2017 NBA Draft: Cleveland Cavaliers interested in Arizona’s Rawle Alkins

Could the Cleveland Cavaliers enter the fray and select the University of Arizona’s Rawle Alkins in the 2017 NBA Draft?

According to basketball insider Adam Zagoria, the Cleveland Cavaliers have expressed interest in the University of Arizona shooting guard Rawle Alkins prior to the 2017 NBA Draft. Alkins is a 19-year-old one-and-done prospect who averaged 10.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.

By reaching out to Alkins’ high school head coach, the Cavs are showing real interest.

While the Cleveland Cavaliers don’t have a pick in the upcoming draft, there’s always the potential for them to buy a second-round pick like they did last year when they spent $2.5 million on the second-round pick (54th overall) used to select point guard Kay Felder.

However, Alkins also worked out for the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have the 21st pick in the NBA draft and badly need another scorer.

According to an official press release by the NBA, Alkins has been invited to the draft combine as well. At the combine, and in workout setting, Alkins should excel due to his athleticism and scoring ability. That will only boost his draft stock.

Had Alkins been on a team where there were three other starters scoring at least 10.9 points per game and a dynamic guard in Allonzo Trier beside him, he would have been able to stand out more. As it is, Alkins stood out but teammates like Trier and Lauri Markkanen stood out more. Trier because he averaged 17.2 points per game efficiently. Markannen because of his skillset as a sharpshooting 7-foot-0 power forward.

That doesn’t mean he wasn’t the best prospect on the team though. Alkins, a five-star recruit who was ranked as the top player in the state of New York according to ESPN 100, has great strength, athleticism, ball-handling and shooting ability.

This is what ESPN’s Paul Biancardi and Jeff Borzello had to say about Alkins after he announced his commitment to the University of Arizona:

"Alkins, the No. 17 prospect in the ESPN 100, is a powerful scorer who uses his strength and aggressiveness to get to the rim consistently. He’s a capable finisher who doesn’t shy from contact at the rim, and he has plenty of athleticism to score over defenders or in transition. He also has worked on his body and improved his outside shot since moving to Word of God."

For the Cavs, Rawlins possesses a skillset that’s quite a bit different from the other wings on the roster. J.R. Smith and Kyle Korver aren’t noted as scorers but instead as shooters. Iman Shumpert isn’t a player who could be described as a “powerful scorer”, although he’s more versatile in his scoring methods than either Smith or Korver.

In an insider article, Biancardi also noted Alkins’ commitment to winning and how it impacts his decision-making:

"Alkins said Arizona’s commitment to winning convinced him the program was best for him."

From that statement, my guess is he would love being on the Cavs. If the Cavs have spent enough time watching Alkins, the feeling should be mutual.

Within moments of watching him on the court, it’s hard not to come away impressed with his natural abilities:

Above, Rawle shows off his athleticism. He’s 6-foot-5, which is decent but not great for a shooting guard, but weighs a solid 220 pounds. On top of that, Rawle has a lot of bounce. When comparing him to similarly sized players around the league, his athleticism seems to be on par with a player like Oklahoma City Thunder shooting guard Victor Oladipo.

Now, imagine Oladipo doing this with the ball in his hands (warning: NSFW content)

https://twitter.com/Iam_RawleAlkins/status/691100614147833856

Shereen Rayan of Zona Zealots wrote an intriguing piece comparing Alkins to other first-round prospects and found that Alkins’ statistical output was similar to players like Duke University’s Frank Jackson and the University of Louisville’s Donovan Mitchell.

With more player development and following an adjustment period as Alkins gets acclimated to the NBA level, Alkins could easily make an impact on the Cavs roster in transition, in spot-up situations and off-the-dribble. Defensively, Alkins will need to work on his being consistent with his focus and discipline but he has the hand speed, foot speed and tenacity to be a lockdown defender at the NBA level.

When looking at Alkins, you can see he has the makings of a player who can have the complete package.

Alkins, who would have been a prime candidate to join a EuroLeague club if he went undrafted, is likely a player who will sign a two-way contract with the Cavs if selected. The two-way contract will allow him to be on both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Canton Charge (the Cavs’ NBA Development League affiliate) roster next season.

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What do you think of the University of Arizona’s Rawle Alkins, let us know your thoughts in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.

*All stats courtesy of www.sports-reference.com