The Cleveland Cavaliers should strongly consider selecting Killian Hayes in the 2020 NBA Draft, as he could help them in a number of ways in the near future.
The Cleveland Cavaliers were not one of the 22 teams invited to Orlando for the NBA’s resumption set to take place at Disney World beginning on July 31, thus ending their 2019-20 season. With their season now over, the Cavaliers can put all of their attention towards the offseason and specifically the 2020 NBA Draft.
Despite what others may say, the upcoming draft is filled with immense talent all throughout and we will soon find out what the Cavaliers’ plans could look like during that time.
The Cavaliers go into the offseason tied with the Golden State Warriors and the Minnesota Timberwolves with the best odds at the number one overall pick at 14.0 percent. Even with their draft lottery positioning as them being solidified as having ended out with the league’s second-worst record, the Cavs still have a great chance of falling in this draft.
With the new lottery odds that were introduced last season, the Cavaliers have a 14.0 percent chance of ending up with the first overall pick once again. They have a 27.8 percent and a 20.0 percent chance of ending up with the fifth and sixth picks, respectively, though, per Tankathon.
Falling in this draft would more than likely take the Cavs out of contention for prospects such as LaMelo Ball, previously of the NBL’s Illawarra Hawks, along with the Georgia Bulldogs’ Anthony Edwards, and perhaps James Wiseman. Wiseman briefly played at Memphis before eventually withdrawing from school after an ineligibility ruling by the NCAA that would’ve led to a sizable suspension.
Even if those players are unavailable, there will still be quality players for the Cavaliers to use their pick on as they look to further improve their roster.
One player that the Cavaliers could look to select with a potential pick in the four-to-six range is Killian Hayes, who played professional basketball for Ratiopharm Ulm of the Basketball Bundesliga during the 2019-20 season.
In 10 games for Ratiopharm Ulm in Eurocup play, Hayes averaged 12.8 points on 45.5 percent shooting, including 39.0 percent from three-point range and 90.9 percent on free throws, per Real GM. He also had 6.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
Now, Hayes in the G-BBL still had 11.6 points per outing on 49.7 percent shooting, to go with 5.3 assists and 1.4 steals, but he did only shoot 21.8 percent from three-point range, and that area is a relative question mark for him.
The 6-foot-5 combo guard has displayed nice playmaking feel with the ability to find a way to get to the paint and convert as a scorer, though. Still, over time, Hayes could be a good/great three level scorer in the league with improvements to his game and despite his passiveness around the rim, he still has a nice touch in the paint.
Defensively, Hayes’ length would benefit the Cavs tremendously as he was measured with a 6-foot-8-6-foot-8.5 wingspan. All in all, a Hayes pick would be a good one but, every decision comes with its consequences.
Last season, the Cavaliers spent their fifth overall pick on Darius Garland and, despite an inconsistent rookie season, he showed flashes and potential as a scorer and playmaker in this league. A Hayes selection in the upcoming draft could not only diminish Garland’s confidence but, it may signal the end for him in a Cavaliers jersey in the not-too-distant future.
If the Cavs were to plan on keeping Garland even with this selection, his role would be a much less significant one, as KJG’s Zane Harris alluded to, who suggested Garland could be moved to a backup role, somewhat coincided with that. It would also certainly negate the bold predictions that I gave for Garland for 2020-21, that’s for sure.
With all of that being said, if the Cavaliers feel a Hayes pick is the correct one, then it is one they must look to make.
Here, I will be highlighting three players who would benefit most from a Killian Hayes selection in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The first is a dynamic scorer.
One of three Cleveland Cavaliers players that’d benefit most from a Hayes pick: Collin Sexton
This season, Collin Sexton established himself as “the guy” for the Cavaliers, and taking into account his insane work ethic, we could see him turn into a multi-time All-star in the coming years. Sexton averaged a team-high 20.8 points on 47.2 percent from the field, to go with 38.0 percent from three-point range in 2019-20, and had 3.0 assists per contest.
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Sexton’s game took a massive leap after the All-Star break as well, as in 11 games then, he averaged 25.5 points on 52.8 percent shooting and 43.1 percent from deep, to go with 4.2 assists per game.
It was during this stretch that he also posted a career-high 41 points against the Boston Celtics. Darius Garland missing what would ultimately be Cleveland’s last five games leading into the league’s novel coronavirus-induced hiatus played into that a bit, but Sexton was clearly on a tear.
Looking at ways Sexton could benefit from Hayes as a teammate, for starters, Hayes’ facilitating abilities and scoring potential would allow Sexton to work more off-ball.
