Cavs’ drafting of Dylan Windler at 26 further emphasizes spacing

With the 26th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Belmont’s Dylan Windler, which is all about the team further emphasizing spacing in the coming years.

The Cleveland Cavaliers did not have nearly enough spacing in 2018-19, and even when Kevin Love (who only appeared in 22 games, per Basketball Reference) was fairly healthy, they still could have used more.

Head coach John Beilein‘s offense, which is going to be predicated on Collin Sexton, Cedi Osman and likely fifth overall pick Darius Garland creating for themselves (and hopefully others often) via the pick-and-roll, will be at its best if quality perimeter shooters on the wing are placed around primary playmakers which will enable ball swings to be more effective, and Love, of course fits into that as well as predominantly a stretch 4.

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Garland, who is perhaps the best shooter off-the-dribble in the 2019 NBA Draft class and shot 47.8% from three-point range in a short five-game sample size at Vanderbilt last year himself (per Sports Reference), should help Cleveland’s spacing, and Sexton (who shot 40.2% from three-point range, per NBA.com) and Garland could both play off the ball some, too.

With the 26th overall pick (via the Houston Rockets), Cleveland clearly prioritized more shooting, as the Cavaliers selected Belmont’s Dylan Windler.

Over a four-year career, Windler knocked down 40.6% of his triples, and also averaged 7.8 rebounds per game over that stretch (including 10.8 last season, per Sports Reference).

Windler led the Ohio Valley Conference in total defensive rebounds the last two seasons (again, per Sports Reference), overall, and per Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor, he was “one of four players to record 1,600 career points and 1,000 rebounds in Ohio Valley Conference history,” and leading back to 1971.

While not a player that projects to be creating for himself much early on for the Cavaliers, the 22-year-old 6-foot-7-and-a-half, 195-pound (per Tankathon) wing sniper should be able to fit in at least in a reserve role as a player that can come in and space the floor and knock in very deep shots with a fluid release.

He should have value in coming around screens from players such as Larry Nance Jr., Love and others, and should be effective for Beilein and the coaching staff via dribble hand-offs, backcuts when defenders overreact to his perimeter shooting, and shows good feel, as noted, off the glass on both ends, and is at least a willing passer that won’t be over-dribbling.

While a fairly alert team defender and quality rebounder, it’s unclear how competent of an individual defender Windler will be for the Cleveland Cavaliers, as according to Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo, Windler could have problems against NBA wings and will be “challenged from a physical standpoint at the next level,” so that aspect will be a wait-and-see ordeal.

Moreover, as Fedor highlighted, the Belmont product will definitely help the Cleveland Cavaliers have better shooting overall, anyhow, and playing alongside the likes of Sexton, Garland, Love, Osman and 30th overall pick Kevin Porter Jr., Windler should get plenty of open looks off playmaking from others.

For reference, Porter was acquired via trade in the 2019 NBA Draft with the Detroit Pistons, in exchange for four Cleveland future second-round picks, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (and h/t 92.3 The Fan’s James Rapien).

Prior to that, Detroit acquired the Milwaukee Bucks’ previously-owned 30th pick in exchange for the Bucks’ Tony Snell and gave Milwaukee Jon Leuer, per Wojnarowski.

Additionally, the full details, which included Cleveland sending Detroit $5 million in cash, were provided by Fedor.

Basketball Insiders also noted how these deals will seemingly be finalized by “mid-next week,” for the record.

Overall, this Cavs’ draft was clearly about improving the team’s offensive firepower.

Once again, while defense will be a huge concern for the Cavaliers in the coming years, their offensive capability in the coming years should be far better, and that’s a credit to general manager Koby Altman and the front office, at very least.