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Cavs: KJG Roundtable for post-deadline and All-Star weekend

By Dan Gilinsky

Cleveland Cavaliers Marquese Chriss (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Cleveland Cavaliers Marquese Chriss (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman and owner Dan Gilbert (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) /

#2: Do you trust Altman to draft well with the picks he’s accumulated?

Mooneyham:

Well, that’s a tough question to answer. The book is still out on Collin Sexton, who was obviously taken with the eighth overall pick.

Sexton was also involved in a draft where a lot of prospects seemed to rank around the same skill level at the time of the draft process. So with a chance to have a top-three pick, I’d think it’d be pretty difficult for Altman to mess that one up.

Now for the Houston 2019 first-round pick, for example, your guess is as good as mine. We haven’t seen Altman tested in the twenties when it comes to drafting yet, and the future second-round picks are probably even more of an uncertainty.

Friedman:

I think Altman may be a decent player evaluator, but Cleveland’s organizational structure makes me a little nervous. Owner Dan Gilbert has been known to meddle with the front office before.

This, coupled with Altman’s inexperience, leads me to say I don’t trust him with drafting.

Grey:

If the Cavs get the first pick, I don’t think it’ll be a hard decision for Koby Altman. As Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer wrote, Zion Williamson could be the NBA’s first full-time point center.

Zion has the highest upside in this draft.

GM’s should always draft with potential in mind and not be overly concerned with things a player can’t do at the moment.

There’s no pressure on Altman to pick a great player with the Houston first-round pick. I would trust Koby Altman in the draft depending on how the lottery shakes out, and he could probably find some decent role pieces in future drafts.

DiPaola:

Personally, I think this question will only be answered if the Cavaliers’ draft pick falls outside of the top 3-4. If the Cavaliers pick falls in the top 4 then you’d assume they take one of Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett, Cam Reddish or Ja Morant.

Beyond that, there is talent in the upcoming draft, it just isn’t as clear-cut. These future first and second-round picks that the Cavaliers have acquired will test Altman’s draft skills as those later picks are usually about trying to find a diamond in the rough.

But for now, I trust him until he proves us otherwise.