30 Teams, 30 Days: Cleveland Draft Preview
Authored by Jason M. Wiliams - June 25, 2009 - 4:07 am
2008-2009 Finish: 66-16
2009 Draft Picks: 30th
Pre-Draft 2009-10 Projected Starters:
PG Maurice Williams
SG Delonte West
SF LeBron James
PF Anderson Varejao
C Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Key Reserves:
PG Daniel Gibson
PF J.J. Hickson
C Shaquille O'Neal
What The Cavs Do Well:
The Cavs had a great season. Period. LeBron had a great season. Period. Maurice Williams was perhaps the best addition of the 2008 offseason. But when the dust cleared, the Cavs were seen fleeing the scene in Orlando, with astronomical expectations reduced to nothing.
LeBron James won his first MVP award after averaging an un-kosher 28.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.69 steals, and 1.15 blocks per game. Sick. Mo Williams became a perfect second fiddle to LeBron while averaging 17.8 points and 4.1 assists. But aside from those two, Delonte West and Anderson Varejao’s scrappy play, and some moments of greatness from their supporting cast, this team was left looking paper thin and old.
Big Z is fading. Wally won’t be back unless he accepts the league minimum. Joe Smith is ancient.
It will be very interesting to see what kind of difference Shaq will bring to the equation.
The Cavs are now on the brink of losing LeBron because Danny Ferry was incapable of building a competent roster around LeBron since he took over for Jim Paxson in 2005. Sure, they got to one Finals and had the best record in the NBA this year. But both of those facts happened only because of Mr. James himself. Imagine if he had a strong supporting cast.
Now, the Cavs will be looking over their shoulder for teams like the Knicks, Nets, Bulls and Heat, hoping that the next 13 months are not LeBron’s final 13 months in Cleveland.
Greatest Areas Of Improvement:
Post Presence
None of the Cavalier big men can score consistently and command a double team in the paint. Is this where Shaq could have helped them last year? Yes! Will it be one season too late?
A Real Shooting Guard
Delonte West is a very nice player, but he’s way too small to be a starting two-guard. He fits perfectly as a backup guard who can spell both guard positions and hit from a high percentage from deep (39.9% shooting from three-point). The Cavs need a big 6-5+ shooting guard who can give LeBron another sidekick who can score off the dribble. Did somebody say Vince Carter?
Who’s Gone Number 30 Recently?
The 30th pick has been great in recent years, with 2001 yielding Gilbert Arenas, 2002 Roger Mason, and 2004 Anderson Varejao as a top selection in the second round. In 2005, the draft expanded and the 30th pick became the last selection in the first round. There, the Knicks grabbed one of the biggest recent steals by finding David Lee out of Florida. Since then there have been some foreign guys picked and the Celts took J.R. Giddens to stow away in the NBDL.
2008
J.R. Giddens, Boston Celtics
2007
Petteri Koponen, Philadelphia 76ers (traded to Portland)
2006
Joel Freeland, Portland Trail Blazers
2005
David Lee, New York Knicks
2004
Anderson Varejao, Orlando Magic
Who Should The Cavs Target?
--Derrick Brown of Xavier
A combo forward out of local Dayton, Ohio, the Cavs would like to get their hands on the rugged prospect from Xavier who can play inside and outside and finish with authority at the bucket.
--DeMarre Carroll of Missouri
The last time someone saw a scrappy lockdown defender stuck between the three and four position, who thrives in transition, with a motor that rivals the Energizer Bunny, they were listening to Isiah Thomas prep the Knicks brass for selecting Renaldo Balkman. While Carroll dons the dreads similar to Balkman, he also comes equipped with a more polished offensive game and ability to pass the ball to set up teammates.
--Jeff Pendergraph of Arizona State
Pendergraph is another big body who can bang down low and tear down rebounds. He has a knack for scoring in the paint and can thrive in the run-and-gun offensive system.
