The Cleveland Cavaliers have just one pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, and Bleacher Report’s most recent mock draft has them drafting OU star Trae Young.
Heavily scrutinized and wildly loved Trae Young finds his way to the Cleveland Cavaliers with B/R’s most recent mock draft which has DeAndre Ayton as the No. 1 overall pick.
The only team that might consider taking Young before the Cavaliers is the Orlando Magic, who have the sixth overall pick. In B/R’s mock, the Magic take Michael Porter Jr., a player that possesses one of the draft’s highest ceilings.
As for Cleveland, they could use the playmaking, but is it worth the risk?
Like previously stated, Young was easily the most scrutinized player in the NCAA this past season. Young led the University of Oklahoma to an 18-14 record.
OU made the NCAA Tournament with an at-large bid, a bid many thought was granted to them due to just Young’s popularity. As a nine seed, OU lost in the first round to Rhode Island further proving their inability to beat capable teams.
However, under Young’s leadership, OU was able to snag a few huge regular season wins over top-tier teams like Texas Tech and Kansas. This team was the Trae Young show, and his numbers displayed his potential.
At the same time, they showcased his inefficiency and numerous potential on-court issues.
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Even in a season where his team underperformed, Young’s averages had never before been seen in NCAA history.
That alone should raise some eyebrows.
But, it’s not until you realize that Young scored 27.4 points, dished out 8.7 assists, and cashed in on 3.7 triples per game, a combination that had never been put up by another player let alone another freshman. He did it all in one of the NCAA’s most difficult conferences, the Big 12.
In Sporting News latest mock draft, they said that it’ll be hard for the Magic to ignore Young at No. 6 because he’s “hard to ignore for a team in need of a star in the backcourt.”
The same reason should be present in Cleveland’s front office. In Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Cavs backcourt scored all of three.
Yes, three points were scored by George Hill and JR Smith combined in the first half.
That’s unacceptable.
This wasn’t just a one-game lackluster performance either.
The Cavs backcourt has trouble shooting and playmaking when they’ve been on the road, and while Young might take some time get a good feel for the physicality of the NBA, he’s much more of a shooter and playmaker than either of the Cavaliers current backcourt members.
But, could he make an immediate impact?
The 2018 NBA Draft doesn’t have a clear No. 1, and while the top players might be set, the order in which they’re drafted certainly isn’t. So, while the NBA postseason might not have much uncertainty, the first-round of the 2018 NBA Draft certainly will.
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That said, on June 21, be ready to tune in and see who the Cleveland Cavaliers really take with the 8th pick in the draft.