Cleveland Cavaliers: Final Top 5 mock draft for the 2021 NBA Draft

The presumptive No. 1 pick has been in this slot for the entire past year. A jumbo wing, the 6’8″ Cade Cunningham projects as a lead ballhandler at the next level. He’s an excellent shooter, hitting 40 percent of his 3-pointers and 84.6 percent from the free throw line. He can also shoot it from anywhere, with great range and the confidence and ability to pull up off-the-dribble no matter where the defender is located.

He is an unselfish passer, setting up his teammates and not demanding every touch. All of the intel suggests he is a high-character player who fights to compete at all times. Defensively he is strong and has good size, and knows where to be.

There are certainly warts; the Pistons don’t get to draft LeBron James. In college Cunningham had more turnovers than assists, a shocking fact for a supposed “point forward” to not take care of the ball more. That metric can be partially explained by the quality of teammate around him (plenty of potential assists weren’t converted) and by the propensity for college referees to call charges. Even so it’s a cause for concern.

The other downside is that Cunningham is not an elite athlete. He doesn’t destroy teams at the rim, he isn’t elite in transition as a scorer, and he isn’t fast enough to roast bigs who are switched onto him. Some players excel without that athleticism, with a recent example being Luka Doncic, but having that athletic floor to elevate your game is important for NBA stars.

Even with those weaknesses, the strengths shine through to a tremendous degree. It’s possible Cunningham isn’t the best player in this draft, but there’s a near-zero chance he isn’t a high-level starter. His shooting and defense elevate his floor well above the rest of the players in this draft. He is not a runaway first overall pick, but he is the clear choice for the Pistons.

If not him: Trade down a spot or two