Cavs and the 2020 Draft | Barking Hard

Cavs and the 2020 Draft

Shep

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Starting this because it's pretty damn vexing. It's a guard heavy draft with some inside bangers... and that's what the Cavs mostly have now. Three guards they love (Sexton, Garland, KPJ) and three bigs they love (like literally Love, plus rising star Nance and already star Drummond).

That's the core of our team and it's really promising, and Zizic has show over and over he can play if you want a traditional center.

Wings? Then you're talking Cedi and Windler. That's what we're after. And Deni is damn attractive there but we can't lose him to someone else. Otherwise, you'd be looking at Wiseman (not if we're keeping Drummond), Edwards (a 6'4" SG), Obi (mostly a small-ball 5, kind of a 4) and Ball (6'7" combo guard).

Wiseman, Edwards, Obi, and Ball probably cause some shuffling. You'd trade a big if it's Wiseman or Obi and a guard if it's Edwards or Ball.

But back to Deni: What an amazing fit he'd be. Feels likely that Garland or Sexton become a backup and starters (mine, at least) are something like Sexton, KPJ, Deni, Love, and Drummond. And I really like that five a ton.

Would put Garland, Nance, Cedi, and Windler coming off the bench. Downside there is you didn't draft Garland to NOT start and Nance is becoming a guy who has to start for somebody. I'm sure there are people inside those walls who would chuckle at the notion that Nance and Garland aren't starting next season.

But man, those are high-class problems. Make a move or two.
 
The more I look at this draft, the more I think it's Deni or we'll be moving pieces around. He fits with this roster really well. The others? Not so much.

Edwards is another guard. Could you play him with Garland and Sexton? What about KPJ? I suppose it's interesting and his body type could help, physical guy. But the shooting is kinda scary and he's the exact same height as KJP.

Wiseman would be kind of a flip, really, because we'd likely move at least Tristan and maybe Drummond, three big guys who aren't stretches. Feels like running in place.

Ball's a PG who can't shoot, would likely mean moving Garland when he doesn't have any value left. Can't imagine anybody wants to move Sexton at this point, dude's become a 24 PPG scorer.

Makes me wanna trade the pick for a young veteran wing unless we take Deni. He fits with Garland, Sexton, KPJ, Love, Drummond, and Nance really well.
 
Feels like the Cavs are motivated to believe Deni's a Luka lite, as that type of player could punctuate an otherwise unstructured rebuild. What's disconcerting, though, is that you now have plenty of folks saying he's more of a Dario Saric: a willing passer, but not enough of a dynamic creator/deadeye shooter to rely on him as your (co-)primary ball-handler.

Very possible, then, the team sets itself up for a scenario in which Andre Drummond does the blue period Dwight Howard thing where he wants to concentrate on everything other than rim-running (he said in a recent interview he's looking to shoot more 3's), Avdija shoots sub-30% mostly standing in the corners, and the spacing sucks for everyone else.

But maybe that all works out if the suckitude secures 'em a legit blue-chipper in '21.
 
The way they've looked the last couple weeks before the break, I think the Cavs are one wing and a bunch of maturity from being a pretty serious squad, like 42 to 48 wins. Nice balance of vets and young'uns, 4/5s and 1/2s looks really, really good to me.

If they can get Windler back to be everything they thought he was, and it was a lot... and add a wing like Deni or Vassell, who I see locking into the top 10, 3 and D guy. Saw whatsisname at the PD saying a trade-down would be the best idea, get one of those two guys and maybe add a solid vet.

Not sure who stays or goes, but Drummond-Love-Nance at the 4/5 and Collin, Garland, and KPJ at the 1/2 seems like a really strong base to build from. Then Vassell, Windler, and Cedi. Could really put some shooters on the court and Vassell helps on defense.

Drummond-Love-Garland-KPJ-Vassell would begin Sexton's career as Lou Williams 2.0, makes Nance our Harrell, plus Windler and Cedi. But I think Sexton and Nance are my favorite players, hate taking them out of a starting five.
 
If I'm remembering right — man, it seems like epochs ago — both Drummond & Garland were out for sizable chunks of that surge, so maybe it wasn't a representative level-up for this group. But encouraging re: Bickerstaff, for sure.

In a sub-atomic sample, the Love-Drummond combo had a net rating of -9.9 (for comparison, Love + Thompson were at -8.2 for the season). Might be tough to expect real sacrifices from two guys who'd prob prefer to be elsewhere — maybe it happens, if the trade market's pretty brutal.

The tricky thing with Nance (and, theoretically, Obi Toppin) is that he's best paired with a shooting five so that he can at least have his turn catching lobs. Ironically, Christian Wood, the dude who nabbed Drummond's spot on the Pistons' call sheet, meshes well with that config. An unrestricted guy, too...only the Cavs no longer have the room.

Think Sexton vs Garland is TBD: if Darius can't get 10% stronger/more explosive, he's almost definitionally a backup. Understandable given his injury sitch, but too often his legs looked spent: perhaps part of why he started off with a spicy pull-up game (40% on treys thru November), then totally fizzled (28.4%).

Could be he'll be more of a Lou Williams in limited PT. And if KPJ continues to emerge, groovy.
 
If they can get Windler back to be everything they thought he was, and it was a lot... and add a wing like Deni or Vassell, who I see locking into the top 10, 3 and D guy. Saw whatsisname at the PD saying a trade-down would be the best idea, get one of those two guys and maybe add a solid vet.
John Hollinger's with ya on Devin Vassell ⁠— he has him at #7 on his big board, Avdija all the way down at #16. On Chad Ford's pod, he comped Vassell to Courtney Lee, with perhaps more upside.