--Chase Budinger of Arizona
The Cavs would love to get their hands on Zona’s Chase Budinger. Budinger has the size, athleticism, and ability to score that the Cavs desperately need at the starting two-guard position. But will he fit into Mike Brown’s stingy defensive game plan?
Picks Over the Past Five Years
After a strong (lucky) 2003 draft that saw the Cavs select LeBron James and Jason Kapono (second round), the Cavs have made only had five picks over the past five years. They swung and missed in 2004 on Luke Jackson (passed on Andris Biedrins, Al Jefferson, Josh Smith, J.R. Smith, Jameer Nelson, Delonte West, Kevin Martin, and everyone’s favorite Pavel Podkolzine), but they really did well in 2006 sifting through the dirt to find Shannon Brown and Daniel Gibson. Hickson looked good at times, but its still too early to tell how this big fella is going to turn out.
2008
J.J. Hickson, 19th
2007
No picks
2006
Shannon Brown, 25th
Daniel Gibson, 42nd
2005
No picks
2004
Luke Jackson, 10th :thumbdown
Who Do the Fans Want?
According to Andrew Perna’s Cleveland Cavaliers Draft Summit, an interactive forum featuring the responses of true RealGM hoops fans hoping to add their two cents to the Cavaliers draft discussion, the fans of Cleveland have made it known that they would like to draft a big man.
The Verdicts
1. What could the team have done differently to advance further in the playoffs?
TheOUTLAW: They could have addressed the front-line issues we all knew they had.
Frankie: We should have traded Wally Szczerbiak at the deadline.
Pula_86: I don't think they could have really done anything at the deadline that would have changed the outcome. Orlando exposed problems in the backcourt and that Cleveland has no front court.
InBoobieWeTrust: If they played small ball with Sasha Pavlovic at the 3 and LeBron James at the 4.
2. Where were the team’s biggest strengths?
TheOUTLAW: LeBron's versatility was Cleveland’s strength, as well as the team’s three-point shooting.
Frankie: LeBron, offensive rebounding, and three-point shooting.
Pula_86: James.
InBoobieWeTrust: LeBron's ability to create offense and the team’s overall commitment to defense.
3. Who had a surprisingly effective season?
TheOUTLAW: The easiest person to overlook is LeBron. He was an absolute beast all season. If he wasn't the biggest surprise it likely was Mo Williams, who I actually questioned as far as his ability to play well with this team.
Frankie: Williams and Varejao.
Pula_86: Delonte West continues to impress me with his development. I wish he was 3-4 inches taller, but I love how scrappy he is offensively and defensively.
InBoobieWeTrust: West.
4. Who had a surprisingly ineffective season?
TheOUTLAW: Ineffective? Yeah, that'd have to be Ben Wallace.
Frankie: Wallace.
Pula_86: Varejao is the player whose value dropped the most in my eyes. He has always been a bit inconsistent, but I didn't see him improve on anything.
InBoobieWeTrust: Daniel Gibson.
5. How confident are you in the front office heading into the offseason?
TheOUTLAW: The front office has done a decent job of getting people without making risky deals.
Frankie: I’m pretty confident that they'll make a trade for another star player.
Pula_86: I am not very confident. Last offseason was probably the best by Danny Ferry. He was too short-sighted in re-signing Big Z and Varejao for what he did and has continually failed to address the front line.
InBoobieWeTrust: I’m extremely confident.
6. What are the team’s biggest needs in the draft?
TheOUTLAW: They need youth and size on the front line.
Frankie: Youth, size, length, and depth.
Pula_86: A big man and backcourt depth are all priorities.
InBoobieWeTrust: An athletic wing that can shoot and defend, a big who can score in the paint and a backup point guard.
7. Who would you like the Cavaliers to take with the 30th pick?
TheOUTLAW: A center or a power forward.
Frankie: An athletic big that can defend in the post.
Pula_86: Taj Gibson, DaJuan Summers.
