Links to the Present: Early Draft Talk Edition
2014-05-01
Yesterday, the full list of players leaving college early for the draft came out. It’s officially draft season. This list may or may not change the big boards and mock drafts, but I feel more confident in sharing what is out there because the available players are all known.
The Big Boards to look at:
The Mock Drafts to look at:
The Cavs only have a 1.7 percent chance at the top pick, and 6.1 percent chance at a top three, so the odds are they will be drafting in the 9th spot of the first round and that some of these mock draft picks could be true for them. Ford and Goodman predict the Cavs to pick Doug McDerrmot of Creighton University, while nbadraft.net and draftexpress.com expect the Cavs to choose Aaron Gordon of Arizona State University.
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Jacob Rosen of Waiting For Next Year has a draft piece up detailing the potential shooters the Cavs may want to draft. He uses @ClevTA scouting reports in his piece. @ClevTA thinks McDerrmot may be a future Wally Szczerbiak that isn’t as athletic.
It’s pretty obvious where McDermott will struggle at the next level: mainly defense, a lack of athleticism and therefore a question of position. McDermott definitely tries hard defensively but he just doesn’t have the lateral quickness to stay with small forwards and isn’t strong enough to defend power forwards.
That’s worrisome when the Cavs still don’t have a rim protector.
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Scott Sargent of Waiting For Next Year spoke about Sam Amico’s thought that Tristan Thompson may be traded rather than extended.
Given how much frontcourt bodies make in today’s NBA, it can be reasonably expected that Thompson’s camp (he’s represented by LeBron James’ friend and agent Rich Paul) will be commanding a number that the team may not be willing to match.
I have to remind myself constantly that just because Tristan is a nice fellow doesn’t mean he is a great basketball player.
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Trevor Magnotti at Right Down Euclid has a breakdown of the Cavs’ offense and defense. He includes lots of pictures and gives some suggestions. It’s a very informative read.
This play mainly happened because there was no designed backup plan for the pick-and-roll. The PNR was THE play here, and no one else on the floor had any contingency plan for if it didn’t free up Waiters. I should also note that Alonzo Gee’s wide-openness in the corner isn’t really a good contingency plan, because Alonzo Gee.
Trevor’s thoughts about defense:
The Cavs tried to limit looks in the paint as much as they could, and did a decent job at that. However, it resulted in some really poor perimeter play, as the Cavs gave up the most three-point attempts in the league.
Be careful reading this because you may have horrific flashbacks to some moments from this season.
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Jason Whitlock has a different take on the Donald Sterling punishment that is worth thinking about.
It’s comical to watch the well-intentioned mob circle around Sterling as if his unintended transparency says nothing about his peer group. It’s equally comical seeing this issue framed as a “black issue,” with black people running to suggest ways to clean up Sterling’s mess.
White people should be wearing black socks, turning their T-shirts inside out, protesting outside the Staples Center. This is their culture, their Frankenstein. Or maybe they agree with Donald T. Sterling.
“I don’t want to change the culture because I can’t. It’s too big.”
It’s also too beneficial. It’s too comfortable.
Well-intentioned white people should be holding nationally televised panel discussions focusing on ways to lessen the damaging impact of white-supremacy culture. Well-intentioned white people who work within or support the NBA should be demanding that the NBA power structure cede some of its governing power to men and women who look like the overwhelming majority of the league’s players.
Whitlock brings up a scary idea that this incident isn’t the result of one bad seed and needs to dealt with on a systematic level. Nate and Tom mentioned this article in their piece that dealt with Sterling, and I hope if you didn’t check it out then you will now.
Regarding the Korver/McDermott comparison – They also both played at Creighton.
I like the Michigan kids this year. Stauskas, GR III, and McGary all look good to me.
First pick: Stauskas, second round McGary (as per Draft Express mock)
@Jon shut up dude seriously. We are comparing them because they are both taller guys who can hit the 3 at a REALLY good clip and who’s flaws are on the defensive end. The fact that they look like they could be brothers is just a coincidence. If he a 3 inches taller and skinny we’d be comparing him to KD.
