Nigel Hayes could be a steal for the Cleveland Cavaliers

Nigel Hayes was inconsistent in his time at the University of Wisconsin but he could fit in with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Cleveland Cavaliers were in a tie with the Los Angeles Clippers to win The Oldest Team In The NBA award and they showed that in stretches throughout this season. They pretty much super-simmed the second half of the regular season and they simply looked burned out against the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. Needing to get younger to help the defense find some kind of identity for the next few years, the Cavs should take a look at the University of Wisconsin’s Nigel Hayes, who became known more for his stances on social issues than his play last season.

However, Hayes was one of the key guys in Madison “during, arguably, the most dominant four-year period in Badger basketball history,” per Eddie Herz of BT Powerhouse. That’s a big deal, considering the Big Ten has been one of the more stacked conferences for a long time now.

On the court, Hayes didn’t have an ideal senior season. While scoring a respectable but not eye-popping 14.0 points per game, he shot a putrid 31.4 percent from three. With that said, his perimeter shot has a long way to go before he can become a rotation player in today’s league.

Yet, at 6-foot-7, Hayes has an offensive skillset more suited for a traditional power forward.Hayes is a solid post-up player and while capable of scoring efficiently in one-on-one situations, it’s not because he’s hitting outside jumpers. Instead, he works his way inside with LeBron-like footwork.

Without the ability to shoot from outside or be a consistent three-point threat, Hayes isn’t a first-round prospect and could fall out of the draft entirely.

While Hayes needs to work on his perimeter shooting, he also needs to improve his free-throw shooting. He shot just 58.7 percent last year, which is horrible for any player that’s not a center.

That said, Hayes has the intangibles. He’s a mature, articulate, outspoken individual with the attitude of a winner on the court. He’d find a fan in LeBron James.

So what is the basketball fit? On the surface, I see Hayes as someone who can come in for stretches replacing James at small forward or as a small-ball power forward. Richard Jefferson has played well in his time in Cleveland but he’s not getting any younger (he’s currently 36-years-old) and how long he stays in Cleveland is uncertain. Hayes is a more polished post player than Derrick Williams, too ,while appearing to have a more advanced basketball IQ.

After taking a close look at Hayes, he’s a creative finisher who finds unique ways to put the ball through the hoop in traffic shooting off both shoulders. That skillset was on display in the NCAA Tournament, where he put up averages of 19 points and 8 rebounds per game on the big stage.

The Cavs second unit does not have a big who thrives in post-up situations and provide floor balance to a perimeter-heavy second unit. Hayes could eventually fit that role.

His ability to finish with a strong back-to-basket game is essential considering his tweener dilemma.

In addition, Hayes is adept at passing out of the low block (3.3 assists per 40 minutes), which is notable considering the Cavs three-point shooting arsenal of Kyle Korver, Kyrie Irving, Channing Frye and others. At Wisconsin, Hayes played in a rhythmic offense that emphasized ball-movement offense. That’s beneficial for a young player with the way the league’s offenses are trending towards more ball movement.

Defensively, Hayes is not ideally a power forward because of his length at 6-foot-7. However, he is a solid defender on the block with his 245-pound frame and 7-foot-3 wingspan. He plays with sound technique in walling up to deter drives to the rim and he did so without getting whistled. He only had 2.1 fouls per game in his NCAA career.

That’s impressive, considering how often he was around the rim and played 29.6 minutes per game in his career. Hayes does a good job of moving his feet and trusting his length. With the Cavs, that will be able to help out Tristan Thompson in the paint. He cleans the glass well, too, as he had 8.2 rebounds per game on a 40-minute metric in his senior year.

Hayes’ size can also be valuable on the wings. He’s comfortable in screen-and-roll switch-outs and has active hands in help situations, too, which leads to deflections and live-ball turnovers. Even though he’s not the most athletic guy on the perimeter, Hayes is smart and intuitive defensively.

All things considered, Hayes seems to have the ability and maturity to be a quality bench contributor on a championship team like the Cavs over someone who got lost in the fold like Derrick Williams. This team needs more high-energy bigs who are going to make the right play on both ends. Hayes fills that role with his veteran-like savvy.