Cavs will workout Shamorie Ponds next weekend
The Cleveland Cavaliers could be looking to add another pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Shamorie Ponds might be seen playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Summer League if his upcoming workout goes well.
In their preparations for the 2018 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers have a workout set up with St. John’s point guard Shamorie Ponds next weekend, according to the New York Post’s Zach Braziller.
St. John's guard Shamorie Ponds has workouts set up with the Celtics (today and tomorrow), Nets (May 10-11), Cavaliers (May 11-12), and Pistons (May 24), per his father. Nothing has changed in terms of decision. Gong through evaluation process. #sjubb
— Zach Braziller (@NYPost_Brazille) May 4, 2018
At the end of April, Ponds had said he had a workout scheduled with the Cleveland Cavaliers but there was no specific date mentioned at the time. The guard proved to be one of the top playmakers in the country last season, dazzling with a natural scoring ability that has drawn the attention of the Cavaliers front office as they try to find the player who can fill the void left by Kyrie Irving.
The Cavaliers will host Ponds’ workout the week before the NBA Draft Combine, an event that Ponds still isn’t sure if he’ll be invited to, and that’s interesting for a variety of reasons.
Though there are other combines that less-heralded NBA prospects will participate in, like the Professional Basketball Combine, the NBA Draft Combine invites players who are considered to be the crème de la crème.
That the Cavaliers want to get a look at Ponds regardless of his invite to the NBA Draft Combine means that they obviously think the talent is there, even if the notoriety isn’t. It also means that the Cavaliers, who don’t have a second-round pick at the moment, could be looking at selecting Ponds with a low first-round or second-round pick if they can acquire one.
If neither of those trades transpire and Ponds doesn’t get selected in the Draft, a Summer League appearance with the Cavs is probably the next step for the young guard anyways.
A 6-foot-1, 175 point guard from Brooklyn, New York, Ponds averaged 21.6 points, 5.0 rebounds 4.7 assists and 2.3 steals per game last season, playing fearlessly and showing an ability to be the type a two-way playmaker in the Cavaliers backcourt that’s currently missing.
Right now, the Cavaliers have two low-volume scorers in George Hill and Jose Calderon, who are great at being floor generals but don’t put the type of pressure on the defense that helps them fill the void left by Irving.
In a day and age where young players are once again making significant impacts throughout the league, thinking that Ponds could make a difference next season isn’t out of the question. Especially considering that he’s already been coached by a Hall of Fame small forward in Chris Mullin, the head coach of the St. John’s Red Storm men’s basketball team.
It’s not out of the question that Calderon could come back to the Cavs on another minimum deal but with the impact he made for the Cavaliers, he could very well earn a little more money elsewhere. Hill isn’t on the trading block and should be a starter when he returns.
Although that theoretically leaves Jordan Clarkson as the backup point guard, Cavs head coach Ty Lue’s preference to play Clarkson off-ball still leaves room for a player like Ponds.
The only other players that the Cavaliers, specifically general manager Koby Altman, are known to have personally scouted are Real Madrid point-forward Luka Doncic, University of Arizona center DeAndre Ayton, University of Oklahoma point guard Trae Young, University of Alabama point guard Collin Sexton, Duke University center Marvin Bagley III, University of Texas center Mo Bamba, Michigan State University shooting guard Miles Bridges and University of Missouri forward Michael Porter Jr., players who are top prospects.
The sheer amount of frontcourt players that the team has scouted (4) compared to the number of players who are definitely point guards in the NBA (2) seems to show that the Cavaliers are more interested in getting a player to anchor the paint at the top of the draft than a playmaker. Besides that, Ponds could truly be better than Sexton and possibly Young as well.
The 2018 NBA Draft will be held on June 21st, so there will be plenty of more pre-draft rumors, workouts and news involving the Cavaliers, who have their highest draft pick since LeBron James returned in 2014. What they do with their pick, especially with players like San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard seemingly on the trading block, per basketball insider Peter Vescey.