We’ve known that Shawn Marion was coming to the Cavs for weeks, but on Tuesday, the news became official. He’s a known commodity, a 15-year NBA veteran with a championship ring and a gold medal. There’s little doubt that he’s on the Matrix: Revolutions side of his career these days, but he’s still a useful forward, and he should do well to fill in some gaps alongside his new ball-dominant teammates LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love. So, what should Cavs fans expect from their new forward?

Behold: The first installment of “Game Illustrated,” a look at what specific members of the Cleveland Cavaliers will bring to the table for the 2014-15 season.

Watching the tape, what stands out is that Marion is a real, professional basketball player. This sounds silly, I know, but he has a strong understanding of the game and shows the sort of basketball IQ that other players (cough, Tristan Thompson) lack. It’s a lot of little things: cutting backdoor, ducking inside from the short corner, the extra pass from the high post. He’s not the same athlete he was when he played for David Griffin in Phoenix, but he knows how to run the break and fill lanes correctly (Hello, Kevin Love outlet passes!). He does things that make crusty, old basketball guys nod in approval.

THE ROLE PLAYER

As opposed to a few other players who are joining him on this new-look Cleveland Cavaliers roster, Shawn Marion’s best offensive skills show when he’s off the ball. This makes sense, as he’s had a lot of experience playing with high-usage teammates like Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, and Monta Ellis, to name a few. When other guys have the ball, Marion is able to decipher what’s going on and find the open space. Like Anderson Varejao, he’s active and tough for defenders to keep track of—when teams focus on the Cavs’ stars, he’ll sneak inside for easy buckets.

When Marion does get the ball, he’s most active and effective near the rim. He shot 62.8% from inside of five feet last year, a very solid number that puts him just behind name brand forwards like Kenneth Faried, LaMarcus Aldridge, Josh Smith, and new teammate Kevin Love . Eighty percent of Marion’s conversions in close were the end result of an assist, so it’s not hard to picture him converting feeds from LeBron James or Kyrie Irving (OK, you too, Dion) when they draw extra defenders. He’s able to catch and finish with little hesitation, rising faster than the defense can rotate.

THAT INCREDIBLY UGLY SHOT

Almost adding to Shawn Marion’s allure is the fact that he still shoots jumpers like he’s wearing a third grader’s sport coat, but he isn’t quite the bricklayer you think he is. He shot 35.8% on threes last year, with 36% was league average. About half of those 162 attempts came from the corners. He doesn’t have any significant strength or weakness from beyond the arc as he shot a consistent 34.8% from the left corner, 36.8% from the right, and 35.5% from all spots above the break. His goofy, alligator form is not inspiring, and you certainly don’t want him chucking too often, but Marion seems to understand this, as he only took 2.1 threes per game with Dallas last year. He’ll hit a few, but in the Cavs’ best-case scenario, his long distance accuracy won’t be a hot topic.

Despite that ugly flick-push form, Marion is also a good free throw shooter—81% for his career. However, he doesn’t get to the line often. Even when he was in his prime with Nash and the fast-paced Suns, he never averaged more than 3.7 free throw attempts per game. Last year he averaged less than one free throw try per contest, good for 318th in the league, just ahead of Jason Maxiell and just behind Carl Landry.

Watching him on offense, he reminds me a little bit of Antawn Jamison, as terrifying as that comparison is. That jumper is effective despite it’s ugliness, and his game just looks unusual. He shoots a lot of runners and weird push shots from as far out as 15 feet, but he makes it work. He isn’t much of a creator, but he’ll drive from time to time when the matchup is favorable, and post up against little guys.

THAT D, THO

I’ve buried the lede by neglecting defense until now . Marion is a legit defender, even into his thirties. He has small forward size at 6-feet-7-inches and 228 pounds, but he has long arms and lots of experience playing power forward. His block and steal stats aren’t what they used to be, but he’s capable of credibly guarding both wings and bigs, and he’s still a solid rebounder. You don’t want to leave him in the post against Zach Randolph or have him isolated against Russell Westbrook or anything, but really—you don’t want those things for anyone.

The single greatest thing that Marion offers the Cavs is versatility. He can play on the wing in a big lineup or in the post in a small one. He and LeBron are supreme athletes at forward, and they should be able to clog passing lanes, force turnovers, and generally be obnoxious to play against. Combined with players like Andy and Delly, the Cavs should be able to put out some strong defensive units, at least for stretches.

LA FIN.

His suspect shot will inhibit the Cavs’ spacing when he plays on the wing, but I’m bullish on the Shawn Marion era in Cleveland. He’s played 60-plus games every season since 2000-01, and he’s played 75-plus games ten times. Marion is a reliable player who knows how to play off the ball and complement scorers. He can guard opposing teams’ best wings and generally give LeBron a rest on defense. I’m not sure if he’s a proper “locker room leader” type, but he’s been in the league for a long time and should help bring the young pups along.

Shawn Marion won’t be a starter, but he will likely play about 25-30 minutes per game. Last season, those bench minutes were used by the likes of Alonzo Gee, CJ Miles, and Earl Clark. Now, the Cavs have the premier small forward combo in the league with LeBron, Marion, and Mike Miller.

I know: It’s weird. But it’s going to be a lot of fun to watch.