Darius Kinnard Garland

[bigfoot5415]

Deni Avudja is the pick. No more guards. We have last years #5 pick, a 2nd year player growing by leaps and bounds and an intriguing prospect with superstar potential.

Adding more guards just becomes a negative.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Deni Avudja is the pick. No more guards. We have last years #5 pick, a 2nd year player growing by leaps and bounds and an intriguing prospect with superstar potential.

Adding more guards just becomes a negative.

I tend to agree with you here. If there was truly a clear separation between some fantastic guard and everyone else, then sure. But there isn't -- none of these guys are really blue chip/can't miss guys. The problem with drafting another guard is that we wouldn't be able to give enough playing/development time to all four guys, so we'd be flushing at least some of their potential development down the toilet.

That's unless we traded at least one of them, and the only one I'd be looking to trade at this point is Garland. Not sure we'd get much for him, though. So I'd rather just look at someone for the frontcourt, where we definitely could use some younger talent.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

I don't think Cedi is a starter on a Championship team (in fact, I'm not sure he's a rotation piece, either). I don't know what we have in Windler. I suspect our guard rotation will end up being Garland, Sexton, and Porter each playing about 32 minutes. Like Bernie said, he doesn't care about position that much.

Tristan Thompson will move on either now or next year when everybody will have all that hoarded cap space. I assume the Cavs will let Drummond walk if they don't trade him in season. Love is a crapshoot as far as staying healthy and he's on the wrong side of 30.

So I'm all for either Wiseman or a power forward. Larry Nance Jr has shown a lot of versatility in swinging between both forward spots and the Cavs were at their best last year when they used the big front line of Love, Nance, and Drummond/TT.

Take Wiseman and if he's not available the best forward regardless of position. I'm definitely not interested in another point guard even if he is 6'7". This guy might be my choice (scouting report from nbadraftroom.com):

"Onyeka Okongwu is a lock to go in the top half of the lottery and will even be in consideration for no.1 overall. He’s in the top tier of our 2020 draft rankings, right up there with Anthony Edwards and James Wiseman.

In his one season at USC Okongwu was an overpowering force, using his quick-twitch power to blow by and go through defenders and explode to the rim. He’s built in the mold of Bam Adebayo and also reminds of Tristan Thompson (who I was really high on coming out of Texas) but with a more advanced offensive game than Tristan ever had.

Strengths

A big, strong and athletic player who can really bang in the paint and hold his ground

An excellent shot blocker with good instincts and intelligent defensive play – knows how to avoid fouls and how to keep the ball in play when he blocks a shot

Does a good job of reading the flight of the ball and battling for rebounds on both ends

Has decent shooting form and has shown steady improvement – projects as a solid mid range shooter who could develop 3 point range

Has good hands and catches the ball well

Runs the floor well and is an above average open court athlete

Attacks the rim with aggression and great power, using his elite physical tools to blow by defenders and elevate and finish

Knows his role and doesn’t try to do too much – isn’t afraid to do the dirty work

Is still growing and projects to have NBA center size"

That last point seals the deal for me since I expect TT and Drummond to both be gone after next season. Besides, the league is moving towards smaller, more mobile centers who can run the floor. We also need shot blocking in the worst way since we were last in the NBA by a good margin last year, and this guy is apparently pretty good at it.

This web site projects him going #3 behind Edwards and Wiseman.

Edwards reminds me of Deion Waiters. He shot 40% from the field against college players and 29% from the college 3-point line. I get that he was a freshman but that doesn't scream #1 overall pick. I suppose if he were there and we were picking #4 with the three top bigs gone....

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Based solely on write-ups and watching him play just a bit, Okongwu
looks like he has a really high floor, and the potential to be very good. In a weak draft and at a position of need, I'd love him. Going massively out on a limb, his upside could be blossoming along the lines of a Pascal Siakem.

We could really use a long 6'6" plus guy at the three who can do everything, but who wouldn't? Seems to me we'd be crossing our fingers and really reaching for that in this draft.

 

[daddywags]

Deni Avudja is the pick. No more guards. We have last years #5 pick, a 2nd year player growing by leaps and bounds and an intriguing prospect with superstar potential.

Adding more guards just becomes a negative.

Avdija is a fine option, but he really plays the same position as Cedi Osman, who is only 25 and signed through 2023, and Dylan Windler, who we took at 17 last year.

 

[cabs]

Would like to see DG average 17-2-6 next season and shoot around 40% from 3, thats the type of trajectory I wish to see

 

[Sebastian]

Avdija is a fine option, but he really plays the same position as Cedi Osman, who is only 25 and signed through 2023, and Dylan Windler, who we took at 17 last year.

I don't think neither Cedi nor Windler (not Windler's fault) have proven themselves good enough to not draft at that position.

