It’s no secret that the Cleveland Cavaliers have not closed out the regular season very well. After another loss, this time at the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, the Cavs have now lost four of their last five games, and hold a record of 2-7 since March 21. With that being said, the Cavs have also been consumed by injuries this season.
Guard Collin Sexton was lost for the season in November in late December, they also lost backup point guard Ricky Rubio to injury. However, the injuries have really hit hard in the last number of weeks. All-Star center Jarrett Allen fractured his finger on March 6 that’s kept him out indefinitely, and it’s not a certainty we’ll see him back in the regular season, or seemingly the play-in tournament. There is a possibility he returns before the regular season ends, though.
Finally, it seems like the straw that broke the camel’s back was Evan Mobley‘s sprained ankle that has kept him out since the end of March. That isn’t even including the month or so Lauri Markkanen missed. Well with all this being said, I think it’s time to start embracing the fact that the Cavs might keep their first-round pick this season, which would happen if they don’t make the postseason.
Cavaliers President of Basketball Ops Koby Altman was very smart to include a substantial protection on the first-round pick the Cavaliers sent to the Indiana Pacers for Caris LeVert. The pick was lottery-protected, so if the Cavs are not one of the 16 teams that make the actual playoffs, they will indeed be picking in the first round this summer.
Overall, some really untimely injuries seem to have stalled the Cavs potential this season, but in that time we’ve also learned this team needs some help. What better place to look for talent than in the 2022 NBA Draft.
At this point, I would argue it’s very possible the Cavs keep their pick, considering how great the rest of the Eastern Conference has been. They have made the play-in tournament, but the Brooklyn Nets may loom there, or the Atlanta Hawks, both very difficult matchups. In any case, it’s time to set up the KJG-specific big board.
While also looking at realistic possibilities, I’m going to take a look at some of my longshot favorites for the Cavs if they were to luckily move up. Finally I’ll take a dive into some of the players whose stock has fallen of late, and could slip in this summer’s draft where the Cavaliers and Koby Altman could scoop him up.
Let’s take a look at our first Cavs-specific big board.