2021 under-the-radar target #3 for the Cleveland Cavaliers: Josh Christopher -Guard, Arizona State
Josh Christopher may very well be the most unique player on this list, all things considered. He could potentially prove to be the best of the three players mentioned as well depending on where he falls to and how he plays in his likely lone season at Arizona State. Josh will very likely create a lot of positive noise during his time on campus, given how dynamic a player he is and how excellent an all-around environment he is joining in terms of personnel and teammates.
He is the highest profile recruit to attend Arizona State since the likes of James Harden. Christopher offers similar game-breaking and game-changing ability to the tune of Harden during his time at ASU and thus could easily be a high-riser in the 2021 NBA Draft. This current moment he stands to be a late-lottery to late-first-round selection and thus fits the bill of an under-the-radar, potential star level player that any NBA team would likely love to have in a draft filled with major superstar level prospects all the same.
Josh Christopher is an excellent and high-flying athlete and has good size and length at 6-foot-5. He showcased throughout his entire high school and AAU career that he can very well be a dominant, primary scoring option on a super-talented team as he played alongside many exceptionally talented, fellow 5-star prospects during said time.
There is clear star level potential present inside Christopher and he also possesses a certain swagger that is both infectious and unteachable. His senior season at the well-known Mayfair High School in Lakewood, California he averaged an awfully impressive, all-around stat line of 29.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 3.5 steals and 1.7 blocks per game.
He shot 49 percent from the floor and 33 percent from three-point range (on 189 attempts) and proved to be one of the best all-around guards and best scorers in his recruiting class. If he can allow this to translate to the next level like many expect him to at the elite level experts assume he will, he will be an outstanding selection at any slot available in the 2021 NBA Draft.
It speaks to how impressive the 2021 NBA Draft pool will likely be when a player of Christopher’s caliber is considered to be a mid-first-round selection with everything surrounding him is put into consideration, yet he easily can and will likely prove to NBA teams that he is worthy of being built around as a potential franchise piece wherever he’s taken.
The Cleveland Cavaliers absolutely would fit as one of those teams given how players like Sexton and Porter Jr. have developed so quickly as members of the Wine and Gold.
If the Cavaliers do indeed select Josh Christopher in the 2021 NBA Draft, it would not surprise me in the slightest if he proves to be a great NBA player in due time, and if that affects a piece such as Garland, at least in terms of minutes/lineup-structure, oh well.