3 Cavs players that’d benefit most from Killian Hayes 2020 NBA Draft pick
By Amadou Sow
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.