Projecting whether or not the Cavs’ #5 pick will be a Day 1 starter

The 2020 NBA Draft Lottery has come and gone, and with it brought mixed emotions to Cleveland Cavaliers fans.

Going into the lottery, the Cleveland Cavaliers were tied with the Golden State Warriors and the Minnesota Timberwolves for the best odds at the number one overall pick at 14.0 percent. For the second straight year, the Cavaliers fell to the fifth pick but, this year is a lot different from last year’s draft.

For starters, there isn’t a definitive number one prospect in this year’s draft and some time may pass until we know who the Wolves are targeting in this year’s draft legitimately at number one. Last year’s top three selections, Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and RJ Barrett, all went into the draft knowing that they would be selected with a top 3 pick and the case isn’t the same for this year’s “tier-1” draftees, due to many question marks in their games.

For LaMelo Ball, many teams are questioning his shot, his lackluster effort on defense, and the baggage that he may bring with him, seemingly involving his father, LaVar Ball. For Anthony Edwards, teams question his basketball IQ and shot selection, seeing as he shot poorly in college and averaged more turnovers than assists per game.

For James Wiseman, the film isn’t enough to really know what type of player he could become, making him a giant question mark. Looking at this, it’s easy to see why myself and plenty of others see the Cavaliers falling in the draft as a blessing in disguise for them.

Now, rather than looking at a player with a ton of boom-or-bust potential, the Cavs will be eyeing guys who project to be “good/great/elite role players” and those who look to fill holes and needs for the Cavaliers. The funny thing about everything that I just stated is that the Cavaliers themselves may not know what direction to go in and as reported by Sports Illustrated‘s Sam Amico, it seems as if the Cavaliers may be leaning towards trading the pick rather than keeping it.

In this report, Amico talks about how team owner Dan Gilbert wants the Cavs “to start winning some games,” and he also talks about how the Cavaliers do not seem keen on drafting “another unknown.”

That’s per comments from an opposing NBA executive, and “several” SI sources via Amico, and that opposing NBA executive “strongly” believes the Cavs will end up trading #5 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, per Amico.

These quotes lead me to believe that the Cavaliers will be aggressive this offseason as it pertains to adding talent and whoever they decide to draft/potentially trade for may replace someone currently in the projected starting lineup. Looking back at the history of the number five overall pick, since 2010, six out of the 10 players drafted with that selection came off the bench for their first career NBA game, with all six coming in consecutive years starting with Thomas Robinson and ending with De’ Aaron Fox.

With this in mind, it’ll be interesting to see whether or not the Cleveland Cavaliers’ potential fifth overall pick will follow a trend or not.

Here, I will be using context to give my opinion on whether or not the Cleveland Cavaliers’ potential draft pick will be a Day 1 starter.

Let’s start with the guards.