What's the deal with drafting in the city of Cleveland? Each year, the Browns and Cavs braintrust try to prove that they are the smartest guys in the room and draft someone that isn't expected to go so high. Unlike the Browns who can't seem to draft a stud at overall number 1, at least the Cavs have made a few good decisions with their #1 overall. The other picks are the ones that are a head scratcher.
With a few players with high expectations still on the board (Thomas Robinson, Harrison Barnes), the Cavs front office show their skills by selecting a guard from Syracuse who was a 6th man in college, never starting a game. He sort of reminds me of Rodney Stucky, who I wouldn't have drafted at #4. This feels like Tristan Thompson all over again - some talent on the board and decide to surprise and go with someone else, because they're the smartest guys in the room.
Only to top this event. they prove their genius by trading three picks in the top 35 to move up seven positions to get their rights to the next NC/Duke center in a long line of underachievers. I guess the memories of a similar sized Danny Ferry are no longer in the draft room, unless they drafted him to eventually end up with a personnel job if he doesn't cut it on the court. Don't we have enough big guys who can't (or don't) shoot from outside - Tyler Zeller averaged less than one outside shot attempt per game this year.
The luxury tax structure in the NBA is changing - maybe the Cavs want to be a yearly recipient instead of a contributor.
They are in trade talks, offering up any and all players to whichever team that can get Shawn Bradley or Sam Bowie out of retirement and sign... LOL. "There's always next year". Ahh, the good ole commitment to excellence. I joked about it being excellent draft picks for years to come. But, I guess its more of excellent draft positioning. How sad.
1. We needed a new / younger "Z".
2 I don't want my center throwing up three pointers, nor my power forwards. Jamison was an exception. I want my big uglies down low rebounding.
3. The NBA is ussualy about 5 deep..... Everyone else is a crap shoot.Lasy year the #1 and #60 Isiah Thomas looked great. The rest not so good.....Russell Westbrook wasn't rated that high when he came out either...
4. I think Byron Scott was pretty high on the guy. I'm willing to wait and see.
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The first pick we will have to wait and see. But trading the 24th pick and 2 2nd round picks to get a lottery player i see nothing wrong with. I think that was a good move.
John Hollinger is an NBA guru. He had the kid from Cuse ranked where the Cavs had him, just like had Irving and Thompson last year. Unlike many of you, I absolutely love the Cavs' draft. I have faith in Grant, and I think I'll be saying I told you so in two years.
As a KU fan, I absolutely wanted T-Rob, but we went with a PF at the 4th pick last year. Didn't make sense.
I wasn't originally sold on the Cav's pick of Kyrie Irving last year ... he was a kid with an injury history who only played about 1/2 year of college ball. But, he developed pretty well (NBA Rookie of the Year) and made the front office look like they knew what they were doing. Tristan Thompson was a project ... and as such will take several years to evaluate as a pick.
As a lifelong Cleveland fan, I'm gong to try to take a "wait and see" approach to this years draft, and hope (although I seem to say that every year!) that the pick works out. You just never know. Injuries, stupidity, and other factors can turn promising college players into wash-outs, and every year some unknown rises way above the predicted talent level to become the player that everyone missed out on in the draft.
Hopefully, the Cav's are indeed smarter than the rest ... (but I'm not going to hold my breath).
Waiters is the best penetrator in the draft. The guy can get to the rim at will. Watch a couple games before you judge him. If he can tweak his jumpshot a little bit to become more consistent shooting, he has a good chance to become the best player in this draft.
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The gods do not deduct from man's allotted span the hours spent in fishing. ~Babylonian Proverb
I'm willing to wait and see on Waiters. He may not have started for Syracuse, but you need to look past that into the stats a little deeper. He didn't start, but played nearly "starter minutes" at over 24 per game and was always on the floor to finish games. And as a non-starter with 24+ minutes per game, he was the 2nd leading scorer for a team that won 34 games, spent much of the season ranked in the top 3, and finished top 10. He wouldn't have been my pick, but I will wait and see before judging.
Cavs draft 2012, smartest guys in the room again?
Cavs draft 2012, smartest guys in the room again?
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