What does your Draft Board look like?

[czvo]

1. Bamba
2. JJJ
3. Luka
4. Ayton
5. Bagley
6. MPJ
7. Mikal Bridges (I guess...)

Don't really care after that. I would like for them to avoid Miles, Young and Carter, but if the 7 above are gone, well, beggars can't be choosers.

 

[SylkEJohnson]

If Bron Sr stays and we for some reason keep pick/prospect:

1. Ayton
2. Doncic
3. Bagley
4. Bamba
5. JJJ
6. Carter
7. Mikal Bridges
8. Porter

If Bron Sr flees:

1. Ayton
2. Doncic
3. Bagley
4. JJJ
5. Porter
6. Sexton
7. Bamba
8. Carter

I hope all the bad things in life happen to the Warriors and only to the Warriors.

 

[FrontPageNews]

1. Trade scenario 1
2. Trade scenario 2
3. Trade scenario 3
4. Trade scenario 4
5. Trade scenario 5
6. Trade scenarios fail - Draft a player and begin project suck.

7. Trade back to the 2023 draft to stock pile for Lebron Jr.

 

[cavsfever]

People don't seem to like Wendell Carter much. Not a flashy athlete but seems like he has a good range of skills, from defense to jump shooting. Didn't get that much of a chance to be a leader on Duke though.

 

[Green Lantern]

Switching was the right move until Javale came into the fray in game two, Cavs never countered. ISO the 7'1 guy with freakish wingspan on George Hill over and over again will be etched into my retinas. However, switching is the right design to slow off ball screens. Hill had some great perimeter defense otherwise, and Zizic isn't ready to battle in the playoffs. Wendell Carter Jr. has fewer holes in his game than Zizic, and he may fall to #8. He would have helped shore up the paint tremendously.

The switching they attempted to do on those screens just left players wide open in the lane and the baseline.
To have it happen once or twice in a game is tolerable (although some coaches would bust a nerve on that) but to have it repeatedly happen in a half would get a HC launched into deep space, let alone the players.
For me, that's something that just added to the mess last year when they didn't know or recognize how to defend GS's fast break.
They need a defensive player who can actually play defense and is actually good at it.

 

[Randolphkeys]

The switching they attempted to do on those screens just left players wide open in the lane and the baseline.
To have it happen once or twice in a game is tolerable (although some coaches would bust a nerve on that) but to have it repeatedly happen in a half would get a HC launched into deep space, let alone the players.
For me, that's something that just added to the mess last year when they didn't know or recognize how to defend GS's fast break.
They need a defensive player who can actually play defense and is actually good at it.

There is a lot to unpack with this post, and while I'm glad you brought it up I'm going to hold back on some details because I'm out doing stuff.

1. Switching on picks isn't a passing fad. The two teams who committed to it the most this season were the Warriors and Rockets. Reason being, teams are okay with a mismatch over helping off a three point shooter to shut down the paint. The key is personnel on the floor. If all five defenders have the mobility to stay with the initiator of the play and decent length to contest a different pisition, the worst you give up is a contested close shot. Since refs haven't called fouls off penetration like they used to, it will be a contested shot with some body contact. Teams have been willing to put up with that over a wide open corner three.

2. The trade deadline deal brought good length at multiple positions, because the Cavs saw switching as their best shot against either the Warriors or Rockets.

3. The place where the Cavs really got in deep water was Kerr's counter: Javale McGee. He was scoring easily over George Hill, and so the Cavs dug into a different look - trapping the ball. This wasn't as successful because the Warriors usually came away with an open three.

As always, good offense is going to win against good defense. The Cavs need a talent infusion, but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Switching off picks isnt going anywhere.

 

[Sir'Dom Pointer]

There is a lot to unpack with this post, and while I'm glad you brought it up I'm going to hold back on some details because I'm out doing stuff.

1. Switching on picks isn't a passing fad. The two teams who committed to it the most this season were the Warriors and Rockets. Reason being, teams are okay with a mismatch over helping off a three point shooter to shut down the paint. The key is personnel on the floor. If all five defenders have the mobility to stay with the initiator of the play and decent length to contest a different pisition, the worst you give up is a contested close shot. Since refs haven't called fouls off penetration like they used to, it will be a contested shot with some body contact. Teams have been willing to put up with that over a wide open corner three.

2. The trade deadline deal brought good length at multiple positions, because the Cavs saw switching as their best shot against either the Warriors or Rockets.

3. The place where the Cavs really got in deep water was Kerr's counter: Javale McGee. He was scoring easily over George Hill, and so the Cavs dug into a different look - trapping the ball. This wasn't as successful because the Warriors usually came away with an open three.

As always, good offense is going to win against good defense. The Cavs need a talent infusion, but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Switching off picks isnt going anywhere.

Cavs had the 8th ranked offense and the 12th ranked defense in the playoffs. Before the GSW series they ranked 9 in defensive efficiency (.PPP allowed)

Just abysmal for a contender, no matter how you want to spin it. Inexcusable really. They weren't elite or even good defensively in the playoffs as some want to believe. (1.009 .PPP is not good).

They had to do things differently on both ends on the floor, but were too stubborn and not very creative.

 

[Randolphkeys]

Cavs had the 8th ranked offense and the 12th ranked defense in the playoffs. Before the GSW series they ranked 9 in defensive efficiency (.PPP allowed)

Just abysmal for a contender, no matter how you want to spin it. Inexcusable really. They weren't elite or even good defensively in the playoffs as some want to believe. (1.009 .PPP is not good).

