Cavs: 3 things to know about new signing Denzel Valentine

Cavs: 3 things to know about new signing Denzel Valentine – Intriguing Skillset

Despite the lack of NBA production to this point, it’s undeniable that Denzel Valentine still has a skillset that intrigues NBA teams and that earned him the chance to compete for a job in Cleveland.

Wings who can make plays with the ball in their hands are a coveted asset in the NBA, and teams still have college tape where Valentine is setting up teammates beautifully. That has been reduced to mere flashes in the pros, but it doesn’t mean Valentine can’t grow as a player and build that back in.

The 2017-18 season is just one in four, but it’s also the one season where he was both healthy and handed a significant rotational role. He responded with by far the best season of his career, averaging 10.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.9 3-pointers on 38.6 percent from deep, all easily career-highs.

At this point it’s more likely that Valentine is the player we saw the past two seasons, a talented wing who struggles with injuries and the speed of the game and won’t be worth an NBA rotation spot moving forward. Even so, a 6’4″ wing who can handle and pass like a point guard, has shot upside and can rebound for his size is worth taking a shot at in case he can pull it all together.

The Cavaliers desperately need wings, and even if what they truly need are players at the 3 this is a reasonable flier for the team to take. Damyean Dotson was not the answer, while Valentine still has the upside of growing into a rotation piece on a good team. Here’s hoping the Cavs can capture that upside and reset Valentine on an upward trajectory.