Cleveland Cavaliers 2014 NBA Draft Big Board 1.0
Nov 28, 2013; Paradise Island, BAHAMAS; Kansas Jayhawks center Joel Embiid (21) and guard Andrew Wiggins (22) look to rebound during the game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at the 2013 Battle 4 Atlantis in the Imperial Arena at the Atlantis Resort. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Editor’s Note: This is not the official draft board of RDE’s Chris Manning or Trevor Magnotti. As you can tell, there are some notable differences when you compare this big board to those of DraftExpress.com, ESPN or other websites. This draft board reflects how Manning and Magnotti would rank the 2014 NBA Draft Class if they were the GM of the Cleveland Cavaliers and creating a draft board based on the following criteria: Skill level, positional need and upside. If you want to sound off, please do in the comments below or tweet Manning @cwmwrites or Magnotti @Tmagnotti.
Chris Manning’s Big Board
1. Andrew Wiggins, SF, Kansas
Wiggins would be a nice compliment to the current Cavaliers backcourt of Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters. He’s immediately become the best wing defender the roster, has a solid shooting stroke and would fill the biggest positional need on the Cavaliers. The other big prospects deserve a look, but Wiggins is the call here.
2. Joel Embiid, C, Kansas
Embiid, like his Kansas teammate Wiggins, would fill a hole in the Cavaliers roster. A frontcourt rotation next year of Embiid, Tristan Thompson, Tyler Zeller, Anderson Varejao and Anthony Bennett would be a solid group for Cleveland. Embiid, however, falls behind Wiggins on my board due to worries about his back.
3. Jabari Parker, SF/PF, Duke
Parker fascinates me as a prospect, but he doesn’t fit on this Cavs team. He’s definitely a tweener on a team that just drafted a tweener (Bennett) with the first overall pick a year ago. If it came down to it, the Cavaliers could make it work, but there are better fits available.
4. Noah Vonleh, PF/C, Indiana
This where things start to get interesting. Vonleh definitely has potential to play center, but he doesn’t strike me as the traditional interior presence this Cavs team is lacking. Still, if the Chris Bosh comparison is even 75 percent correct, he’d be a natural fit with Irving.
5. Dante Exum, G, International
Part of me wants to put Exum lower on this board due to the fact that he plays a position the Cavaliers have a lot of, but there’s something about his blend of size and skill that would give the Cavaliers a strong backcourt of the future. He also would be a good fit, skill and size wise, with Irving and Waiters long term.
6. Julius Randle, PF, Kentucky
As currently assembled, the Cavaliers need another power forward like I need more college loans. But if he’s available when the Cavaliers pick and he’s the best player available, you have to take him. He can instantly become the low-post scoring threat Cleveland simply does not have right now. Randle would allow whomever the general manager to use either Thompson or Bennett as a trade chip.
7. Aaron Gordon, PF, Arizona
Like the point guards not on my list, picturing Gordon as a Cavalier is hard for me to do. He’s a tweener, isn’t as developed as Parker and looks to be more four than three. But he can flat-out score and while it would take some effort to make it work, Gordon wouldn’t be the worst pick in the world for Cleveland.
8. Doug McDermott, SF/PF, Creighton
Most experts have McDermott slotted to the Cavs at number nine and it makes sense. McDermott can flat-out stroke it from deep and has the potentially to be a Mike Miller-type role player. There are, however, some concerns about what position he actually plays. If he is actually a small forward, he’s a really good pick for the Cavaliers.
9. Rodney Hood, SF, Duke
If you have listened to any episodes of Tuesdays With Right Down Euclid, you know that I love Rodney Hood. And if you haven’t, know this: I think Rodney Hood would be an excellent fit on the Cavaliers. He is an excellent shooter, his fairly high usage rate in college (23.8) figures to drop in the right situation and he’s a legit 6’8’. Granted, he is a very bad defender right now, but I think there only two guys in this draft who are more of a perfect fit for Cleveland.
10. Nik Stauskas, SG, Michigan
Stauskas does one thing the Cavaliers desperately needs bad: Shooting. If he were to become a Cavalier, Stauskas would immediately fill a role as a frequent three-point option, but he would also be competing for minutes in an already jammed backcourt. At 6’6”, 205, can he play the three for long stretches?
11. Jusuf Nurkic C, International
Nurkic, behind Embiid, is the best full-time center prospect in this draft. He’s big (6’11, 280 lbs.), has a wingspan of 7’2” and is only 19 years old. If the Cavaliers pick at nine or trade back for any reason, Nurkic would be a guy to target.
12. Clint Capela, PF/C, Switzerland
Capela is an interesting player from the Cavaliers’ perspective. He’s got the potential to become a really, really good defensive player and his offensive skills would pair nicely with Irving. He is. however, still raw and could be more of a power forward than a center once he fully develops. That, in itself, is concerning.