InBoobieWeTrust: I'd like to trade up for Sam Young, but Marcus Thornton would be a great consolation prize.
http://cavaliers.realgm.com/articles/120/20090625/30_teams_30_days_cleveland_draft_preview/
Authored by Jason M. Wiliams - June 25, 2009 - 4:07 am
2008-2009 Finish: 66-16
2009 Draft Picks: 30th
Pre-Draft 2009-10 Projected Starters:
PG Maurice Williams
SG Delonte West
SF LeBron James
PF Anderson Varejao
C Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Key Reserves:
PG Daniel Gibson
PF J.J. Hickson
C Shaquille O'Neal
What The Cavs Do Well:
The Cavs had a great season. Period. LeBron had a great season. Period. Maurice Williams was perhaps the best addition of the 2008 offseason. But when the dust cleared, the Cavs were seen fleeing the scene in Orlando, with astronomical expectations reduced to nothing.
LeBron James won his first MVP award after averaging an un-kosher 28.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.69 steals, and 1.15 blocks per game. Sick. Mo Williams became a perfect second fiddle to LeBron while averaging 17.8 points and 4.1 assists. But aside from those two, Delonte West and Anderson Varejao’s scrappy play, and some moments of greatness from their supporting cast, this team was left looking paper thin and old.
Big Z is fading. Wally won’t be back unless he accepts the league minimum. Joe Smith is ancient.
It will be very interesting to see what kind of difference Shaq will bring to the equation.
The Cavs are now on the brink of losing LeBron because Danny Ferry was incapable of building a competent roster around LeBron since he took over for Jim Paxson in 2005. Sure, they got to one Finals and had the best record in the NBA this year. But both of those facts happened only because of Mr. James himself. Imagine if he had a strong supporting cast.
Now, the Cavs will be looking over their shoulder for teams like the Knicks, Nets, Bulls and Heat, hoping that the next 13 months are not LeBron’s final 13 months in Cleveland.
Greatest Areas Of Improvement:
Post Presence
None of the Cavalier big men can score consistently and command a double team in the paint. Is this where Shaq could have helped them last year? Yes! Will it be one season too late?
A Real Shooting Guard
Delonte West is a very nice player, but he’s way too small to be a starting two-guard. He fits perfectly as a backup guard who can spell both guard positions and hit from a high percentage from deep (39.9% shooting from three-point). The Cavs need a big 6-5+ shooting guard who can give LeBron another sidekick who can score off the dribble. Did somebody say Vince Carter?
Who’s Gone Number 30 Recently?
The 30th pick has been great in recent years, with 2001 yielding Gilbert Arenas, 2002 Roger Mason, and 2004 Anderson Varejao as a top selection in the second round. In 2005, the draft expanded and the 30th pick became the last selection in the first round. There, the Knicks grabbed one of the biggest recent steals by finding David Lee out of Florida. Since then there have been some foreign guys picked and the Celts took J.R. Giddens to stow away in the NBDL.
2008
J.R. Giddens, Boston Celtics
2007
Petteri Koponen, Philadelphia 76ers (traded to Portland)
2006
Joel Freeland, Portland Trail Blazers
2005
David Lee, New York Knicks
2004
Anderson Varejao, Orlando Magic
Who Should The Cavs Target?
--Derrick Brown of Xavier
A combo forward out of local Dayton, Ohio, the Cavs would like to get their hands on the rugged prospect from Xavier who can play inside and outside and finish with authority at the bucket.
--DeMarre Carroll of Missouri
The last time someone saw a scrappy lockdown defender stuck between the three and four position, who thrives in transition, with a motor that rivals the Energizer Bunny, they were listening to Isiah Thomas prep the Knicks brass for selecting Renaldo Balkman. While Carroll dons the dreads similar to Balkman, he also comes equipped with a more polished offensive game and ability to pass the ball to set up teammates.
--Jeff Pendergraph of Arizona State
Pendergraph is another big body who can bang down low and tear down rebounds. He has a knack for scoring in the paint and can thrive in the run-and-gun offensive system.
--Chase Budinger of Arizona
The Cavs would love to get their hands on Zona’s Chase Budinger. Budinger has the size, athleticism, and ability to score that the Cavs desperately need at the starting two-guard position. But will he fit into Mike Brown’s stingy defensive game plan?
