Cavs 2021 NBA Draft: Josh Giddey’s potential fit with CLE

When my daughter played collegiate basketball back a few years ago she had four fellow teammates from Australia that played on her team up at the University at Buffalo. That team and my daughter made an amazing run to the Sweet 16 of the 2018 Women’s NCAA tournament that year.

Part of that success was because of the talented Australian players on that team. Their hard work and efforts made a difference.

Now, the Cleveland Cavaliers and/or other NBA teams will have an opportunity to take a new young, talented Australian in the 2021 NBA Draft on July 29. That player, Josh Giddey, who stands at 6-foot-8 and has been playing point guard most recently for the Adelaide 36ers of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) will now likely be drafted as another potential star in the NBA.

Only 18 years old currently, Giddy has impressed many with his skill sets and massive upside and ceiling. Some projections have him going as high as #5 in the draft, while most others have him being selected anywhere from #10-25 in the draft. What jumps out immediately when you watch tape on Giddy is his uncanny abilities with passing and getting his teammates open off his passes.

There are currently several NBA players from Australia. Probably the most notable is the Philadelphia 76ers’ Ben Simmons. For Cavalier fans, our favorite Australian is Matthew Dellavedova. Dellavedova was part of the Cavs too back in 2016 when they won the NBA title.

So having the chance to study this new and rising star from Australia was a lot of fun.

I realize that the Cavs are pretty set at the starting guard spots with Darius Garland, who had a bounce-back Year 2, and Collin Sexton, but I think it would be very interesting if they brought in a young and gifted player like Giddey.

That’d be to feasibly make an impact as a key playmaker off the bench. If for no other reason, he’s probably one of the most talented all-around players in this year’s draft. Giddey just earned the Rookie of the Year Award from the NBL for his play there this past season.

So with that said, let’s examine how Giddey could fit in with the Cavs.

First, we’ll take a closer look at the offensive end.