3 defensive prospects Cavs could target in 2020 Draft if James Wiseman is off board

#3: Precious Achiuwa – Forward, Memphis

The Memphis Tigers will be must see TV during College Basketball season in 2019-20. They have the number one prospect in Wiseman and wing Precious Achiuwa, who could certainly be a lottery pick in next year’s draft.

Yes I have another big, although Achiuwa is a bit different as a prospect. Achiuwa comes in at a listed 6-foot-9 and 215 pounds and has a good wingspan at 7-foot-2 (per 247).

The thing with Precious Achiuwa is he’s a bit of a tweener being able to play the 3 and 4, but it’s not clear what position suits him best.

Still Achiuwa is someone who’s a bigger forward, someone who is long, and he’s an explosive athlete. The concern with him is he doesn’t really shoot the ball well, but a lot of young guys don’t particularly shoot the ball well.

Again, Achiuwa has a lot of work to do offensively with his shot, but what intrigues me most about him is what he has the ability to do defensively. Again he’s an explosive athlete, is big, and very long.

Achiuwa is someone who can defend more than one position (likely 3’s and 4’s) and obviously right now the Cleveland Cavaliers need as many good defensive wings as they can get in the worst way.

If the Cavs were to fall in the lottery, I believe Achiuwa has a lot of upside and is worth it in a potentially weaker draft.

It’s still early and many things can change, as a lot of years it always seems like you have a prospect emerge and leap up boards. Last year at this time nobody viewed Ja Morant as an elite prospect at Murray State, but he exploded onto the scene and leaped up draft boards and the year before it was Trae Young of Oklahoma, so you never know.

Perhaps Achiuwa could emerge in a similar way, and I think this 2020 NBA Draft lacks the star power at the top the last few drafts have had. I think Wiseman is the number one guy and I believe he has Defensive Player of the Year Award-type potential and if he can get develop more of his offensive game, he can be a star.

The way things look right now after Wiseman you have a bunch of guys who can come into play and make their case.

The Cavs are still definitely in position where they’re in talent acquisition  mode with them still a ways off from being a playoff team, meaning they’re still looking to take the best talent regardless of need, which I’m all for this early in a rebuild, and similarly to Lewis, Achiuwa could also fill a need with being able to guard 3’s well.

However, with the lack of star power at the top and the fact that you can make a case for a bunch of guys after Wiseman, the Cavaliers should draft based on need and should prioritize getting guys that will help create the right defensive culture in Cleveland, and Achiuwa would fall into that category, too, with the way he guards capably on the perimeter due to good feel and technique in sitting and sliding and contesting shooters well, and wall up on the interior.