2013 NBA Draft Talk - Cavs win the NBA lottery! #1 Overall!

[BossHoggin]

We better not draft Cauley-Stein. And Bennett? Isn't he like 6'7 in shoes and a PF?

He says he wants to play "shooting guard or small forward" in the nba, he's also 250+

[tidho]

Otto Porter's name is popping up more and more.

[LongLiveIverson]

This is my take on the Cavs pick

Guys I would like to prematurely put to rest...

Ben Mclemore - Is sitting at the top of a generally weak class. Don't think we will have a shot unless we land a top 2 pick. Is not a 3 by any stretch of the imagination so another SG could be redundant. He is still my favorite player in the draft, ridiculous athleticism paired with a smooth game and silky jumper.

Best Case - More Athletic Ray Allen
Most Likely -Latrell Spreewell
Worst Case - Jason Richardson

Marcus Smart - Has been rising on draft boards and for good reason, he is having a great freshman campaign. Is a terrific defender, good player maker and a great leader. He is someone who can fit seamlessly with any team. He has his weaknesses..Not a particularly good shooter, lacks athleticism and a little undersized for the 2, not quite quick enough for a fulltime 1. I just see too much Randy Foye/Evan Turner in his game. Great college player but won't meet expectations in the pros due to lack of reliable jump shot and lack of athleticism. Foye is a much better shooter it should be noted. The comparisons to Wade are disrespectful. Wade is one of the best athletes the NBA has ever seen at the 2 guard position. Smart severely lacks athleticism when it comes to the freaks that are in the NBA. He can get to the rim due to his mass frame and ability to bully smaller guards in down low. Add in the fact that we JUST took a similar combo guard it would be smart to pass on Smart.

Best Case - Chauncey Billups
Middle - Randy Foye
Worst Case -Willie Green

Possibly but not Likely

Victor Oladipo - Is quickly becoming everyone's favorite player. Terrific Kenneth Faried type motor, but as a guard! One of the best on ball defenders I've watched in a long time. Great athleticism and has improved dramatically every season. Reminds me a bit of Andre Iguodala, who was a run and jump athlete when he first came out of Arizona but slowly developed into someone who can be looked at as a scoring option. That remains to be seen with Oladipo. Another player that comes to mind is a Trevor Ariza. He can't really create offense for himself and first few years may be regulated to simply running the floor, cutting and making hustle plays/points. I wouldn't be angry if this were the pick, I just don't see us taking him and simply moving Waiters to the bench. Would a lineup of Kyrie, Dion, Oladipo be exposed height wise? Love him as a player, but not a "perfect fit."

Best Case - Andre Iguodala
Middle -Trevor Ariza
Worst Case - Thabo Sefolosha

Cody Zeller - Idk about you but the thought of another soft Zeller makes me cringe. It should be noted that Tyler is a much better athlete than Cody..and Tyler isn't exactly Deandre Jordan or even Samuel Dalembert's league for that matter. The LaMarcus Aldridge comparisons seem a bit off considering Aldriges best weapon is his jumpshot for a bigman..Zeller doesn't really posses that in his aresenal yet. Can he play the 5 alongside Tristan? His short wingspan and lack of length kind of puts me off to that. Imagine both Zellers on the court at the same time..which would happen. Both nice players but we would get absolutely abused on the glass and torched on Defense. If we go with a bigman it should be someone that helps improve us defensively. That would not be the case whatsoever with Zeller

Best Case - Very poor mans Brook Lopez
Worst Case - Spencer Hawes

Shabazz Muhammad - Great athlete, strong body. I don't see him as a true 3 more of a slashing 2 guard. His stock is falling and for good reason, scouts are picking apart his game and finding noticeable flaws, much like Harrison Barnes another former top recruit hailed the next Kobe. In Barnes case he was considered a guy who could at least be a great spot up shooter, Shabazz will never ever..repeat ever, be a threat from the outside. Plays NO DEFENSE, Not a good shooter, forces bad shots, and doesn't make teamates better let alone get them involved. 18ppg doesn't impress me if your only averaging 1 assist in over 30mpg. (At least a gunner like OJ Mayo displayed solid playmaking abilities in college) Basically seems like someone who wont really affect the win/loss column as much as they should. (DeMar DeRozan CLONE) Imagine Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters and Shabazz battling for shots in the same backcourt. That would be like having Allen Iverson, Kobe and JR Smith. There will be heated arguments and someone will perish. In all seriousness though this is why teams like the Kings go nowhere by stacking one dimensional scorers/shooters..Tyreke, Jimmer, Aaron Brooks, Marcus Thornton.
PASS

Best Case - Joe Johnson
Middle - DeMar DeRozan
Worst Case - Gerald Henderson with less defense

That brings me to 4 prospects, one of which I believe will be the pick.

Otto Porter - Swiss army knife player, the unquestioned leader for Georgetown. Is a long, athletic defender cut from the Tayshaun Prince/Kawai Leonard mold. Still has glaring weaknesses in his game like his jumpshot and ability to dribble let alone create off the dribble. Top 5 may be a little high for him, but at worst your getting a guy who will stick around the league for a number of years.

