The top three prospects for the Cavaliers in the 2021 NBA Draft
By Corey Casey
#2: Jalen Green, Guard – Will be playing in NBA/G-League pathway initiative
#2 here comes in being Jalen Green, who recently became the first player to agree to play in the NBA/the G-League’s new pathway initiative, as was reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Givony. This pathway is catered to giving elite high school prospects a high-paying option here in the U.S. post-high school for now, where they don’t need to go overseas to pursue more so a paid path than playing in college for a season.
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Green, the number two prospect on this list in relation to players that would provide the biggest help for the Cavs, comes in at 6-foot-5 and 170 pounds, per 247 Sports, but should continue to fill out. Green offers good size for a combo guard for his age, but what jumps out most about Green is his physical tools, because of his sheer athleticism.
In terms of his physical profile, he draws shades of the Chicago Bulls’ Zach LaVine with his first step explosiveness and with how Green can jump out of a gym. When you watch Green you notice just how incredibly explosive his first step is.
He’s an impressive slasher, explosive leaper and is an elite finisher at the rim and can finish through contact while being crafty, too.
Green is also a big-time shot creator, who is capable playing off the ball, and while his outside shot isn’t there yet, it’s been improving.
Defensively, Green is someone who plays hard and really shows a willingness to get after it there. Green also averaged 1.7 steals per game at the U19 world cup in 2019, per FIBA. Green has shown the ability to potentially be an elite two-way player at the next level, too, which would of course be a difference-maker for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Cleveland potentially look to move one of Garland or Sexton, though, down the road if they did select Green in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Clearly, though, Green has sky-high potential and he may eventually prove to have a higher ceiling than Sexton and/or Garland fairly early on.