At this point in the season, it’s hard to predict how the Cleveland Cavaliers will finish. They are currently on a five-game winning streak, but that’s nothing new considering they had a six-game winning streak in the beginning of December. The only real losing streak they have had this season is an 0-5 stretch they had in the middle of November. Fortunately, the winning this season is happening a lot more frequently than the losing.
Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen are proving that they are All-Stars so far this season. Evan Mobley is the clear frontrunner for the Rookie of the Year Award. Remember that 0-5 stretch I just talked about? Well, four of those losses came when Mobley was in the NBA’s Health and Safety Protocols.
The Cavs are playing great basketball right now, so I would imagine Cleveland’s front office is not as worried about the upcoming 2022 NBA Draft, as they have been in other years. Let’s let the front office and coaching staff take care of the in-season issues, while I cover the best prospects that will be playing in the NBA at this time next year. The 2022 rookie class is looking like it’s going to be a strong one. So let’s hop right into our Cavalier-specific big board, where there is a new number one.
In addition to the new updated big board, we’re going to take a look at some of the wings and guards that could make their way to the Cavaliers at the end of the first round. Some of the names you may recognize including Max Abmas, the Oral Roberts floor general who led the Eagles past number two seed Ohio State in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. I’ll also touch on a couple of wings that could be helpful on the Cavaliers roster in 2022-2023. No matter how you put it, it’s awesome how well the Cavs are playing, but they can’t let their guard down.
With the majority of the Eastern Conference behind them in the standings, the Cavaliers will get the best games from all opponents in the second half of the season.
A new No. 1
In December’s big board, our prospect rankings were pretty similar to most NBA big boards out there. It’s still clear to me that Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, and Jabari Smith are the three guys that will be atop big boards until draft night.
Banchero took a hold of the top spot in our first rankings, and he’s still having a great season. The big man from Washington is averaging 18 points per game, while also collecting over seven rebounds each night. His offensive arsenal is very impressive. He can hit the defense with a pull-up jumper, or drive right around them for a dunk. Banchero’s three-point percentage has dropped below 35 percent, but his mechanics are there, so his shooting will get better with time.
Any team that can get their hands on Banchero should consider themselves lucky. His athleticism and movement as a 6-foot-10 forward is spectacular. However, unfortunately for him, he’s dropped to number two in our latest big board. Who ascends to number one then you ask? None other than Jabari Smith.
Smith was looked at as a mid-level lottery pick before the season started, but boy has he sky-rocketed past expectations. He’s averaging over 16 points per game, while grabbing six rebounds and dishing out two assists. His overall game is the best I’ve seen coming out of college since Kevin Durant, though. Ironically enough, his body is similar to Durant’s, too.
He’s a 6-foot-10 wing/forward who can pull up from anywhere on the court and hit a shot. Just watching one game of Smith’s will convince you that his exceptional talent will carry over well to the NBA. He’s shooting over 45 percent from the field this season, while also connecting on nearly 46 percent of his three-point attempts. It’s a joy to watch him play, and I can only imagine how good the Cavaliers would be if they were somehow able to acquire him. Unfortunately for them, he’ll be long gone when the Cavs turn in their pick card.
The odd man out right now is Chet Holmgren, and it really isn’t his fault. He’s on a team with college basketball veterans like Drew Timme, so the spotlight is not always on him. Even still, I’m still very confident he will be a good NBA player. His shot blocking instincts remind me of another young man who wears number four for the Cavaliers, in Evan Mobley.
On top of that he really can shoot the ball from anywhere on the court. But, the most important thing Holmgren must improve on before getting to the NBA, is his strength. Standing at 7-foot and weighing only 190 pounds will get you out-muscled at the next level. One thing Holmgren has going for him is that he’s the best rebounder of the top three.
The rest of the prospects on our big board didn’t move around that much over the past month. Holmgren, Banchero, and Smith are the clear three favorites to go 1-2-3. Behind those three is a crop of players that have games that can translate to the NBA very well.
Jaden Ivey and Jaden Hardy are both guards who can shoot the lights out of the gym. Jalen Duren also continues to impress, even though his Memphis team is not very good. Other than those five, our new big board has a bit of a shake up. Guys like Johnny Davis from Wisconsin and TyTy Washington are shining as the best players on their current teams.
So, let’s check out my latest big board. After the big board, I’ll take a look at some of the best late round one prospects, which is where the Cavaliers will be drafting if they can keep winning, and retain their first-rounder.
2022 Big Board Top 10, as of Jan. 19
- Jabari Smith, Wing, Auburn
- Paolo Banchero, Forward, Duke
- Chet Holmgren, Center, Gonzaga
- Jaden Ivey, Guard, Purdue
- Bennedict Mathurin, Wing, Arizona
- Jaden Hardy, Guard, G-League Ignite
- Johnny Davis, Guard, Wisconsin
- Patrick Baldwin Jr., Wing, UW-Milwaukee
- TyTy Washington, PG/SG, Kentucky*
- Keegan Murray, Wing, Iowa*
(Dropped Out: Kendall Brown, Wing, Baylor and Jalen Duren, Center, Memphis)
(* New Addition)
So as you can see, we do have a new name atop the big board. Smith has been great this season, as his Auburn Tigers come into mid-week ranked number two in the country. The Tigers have a huge game this Saturday when they take on Kentucky. Speaking of Kentucky, the newest addition to the list is TyTy Washington, a combo guard from Kentucky.
