Everyone loves an underdog story and DeAndre Liggins personifies that on the roster of the NBA’s defending champions.
When Matthew Dellavedova received a $40 mil. offer to sign with the Milwaukee Bucks, the Cavs lost a key player, who brought grit, tenacity, and worked his way up from being an undrafted kid out of Australia and Saint Mary’s to making a Summer League roster and eventually reaching the NBA.
Liggins’ story is different, but there are some similar qualities – most notably: work ethic.
Liggins came off the bench his first two years of college, playing on a star-studded Kentucky roster with the likes of John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and Eric Bledsoe.
Perhaps playing with those stars prepared him for a role he would end up in more than five years later.
He started his junior season and entered the 2011 NBA Draft, and was selected 53rd overall by the Orlando Magic.
From there, it was an up and down ride, with a few seasons in the D-League and Europe, but with persistence, he got his shot back in the NBA this September.
| 2011–2012 | Orlando Magic |
|---|---|
| 2012–2013 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2012–2013 | →Tulsa 66ers |
| 2013–2014 | Sioux Falls Skyforce |
| 2014 | Miami Heat |
| 2014 | →Sioux Falls Skyforce |
| 2014–2015 | Krasny Oktyabr |
| 2015 | Eisbären Bremerhaven |
| 2015–2016 | Sioux Falls Skyforce |
| 2016–present | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
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That timeline just about says it all.
Perhaps the Mo Williams contract situation, as much as it hindered the Cavs from making significant moves for a backup point guard, helped create a spot for a guy in a situation like Liggins.
Perhaps drafting the raw, defensively flawed Kay Felder, also helped Liggins earn a spot.
But the bottom line is he worked for it from the start of training camp and head coach Tyronn Lue appreciates his grind-it-out mentality.
While the Cavs have four or five guys capable of going for 15-20 points on any given night, aside from Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith, the backcourt left much to be desired on defense.
The early season ankle injury to Smith opened the door for Liggins to play and he made the most of his opportunity, which is becoming the theme of his first three months in Cleveland.
When the Cavs played the Knicks, Liggins told his teammates and coaches “he wanted” to guard Carmelo Anthony.
To which, Lue joked, “what is wrong with you?”
When Felder was sent to Canton for the first time of his NBA career, Liggins showed up at the game to support his teammate and friend.
These are just a few examples of the type of blue-collar spirit with which Liggins attacks life and the game of basketball.
He is humble from playing in the D-League, grateful for the opportunity with the Cavs, knows his role on a star-studded team, and is willing to do whatever it takes for the team to be its best.
All of these qualities make Liggins a guy who not only is a valuable asset to the Cavaliers, but someone who Clevelanders can relate to and get behind.
He’s not the answer to handle the ball for 15 minutes a game at point guard.
He can’t hit three’s like Delly was able to in 2015-16 (but then again, neither could Delly for his first two seasons).
While Liggins has flaws on offense, he is suited perfectly both mentally and from a matchup standpoint down the road to play valuable minutes against contending teams.
One of the most underrated aspects of the Cavaliers in 2015-16 was the contribution of role players, like Tristan Thompson, Richard Jefferson, and Channing Frye.
Those players are no longer under the radar, but based on early evidence from Liggins, he may be the next player to join guys like Shumpert, Smith, and those previously mentioned role players on the list of David Griffin’s pieces to the puzzle, who fit perfectly in the bigger picture.
However, Coach Lue might deserve a bigger share of the credit on this one for believing in him and throwing him into the fire when the time was right.
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