While the Cleveland Cavaliers are in their final preparations for training camp, many questions still surround this young ball club. How will first-year head coach John Beilein deal with such a young team, and how will the three rookies fit in with the team?
The mentioned questions surrounding the Cleveland Cavaliers and new head coach John Beilein will only be answered in time, but in the meantime, I will preview how two of the Cavaliers rookies will benefit from one another.
Cleveland’s top draft pick, guard Darius Garland, will undoubtedly be watched with a close eye.
The fifth overall pick has drawn many rave reviews during the offseason, too, despite not playing in any Summer League games due to the organization wanting to exercise precaution with him after he only appeared in five games in college at Vanderbilt due to a reported meniscus tear.
He did have 16.2 points per game on 63.9% effective field goal shooting in collegiate play, though (per Sports Reference), and clearly showed he could be a heck of a shooter at the next level.
Anyhow, here are some highlights from Garland where he really demonstrated his range (highlights via Swish Cultures and skills development trainer Chris Johnson).
Another Cavaliers rookie that fans will have high hopes for is Kevin Porter Jr., a potential lottery pick that Cleveland reportedly traded up to draft at the end of the first round thanks to cash considerations and future second-round picks handed to the Detroit Pistons (who had the pick via the Milwaukee Bucks).
Porter Jr. has high expectations for a reason; he possesses a ton of talent and has the right amount of explosiveness and can score from all three levels, and I don’t believe his 9.5 points per game at USC really displayed his true talent (he only played 22.1 minutes per game, per Sports Reference, though).
While both Garland and Porter Jr. produced fairly well individually on their respective college teams (though Garland played in just a handful of games), how will they work together on the court?
Well, with Garland playing more of the point guard role while Porter Jr. will be better suited for being an off-ball wing that can create his own shot.
One of Garland’s top attributes coming into the NBA was his elite-level ball-handling skills. With these skills, the rookie point guard can use it to get around defenders and penetrate the defense.
Now here is where Porter Jr. can fit into the equation. When Garland penetrates the defense, he will often look to score.
However, if multiple defenders converge, Porter Jr., who is known for being good at slashing to the basket can sneak behind the defense and get a few easy buckets with momentum going the rim after attacking likely with a few dribbles.
As the young duo sees more time on the floor together, they will obviously build better chemistry, as that is only natural. Where this duo could be very effective is Garland attracting multiple defenders on a slash to the basket, and hitting Porter Jr. on the perimeter.
In college, Porter Jr. knocked down 41.2% of his three-point attempts (per Sports Reference) and could make the defense pay for leaving him open. With Porter Jr. able to slash to the basket well, and knock down the long-range shot, this would be troublesome for opposing teams when Garland and Porter Jr. play a two-man game.
The beauty about these two is that they can both handle the ball and likely also play off the ball some. So Garland does not always have to be the primary ball-handler and can play off the ball while Porter Jr. runs the show, among others potentially a bit. Considering Porter Jr. seemingly studies film of James Harden (they are both left-handed and both have impressive ability to create separation), the Cleveland Cavaliers rookie wing is working on perfecting the step-back shot.
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Teams would surely be more concerned with stopping Porter Jr. when he is the primary ball-handler, though he and Garland could run an effective two-man game that includes some pick-and-rolls here and there with Porter Jr. as the roll man and plenty of give-and-go plays between the two being the result.
Along with that, with their presence outside as shooters and ball-handlers with relocation after initial passes also helping, both could get quality looks from the likes of quality big man playmakers in Larry Nance Jr. or Kevin Love with good spacing, too.
This duo of rookies will be heavily leaned on by the Cleveland Cavaliers this season.
While they both possess a ton of potential, there are areas both Garland and Porter Jr. need to work on as the season progresses, though, and there will be growing pains.
Garland will need to work on taking care of the ball, as he had just a 13-to-15 assist-to-turnover ratio in his short stint at Vanderbilt (per Sports Reference) and will definitely need to bulk up to deal with the size of NBA guards.
For Porter Jr., the biggest question surrounding him is the maturity issues he dealt with in college, as evidenced by a suspension he had for personal conduct issues (as was initially reported by the Los Angeles Times‘ Brady McCollough) and he will need to remain in control and not get careless on the floor.
But with a veteran basketball coach in Beilein leading the way, he will make sure these two rookies work to improve on their weaknesses while putting them in the best positions to show off and excel at their strengths.
One thing is for sure, while this young duo will have their fair share of growing pains, they will also surely show flashes of their talent. In doing so, they will give the organization some hope into what this team’s future can potentially be in just a few short years.