Gian Clavell, a shooting guard out of Colorado State University, just might get drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Gian Clavell is a name Cleveland Cavaliers fans should familiarize themselves with ahead of the 2017 NBA Draft.
A junior college transfer who spent the past three seasons playing for Colorado State University, The 6-foot-4 shooting guard averaged 20.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.7 blocks per game for the Rams last season.
For his efforts , he was named the 2016-2017 Mountain West Conference Player of the Year.
Though his season didn’t lead to an invite to the NBA Draft Combine, he was invited to the inaugural Professional Basketball Combine.
There, he impressed with his ability on both ends of the court, his tenacity and his persona. This led to scouts from the Cleveland Cavaliers meeting with Clavell and six other draft prospects.
Out of those prospects, Clavell has the best mix of shooting, one-on-one scoring ability, defense and athleticism.
On offense, Clavell really shines with his ability to handle the ball and find a way to get a good shot off using a variety of crossover dribbles and spin moves to get to the rim. When driving, Clavell is a threat to score from either side of the floor thanks to his ability to convert even the most difficult shots with either hand.
Cavs fans may see a bit of Irving’s game in Clavell with the way he has the ball on the string and makes tough shots look a little too easy. In my opinion, Clavell’s game is more like Jamal Crawford’s his ball-handling ability and affinity for pull-up threes.
Clavell made 38.6 percent of his three-point attempts last season and he can hit them off-the-dribble or in catch-and-shoot situations. He gets quite a bit of elevation on his jump shots and has both consistent mechanics and a solid follow-through, both which lend themselves to his excellent efficiency from behind-the-arc.
At the NBA level, the way he elevates on shots could lead to a lot of and-one opportunities from the outside since fouls are routinely called on players who fail to give opposing players room to land after jump shots.
Clavell also has a solid post game which may seem surprising unless you’ve seen his brother Gilberto in action at Sam Houston State or Santeros de Aguada. Clavell will play with his back to the basket and back opposing guards down before utilizing a spin and drop step inside or he’ll use the post-up as a setup for a fadeaway jumper.
To put it succinctly, Clavell is a natural scorer.
He’s wasn’t too focused on facilitating because of his role on the team but he’s shown the ability and willingness to set up players in the pick-and-roll and kick the ball out when swarmed on the drive.
Defensively, Clavell will get deep in his stance and exhibit tremendous on-ball pressure. He’s also capable of coming up with blocks as a help defender or if he’s beaten off-the-dribble on the perimeter thanks to his athleticism, tenacity and timing, which isn’t typical of a guard.
It doesn’t hurt that Clavell has an old-school defense-minded head coach when assessing him as a player. The best coaches get their players to buy in and that’s certainly the case with Colorado State’s head coach Larry Eustachy and Clavell.
From Mile High Sports Magazine:
"“He gets you to those points and when it comes to the games, it makes it easier,” Clavell said of Eustachy’s defense-only, tough-nosed practices. “As long as you buy in. Are we gonna buy in or not? If we don’t buy in, we’re going to be an average team. If we buy in, we’ve got something special going on.”"
All in all, the Cleveland Cavaliers have every reason to have interest in Clavell.
Clavell told King James Gospel what the Cavs said they liked about his play and while his scoring ability may be the most notable part of his game for the common fan, the Cavs liked his competitive streak, leadership and defensive ability too.
"“They like how competitive I am. My leadership and the way I play defense. They all know I can score so they ain’t looking for that.”"
His leadership will be important for the younger Cavs, given the soft-spoken nature of point guard Kay Felder, what could be a culture shock for Cedi Osman both on and off-the-court and what could be a long, winding road to making the Cavs rotation.
Clavell’s ability to score, defend and handle the ball make him an intriguing option for the Cavs’ on the wing.
By the start of the 2019 season, the Cavs will have three wing players on their way out of the Land. Kyle Korver, James Jones and Richard Jefferson are all 36-years-old and while Korver will be a free agent this summer, Jones is set to retire after next season and Jefferson will be free agent in the 2019 offseason.
With that said, Clavell’s skillset is a perfect fit beside Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith and Kyrie Irving whether he’s in the backcourt or on the wing.
Clavell also told King James Gospel what he feels like he’ll be able bring an NBA team and his answer was fitting for a player with his talent level and work ethic.
"“I could change the game when I come in, play defense and score and give [you] my all day-in [and] day-out.”"
His answer fell in line with what he told Basketball Insiders following the Professional Basketball Combine.
In the video below, Clavell cites his love for defense, what seems to be a bottomless bag of tricks to get the bucket and “sneaky” athleticism. He also talks about the work he’s willing to put into living out his dream as an NBA player, saying that you have to “jump over” bumps in the road.
Listening to Clavell, four things are clear about him as a player: he’s competitive, he’s confident, he’s mature and he’s a great teammate.
Coach Larry Eustachy, who was named the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year and has over 800 career victories as a head coach, has high praise for Clavell, saying he’s the “second-best guard I’ve ever coached”.
In this instance, that’s far from a slight as Eustachy says the best player he ever coached is former Big 12 Player of the Year and All-American Jamaal Tinsley, who started for the Indiana Pacers in his first seven years of league.
Clavell also knows he has legitimate NBA talent and he’s fine with letting you know it.
Per USA Today:
"“I’m an NBA player,” Clavell said Tuesday night after meeting with representatives of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves at a combine for pro prospects in Bradenton, Florida. “A lot of people have their own opinions, but the people that really know, they say, ‘You are an NBA player.’ “"
Clavell is right, he’s an NBA player.
It wouldn’t be surprising if the Cleveland Cavaliers bought a second-round pick in the NBA draft because there aren’t 60 players better than him in the draft. They did as much to select Felder in the 2016 NBA Draft.
If Clavell gets drafted, it’ll be a special moment for their family.
His brother, Gilberto, talked to King James Gospel about what it would mean for him to get drafted:
"“He is a nice kid from a humble family with great values… For us it would be the most amazing thing thing that could happen because he’s been through a lot and work so hard to finally see it paying off. [If] he makes it or not I’m so proud of him.”"
Gilberto has had a major influence on his brother’s path to the NBA according to The Coloradoan’s Kelly Lyell. The brothers grew up in Caugus, Puerto Rico and Gian has only been in the United States since 2010 although his brother moved stateside when Gian was 12-years-old.
It took toughness and confidence for both of the brothers to leave their home country at a young age and pursue their NBA dreams. The toughness is displayed in their physical one-on-one battles on the court. The confidence has extended itself to Gian’s shot selection.
Here’s what Gilberto told King James Gospel about how those traits have effected his brother’s game:
"“Our one-on-one’s are tough and it’s fun. It gets real physical. It helps us get better.”"
"“The best part of my brother is his confidence that is always at an all-time high. It never goes down and the way he makes tough shots look so easy is incredible.”"
Making tough shots and overcoming adversity of rites of passage for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
As is being a fit in the locker room, as Clavell is sure to be.
"“I’m just a good guy that loves movies and playing with my puppy. I don’t go out. I don’t like it unless it’s a special night. And I’m more on the jokester side, I’m really hyper.” – Gian Clavell to King James Gospel"
By all accounts, Clavell sounds like he’d be a great fit in The Land.
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Should the Cleveland Cavaliers draft Gian Clavell? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.