In my fan guide last week, I wrote about Kentucky and Washington facing off against Tennessee and Kennedy Chandler. The Cats dominated the Volunteers 107-79, and Washington was great. He finished with 28 points, going 10-of-13 from the field, and also nabbing three steals. He’s by far the biggest riser on our big board this week. However, back to the big board, where Ivey, Mathurin, and Hardy are the next three up.
Ivey and Mathurin have been great this season, but Hardy has struggled a bit. Opting to skip college and play in the G-League, he’s looked out of place at times. On the plus side, his shooting stroke is the best in the 2022 NBA Draft, so he’ll never fall out of my big board.
Looking past that, Patrick Baldwin Jr. needs to start hitting more shots or he may find himself slipping out of the lottery. I don’t think Davis will be able to climb the board much higher. And finally, the addition of Keegan Murray was overdue.
Now with that in mind, here are some of the late-first-round prospects who could help and contribute right away for a young Cavs team.
Three late-first-round wings for Cavs fans to keep their eyes on
A.J. Griffin, Wing, Duke
Griffin is a tough prospect to evaluate. He sustained an injury during his junior year of high school, and then with the pandemic going on, he wasn’t able to play a full senior season. However, I don’t know if you need much film to break down Griffin. He’s a lights out shooter with surprising amount of quickness. The Cavaliers desperately need to get more shooting on the wing. Well, let me re-phrase that, they need more consistency from three.
Griffin would instantly make the floor space more open and the team better. Griffin really could fall into the 20s if he doesn’t at least put on some good performances for NBA scouts. Regardless, Griffin could be a massive upgrade in the shooting department, and defensively he has the athleticism to be good, but it’s all about if he wants to or not.
Malaki Branham, Wing, Ohio State
This is a bit of a reach, but the freshman wing from St. Vincent-St. Mary High School has drawn some buzz around the league as of late. He’s averaging 18 points per game in his last five. The freshman put on a show versus Nebraska to start the new year, too. He had 35 points, shooting 68 percent from the field and 75 percent from three. It’s still one of the most impressive showings in all of college basketball this season.
Some haven’t come around to Branham yet, and that’s understandable. However if he keeps playing the way he has been of late, he will force NBA front offices to start looking at him.
Christian Braun, Wing, Kansas
Another Jayhawk? Yes please. Braun plays second fiddle to Agbaji, but don’t be mistaken, he’s good enough to play in the NBA right now. Braun is a year younger than his teammate, but as I briefly mentioned earlier, that’s a good thing. Braun stands at 6-foot-6 and weighs in around 220 pounds. He’s been great for the Jayhawks this season as well. He’s scoring over 15 points per game, shooting over 50 percent from the field, and 38 percent from three.
Depending on how Collin Sexton recovers, or if heads elsewhere, Braun could fill in as both a guard and forward. Right now he’s projected to go in the late teens, early 20s, which might be just where the Cavaliers are drafting.
Two late-first-round guards to watch for the Cavs
Max Abmas, PG, Oral Roberts
I hope everyone remembers Abmas from Oral Roberts’ NCAA Tournament run last year. The Golden Eagles took down Ohio State in the first round, and then toppled Florida to get to the Sweet Sixteen. Unfortunately their season ended there, but Abmas can look forward to an NBA future.
After making the decision to return to school, he has looked good early this season. He’s third in the country in scoring, averaging 23.1 points per game, while also dishing out four assists per game. He’s already shown that he loves the spotlight, and eventually the Cavs will have to find a backup guard who isn’t old, or injury prone.
I love Abmas to the Cavs in the late-first round, or if they have to trade up in the second to get him. It would also benefit him to learn from Darius Garland, who’s making a case as one of the best young point guards in the NBA.
Ochai Agbaji, Guard, Kansas
This young man is having quite the year for Bill Self and the Jayhawks. He’s putting up more than 20 points per game and collecting five rebounds. He’s shooting an absurd 53 percent from the field, and a scorching 48 percent from three. Defensively he’s average right now, but in a more offensive-oriented NBA, it may not matter as much, and he may be able to improve that over time.
The only real knock on Agbaji is his age is older than most NBA rookies, at 21. He could also put on a couple of pounds in the offseason leading up to the 2022 NBA Draft. Overall I really like Agbaji, and with his age, he could seamlessly fit into this young Cavs team, though.
Whether it be coming off the bench, or filling in where he’s needed in the starting lineup, he would be a great pickup for the Cavaliers.