Cavs: 3 reasons to strongly consider Onyeka Okongwu in 2020 NBA Draft

#1: Okongwu projects as a versatile impact defender

I won’t fault the Cavs if with their selection, they choose to go with a wing.

LaMelo Ball, previously of the NBL’s Illawarra Hawks, Deni Avdija of the I-BSL’s Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv or perhaps Auburn’s Isaac Okoro come to mind in that realm.

That being said, Porter could fill in at the 3 a considerable amount, anyway, and Cleveland could stagger Garland/Sexton a good bit depending on matchups, and to me, the defensive impact of Okongwu might just be too much for Cleveland to pass up if he’s available.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have struggled mightily for years on the defensive end, and this season, even with the squad improving some since the All-Star break, the Cavs still have the league’s second-worst defensive rating in 2019-20.

The Wine and Gold are again last in the Assocation in blocks per game, too, and are 25th in steals per outing, and to me, with Okongwu’s off-ball feel defensively being so advanced for his age and him being so effective at switching in pick-and-roll and also dropping, he could be a versatile defender for Cleveland from the jump.

With the Cavaliers clearly having a while yet before their guards are going to be pretty competent defensively, and also factoring in that Matthew Dellavedova, who is expiring, could be gone after the season, a high IQ defender that is fluid at 6-foot-9 that can guard multiple positions such as Okongwu should be strongly considered by the Cavs if he’s on the board, regardless of the pick.

Even though Okongwu does need to improve his upper body strength, as the aforementioned Frank noted, he is sturdy enough to wall up against many 4’s and in time, could play the 5 a bunch, I believe.

Plus, his previously mentioned 2.7 blocks and 1.2 steals per contest show that even early on, he is such an instinctive defender that will make an impact night-in and night-out as a team defender that, just like Nance, is an ever-active rotator that also plays passing lanes so well.

Some of that sort of thing was on display in a film session he had earlier this year with ESPN’s Mike Schmitz, who worked through areas Okongwu needs to improve on, such as him becoming a floor spacer, too. I thought the film session hit on how Okongwu projects as a big-time plus defender at the next level, though.

Overall, Okongwu’s effort, versatility and always-active hands are aspects of his game that lead me to believe he’ll contribute to winning earlier on than perhaps some other prospects, and he should fit seamlessly with Cleveland’s other young pieces.

That should at least warrant strong consideration from the Cavs in the 2020 NBA Draft.

In addition, this is not a draft with a consensus top overall selection, such as 2019 with the New Orleans Pelicans winning the Zion Williamson sweepstakes (though Zion does need to stay healthy going forward).

So, to me, if Cleveland went with a big such as Okongwu or potentially Dayton’s Obi Toppin early and perhaps acquired a second first-round selection by trading Kevin Love feasibly with a piece or two and wound up with Villanova’s Saddiq Bey or Arizona’s Josh Green, for instance, they’d be doing really well.

Anyhow, If the Cavs added Okongwu in the 2020 NBA Draft, I firmly believe he’ll be a key piece rather quickly and be another high quality addition to their young core of Garland, Sexton, KPJ, and to some degree Osman and hopefully, Dylan Windler.

Windler, who is going to miss his entire rookie campaign due to complications regarding a stress reaction in his left leg, could fit especially well with Okongwu as a knockdown shooter, too.