With the recent injury to their starting shooting guard, the Cleveland Cavaliers will be looking for ways to pick up the slack. Rookie Kay Felder could be an option.
The Cleveland Cavaliers drafted Kay Felder out of Oakland University with the 54th pick in the 2016 NBA draft. It was unclear how soon it would be until the Cavaliers let the rookie see consistent playing time but that time could be sooner rather than later with the recent injury to J.R. Smith.
During his time in college, Felder was a force to be reckoned with on offense. In his junior year at Oakland, the 5-foot-9 point guard led the nation in assists with 9.4 per contest, and was fourth in scoring with 24.4 points per game. He was the only player in the country to rank in the top five in both categories.
With a lack of depth on the team, head coach Tyronn Lue could call upon the rookie point guard to provide a quick spark off the bench.
So far in the 2016-17 campaign, Felder is averaging 3.8 points and 1.8 assists per game. During Friday’s 119-99 blowout win against the Brooklyn Nets, Felder scored 11 points on 57.1 percent shooting from the field, to go with with three assists, one steal and one block.
This could be a sign of things to come in the near future as the Cavaliers look for ways to optimize the bench production during a time with so many injuries.
Depth has been an issue for the Cavaliers all season. The bench unit currently ranks 27th in the Association when it comes to scoring, putting up just 28.7 points per game.
Felder, 21, is a crafty guard who can get his shot in a multitude of different ways. In transition, Felder would be able to use his quickness to get in the lane for an easy layup or find an open teammate behind the arc.
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On offense, the rookie would be able to run the pick-and-roll with Tristan Thompson, who is a strong finisher down low, or the pick-and-pop with Channing Frye, who is shooting 45.1 percent from beyond the arc this season. This could also allow him to create space for an open mid-range jumper.
Although he may not be a lockdown defender, Felder has proven to be pesky on defense. Like Matthew Dellavadova, he guards every foot of the court, picking up on his defender while the ball is being inbounded. He also uses his aggressiveness to jump the passing lanes, something he showcased during his junior season at Oakland where he averaged 2.0 steals per game.
He may be at a size disadvantage on defense but his 44-inch vertical allows him to have at least a distant contest on shots in the lane.
Playing Felder would allow the Cavaliers to see what they have in the young point guard moving forward and it would also provide a spark to a bench that is lacking the ability to score at a high rate. Although he may have the typical rookie ups and downs, Felder should be given a chance with the Cavaliers with Smith out three to four months with a thumb injury.
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Should Kay Felder be given more opportunity on the Cleveland Cavaliers? Let us know in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.