips hat*
I’ll second this.
My friends and I used to have what we called the “Eric Snow Rule” … it basically came down to anytime that Eric Snow scored 8 points or more the Cavs we’re going to the win the game.
Lately it has become the Ben Wallace Rule though i don’t think that it’s been 100% true in its application as it was when E. Snow played
FWIW, Eric Snow scored 8 or more points 37 times with the Cavaliers, and the Cavs went 28-9 in those games. Ben Wallace has only scored 8 or more points in a Cavaliers uniform 6 times, and the Cavs are 5-1 in those games.
I think the moral of the story is that any time a bench guy who doesn’t often score much can give you close to double digit points, it’s definitely going to go a long way toward helping you win.
/Tip of the Hat to Rock for those numbers