This is what I wrote in another thread about Deni. I'm basically of the mind that in a draft where so much is an unknown, a high floor is more important than ever. Some might look at this draft in a vacuum and say, "well the high usage college guard has strong numbers, he has a high floor." Sure... which is why the Cavs took players like that two first rounds in a row. That's safe, but it doesn't get a team to the playoffs and doesn't win playoff games. Swingmen with balanced offensive and defensive skills win playoff games.
In today's NBA, the point guard doesn't just run the offense, the shooting guard doesn't just shoot, power forwards don't just defend the paint, and centers don't just block shots and score in the post. Those days are gone.
Today's NBA wants five guys who are long, athletic, and can do it all. Devi is one of those small forwards... and he looks like he is going to be really solid at it. Instead of putting up advanced stats against Louisville and Virginia Tech in regular season games, he was winning MVP of a men's league at age 19 as a 6'9 jack of all trades. He has produced on both ends of the court against grown men playing professional basketball.
Addressing the incredibly lazy argument built around stereotypes... okay fine, but I remain disappointed it needs to be said. Not every European swingman had the same production of Cedi going into the draft. They all have their own identity and future.
Time to start separating Cedi from every European wing prospect. They are all unique. Cedi was drafted at the top of the second round as a stash prospect who showed physical tools in the Euroleague at about 20 minutes a game as a teen.
Cedi Osman - Career stats, game logs, leaderboard appearances, awards, and achievements for international club and tournament play
www.basketball-reference.com
Cavs fans got a little worked up in anticipation, but in the end he is limited on the defensive end and was put in the corner offensively pretty often. If you look at his European stats, he was a role player who has developed into an NBA role player. Poor guy shouldn't have been second on the team in minutes played, but they held rotation minutes for Windler.
Nobody is talking about Deni as a second rounder who gets stashed in Europe for two years.