The Point Four-ward: Drafting Days Are Here Again

Four points I’m thinking about the Cleveland Cavaliers in advance of the 2015 NBA Draft this Thursday, June 25.

1.) It’s been a while since I’ve thought this little about the NBA Draft. I can track my draft fascination all the way back to the mid-90s when I’d anxiously wait for my primer — Chris Monter’s Draft News — to arrive as a cheaply Xeroxed-and-stapled hard copy in the actual, physical mail before deciding on a relative pecking order based on the virtues of players like Todd Fuller, Samaki Walker and John Wallace… only to watch as the Cavs drafted Ukrainian train-like big Vitaly Potapenko who — and I want to be perfectly clear about this — I had ranked below not only the previously mentioned troika of below-average big men but also a fiesty lead guard from Santa Clara named Steve Nash…

… who, of course, I’d never seen play. But, hey, Monter seemed pretty high on him, so why not?

Bad Cavs teams made sure that the Draft was the crown jewel of my personal NBA calendar and, even after the Cavs drafted LeBron James, the relative dearth of Good Cavs teams picks in the years following (Thank you, Mssrs. Paxson and Welsch!), along with the increasing need to find someone… anyone… who the team could develop alongside James kept the pressure on Draft night, even as the Cavs were playing deeper and deeper into the playoffs.

Then there were more Bad Cavs teams. So, to every thing turn, turn, turn.

This year, the Draft has remained deliriously inconsequential as the Cavs, fresh off a run that got them within two wins of the franchise’s first NBA Championship, have James and a nice complement of relatively young players in Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson and (fingers crossed) Kevin Love. Sure, the salary cap’s about to be a mess, but this team’s problems are no longer ones that the Draft will likely solve.

2.) But, still, draft we must, so let’s look at some of the players the Cavs will likely be looking at when they pick at numbers 24 and 53 on Thursday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer‘s Terry Pluto recently wrote about liking Virginia’s Justin Anderson and I have to agree. At 6-6, Anderson has the size, athleticism and, most importantly, the shooting to imagine him eventually being able to both spell James and play alongside him.  Anderson has a nearly 7 foot wingspan, already sports a chiseled frame and shot 45.2% from three this past season. While his ceiling seems to be high-level role player, the type of role he is capable of filling — being a threat at the rim as well as from deep, while also projecting as a decent defender — is exactly what the Cavs should be looking for in this draft. Plus, you know, it’ll give fellow Virginia alum Joe Harris a buddy on the bench.

Other wings currently under the Cavs microscope include Georgia State’s R.J. Hunter, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson from Arizona and UNLV’s Rashad Vaughn. Hollis-Jefferson projects mostly as a defender, but Hunter and Vaughn both bring some big-time shooting to the table. With Hunter likely off the board by the 24th pick, the Cavs could have their pick between Anderson and Vaughn. Vaughn is the more versatile scorer, while Anderson is bigger and more athletic.

The Cavs could also look to fill their third point guard spot in this draft as Utah’s Delon Wright, Notre Dame’s Jerian Grant and Louiville’s Terry Rozier (Cleveland’s own!) could all be available at 24. All of these guards bring good things to the table, but I expect the Cavs to troll through the bargain bin of NBA veteran point men to fill that spot.

3.) Some intriguing bigs are also projected to be available around the Cavs pick. These include UCLA power forward Kevon Looney, LSU combo big Jarell Martin and Louisville’s bundle of energy Montrezl Harrell. At 6-9, Looney projects as a sturdy defender and rebounder who has stretch-four potential down the line. Martin offers nice size (6-9.25 in shoes) for a player projected to see time at both forward spots. He was an excellent rebounder in college (9.2 per game) but doesn’t seem to have the necessary shooting the Cavs will, no doubt, be looking for (just 26.9% from three).

Harrell is the biggest name of these three and there’s plenty to like in his game. He was essentially the NCAA version of what Tristan Thompson blossomed into during the Cavs playoff run: a dogged defender and rebounder who gets his points from a motor that will not quit. Harrell’s similarities with Thompson don’t stop there, though. They also share an agent in Rich Paul. Will the KLUTCH mafia weave its way into the Cavs draft room? We’ll just have to wait and see.

The big thing to remember about big men in the NBA: they take time to develop. So, while it’s unlikely the Cavs will choose a player on Thursday who they think will crack their rotation in 2015-16, teams can expect a more immediate return from a wing — especially a wing who can shoot — than a big who will experience a much steeper learning curve once in the league.

Cavs fans need look no further than Thompson for evidence of this.

4.) Championship-caliber teams rarely have the space on their bench for multiple rookies, so it would be a shock that whoever the Cavs select with the 53rd pick — should they even wind up making that pick — will end up breaking camp wearing wine and gold.

Clearly, the most tried-and-true option here is to draft a foreign player with some upside and let him continue to play overseas for, at least, a couple more seasons. I’ll let CtB’s resident Euro Guru, Ben Werth, weigh in on that:

“Turkish wing, Cedi Osman has been mostly projected as a mid to late second round pick. Though his 2014-2015 counting numbers were rather pedestrian with powerhouse, Anadolu Efes Istanbul in the Turkish league, the 6’8″ 20 year old displayed his frenetic energy on a nightly basis. Osman is most easily described as a pleasant mix between Mathew Dellavedova and Chandler Parsons. Like Parsons, Osman is a terror in transition. He times his steps very well at full speed while maintaining good balance for a variety of finishes. His solid rebounding and handle let him start or end the break with equal skill. Like Delly, he plays with top energy at all times showing a good understanding of weakside positional help off ball, and a good chest up technique on ball. On the flip side, his jumper is as streaky as his two NBA counterparts and he gets caught in between on dribble drives. Still, he is first round talent that needs strength and seasoning. It will likely be at least one or two seasons before Osman even considers making the trip to America. That is the only reason why the Cavs would have a realistic shot at snagging him so late. If he is anywhere near their pick, the Cavs should grab him.”

Thanks, Ben.

Of the US-born players, I have a soft spot when it comes to Larry Nance Jr. Nance is a 6-9 power forward out of Wyoming and, more importantly, the son of Cavaliers great Larry Nance Sr. The younger Nance is not his father’s son on the basketball court, but an athletic, mobile big isn’t the worst thing to take a flyer on.

Also, while he’ll probably be gone by 54, I really like Tennessee’s Josh Richardson. Richardson, a 6-6 shooting guard, was forced to play a lot of point for the Volunteers this year. As such, Richardson, who had played a mostly reserve role prior to this season, showed promise as a creator (3.6 assists per game) as well as a defender (he reportedly has a 6-10 wingspan) on the next level.