This season, Sexton shot 42.1% from downtown on catch-and-shoot shots, per NBA.com’s shot tracking data, doing so 14.5% of the time.
His catch-and-shoot frequency would peak in January and February where his catch-and-shoot frequency was 17.7 percent and 19.7 percent, respectively. He would shoot 47.8 percent on catch-and-shoot triples in January and 46.9 percent on those in February.
Working more off-ball would help to expand Sexton’s game and more plays for Sexton off-ball could lead to more quality baskets.
Another way that Sexton would benefit from a Hayes selection in the 2020 NBA Draft would be on the defensive end. Statistically, Sexton is one of the worst defenders in the league but, there needs to be some context put behind that. Sexton shares a backcourt with Darius Garland, an undersized guard with little-to-no defensive capability on-ball.
With Hayes in the backcourt instead of Garland, Sexton could go from guarding oversized shooting guards to guarding point guards who are of his size. His athleticism and speed could help him to stay in front of those shifty guards while not being hindered by his strength. Hayes’ size and length gives him the ability to take on those bigger guards that Collin struggles with.
Sexton did show improvement on-ball last season, though, on the plus side, as the year progressed, and he did generate 1.0 steals per game, and Hayes’ presence could allow Sexton to develop further as a team defender.
The second player that’d benefit most from a Hayes selection would be a potential knockdown shooter.
One of three Cleveland Cavaliers players that’d benefit most from a Hayes pick: Dylan Windler
Dylan Windler was the 26th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Cavaliers. Due to a stress reaction in his lower left leg that was suffered before the preseason, Windler was sidelined for the start of the season. After being cleared to participate in basketball activities, Windler was sent down to the G-League as the Cavs planned on easing him back into basketball.
Windler would play there a bit but, during a practice, he would experience soreness in that same lower leg and would ultimately be shut down by the Cavaliers and would undergo surgery for this injury. Windler did not play at all in 2019-20, but his role could be big for the Cavaliers as his size at 6-foot-6 and shooting would give the Cleveland Cavaliers a much-needed offensive boost.
Looking at how a Hayes selection in the 2020 NBA Draft could benefit Windler, in the minutes they spend together, Windler could find himself working a lot off-ball as a spot-up shooter and cutter.
Windler was extremely efficient at Belmont and played amazing off the ball.
During his senior season in which he had 21.3 points per game, he scored 1.361 points per catch-and-shoot jump shot in the half court, ranking in the 94th percentile, per Synergy Sports and h/t NBA.com. Windler also scored 1.628 points per possession on cuts at Belmont last season, ranking in the 97th percentile.
All in all, Windler could have a similar impact off-ball/as a spot-up shooter that we have seen players such as Kyle Korver and J.R. Smith have for the Cavs in the past. This play style was one that the Cavs needed and he should have many opportunities to showcase this play style with the Wine and Gold.
The third Cavs player that would benefit most from a Hayes pick would be a key all-around big.
One of three Cleveland Cavaliers players that’d benefit most from a Hayes pick: Larry Nance Jr.
With a Killian Hayes pick, the Cavaliers will have to decide on whether or not they want to keep Garland or eventually look to move him, as I stated earlier.
If they decide to keep Garland, which seems like the likely option with this selection, it seems likely that he will be the starter for at least the start of the season as he has more experience than Hayes and Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff could look to try out the small backcourt duo for a little longer.
With this in mind, Hayes could come off the bench to start his career and the pairing of him and Larry Nance Jr. could be a delightful bench duo. This past season was a career year for Nance as he averaged a career-best 10.1 points per game and shot a career-best 35.2 percent from beyond the arc.
Looking at how Nance would benefit from a Hayes selection in the 2020 NBA Draft, his role could be similar to Windler as he would be a spot-up shooter/cutter as well as running pick-and-rolls alongside Hayes.
This season, Nance again showed continued improvement as a perimeter shooter, on spot-ups, really, and he has always been a highly capable finisher on cuts.
For Nance, one thing he could improve on for next season is his PnR game and with Hayes, the two could connect on lobs/points in the paint, both of which could lead to easy points and assists. The athleticism of Nance and the facilitation abilities of Hayes could create a viable duo for at least the next couple or so seasons.
The pairing could create a bond on the court reminiscent of the one we saw between Matthew Dellavedova and Tristan Thompson during the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons most notably, too.
All in all, a Hayes selection in the upcoming draft would have a massive impact on the Cavaliers’ future. Still just 18 years old, Hayes will have plenty of time to perfect his craft and should have a great impact on whatever team selects him.