2020 NBA Draft

Isaac Okoro is being compared to Jimmy Butler. Can Okoro play the 2 full time at the next level? I've seen too many prospects similar to him that have underwhelmed. Josh Jackson comes to mind.

Los216 said:

I don’t know if you want him playing there primarily though. I know people are gonna make the argument for position less basketball but position less basketball only works on teams that have players who can star at more than one position and guys who can guard multiple positions. Cavs aren there yet. We need a legit wing. Vassell looks more like a guard to me. I don’t know if he’s strong enough to play the 3. His handle is a little weak to me too.

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Vassell might be the best example in this draft of a guy who can guard multiple positions. I'm not sure about his handle either, and I do worry about his upside, but defensively he can switch 1 through 3 comfortably and will even pester some 4's.

Oh make no mistake, Vassell's handle is bad. However, I think a guy who can offer that type of defensive impact and versatility might be the best kind of value in this draft for the Cavs.

Ideally, they change their minds and realize Okongwu is a really good fit for the team, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

JJ_PR said:

Isaac Okoro is being compared to Jimmy Butler. Can Okoro play the 2 full time at the next level? I've seen too many prospects similar to him that have underwhelmed. Josh Jackson comes to mind.

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I don't know if he's got the shooting to be a full time 2. Some might point to 2's in the past that have been about as good of shooters, but the game has evolved so much that I wouldn't be betting on someone like that being a highly efficient 2.

I do like his ability to slash, though. He's got the handle and playmaking ability, IMO, to be a decent 2. But, just like Butler, I think his best position is on the wing when he can occasionally go to his post game.

JJ_PR said:

Isaac Okoro is being compared to Jimmy Butler. Can Okoro play the 2 full time at the next level? I've seen too many prospects similar to him that have underwhelmed. Josh Jackson comes to mind.

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I have heard this too, but I think Jalen Brown might be the better comparison. I was thinking about Jalen at 5 and I like that a lot. I wanted Okoro at the beginning of the season. I love his finishing, I just think he is special there. He has passing upside, he is a really high IQ guy, and he has a great body with + athleticism. HIs wiggle to the basket is impressive and he shakes off contact like nothing. 70% at the basket is really amazing and isn't getting enough attention.

I agree that the eye test tells more than stats on him. I am getting the same feeling I had about KPJ last year on him, but even more. I know shooting is a problem, but I think Nance, Cedi, and Collin all give me confidence they can get him to 36 or so on 3's.

I'm all in on Okoro now. Ball and Wiseman were the guys keeping me from saying he is our guy. From what I am hearing, Cavs think he has star upside. I think I agree. He is also a perfect cultural fit in terms of the super hard dog type worker. He, Sexton and Porter all fit that.

Cavatt said:

I have heard this too, but I think Jalen Brown might be the better comparison. I was thinking about Jalen at 5 and I like that a lot. I wanted Okoro at the beginning of the season. I love his finishing, I just think he is special there. He has passing upside, he is a really high IQ guy, and he has a great body with + athleticism. HIs wiggle to the basket is impressive and he shakes off contact like nothing. 70% at the basket is really amazing and isn't getting enough attention.

I agree that the eye test tells more than stats on him. I am getting the same feeling I had about KPJ last year on him, but even more. I know shooting is a problem, but I think Nance, Cedi, and Collin all give me confidence they can get him to 36 or so on 3's.

I'm all in on Okoro now. Ball and Wiseman were the guys keeping me from saying he is our guy. From what I am hearing, Cavs think he has star upside. I think I agree. He is also a perfect cultural fit in terms of the super hard dog type worker. He, Sexton and Porter all fit that.

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I like that. He'd be a great addition to this team.

Okoro is a nice player whom I watched a few times in the college season. He is very young, and if he tightens up his weaknesses -especially shooting outside of 16 feet - he very well could leapfrog a few guys who will be drafted ahead of him. He doesn't have the larger frame of Deni, lacks the passing savvy and plus rebounding, and he isn't the type who has carried his team. He's a solid very young prospect with a ways to go.

The big issue here is that I see him with a lower floor than Ball, Okongwu, Deni, and Edwards. I also don't see the untapped potential that Wiseman could create if he tightens up on defense and as a face up offensive force. So, despite helping his team win a lot of games, I just don't think his floor is going to make him a top 5 pick. Eventually we will find out if the Cavs front office sees it differently.

I do think if Deni is there at 5 we will take him but the Bulls will probably draft either him or Hayes so its 50/50 whether he is there. Haven't heard much on Cavs being interested in Okongwu or Toppin at this early stage.. why have they made the draft so far away? Surely the teams have been watching a heap of tape with all the spare time they have had..

After watching Haliburton, I think he is in my top 5 for the Cavs. He already is shooting from NBA range and looks like he is going to be an elite 3 pt shooter. He is skinny but of any flaws that is something any NBA conditioning staff can fix. He has length and height. I think he is almost as intriguing as LeMelo but with less question marks. He probably can't guard a SF right now but I think down the road it's a possibility. He slots in next to Sexton real nicely. He measure very closely to SGA.

My top five for the Cavs is Edwards, LeMelo, Toppin, Deni, and Haliburton.

Important to note that rookies are very rarely net positives in their first year, and it's even less likely this year due to the lack of a normal off-season. Teams will have less time and fewer opportunities to integrate these rookies into their organizations and get them up to speed with an NBA program.

Temper those first-year expectations. It sounds like the Cavs are trying to win some games this year and that probably won't involve a rookie playing a large role.

Derek said:

Important to note that rookies are very rarely net positives in their first year, and it's even less likely this year due to the lack of a normal off-season. Teams will have less time and fewer opportunities to integrate these rookies into their organizations and get them up to speed with an NBA program.