Picks Over the Past Five Years
After a strong (lucky) 2003 draft that saw the Cavs select LeBron James and Jason Kapono (second round), the Cavs have made only had five picks over the past five years. They swung and missed in 2004 on Luke Jackson (passed on Andris Biedrins, Al Jefferson, Josh Smith, J.R. Smith, Jameer Nelson, Delonte West, Kevin Martin, and everyone’s favorite Pavel Podkolzine), but they really did well in 2006 sifting through the dirt to find Shannon Brown and Daniel Gibson. Hickson looked good at times, but its still too early to tell how this big fella is going to turn out.
2008
J.J. Hickson, 19th
2007
No picks
2006
Shannon Brown, 25th
Daniel Gibson, 42nd
2005
No picks
2004
Luke Jackson, 10th :thumbdown
Who Do the Fans Want?
According to Andrew Perna’s Cleveland Cavaliers Draft Summit, an interactive forum featuring the responses of true RealGM hoops fans hoping to add their two cents to the Cavaliers draft discussion, the fans of Cleveland have made it known that they would like to draft a big man.
The Verdicts
1. What could the team have done differently to advance further in the playoffs?
TheOUTLAW: They could have addressed the front-line issues we all knew they had.
Frankie: We should have traded Wally Szczerbiak at the deadline.
Pula_86: I don't think they could have really done anything at the deadline that would have changed the outcome. Orlando exposed problems in the backcourt and that Cleveland has no front court.
InBoobieWeTrust: If they played small ball with Sasha Pavlovic at the 3 and LeBron James at the 4.
2. Where were the team’s biggest strengths?
TheOUTLAW: LeBron's versatility was Cleveland’s strength, as well as the team’s three-point shooting.
Frankie: LeBron, offensive rebounding, and three-point shooting.
Pula_86: James.
InBoobieWeTrust: LeBron's ability to create offense and the team’s overall commitment to defense.
3. Who had a surprisingly effective season?
TheOUTLAW: The easiest person to overlook is LeBron. He was an absolute beast all season. If he wasn't the biggest surprise it likely was Mo Williams, who I actually questioned as far as his ability to play well with this team.
Frankie: Williams and Varejao.
Pula_86: Delonte West continues to impress me with his development. I wish he was 3-4 inches taller, but I love how scrappy he is offensively and defensively.
InBoobieWeTrust: West.
4. Who had a surprisingly ineffective season?
TheOUTLAW: Ineffective? Yeah, that'd have to be Ben Wallace.
Frankie: Wallace.
Pula_86: Varejao is the player whose value dropped the most in my eyes. He has always been a bit inconsistent, but I didn't see him improve on anything.
InBoobieWeTrust: Daniel Gibson.
5. How confident are you in the front office heading into the offseason?
TheOUTLAW: The front office has done a decent job of getting people without making risky deals.
Frankie: I’m pretty confident that they'll make a trade for another star player.
Pula_86: I am not very confident. Last offseason was probably the best by Danny Ferry. He was too short-sighted in re-signing Big Z and Varejao for what he did and has continually failed to address the front line.
InBoobieWeTrust: I’m extremely confident.
6. What are the team’s biggest needs in the draft?
TheOUTLAW: They need youth and size on the front line.
Frankie: Youth, size, length, and depth.
Pula_86: A big man and backcourt depth are all priorities.
InBoobieWeTrust: An athletic wing that can shoot and defend, a big who can score in the paint and a backup point guard.
7. Who would you like the Cavaliers to take with the 30th pick?
TheOUTLAW: A center or a power forward.
Frankie: An athletic big that can defend in the post.
Pula_86: Taj Gibson, DaJuan Summers.
InBoobieWeTrust: I'd like to trade up for Sam Young, but Marcus Thornton would be a great consolation prize.
http://cavaliers.realgm.com/articles/120/20090625/30_teams_30_days_cleveland_draft_preview/