13. Dario Saric, PF, Croatia
It wasn’t too long ago that many had Saric as a potential Cavs draft pick. With things shifting around a little bit, however, Saric has slipped down the board a bit. It’s also unclear if he’s actually going to remain in this draft and he’s a power forward. I repeat: THE CAVALIERS DO NOT NEED ANOTHER POWER FORWARD.
14. Gary Harris, SG, Michigan State
Harris would create some interesting problems for coach Mike Brown. He seems like he would be a player that fits the Cavaliers organization (went to Michigan State, plays defense, etc.), but where would he find minutes? Unless he’s by far the best player available, it’s hard to justify targeting Harris.
15. James Young, SF, Kentucky
Young is another wing who would fit the Cavaliers needs. Unlike some of the aforementioned and to-be-mentioned players, however, Young has the potential to morph into a J.R. Smith-type. You could argue that the Cavaliers already have that in Waiters and that makes Young a risk.
16. Kyle Anderson, SF, UCLA
Anderson is, in a way, the lower risk version of Young. He can shoot (48.3 percent from deep in college) and can also run a little point. He’s lower on my list, but I think in the right situation, he’d be a really smart pick.
17. K.J. McDaniels, G/F, Clemson
McDaniels would be a strong pick as well. As Trevor noted in his profile of McDaniels, he would a good option for the Cavaliers if they moved back at all in the draft. My one concern about him is that he would be transitioning from a role as a primary scorer to a role player immediately. That could be a rough transition.
18. T.J. Warren, SF, N.C. State
Some think that Warren might play a little power forward as well at the next level. But unlike the other tweener types in this draft, he projects more as a small forward than as a power forward. What is worrisome is that despite shooting 26.7 percent from three last season, he shot 52.5 percent overall. That, if anything, makes him less of a fit for the Cavaliers.
19. Jerami Grant, SF, Syracuse
Grant projects as a small forward, but he doesn’t have a three-point stroke to speak of. He’s definitely worth a look in the right spot, but he’s like Luol Deng in the sense that won’t help the Cavaliers’ spacing from the wing. If I am the Cavaliers’ GM, that’s a red flag.
20. Cleanthony Early, SF, Wichita State
In no world is Early a top-20 prospect. But here’s my point: The Cavaliers will not be drafting a point guard like Marcus Smart or Tyler Ennis unless it’s for someone else in a trade. Thus, Cleveland is going to look to draft a wing or a center in any plausible scenario. Early, by default, makes the list.
Notable omission: Marcus Smart, PG, Oklahoma State, Tyler Ennis, PG, Syracuse
Trevor Magnotti’s Big Board
1. Andrew Wiggins, SF, Kansas
I feel it’s becoming closer to a consensus that Wiggins is the top prospect in this draft. He’s athletic, has good defensive fundamentals, and can score in a variety of ways. He doesn’t have the scorer’s mentality, but on a team with Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters leading the charge offensively, I’m not sure that’s the biggest concern. His fit makes him the clear top choice for me.
2. Joel Embiid, C, Kansas
I like Embiid as an all-around center prospect. He’s not as polished as Wiggins, and he’s got some injury scares, which does make me slightly nervous because of Post Varejao Stress Disorder (PVSD). However, if the back quiets down, he’s a skilled offensive big with great potential on the defensive end. He’d fit nicely as a jack-of-all-trades on both ends.
3. Jabari Parker, F, Duke
I like the other two players’ fits better, but Parker can flat-out score. His value’s too good to pass up, even if the fit isn’t great as a fourth high-usage offensive piece. If he’s there, and Wiggins and Embiid are not, take him and figure it out later.
4. Noah Vonleh, F/C, Indiana
Vonleh’s not on the level of the top three, but he’s a great fit for the Cavs. He can stroke it from mid-range, defend and finish PNRs, and has flashed rim protection ability. His ceiling is Chris Bosh. His floor is probably Anderson Varejao. Vonleh would be a great fit for this team, but sadly he’d be a better fit for the team that will likely pick two ahead of the Cavs, the Sacramento Kings.
5. Dante Exum, G, Australia
Exum would make the perfect third guard behind Kyrie and Dion. His length, defensive ability, and distributing skill would be used as a fire blanket covering up the current backcourt’s biggest pitfalls. The small-ball potential is also there with playing all three together, which would be pretty fun. Getting him probably removes his national kinsman Matthew Dellavedova from the rotation (Moment of silence) but it’s completely worth it.
