KJG 2019 NBA Draft roundtable: Top 10 prospects Cavs should target

Marcus Grey’s 2019 NBA Draft Top 10

1. Zion Williamson

At this rate, it’s ridiculous to say that Zion isn’t the number one pick in the draft. If your team has the first pick and they pass on Zion, you should be mad at your GM. I think he has all the tools to be an elite defender. If you were to create the perfect small-ball center for today’s NBA, Zion Williamson is what you would get. With his athleticism and strength, he has the making of a transcendent player. In my opinion, he’s a once-in-a-lifetime player.

2. R.J. Barrett

Barrett has a lot of potential. If Zion didn’t exist, R.J. would be the consensus first pick. You can run an offense through him and he can play good defense. My only issue with him is that he’s too shot happy at time and he tends to play hero ball when he playing well. If he can correct that issue, he’ll be a good pro.

3. Romeo Langford

This might come as a surprise but I think he’s a sleeper in this draft. He’s the epitome of a silky-smooth scorer. The knock on him is that he can’t shoot threes but from what I’ve seen he can shoot mid-range pull up jumpers really well. I think that translates to a good three-point shot.

From what I’ve seen from him of late, he’s getting more comfortable shooting threes. Right now, his two-point field goal percentage is 59.9 percent, per Sports Reference. For a guard, that’s incredible. He finishes at the rim really well and he has good athleticism.

4. Ja Morant

I’m late to the party but Morant is really unique. With his combination of athleticism and ball handling, he reminds me a little bit of Allen Iverson. A couple of things that concern me are his turnovers, his shooting, and his size. With time and good coaching, he can reduce his turnovers.

His shooting mechanics look fine, I don’t see why he can’t become an average three-point shooter in the future. I’m concerned with how skinny he is, he’s 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds. If he’s going to drive to basket in the NBA, he’s going to take a lot of punishment. His durability is a question mark for me.

5. Cam Reddish

I like Cam Reddish and I think he’s a good prospect. I know that he’s playing with Zion and R.J. Barrett but his field goal percentage is really low. He’s only shooting 38.2% from the field and 34.8  percent from three. I don’t know if Coach K isn’t using him right or if he isn’t playing well.

I look at someone like Devin Booker who was the sixth man behind Karl-Anthony Towns, Willie Cauley Stein, the Harrison twins, and Trey Lyles at Kentucky. Booker put up good numbers off the bench and shot over 40.0 percent from three. Right now, Cam Reddish has been very inconsistent and it makes me hesitant about him.

6. Bol Bol

If we’re talking strictly upside, Bol Bol has to be in this spot. He reminds me a little bit of Kristaps Porzingis in terms of size and skill. I think he’s got a chance to be a really good two-way player at the next level. My only concern with him is durability. He’s already out for the season with a foot injury and those injuries are really bad for big men like him.

More from Opinion

• Regrading the Donovan Mitchell-Lauri Markkanen trade
• Seat Index: Rating the 9 NBA head coaches in danger of being fired
• What would a successful 2023-24 look like for Cavaliers’ Ty Jerome?
• A crucial year in The Land: 3 bold predictions for the Cavs this season
• How many teams from the Cavs’ Central Division will make the playoffs?

A list of big men who have been debilitated by foot injuries; Yao Ming, Bill Walton, Rik Smits, and Joel Embiid. It’s not good. With Embiid, there might be some hope for Bol Bol. I thought Embiid’s career was over when he missed his first two seasons but medical advancements and technology allowed him to recover and become the NBA’s most dominant big man today. If he recovers, Bol Bol has the chance to be the next Kristaps Porzingis.

7. Jarrett Culver

I think Culver has a chance to be the best two-way guard in this draft. He’s like Gary Harris except he’s a better passer. I think he can defend the best guards in the league while being a capable scorer at the NBA level. I don’t think he’ll be an All-Star but I think he’ll be a good shooting guard that a lot of people would want to have on their team.

8. Keldon Johnson

I think Johnson can be a solid guard at the next level. He doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses but he doesn’t blow you away in any category.

9. Rui Hachimura

I like Hachimura and he’s unique prospect. He reminds me a lot of Montrezl Harrell when he was at Louisville. He’s an undersized big man that plays hard on defense and he has a really good motor. I feel like he has a really good defensive IQ. I think he has a chance to be better than Harrell since he’s willing to shoot more threes and he’s willing to get to the foul line. I don’t think he’ll be ready right away but he might be something in two or three seasons.

10. Kevin Porter Jr.

I’m not very high on Kevin Porter Jr. right now. Right now, he’s suspended for ineligibility reasons. When he did play at USC, I had a lot of questions about his playmaking. I like his aggressiveness and his explosiveness as a scorer. However, he seems like a guy who dominates the ball and he doesn’t get his teammates involved.

That’s not a good combination. I just feel like he’s not getting his teammates involved enough. For him to maximize his potential as a scorer, he needs to get his teammates involved a little more to keep the defense on edge.