Wonder if that trade-down could turn into a real haul if the other team also covets Love (Charlotte? Phoenix?). Could look to steal from 'em a bigger 3/4 wing still on the ascent, assuming Vassell's more of a 2. Also maybe secure a '21 pick swap so they'll be better positioned for next year's shopping.
 
Because it's a wing draft that begins more at 5 than 1, and that might still be a little high, I bet the Cavs do look into trading down. Liked Fedor's free agent ideas for the mid (9m), especially Derrick Jones, Jr.

Kind of the Larry Nance of wings, you get the idea he's definitely still growing and ascending, just became a real contributor last year but Heat will be shedding. He's 23 or 24. Addressing wing with him and Vassel or Deni is interesting. Windler still in play.

I love Nance, love that he's continuing to add to his game, becoming a modest 3-point threat. He and Sexton are my favorite players. But I like Love with Drummond more for the stretch. Interested to see more of the big lineups, maybe with KJP at the 1.

If the roster more or less lines up like this, I'm definitely bullish:

Love
Drummond
Nance
Derrick Jones, Jr.
Vassell
Windler
Cedi
Sexton
Garland
KJP

I guess what's weird about it is you have a lot of guys you'd want in your top 8, which likely means there's a composition issue, need to move a piece or two. We've got four 3s now, could move one. Also didn't list Tristan, no clue what they're thinking there.

Sexton feels the most Sweet Lou to me... but I think he's becoming a star this team can't sit. A legit 24.0 type of guy.
 
Shep this NBA subforum DEFINITELY needs some more of your eternal sunshine. Love it.

My gut feeling is one of Love or Drummond has to be traded to try and beef up the overall team or its assets. I don't feel like the combination of the two is going to really move the dial that much and we've got some interesting young talent that you absolutely want to build around. I don't even know who the Cavs GM is right now but that would be something I'd have on the top or near the top of my to-do list. "entertaining offers". I'd reckon Love has moderately more value as Drummond is a bit old school in this rapidly evolving NBA.
 
Dig the Derrick Jones Jr. idea — KPJ, him, and Nance has the makings of a super-bouncy bench unit. But I wonder if they'll forego using the full midlevel again this year, either to save dwindling cash or preserve portions of it for cheap flyer deals (like the one Alfonzo McKinnie got).

Ideally, you hope the Cavs are able to develop their own DJJs alongside the KPJs. A lot of that is about cycling new guys into (and sometimes out of) the program via the crucible of real PT, which may be tougher to do if the focus is all on making the fetch Love-Drummond frontcourt happen.

And I agree with EE — you'd also like to have to cap space/tradeable contracts to procure assets in exchange for taking on dreck. If Kevin & Andre are pricey keepers, the Cavs prob'll have to hold off on the type of deal that's netted them Porter Jr. & Windler.

Maybe it all works out if they strike gold in the lottery, or maybe just being in the mix for the 8th seed is the goal (a defensible one, if attainable). But it feels like they're still better off taking the long view.
 
On the latest Lowe Post, Charles Barkley bemoaned — almost as if it happened yesterday — the Cavs fleecing the Sixers out of Brad Daugherty, pocketing him in exchange for a 6'9" center who put up big numbers on a crappy (29-53) CLE squad.

They've mostly purged that degree of trade-larceny out of the league. But it really feels like that kind of deal — selling on a young asset for a better one, maybe to a team with a desperate cap $itch — would be an ideal way to make this rebuild work.

And if you could get a draft like that '86 one...Daugherty, Harper, Price...I mean, damn.
 
Via Chad Ford's pod, where the teams he's spoken to have some notable dudes ranked:

- Obi Toppin: 2 to 12 [If you like him, he's Amar'e Stoudemire; Derrick Williams, if ya very much don't]

- Devin Vassell: 6 to 15 [Classic 3&D, with some concerns about his strength & explosiveness]

- Deni Avdija: 8 to 25 [Widest range, with a vocal contingent believing he's been oversold]​
 
So I saw you (MMW) on a Browns post. I checked in here and thought I might as well contribute to the thread since I saw this recent article about Darius Garland. It speaks to his confidence, but my first question would be, WTF?

You are now in the NBA. Get your head in the game. Work on your weakness. However many there may be. This is a one time shot in your life. Do not piss it away. Diligently work on your game. Defense as well as offense. Passing as well as pick and roll. Free throws as well as threes.

As an old man it kills me when these draftees don't work. For whatever reason.

I'd have lived in the gym. If I wasn't in the gym I'd be studying film on the guys I play against. I'd take notes to keep for myself. I'd take notes on the guys on my team. And show them my notes to make them better. Well more to fuck around with them, but also to make them better.
 
I am not a big fan of it either. He should bring D that is missing, and he can score. But needs a lot of work on shooting.
 
My bet. two years from now there will be 5 better players below this pick. see me in 2022
I wouldn't bet against you in that. I won't be surprised if picks below this pick end up with some guys better than any in the top 5. That's how drafts go, especially like this on where there wasn't even a clear cut beat prospect.
 
There wasn't any "wow" picks to be made that I could see. I'm ok with Okoro. We'll see what the kid can do over the next few years.

Welcome to Cleveland young man!
I like that pick. I wanted him or the kid from Israel. I really think we could be a playoff contender this year. Should at least hover around .500
 
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