6. Gary Harris, SG, Michigan St
Harris is probably one of the most polished guards in the draft. He can do a little bit of everything on both ends, and can even play a little bit of point. There would be questions about his fit on the current roster, but he seems like a perfect Mike Brown guy and I feel comfortable saying that Year Three Gary Harris is probably going to be better than Year Five Dion Waiters. He’d be a strong pick for this team.
7. Julius Randle, PF, Kentucky
Power forward logjam! It would be a nightmare having Randle, Bennett, and Thompson all attempting to develop on the same team at the same time, however, Randle’s definitely either the third, fourth, or fifth best prospect in this draft, and has the potential to be a perennial All-Star. This is the junction where I say, regardless of fit, take him and figure it out. If you have Randle, he’s a clear improvement over Thompson and Bennett, and you can probably move one. I’m okay with that plan if he falls to the Cavs at pick 9.
8. Aaron Gordon, PF, Arizona
See above, only with flashier play. I see lots of Jack/Gordon alley-oops on the bench unit if this happened.
9. Rodney Hood, G/F, Duke
It’s fairly obvious that we are much higher on Rodney Hood than most. Part of this is because he’s such a good fit for the Cavaliers. He’s a sieve defensively, but he is a great utility player on the offensive end to pair with Dion and Kyrie. He can play small forward, scores well in transition, and is an excellent shooter. If all of the above options are gone, I really don’t mind the idea of reaching for Hood.
10. Clint Capela, F/C, Switzerland
Another excellent fit here. I love the defensive potential of Capela, and think he could be another Larry Sanders in the making. He’d also make an excellent PNR partner for Kyrie. However, he’s a little raw, and there are questions about his strength and when he would be able to make an impact. Even with that, the fact that he’s a rim protecting center prospect that can finish well inside addresses two major needs for the Cavs, so he’d make a nice choice.
11. Nik Stauskas, G, Michigan
Stauskas is another nice utility wing for the Cavs to add to their offense. He can shoot well, handle the ball a little, and play point, shooting guard, or even some small forward. Like Hood, he’s terrible on defense, but he’s probably more offensively skilled. He’s only lower than Hood because he’s less of a legitimate small forward candidate.
12. Jusuf Nurkic, C, Bosnia
Another great international big, Nurkic would be an offensive force for the Cavs inside. He’s got a nice array of post moves and is a great PNR finisher. He’s not that athletic, which limits his potential on defense, but I love him as an offensive prospect. I just don’t like him on the Cavs as much as a guy like Capela because he fits a lot of what Tyler Zeller can do.
13. Doug McDermott, F, Creighton
Scheme-wise, McDermott brings exactly what you want for the Cavaliers’ offense. He’s an incredibly efficient shooter who can space the floor and rebound. However, he’s not a great athlete, and he’s too similar in size and positional fit to Anthony Bennett for the Cavs to realistically be looking to draft him.
14. Kyle Anderson, SF, UCLA
A point forward would be a fun wrinkle to the Cavs’ offense, and Andersn certainly would fit the part of a strong small forward for the Cavs to fit into their offense. However, he’s not incredibly athletically gifted, and he’s very ball-dominant, something the Cavs might not be able to afford.
15. Marcus Smart, G, Oklahoma State
At a certain point, this becomes a value pick. Smart’s a potential All-Star, and for all his shortcomings and problems with his fit on the roster, a player like this needs to be considered eventually. 15 seems about right.
16. James Young, G/F, Kentucky
The last thing the Cavs need is another inconsistent gunner to compete with Dion. I just don’t think he’s a good fit here chemistry-wise.
17. Dario Saric, F, Croatia
Probably not coming over this year, even if he declares. Probably not a guy a team like the Cavs could afford taking.
18. K.J. McDaniels, G/F, Clemson
Love him for this team. I just think taking him at the 9th pick is an ungodly reach.
19. T.J. Warren, SF, N.C. State
Reminds me a lot of a 6’8” C.J. Miles. I just think there are better fits out there, though.
20. Jerami Grant, F, Syracuse
Super-athletic and moldable. However, the Syracuse thing scares me away on a team without a rim protector.
Notable Omission: Tyler Ennis, PG, Syracuse
Combined Board
1. Andrew Wiggins, SF, Kansas
2. Joel Embiid, C, Kansas
3. Jabari Parker, SF/PF, Duke
4. Noah Vonleh, PF/C, Indiana
5. Dante Exum, G, International
6. Julius Randle, PF, Kentucky
7. Gary Harris, SG, Michigan State
8. Clint Capela, F/C, Switzerland
9. Doug McDermott, F, Creighton
10. Rodney Hood, G/F, Duke
11. Aaron Gordon, F, Arizona
12. Nik Stauskas, G, Michigan
13. Jusuf Nurkic, C, Bosnia
14. Kyle Anderson, F, UCLA
15. Marcus Smart, G, Oklahoma State