How Cavs need to build around Zion Williamson if they win the lottery

With the 2018-19 season concluded, all attention will go to the offseason and where the Cleveland Cavaliers could pick, and they should be one of the teams in the mix for Duke phenom Zion Williamson.

Now that the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 2018-19 season is over, all of the focus around them will go to where they will select in the upcoming 2019 NBA Draft. As most now know, the NBA lottery odds have changed this year where the teams with the three worst records all get a 14.0 percent chance of landing the number one pick, as we’ve often mentioned here at KJG.

While yes the team with the worst record doesn’t have a strong advantage like past years with a 25.0 percent chance of winning the lottery, the Cavs will have as good of a shot as anyone to win the Zion Williamson sweepstakes.

If the Cavs do happen to get lucky and win the lottery, it would be a monumental moment for them as a franchise considering the Duke product (and 2019 Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year) is the best prospect to come along in a while.

If the Cavs do get the first pick, Williamson will immediately be the face of the franchise and they’ll build around him.

If they do win the lottery another question will be what’s the best way they should build around Zion?

One thing the Cavs can do is add a stretch big who can be a high level shot blocker.

When you look at the Milwaukee Bucks’ rise to being at the top of the Eastern Conference going into this year’s postseason, obviously the production of Giannis Antetokounmpo is incredible, but the addition of Brook Lopez has really taken them to new heights, as Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer detailed back in January, which still applies.

"“The model should be what the Bucks do with Giannis. Milwaukee starts him at the 4, but he gets all the benefits of playing in a four-out offense because he plays with a stretch 5 in Brook Lopez, who is shattering the NBA record for most 3-point attempts per game in a season (6.5) from a center. Giannis, like Zion, is an inconsistent outside shooter, but it doesn’t matter if he’s playing in enough space. He can get to the rim and use his length to score over the top of any defender. Zion can do the same thing by using his strength to power through defenders.”"

The Lopez addition has really paid off for Milwaukee, because with Lopez stretching the floor, teams can’t pack the paint anymore like they did in years past when the Bucks had John Henson and Greg Monroe clogging things up.

It doesn’t really hurt the Bucks defensively as Lopez has been a force in the paint averaging 2.2 blocks per game, per NBA.com.

This can complicate the Cleveland Cavaliers’ situation, because offensively Kevin Love is that stretch big that will create space, but if you play Love at center that can cause more defensive woes, with Love not being much of a shot blocker.

Somebody in the draft that could potentially fit that bill is Bol Bol out of Oregon.

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Bol is a stretch big who can knock down threes (he did so at a 52.0 percent clip this year, though it was only a nine-game sample size, per Sports Reference), but has huge defensive potential as a shot blocker at the next level.

He stands at 7-foot-2 with a 7-foot-6 wingspan (per Tankathon) and before his season ended due to a reported foot injury, he averaged 2.7 blocks per game and 3.6 per 40 minutes.

Down the road that would seem like a perfect fit. The Cavs’ defense can’t afford to get any worse, so adding a stretch big who can possibly be a big-time shot blocker would be ideal.

Bol won’t be available when the Cavs use their second first round pick (via the Houston Rockets, which is currently projected to be 26th overall), but the Cavs should be very active in trades in the offseason.

As mentioned here on KJG before, J.R. Smith‘s contract could be very valuable in the offseason and the Cavs could potentially acquire a first rounder from the Boston Celtics from trading for Gordon Hayward, and that’s where Bol could possibly be drafted.

Before I say this I want to reiterate I’m not saying Zion will be LeBron James; their games are different, even if they’re both physical specimen.

I think Williamson is a good passer, but James is one of the best passers/playmakers in the history of the NBA.

If the Cleveland Cavaliers are fortunate to win the 2019 NBA Draft lottery and get Williamson, it’ll be somewhat similar to building around LeBron, though.

When a team has LeBron a main priority is to surround him with shooters who help stretch the floor.

Right now, the Cavs don’t have a ton of perimeter shooting and if they get Zion adding more outside shooting will be another key next step.