Icon SMI

It took some time, but Mike Brown seems to be finding a place for Jamario Moon in his rotation.

Moon, in his first campaign with the Cavaliers, struggled to find minutes over the first few weeks of the season. He averaged just 9.7 minutes in the team’s first six games and seemed hesitant on both ends of the court. The low point off that stretch was a Thursday night bout with the Chicago Bulls in which the 29-year-old didn’t leave the bench. Since that game, though, Moon has become one of the Cavs most intrical bench performers.

The Cavaliers have won seven of their last eight after the one-point loss at home to the Bulls. Over that time Moon has averaged 19.4 minutes and scored in double-digits twice.

Although he isn’t the only reason for the improved play of the Cavs as of late, Moon’s abilties are hard to ignore.

“He is long,” said Brown. ”He is athletic. He runs well, and he’s going to get out in transition and he’s going to finish.”

Moon’s strengths took center stage against the 76ers on Saturday. The Cavaliers trailed by six entering the fourth quarter but were able to come away with a 97-91 win, helped by a four-point quarter from the former community college standout.

Moon even added one for the highlight-reel, dunking off a Mo Williams assist to give the home team a six-point lead with just 4:35 remaining. He was also vital on the defensive end, guarding shutting down Andre Iguodala, who scored just two points in the final period.

“The thing that I like about Jamario is defensively he’s starting to be a physical presence and you can really see his length,” said Brown.

Moon’s has been known as a “high-flyer” since he came into the league, but he is much more than just a finisher around the rim.

“He’s a lot better shooter than what I thought coming in,” said Brown. ”I thought he was a solid shooter, but I think he’s a pretty good shooter.”

The stats seem to agree with Brown.

Moon is shooting 47 percent from the floor and nearly 38 percent from the three-point line. He also has the third-highest foul shooting percentage on the team, hitting 83 percent from the charity stripe.

Although it has been a rollercoaster season for Moon so far, he will continue to make the most of the opportunites he receives.

“Regardless of the situation you’ve got to come out and do your job,” said Moon. ”It’s just all about being ready when your name is called.”