Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the sneaky-perfect fit for the Cleveland Cavaliers
The last few days the Cleveland Cavaliers have been linked to Kentucky guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. A relatively unknown player, Gilgeous-Alexander may be the perfect fit for the Cavs.
With the 2018 NBA Draft nearly upon us, NBA fandom is buzzing on which rookie their team will pick. According to The Ringer‘s Kevin O’Connor, the draft may be a crapshoot:
The sense I get from chatting with executives and agents is there's far more uncertainty entering the NBA Draft than usual. So many teams are open to moving up, down or out. No consensus outside the lottery. It's gonna be absolute chaos. I'm pumped and jacked for it.
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) June 20, 2018
The biggest part of that crapshoot? The Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers’ eighth overall selection has been featured in countless trades, it has also been linked to plenty of upcoming rookies. These include Missouri’s Michael Porter Jr., Alabama’s Collin Sexton, Duke’s Wendell Carter Jr. and plenty of others.
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One of those others? Kentucky point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Recently, Gilgeous-Alexander, or SGA, has been creeping up a lot of team’s draft boards despite never working out for a team pre-draft. ESPN also put out their “Grade A” mock draft that has the Canadian guard linked to the Cavaliers at eighth.
A relatively unknown player? That is Canadian?
Cleveland fans have heard this story before with Anthony Bennett. (Obligatory Bill Simmons-style “WOAH”)
Before Cavaliers fans go full Crash Bandicoot and yell whoa like Simmons, they should not fret. Despite both having maple syrup flow their veins, SGA is nothing like Bennett and actually may be the best possible pick for the team.
In his one year with Kentucky, SGA was sensational on offense. He averaged 14.4 points on 48.5% shooting and connected on 40.4% of his three-point attempts. He has a smooth shooting form in his arsenal and it really showed at the free throw line where he connected on 80% of his shots.
His offensive prowess was best shown in the SEC Championship against Tennessee:
While a solid scorer, SGA’s bread and butter was making his teammates better. SGA averaged 5.1 assists per game and just always seems to make the right pass. He also has a super high basketball IQ and always appeared to aware of the moment in college. The former Wildcat made an offensively-challenged Kentucky team better thanks to his wit.
Other than his offensive capabilities, SGA has plenty of God-given gifts as well. Standing at six-foot-six with a seven-foot wingspan, SGA looks like he was handcrafted in a modern NBA lab.
Because of his wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube man length, SGA projects to be a stout defender at the next level. If the Cavs were to keep their current roster and add SGA, he would be a welcome addition on the perimeter next to LeBron James.
Speaking of James, SGA would be a good fit for the Cavaliers. Everything that the team struggled in SGA specializes in.
The Cavaliers’ anemic three-point shooting? SGA can fix that. Porous perimeter defense? He can fix that, too. No primary ball handler outside of James? SGA, come on down. No actual franchise guard after trading away Kyrie Irving?
You probably know the answer at this point. Whether James leaves his kingdom or not, SGA would be the perfect player to lead the franchise for years.
After breaking down everything SGA brings to the table, what’s not to like? It appears the Cavaliers may be all in on the Kentucky guard:
ESPN's Dave McMenamin adds that the Cleveland #Cavs are going into Thursday night's NBA Draft with the intention of keeping the pick and selecting a playmaker who could play big minutes for them next year. Named Collin Sexton and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. #NBADraft
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) June 20, 2018
Maybe it is a smokescreen, though. Because as of 72 hours ago, SGA did not appear on any Cavs’ fans radar and the pick seemed to be down to either Porter Jr. or Sexton.
The Toronto Raptors have also expressed interest in moving into the top ten to get SGA, and everyone may be available. The Charlotte Hornets have also been linked to SGA and maybe the Cavaliers are creating some drama for their eleventh pick and most of all Kemba Walker.
However, if the Cavaliers do elect to draft SGA over players like Porter Jr. or Sexton and do not trade him, they may have found their point guard of the future. His scoring, high IQ, defensive ability, and physical intangibles all make him an analytics dream.
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Whether it is with a team full of stars or a rebuilding dumpster fire, the team has been in dire need of a franchise point and SGA fits the bill. The 2018 NBA Draft is going to be wild, and the Cavaliers may be the main source of the chaos.