King James Gospel
Fansided

Cavs: Post-2019 NBA Draft and summer league preview roundtable

By Dan Gilinsky

Cleveland Cavaliers Darius Garland. (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
Cleveland Cavaliers Darius Garland. (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 7
Next
Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers Koby Altman (from left), Dylan Windler, Darius Garland, and John Beilein. (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) /

#1: What’s your grade for the draft overall?

Robbie DiPaola:

Overall the draft grade I gave the Cavs was a B+. With the fifth overall pick, they took who they thought was the best player available, and while it may take some time for Garland and Sexton to gel, it has the potential to be a solid one-two punch in the backcourt.

As for Windler at 26th overall, you can never have enough shooting in today’s game and Windler shot the ball at a 42.9 percent clip from three-point range as a senior (per Sports Reference).

Lastly, there was Porter, who I was high on, as were many draft pundits it seems. Porter, like Garland and Windler, is a scorer and if he can keep his head on straight, could be a nice piece in the Cavs’ rotation.

Related Story. Kevin Porter Jr. could be key piece for Cavs, even as 30th overall pick. light

Josh Friedman:

Generally, I’m not a huge fan of giving draft grades since we really can’t judge a draft class for a few years. That being said, my first reaction is the Cavaliers did a solid job drafting in this class.

I’d go with a B+. They added playmakers in Garland and Porter, and shooting with Windler.

The trade for Porter really stood out to me. At 30, that is a low risk with potentially a really high reward.

Corey Casey:

I give the Cavs an A . It’s clear they aren’t looking at fit and with them so early in their rebuild, they’re looking at the best talent.

Garland is a guy who if he didn’t get hurt, could’ve been the second pick in the draft. He has a chance to become a franchise piece and turn into a star.

They then added some shooting when they drafted a sharpshooter in Windler who they’re hoping turns into a good rotational piece. I love the move to trade back to 30 and swing for the fences on Porter, too.

If he puts it all together, the Cavs could have their backcourt of the future in Garland and Porter.

Marcus Grey:

I would give the Cavs an A-. I think they did a good job in acquiring Porter, and I like the Garland pick.

The Windler pick was underwhelming at first, but considering they would’ve had to purchase a second-round pick likely anyway that, factored into the fact that some second-rounders earn more than late first-rounders, anyway (per NBC Sports’ Dan Feldman and h/t Slam’s Austin Kent), it wasn’t bad.

Overall I liked the draft, and I think Altman did a good job.