NBA Draft: Pros, cons of potential Jalen Green selection by Cavs at #3

The Cleveland Cavaliers unexpectedly landed the third overall pick in the draft lottery for the 2021 NBA Draft to come on July 29. This should seemingly give them a chance at getting Jalen Green or Evan Mobley, two of the most talented prospects in the draft this year.

Jalen Green made a bold decision of not going to college, and going straight to the NBA G League this past season. There was some speculation on his decision and doubts of him doing that well against borderline-NBA talent but he thrived in his situation.

The 6-foot-5 guard averaged an impressive 17.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per outing in the G League bubble for the G League Ignite squad, and had 1.5 steals per contest, too. Plus, he shot 46.1 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from behind the three-point line in those 15 games and the scoring polish he has jumped out.

Green is looked at to be the best scorer in this years’ draft class and has drawn comparisons to Chicago Bulls All-Star guard, Zach LaVine. His quick first step to go along with his athleticism, body control, and ability to finish with contact makes him very hard to guard, especially when driving to the rim. Green’s speed and handle also make him nearly unstoppable when running in transition.

Now, he wasn’t able to get to the free throw line that often, only averaging 2.3 attempts per game, but when he did, he made 82.9 percent of his attempts, which was also encouraging.

He is great at creating his own shot while getting good separation from his defender. Green’s jump shot did improve from his senior high school season and there positive signs there in AAU run, and that should continue to improve with more work.

Cavs: Pros of a potential Jalen Green draft selection

Jalen would bring instant offense to the Cavaliers, who finished dead last in scoring this past season, injuries aside. He projects to be the future primary scoring option on whatever team he goes to and he has all the potential to do so.

His role on the team would completely depend on what Cleveland decides to do with Collin Sexton this offseason, who has been mentioned as a key player in trade rumors of late. But whether Sexton gets traded and Green starts at shooting guard, or the Cavs decide to keep him and bring the rookie off the bench, Green is going to bring a spark to the team, especially on offense.

A Green 2021 NBA Draft selection would certainly help the team’s transition offense as he often pushes the tempo after rebounds. The Cavs could use this as they finished twenty-first in the league in transition offense last season.

Although Green isn’t looked at to be a great defender, adding him to the team would give Cleveland more versatility on the defensive end as he is listed at 6-foot-5, which is four inches taller than the current shooting guard, Collin Sexton.

Cavs: Cons of a potential Jalen Green draft selection

Selecting Jalen Green #3 doesn’t necessarily mean they look to move on from Sexton, but there is a possibility they would be drafting his replacement from a long term perspective, even though Sexton led the team in scoring last season with 24.3 points per game.

The Cavaliers currently have a young, talented backcourt duo in Darius Garland and Sexton, who both improved and played very well together last season.

With that being said, a selection of Mobley, Jonathan Kuminga, or Scottie Barnes to add to the frontcourt, could theoretically speed up the rebuild and give Cleveland a player in a position of need while bolstering the defense.

The Cavs are in a difficult situation because although it’s always a good idea to take the best player available at your pick, selecting a less talented player that plays a position you need could set you up for the future better, opposed to the best player on the board that plays in a spot you don’t have a necessity for.

Cavs: What a Jalen Green draft selection would do to the rotation

The Cavaliers could run many different lineups if they do decide to go this direction in the 2021 NBA Draft. Garland, Sexton, Isaac Okoro, Kevin Love/Larry Nance Jr., Jarrett Allen (if he’s locked up this offseason), with Green coming off the bench would seem most likely at the time but they could switch Green and Sexton, in theory.

That would allow Garland and Green to build chemistry with a great scoring guard in Collin Sexton leading the second team.

If the Houston Rockets decide to go with Mobley and Green does fall to the Cavaliers at number three overall, it would be hard to imagine they pass on a generational talent.