Absolutely bad, and oddly enough the defense looked better than what we saw in the regular season. When I say the Cavs targeted better length in the back court, I'm not saying the deals were some great success. I just see that the deals allowed a different defensive philosophy than, say, trying to hide IT's awful defense. As always, talent and actual effort on the perimeter will improve a defense. A few perimeter players still ran hot and cold in defensive effort throughout the playoffs. At the heart of this part of your post, we agree.

They had to do things differently on both ends on the floor, but were too stubborn and not very creative.

I guess part that falls on the coaches specifically here is failing to change it up more efficiently. I hated the trap plays and thought they relied on it too often without much payoff. I would have preferred seeing the Cavs go over more screens against Durant specifically when he got hot in game 3, but that's history now. The question I really wanted to answer is do you abandon the option to switch by drafting Young because his offensive upside is intriguing. I feel like drafting Young is like rolling the dice on IT due to his defensive limitations.

 

[inliner311]

People don't seem to like Wendell Carter much. Not a flashy athlete but seems like he has a good range of skills, from defense to jump shooting. Didn't get that much of a chance to be a leader on Duke though.

I think he is the guy with maybe the highest floor but his ceiling isn't as high as the rest of the top 8. People compare him to Al Horford.

I think Trae Young might have the widest gap of floor to ceiling. I would pick Trae Young over Carter.

 

[inliner311]

The question I really wanted to answer is do you abandon the option to switch by drafting Young because his offensive upside is intriguing. I feel like drafting Young is like rolling the dice on IT due to his defensive limitations.

I think we saw with George Hill that any point guard is going to get abused by Durant or if they insert a true center like McGee and keep switching on defense. I think that a big question with how we reshape the roster going forward. Drafting a player or trading, our PG has to be killing it on offense to make up for any defense he will be giving up. Do we try to find more ball handlers with length/height at other positions to counter act the warriors switching and not use a PG for times in the game? Curry is bothered by length, I don't think we lose much by moving away from a guy like Hill if Cedi or someone else can step up and be a good on ball defender.

 

[Nathan S]

I think he is the guy with maybe the highest floor but his ceiling isn't as high as the rest of the top 8. People compare him to Al Horford.

I think Trae Young might have the widest gap of floor to ceiling. I would pick Trae Young over Carter.

I don't dislike Young, but I don't think Carter has a low ceiling either. I've said in his past I think his ceiling is something like a bigger, more athletic Kevin Love, and that's a superstar level player.

 

[inliner311]

I don't dislike Young, but I don't think Carter has a low ceiling either. I've said in his past I think his ceiling is something like a bigger, more athletic Kevin Love, and that's a superstar level player.

I don't think it's a low ceiling, just lower than the rest of the guys in the top 8. I don't think he can be the lead guy on a championship team, he is more of a second star, like Kevin Love or Horford. Maybe the safest of the picks in the top 8 though.

I think every other player in the top 8 has lead guy potential. Bamba has the longest way to get there because he is so raw but the potential is there. Trae Young is more boom or bust, we will probably know after the first season if he is a superstar in the making or just not made for the league.

 

[Nathan S]

I don't think it's a low ceiling, just lower than the rest of the guys in the top 8. I don't think he can be the lead guy on a championship team, he is more of a second star, like Kevin Love or Horford.

I think every other player in the top 8 has lead guy potential. Bamba has the longest way to get there because he is so raw but the potential is there. Trae Young is more boom or bust, we will probably know after the first season if he is a superstar in the making or just not made for the league.

I guess I agree with that statement...I don't think Carter really has the potential to carry a team to a championship. But I think at the very least Bagley and Bamba are sort of in that same boat, with potential to be very good second banana types if everything goes right with their development. Really hard for me to envision how Bagley in particular becomes a franchise player.

 

[inliner311]

I guess I agree with that statement...I don't think Carter really has the potential to carry a team to a championship. But I think at the very least Bagley and Bamba are sort of in that same boat, with potential to be very good second banana types if everything goes right with their development. Really hard for me to envision how Bagley in particular becomes a franchise player.

I think Bagley is one of those guys you put the ball in his hands right off the bat and take your lumps while he works on his ball handling and playmaking. He is super atheltic, already has a good 3 point shot, and finishes around the rim with ease. He has shown some ability to handle the ball, that's the hole in his game to really work on.

Bamba might be the most atheltic of the bunch but is raw as they come, especially on offense. He will have to slowly work on his game on offense because he really doesn't have any go to shots other than dunks. He has a 3 point shot but it was 28% and from college 3. It's something he will have to develop much more for it to be useful in the NBA. We might not even see his full potential before his rookie contract ends.

 

[Nathan S]

I think Bagley is one of those guys you put the ball in his hands right off the bat and take your lumps while he works on his ball handling and playmaking. He is super atheltic, already has a 3 point shot, and finishes around the rim with ease. He has shown some ability to handle the ball, that's the hole in his game to really work on.

Bamba might be the most atheltic of the bunch but is raw as they come, especially on offense. He will have to slowly work on his game on offense because he really doesn't have any go to shots other than dunks. He has a 3 point shot but it was 28% and from college 3. It's something he will have to develop much more for it to be useful in the NBA. We might not even see his full potential before his rookie contract ends.

Bagley already has a 3-point shot? Uh...I got some bad news for ya

I can't imagine putting the ball in Bagley's hands and asking him to create from the perimeter. Don't think he's naturally a very good decision maker with the ball. Better ballhandler than Bamba and perhaps Ayton, but still much more of a finisher than a creator.

EDIT: To be clear, I get that Bagley made some 3's in college, so he does arguably have a 3-point shot to some extent. But I don't think even big fans of his are super confident in him being a 3-point threat at the NBA level, at least not off the dribble.