Frankly, Cedi isn't a starter on a good playoff team. He may get better but we have to guard against overvaluing our players.

 

[Sir'Dom Pointer]

Avdija is a fine option, but he really plays the same position as Cedi Osman, who is only 25 and signed through 2023, and Dylan Windler, who we took at 17 last year.

Avdija will be good at the PF position. As far as positional flexibility, he is one of the top choices for that reason.

 

[daddywags]

I don't think neither Cedi nor Windler (not Windler's fault) have proven themselves good enough to not draft at that position.

Frankly, Cedi isn't a starter on a good playoff team. He may get better but we have to guard against overvaluing our players.

I don't necessarily disagree but the point cuts both ways - IMO neither Garland nor Porter have proven themselves good enough to not draft a guard, especially a tall, pass first, point guard.

 

[daddywags]

Avdija will be good at the PF position. As far as positional flexibility, he is one of the top choices for that reason.

That's good to know. Thanks.

 

[Cavatt]

Darius continues to feel like the odd man out. He is in real danger if they draft another guard. Bickerstaff LOVES KPJ, so we are definitely going to see more of him, and I just don't see how you can keep Sexton off the floor.

Haliburton and Ball are the only guards I would consider in the top 5.

 

[cavsfever]

Sexton has demonstrated elite scoring skills and excellent character and work ethic. He still has a lot of issues around defense and his floor game, but he has demonstrated elite NBA level skills in at least one area. Garland has not, and he makes a bad backcourt match with Sexton. If developing Sexton is a priority, and I think it has to be given our talent shortage, I don't see how you screw around with trying to develop Garland at the same time.

I always thought it was crazy to use a lottery pick on another small guard one year after using a lottery pick on Sexton.

 

[Cavatt]

Sexton has demonstrated elite scoring skills and excellent character and work ethic. He still has a lot of issues around defense and his floor game, but he has demonstrated elite NBA level skills in at least one area. Garland has not, and he makes a bad backcourt match with Sexton. If developing Sexton is a priority, and I think it has to be given our talent shortage, I don't see how you screw around with trying to develop Garland at the same time.

I always thought it was crazy to use a lottery pick on another small guard one year after using a lottery pick on Sexton.

They wanted to make Sexton the 6th man and use Darius to send him to the bench, but then Sexton was suddenly the best player pretty much every night. His consistency is actually damn good. That and his efficiency is where the 6th man stuff starts to break down.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

The cbssports.com mock draft 7/20:

2020 NBA Mock Draft: James Wiseman too good to pass up at No. 1; Tyrese Haliburton jumps into top five

An updated look at the NBA Draft landscape as teams prepare for the finish of the season in the Disney bubble

www.cbssports.com

The W's take Wiseman #1 and we go with Edwards at #2. I'm still not sold on a shooting guard who shot 29% from the college 3-point line.

Like I said before, I think TT and Drummond will be gone after next season, maybe earlier. We need a center. I want Wiseman but if not then Okongwu. If we decide to sign Drummond or even TT for several more years then Okongwu could move to power forward. Love isn't getting any younger and the closer his contract gets to the end the easier it should be to move him.

I'm fine with Sexton, Garland, and Porter at guard. Garland is going to be one of the most improved players in the league this season.

Nance can play small forward with Windler and Cedi competing for the backup role.

 

[Cavatt]

The cbssports.com mock draft 7/20:

2020 NBA Mock Draft: James Wiseman too good to pass up at No. 1; Tyrese Haliburton jumps into top five

An updated look at the NBA Draft landscape as teams prepare for the finish of the season in the Disney bubble

www.cbssports.com

The W's take Wiseman #1 and we go with Edwards at #2. I'm still not sold on a shooting guard who shot 29% from the college 3-point line.

Like I said before, I think TT and Drummond will be gone after next season, maybe earlier. We need a center. I want Wiseman but if not then Okongwu. If we decide to sign Drummond or even TT for several more years then Okongwu could move to power forward. Love isn't getting any younger and the closer his contract gets to the end the easier it should be to move him.

I'm fine with Sexton, Garland, and Porter at guard. Garland is going to be one of the most improved players in the league this season.

Nance can play small forward with Windler and Cedi competing for the backup role.

Edwards numbers are so similar to Sexton, but worse. His body is the reason he is in contention for #1. he has bigger frame than Sexton.

The things Sexton has improved on like shooting and decision making are exactly the things that Edwards is bad at. More than the redundancy with Garland, Sexton and Edwards would be occupying the same space. He's the worst fit out of the available Guards. Ball, Haliburton, and Hays are all better fits and probably better players.

Edwards has upside for sure, but IMO he has more things to improve on to become a good players than the other guys.