Temper those first-year expectations. It sounds like the Cavs are trying to win some games this year and that probably won't involve a rookie playing a large role.

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You mean like drafting James Wiseman and letting him develop behind Drummond until we trade Drummond at the deadline and let Wiseman take the reigns as he brings home our third ROTY Award this century?

Derek said:

Important to note that rookies are very rarely net positives in their first year, and it's even less likely this year due to the lack of a normal off-season. Teams will have less time and fewer opportunities to integrate these rookies into their organizations and get them up to speed with an NBA program.

Temper those first-year expectations. It sounds like the Cavs are trying to win some games this year and that probably won't involve a rookie playing a large role.

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Every team is on the same boat. The Cavs will have a hard time trading the 5th pick for a veteran star for the reasons you mentioned. It'll be a blessing in disguise in the long run. I don't want to trade youth for washed up players.

Simmons is intriguing, but what would the Sixers want for him? Probably a king's ransom. Dude signed a 9 figure contract & he still doesn't have a jumpshot. That's concerning.

JJ_PR said:

Every team is on the same boat. The Cavs will have a hard time trading the 5th pick for a veteran star for the reasons you mentioned. It'll be a blessing in disguise in the long run. I don't want to trade youth for washed up players.

Simmons is intriguing, but what would the Sixers want for him? Probably a king's ransom. Dude signed a 9 figure contract & he still doesn't have a jumpshot. That's concerning.

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Didn't say they would trade the pick. I just don't expect our draft pick to play a big role this upcoming season.

Right now for me, I like Okoro/Avdija for the spot we pick, although if Wiseman falls, I think he would be my pick. After that group I like Okongwu, then Vassell. Vassell is really intruiging but I think he's going to be better suited to play the 2, I'm not sure he moves the needle enough for me to want to take another guard. Okoro/Avdija have more positional versatility to my eyes, both are very competitive, both play with a lot of juice. I'd be happy with either one.

I do like Haliburton and Toppin, but I wouldn't draft either one if I were the Cavs. Haliburton kinda seems like tall Darius Garland to me, feels redundant. Toppin is talented, he's very interesting, I think he'll be able to score in the league, everything else I'm not sure of with him. Seems kind of stiff, I worry about his defense and rebounding, I really hope he goes top 4. I'm weirdly afraid to pass on him, but i also don't want to take him, if that makes any sense...

It's time for another big board. I've finally succumbed to the Okongwu fever

Tier 1
1. LaMelo Ball

Tier 2
2. Tyrese Haliburton
3. Onyeka Okongwu
4. Killian Hayes
5. Anthony Edwards
6. James Wiseman

Tier 3
7. Aleksej Pokusevski
8. Devin Vassell
9. Josh Green
10. Malachi Flynn
11. Tre Jones
13. RJ Hampton
14. Nate Hinton

Tier 4
15. Theo Maledon
16. Vernon Carey
17. Isaac Okoro
18. Deni Avdija
19. Xavier Tillman
20. Reggie Perry
21. Nico Mannion
22. Leandro Bolmaro
23. Devon Dotson
24. Trevelin Queen
25. Jalen Smith
26. Paul Reed
27. Kira Lewis Jr.
28. Obi Toppin
29. Mason Jones
30. Jahmi'us Ramsey

Tier 5

31. Patrick Williams
32. Marko Simonovic
33. Payton Pritchard
34. Desmond Bane
35. Killian Tillie
36. Nathan Knight
37. Saddiq Bey
38. Lamine Diane
39. Vit Krejci
40. Daniel Oturu
41. Zeke Nnaji
42. Jalen Harris
43. Ashton Hagans
44. Filip Petrusev
45. Tres Tinkle
46. Aaron Nesmith
47. Grant Riller
48. Markus Howard
49. Isaiah Stewart
50. Tyler Bey
51. Cole Anthony
52. Ty-Shon Alexander
53. Tyrell Terry
54. Tyrese Maxey
55. Saben Lee
56. Yam Madar
57. Precious Achiuwa
58. Rokas Jokubaitis
59. Aaron Nesmith
60. Immanuel Quickley

Goldin Brown said:

Right now for me, I like Okoro/Avdija for the spot we pick, although if Wiseman falls, I think he would be my pick. After that group I like Okongwu, then Vassell. Vassell is really intruiging but I think he's going to be better suited to play the 2, I'm not sure he moves the needle enough for me to want to take another guard. Okoro/Avdija have more positional versatility to my eyes, both are very competitive, both play with a lot of juice. I'd be happy with either one.

I do like Haliburton and Toppin, but I wouldn't draft either one if I were the Cavs. Haliburton kinda seems like tall Darius Garland to me, feels redundant. Toppin is talented, he's very interesting, I think he'll be able to score in the league, everything else I'm not sure of with him. Seems kind of stiff, I worry about his defense and rebounding, I really hope he goes top 4. I'm weirdly afraid to pass on him, but i also don't want to take him, if that makes any sense...

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Haliburton is more of a proven shooter than Garland. Mechanics are alittle weird but he shot 40+% both years in college and seem to already move his range out to the NBA 3. I wouldn't discount the length and height over Garland in making him more versatile and playable in a wide variety of lineups. At this point Garland wouldn't stop me from drafting Haliburton. Haliburton shows he can catch and shoot very well in college. I would project him to guard SGs for the Cavs and pair with either Garland or Sexton. He might be the ideal for next to Sexton.

If Haliburton is the best player left on the board at #5, I don't think his current weight and natural position should stop us from drafting him. He will fill out and be able to guard SGs. With any luck, he might get strong enough over time to guard SFs in certain lines ups. Surprisingly his measurable are right there with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.