Cavs: 3 prospects who could be 2020 NBA Draft’s Kevin Porter Jr.

Cleveland Cavaliers’ KPJ-like 2020 prospect #1: Desmond Bane, Guard – TCU

Desmond Bane had a great career at TCU, becoming the all-time wins leader for the school and was the first player in school history to be named First Team All-Big 12. During his four-year collegiate career, he showed off great shooting ability and improved his game every single season.

In the 2019-20 season, Bane averaged 16.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game, and shot 44.2 percent from three-point range, per Sports Reference. Standing at 6-foot-6, Bane has the ability to play the shooting guard and small forward positions for the Cavaliers, if tasked to do so.

Taking a deeper dive into his offense, Bane shot 44.2 percent from three-point land on nearly seven attempts per game and this type of shooting could help to improve and open up a substandard Cavaliers’ offense.

During his senior season, Bane averaged those aforementioned 3.9 assists per game and has shown the potential to be a secondary playmaker in the NBA. As a pick-and-roll ball handler, Bane had also scored 0.858 points per possession, which graded out in the 76th percentile, according to The Stepien’s Spencer Pearlman.

Defensively, Bane’s large frame at 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds allows for versatility that the Cavaliers could benefit from having. Pearlman emphasized how Bane is a “High IQ Defender” and possesses a “High Motor.” From there, Pearlman said how Bane does a nice job “rotating along the perimeter” and “uses his strength to keep guys from their spot.”

Looking at his frame again, Bane’s height and weight could allow him to switch onto guards and forwards in the PnR game as well as switch onto big men and potentially hold his own in the paint.

To summarize, on the offensive end, Bane can be a lethal floor spacer for the Cleveland Cavaliers and allow for our young players in Darius Garland, KPJ and Collin Sexton to get some easy assists.

For guys like Kevin Love and Andre Drummond, who is reportedly likely to pick up $28.8 million player option for next season, Bane could be used as a kick-out option out of the post.

Bane’s potential to be a secondary playmaker is again something that should also entice the Cavaliers and his versatility/defensive potential is much-needed.