Cavs have interest in drafting Anfernee Simons

The Cleveland Cavaliers have shown interest in the natural scoring ability of guard Anfernee Simons, a 2018 NBA Draft prospect.

According to Adam Zagoria, a basketball insider and sportwriter for The New York Times and SportsNet New York, the Cleveland Cavaliers have expressed interest in selecting guard Anfernee Simons with a pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

DraftExpress currently expects Simons to be selected with 21st pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. The Cavaliers have the 8th overall pick, though that’s subject to change after the NBA Draft Lottery.

Simons, an exciting and explosive scoring guard who opted to play a post-grad year for the IMG Academy rather than be a one-and-done college prospect, was committed to the University of Louisville before they found themselves tangled up in a scandal. After briefly reopening his recruitment, Simons decided to advance to the NBA without the college route.

Considering the corruption and hypocrisy that permeates college basketball, that’s not altogether surprising. Besides, it’s not like players have always needed college experience to star in the NBA.

Simons, an impressive scorer whose ball-handling ability and ability to score from all three levels, has star potential.

It’s one of the reasons that Simons, who had a scout grade of 94, was ranked 9th in the 2018 ESPN 100 and the third-best shooting guard in the country behind Romeo Langford and Quentin Grimes.

However, Simons is also a player that many believe will need time to develop both physically and mentally before he can make a significant impact for a team.

Per ESPN’s Jonathan Givony:

"If an NBA team decided to draft Simons, it would be with an eye on the long term, as there’s little chance he’ll be ready to contribute anything of substance in the immediate future."

I believe he can be the point guard that replaces the void left by Kyrie Irving and while he’s drawn comparisons to Philadelphia 76ers point guard Markelle Fultz because of his skillset, physical frame and time playing at an elite level, he should also draw comparison to a player like Utah Jazz shooting guard Donovan Mitchell.

The same Mitchell who sees the talent shining in Simons.

Per ESPN’s Mike Schmitz:

"“He’s talented. He can score at all 3 levels… He’s just a talented kid. Athletic. Knows where to be, knows the game, and I think that’s rare to find in a kid that age. He has a bright future.”"

I can also see similarities between Simons and Boston Celtics point guard Terry “Scary Terry” Rozier, a former Louisville point guard who has made an indelible mark in the postseason — getting his first significant playing time since being drafted in 2015.

He needs to handle ball-pressure better, as he can be forced into tough shots, passes and turnovers when the defender plays him tight. To combat this, he would need to be more alert and get the ball out of his hands or call for a screen so that he get free of his defenders.

Defensively, Simons seems to need to improve his strength and at 170 pounds, that’s not surprising. However, adding muscle mass without losing his explosiveness will be key for him as a prospect.

With the Cleveland Cavaliers giving so many late first-round and early second-round prospects a look, it would seem like they seriously are considering making a trade to acquire a pick that would fall in that range. If they should there are quite a few low-risk, high-reward prospects to choose from in that range.

Including Simons.

Related Story: Jalen McDaniels completes pre-draft workout with Cavs