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2 years in the row, everyone wanted us to draft based on mock drafts, notably draftexpress and nbadraft.net...

This is what every team is pressured into every year, and often make mistakes. Beasley, OJ Mayo, Thabeet, were all consensus picks, you know who wasn't? Westbrook.

But I digress, back to this year's mock.



Waiters sure was a reach, 7th to 4th, please.

Another thing I find very interesting, Tyler Zeller was projected over Meyers Leonard, who was drafted earlier at 11th, and yet everyone praised Portland for such spectacular draft. Portland passed on Barnes AND Drummond, and took a "tall white guy that never turns out".

Hey if you need a point guard AND center, Drummond and Kendall Marshall should be the obvious picks, point guards are dime a dozen, center position is the one you DON'T screw up.

But hey, it's fun to pick on Cleveland.

Here's the thing. The mocks were obviously wrong. What I find amusing is how very different angles are being spun.

We got Zeller at #17 and he 'should be' #10 so its a great get because the mock draft accurately portrays his value.
We get Waiters at #4 but its ok that that we reached because mock drafts so frequently erroneously exaggerate player value.
...ummmm,

Even given your premise that the mock draft substantiate value resulting in us really getting two top 10 guys, wouldn't it have been even better if we'd taken Barnes and thus ended up with one top 5, and one top 10?

The part that I think is actually very dumb regarding how the Cavs picks are viewed has way more to do with Zeller than it does Waiters. People are thinking that the Cavs gave up to much to take Zellers which is just a silly way to view it. Clearly, if the guy was your guy you go up and get him. Giving up an additional second for that right is actually quite logical.

Alot of these Mock draft grades are just a bunch of crap. Everyone said Westbrook was a reach at 4 when he got picked as well, not that I comparing the 2 just the circumstance, The reason for the low grades for the Cavs from alot of so ccalled mock draft experts is that it makes them look bad, alot of them had him in the 7-13 range, so when he goes 4 it makes them look like they do not know what they are doing. I think Waiters was 4th on their board no matter what Byron says. I think the top 3 were already gone, and after that who were you going to take at 4? Barnes? maybe the only viable option but there are questions this guy cannot get his own shot and well we had enough of those when we had Lebron here before, Drummond? talk about a reach with his character issues and desire and 29% ft percentage, Lamb? at 4 probably a bigger reach then Waiters, who else??? The Cavs did the best they could with what still on the board at where they were picking, and lets face it they basically got 2 top 10-12 talents in this draft. Not bad at all. I love the fact that everyone is doubting this kid Waiters, this kid is from a tough part of town and has a little swagger and knowing those qualties he has a burning desire to show people he is the real deal.

tidho wrote:Here's the thing. The mocks were obviously wrong. What I find amusing is how very different angles are being spun.

We got Zeller at #17 and he 'should be' #10 so its a great get because the mock draft accurately portrays his value.
We get Waiters at #4 but its ok that that we reached because mock drafts so frequently erroneously exaggerate player value.
...ummmm,

Even given your premise that the mock draft substantiate value resulting in us really getting two top 10 guys, wouldn't it have been even better if we'd taken Barnes and thus ended up with one top 5, and one top 10?

Church.

Glad to see some objectivity from a fan who's not a homer.

Some of the "analysis" going on here is bordering on ridiculous.

Mock drafters aren't slamming the Cavs for "making them looks bad" they are slamming the Cavs because 1) they passed up someone in a higher tier to get Waiters and 2) they easily could have traded back to get Waiters (he wasn't going before #8)

As for the "we got two top 10 picks"....using that logic there are about 17 "top 10 picks" in this draft.

The Cavs are getting a bad draft grade because they very easily could have come out of this with a draft like Thomas Robinson, Perry Jones III, Draymond Green and a guard like Tyshawn Taylor or Doron Lamb. Yes, they'd still need a wing scorer, but they'd add a stud up front, a guy who coming into the year was a top 5 pick, a glue guy forward off the bench and either a defending or shooting guard. Instead they drafted a guy #4 in a 6 player draft that wasn't one of the 6 players and traded their other 3 picks for a stiff who was the 4th best player on a team that didn't make the Final 4. Justify all you want, but it was bad.

Its premature to call this draft a bust for the Cavs.

Those people in the front office are professionals and have way more data to evaluate the players.

I think waiters will be good.

Raptor Fan. Routing for you guys since Kyrie and Tristan. But you guys failed me this draft. I was hoping for a Kyrie/Barnes pairing. Waiters has been very underwhelming to date. Lets hope he puts it together.

In my opinion drafting Tyler Zeller over Terrence Jones or Jared Sullinger is a bad call, even if he's projected 10-11th.

Fischella wrote:In my opinion drafting Tyler Zeller over Terrence Jones or Jared Sullinger is a bad call, even if he's projected 10-11th.

Do you have any reasons to go along with your opinion?

Not a commentary on the Cavs draft, but lots of us in Portland are totally happy with all 3 of our picks, including the Leonard at 11 pick. He's far from a stiff and once he gets some experience and adds a bit of lower body strength should pan out as a long term solution at C. Very promising so far, lots of potential and more likely than Drummond to reach it.

Also, Lillard at 6 was the right pick over Barnes and Drummond (IMO). He's very good already, plays a position of need (unlike Barnes) and has quite a bit of upside as well.

Even Barton at 40 is looking like a smart pick that should end up contributing to the roster.

Yeah, I cant argue with Portlands picks at all. Barton (or Doron Lamb) is a guy I would have been interested in with one of the seconds for the Cavs if they had gone Barnes then big at 24.