Best Case - Nic Batum without Rage
Middle - Tayshaun Prince
Worst Case - Ronnie Brewer

Nerlens Noel - Before blowing out his knee he was in discussion for top pick. This might cause him to slip a few spots. Amazing shotblocker with improving defensive instincts. By no means is he a perfect defender, but he will get there. Marcus Camby and JaVale Mcgee are guys who are awful man defenders but looked nice on the stat sheet with 3 blocks. Noel seems to have the intangibles and willingness to learn and will someday make a terrific defensive big. Can obviously stand to gain substantial weight. Him and Thompson would make for a terror on defense. By no means a perfect match there will be growing pains on offense, but in terms of potential Noel would improve the team from Day 1.

Best Case - Dikembe Mutombo
Middle - Marcus Camby
Worst Case - Larry Sanders

Alex Len - Solid defender, Big body, nice touch and offensive skills, Runs the floor. Reminds alot of a younger Big Z. His numbers don't show his game due to awful guard play, but the guy has the tools and makings of a solid starting center. He could wind up simply like a Nikola Vucevic type with a ceiling of around 12/10. Certainly would be a safe pick in the 5-7 range. At the end of the day if Noel is on the board I take his longterm potential over Len. If he were drafted here he could ease his way into the pro game and learn behind Varejao.

Best Case - Zydrunas Ilgauskasis or Chris Kamen in prime
Middle - Tyler Zeller
Worst Case - Kousta Koufas

Anthony Bennett - Exploded onto the college scene as the most dominant freshman in the country. Despite being a McDonald's All American who was ranked #1 at his position, it has come with some surprise. He is truly a jack of all trades. The Larry Johnson comparison's are spot on. Imagine Bennett spelling Tristan at the 4 when he is on the bench, then sliding over to the 3 and playing with him. He would surely add a tantalizing, dynamic scoring option to compliment our guards. I'm typically not a fan of tweeners but unlike guys like Derrick Williams, Thad Young and Terrence Jones this guy is a terrific shooter. Certainly not a flawless prospect, his D needs to improve and a sure fire position is in question, but idk about you guys I would gladly take a Larry Johnson without the back problems on this squad.

Best Case - Larry Johnson
Middle - More explosive Paul Millsap
Worst Case - Quicker Patrick Patterson

Safe to say Smart or Oladipo won't be the picks. You have to look past the "Names" that are Shabazz and Zeller, there are much better options.

Personally I think you have to swing and take a shot at either Bennett or Noel. Wouldn't be upset with a consolation prize of Len or Porter.

[TheOUTLAW]

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Cavs take Noel (provided he's there) if they continue to move up in the standings.

[kiwibrindle]

As we continue to win and get fewer ping pomg balls, Alex Len would be fine with the first pick and I would take a flyer on Deshaun Thomas with the second. Both picks for need a 5 and a 3.

[LongLiveIverson]

Added some player comparisons, killed alot of time in my Macro class so keep the feedback and opinions coming guys!

[B Mac]

Im not sure how you can rule Oladipo out so quickly. He seems like the obvious Chris Grant choice. His rapid ascent up the draft board is no fluke either. We are seeing a player who is literally improving in huge increments from game to game. It will be interesting to see how he plays in the tourney, but it wouldnt suprise me in the least to see him taken in the top 3 now.

[gflem]

I havent seen much of the top rated players, but Oladipo was a difference maker in the IU win at MSU.

[Gordon Bombay]

i would love otto porter from georgetown. seems like a perfect fit next to kyrie and dion

[gflem]

Yeah, it seems that either one would be a good fit. I like Mclemore as well. Too bad about Noel, but maybe he slips due to the injury and we can move up enough to get him. I think that would be best case though not too likely.

[Niko23]

We are desperate for a wing/starting 3......I know we all think LeBron is coming back.....but we need to build as if he is not.......

[Roger Murdock]

At this point my strategy would be to try and land both Oladipo & Potter.

Take one with our pick and package the Lakers pick + 2 seconds + Sac pick to move up in the top 10 and take the other.

Irving/Waiters
Oladipo/Waiters
Potter/Gee
Thompson/Varejao
Zeller/Oden

Looks great to me.

[TheOUTLAW]

with the win today the Cavs jumped form the 3rd worst record to the 7th worst. Ouch!!!

[jman2585]

7th should still be good to take a glue SF, while other teams gamble on size.

[IMHO]

don't know how tie breakers are.

But I know we lost to bunch of bad teams.

[TheOUTLAW]

That is true, we suck against bad teams, but we've played the better teams fairly well. It's just crazy.

[BossHoggin]

In past years, I'd care about tanking, but I trust that the Cavs will make the right pick.

[IMHO]

Tanking last year didn't work for us, we could've probably been drafting at #8 and still got Dion, most GMs don't have the balls to draft who they feel is right regardless of mocks and popularity.

We could very well have another unorthodox pick this year, so whoever we end up picking, there might not be much difference if we're #4 or #10, other than rookie scale salary.

[TheOUTLAW]

There is always a difference if the guy you wanted is gone. Had Beal been on the table the Cavs would have taken him. They want who they want, but will take the guy that they think brings the best to the table.

[Dupp]

Rumor was the kings would have taken waiters at 5 iirc.