On Friday, the Cleveland Cavaliers put up a valiant effort against LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets. However, the Cavs did not come out of the matchup as the victors. Ball had 17 points, while Miles Bridges kicked in 30 points and seven rebounds to guide the Hornets to the win. The Cavaliers were without point guard Darius Garland, who is battling an ankle injury. Collin Sexton had a game-high 33 points, while Ricky Rubio pitched in 15 points and 10 assists.
On Saturday, the Cavs came up with a nice win over the Atlanta Hawks behind a great effort from Rubio with 23 points, eight assists and six rebounds, and the team overall had six players in double figures; not bad. But there is a clear hole on the team at the moment, generally speaking.
The glaring weakness on the Cavs roster right now is the fact that they don’t have a reliable wing-player.
Last year’s fifth overall pick, Isaac Okoro, has looked decent after Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff dropped him from the starting lineup in favor of Lauri Markkanen. Okoro has shot 50 percent from the field, but has only one three-pointer. Okoro could become a good two-way wing, but his offensive game needs a lot of help.
Speaking of Markkanen, he’s been okay since being inserted into the starting lineup. He’s averaging 11.7 points per game, but shooting only 30 percent from the field. He’s also started off cold from deep, shooting 5-of-18 from there on the year. Cedi Osman had a great opener, scoring 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting. With that being said, it’s hard to rely on Osman, as he’s been inconsistent his entire career. Luckily for the Cavs, there are a great group of wings ready to enter the NBA in 2022.
From Jaden Hardy to Chet Holmgren, there are a lot of intriguing players in this year’s upcoming draft class. As I’ve said, the Cavs desperately need wing help, so let’s take a look at some of the guys general manager Koby Altman and company should target early then, and/or beyond.
Upcoming NBA Draft targets for the Cavs to target: Emoni Bates, in 2023
When Jalen Duren and Emoni Bates re-classified to the 2021 high school class, I was immediately very excited. Emoni Bates has been viewed as one of the best players to come out of high school in a while. Multiple outlets have already started comparing him to Kevin Durant. While that is an incredibly high comparison, some of it has been validated by Bates’ play. On top of all of that, he’s a 6-foot-8 wing player, with a lot of explosion.
He would be a perfect fit for the Cavs next year, and could possibly take them to the playoffs. But, we were all teased, as Jalen Duren will be eligible for the 2022 NBA Draft, whereas Emoni Bates will not. Bates will not turn 19 until January of 2023, making him ineligible.
The thought of having another high draft pick, and not being able to snag the best prospect in some time, is very disappointing. While it’s disappointing, it’s possible giving Bates more time to grow his game isn’t such a bad thing. However, I think most Cavs fans and media members expect the team to be competing by the 2022 season, so they may never get the chance to select Bates.
Still, the Cavaliers will have a lot of wings to take a look at before next summer’s draft.
Upcoming NBA Draft targets for the Cavs to target: Jaden Hardy (G-League)
Jaden Hardy, in my opinion, is the best wing in the 2022 NBA Draft class. He is a four-level scorer. Players these days have the ability to pull up from the logo, and Hardy is no exception. His shooting stroke is silky smooth, and he has the ability to pull up and get off his shot at will. The only issue with Hardy, is that he is only 6-foot-5 and is more of a combo guard than a three.
Even so, this should not be an issue for the Cavs, whatsoever. The Cavaliers are not in a position where they can only track certain players, as they need to take the best player available. While he is a smaller wing, his length is impressive, and he has shown the ability to be a good defender.
Hardy’s finishing ability is not quite on the same level as a guy like Bates or Paulo Banchero, but he’s still a solid finisher. He’s also a little bit more reliant on his jumper than a lot of other prospects. But, we’ve seen that the most important skill in basketball is scoring, and Hardy is an ace.
If he can clean up his handle a bit, and improve upon his shot selection playing in the G-League, there’s no reason to believe he won’t be in the discussion for the first overall pick.
Upcoming NBA Draft targets for the Cavs to target: Patrick Baldwin Jr. (Wisconsin-Milwaukee)
Patrick Baldwin Jr. decided that for his one year of college ball, he will play for his father, Patrick Baldwin, at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Baldwin Jr. will have to show out against most of his opponents, as Wisconsin-Milwaukee won’t be playing in the ACC, Big 12, or SEC. With that being said, Baldwin Jr. is still a special talent.
Standing at 6-foot-9 with an exceptional shooting touch, there’s no reason Baldwin Jr. doesn’t light it up this season. His game should translate well to the NBA, as he is a pretty straight-forward player. As I said, he’s a great shooter and uses his length and athleticism to bother the opposition. He should become a good defender over time, and is one of the only players in this class that can shoot with Hardy.
If you look at some of the players across the league who have come from small schools, there are a lot of success stories. Damian Lillard played his college ball at Weber State, and is one of the top eight players in the league. His teammate CJ McCollum, played his college ball at Lehigh University, and has been very good in the NBA as well. Over time, we’ve seen that the level of play for some prospects really doesn’t matter. If you’re a good player, it doesn’t matter where you come from.
I expect Baldwin Jr. to have a great freshman season, and get into the top five conversation of the 2022 NBA Draft.
Upcoming NBA Draft targets for the Cavs to target: A.J. Griffin (Duke)
A.J. Griffin is another guy who would help the Cavaliers with his size, shooting and defending ability. The 6-foot-6 wing has struggled with injuries throughout his prep career, but when he’s healthy, he’s looked like a star.
Griffin isn’t the quickest player, but he uses his strength and basketball IQ to beat defenders. On top of that he’s another player who can seriously score from three levels on the court. Granted, the last two blue chip wings to go through Duke, R.J. Barrett and Cam Reddish, haven’t necessarily thrived in the NBA. However, both players have carved out roles for themselves.
And Griffin will have every opportunity to be better than both of them. Most teams will look to shut down Paulo Banchero, so Griffin should get a lot of open looks.
Upcoming NBA Draft targets for the Cavs to target: Keep an eye on Peyton Watson (UCLA)
Peyton Watson is a great player that’s going to be playing for a great team. In a sense, that is both good and bad for him. He will really have to make an early impact to continue to get minutes on a UCLA team that went to the Final Four last season. Regardless, he’s a very intriguing prospect.
He defends well and his athleticism will all translate to the NBA. He also has a reliable jumper. However, he needs to be more consistent, and develop his all-around game more. He will likely be a glue guy on a team like UCLA. Overall though, Watson is a guy who might fly under the radar during the winter, only to come out stronger in the spring.
It’s no secret the Cavs have a massive hole at the wing. Okoro can possibly be a reliable starter, but he needs more time and more minutes, which is a thing Cleveland doesn’t have a lot of. All four of the players above would help the Cavs immediately. Some would make a bigger impact than others, but overall they are all an upgrade for the Cavs.
Here’s to looking towards 2022 (and/or beyond)!