I think a guy like Kyle Anderson could be very good in the league but not in Cleveland. I felt this way about Bennett, really liked him but not a great fit for us… Do we really need another ball dominant creator? No. No we don’t.
Underdog,
For sure.
Jon,
How could I forget. Can’t wait until the first ‘he’s like a Wes Welker.’
Yeah . . . we know NOW that there’s a few studs and then it thins out. But I’m telling you, for two years virtually everyone was saying there were up to 20 solid starters coming out this year. I’m even having my doubts about Wiggins. He looks more like McLemore than LeBron to me – and he’s still at the top of the list. I know people have been saying all along that guys are coming out too young – and they’re right. All these guys have an attribute or two that catches your eye, but when you take… Read more »
@Kojo, also comparing him to Korver. Because basketball players can only be compared to other players of the same race.
Underdog, it’s too heavy. The top 5 are studs. You could throw in Vonleh too if you want. After that is gets dicey around the 8/9 spot.
Well, there’s 2 white player stereotypes in the first couple posts.
1. He and Delly will be the smartest players on the team
2. He’s just a shooter
I’m surprised no one said he is gritty and has a high motor.
I don’t think people realize that every draft the next Jordan, Chris Paul Kareem or LeBron is “definitely” in there.
I don’t get it. For two years everybody has been talking about this draft as if it was going to be one of the best drafts ever. Here we are at nine and we have either tweeners, shooters that aren’t athletic and can’t defend, athletes that can’t shoot, and everything in-between.
“Even when he’s been outclassed athletically he’s still managed to drop 30 points.”
I think you severely overestimate the difference in athleticism between college and pro players. And it wasn’t just Westbrook blowing by him, or James taking him on the post. It was guys who will never come close to seeing a NBA uniform.
grover – CJ Miles just cost us $4.5M over 2 years. And of course, opportunity cost is more than just salary.
“Is he worse athletically than Korver”
Unequivocally.
Kyle Anderson. Kyle Anderson. Man-crush of this year’s draft…
I am surprised by the derision that people have for McDermott’s athleticism and defense. Is he worse athletically than Korver? Would you rather have someone who has some limitations athletically but tries 100% on defense or athletically gifted players who don’t try at all on defense which is kind of what the team is composed of at this time. And I agree, what SFs are out there that are so superior athletically that they would be able to get 2.00 PPP against McDermott?
@Steve- “If we just want a guy who can hit that open jumper off a pick and roll, we can probably get him for an opportunity cost of a lot less than wherever our #1 ends up.”
Great, I’m all ears. Please share your list of availale 6’8″ knock-down wings that can be locked down for the next three years at $2 million annually (that’s the rookie pay scale at the #9 slot).
Even when he’s been outclassed athletically he’s still managed to drop 30 points. Like is he really that much less athletic than Deng was for us this season?
I don’t know why so many people act like McDermott is some sort of athletic slouch. Is Westbrook gonna blow right by him? Yes, he does that to everyone. Could LBJ back him into the post? Yeah, so what he does that to everyone. If we go down past LBJ, Durant and Melos of the SF world, who’s really that great of an athlete at that position? Almost no one.
“He didn’t get invited to the Team USA developmenal team for nothin’.”
Knock down shooters with a shorter three point line and wider key who can be hid better in a zone defense are much more ideal in FIBA than the NBA.
If we just want a guy who can hit that open jumper off a pick and roll, we can probably get him for an opportunity cost of a lot less than wherever our #1 ends up. And that guy is probably a good bet to be a much better defender than McDermott.
@JHill
….and that McDermott instantly becomes the smartest player on the team.
McDermott- much like Delly, I think- would at least understand what his weaknesses are, and use his hoops IQ to minimize them.
He didn’t get invited to the Team USA developmenal team for nothin’.
The difference between Gee, and McDermott is that McDermott makes that open jumper and is at least longer than Gee for defense.