Should the Cavs go with talent or fit in 2022 NBA Draft?

Drafting for fit

The easier decision of the two, the Cavs could look to take one of the plug-and-play prospects available this year in the 2022 NBA Draft. The biggest need for this team is wing as the shortcomings in this area forced a 7-foot Lauri Markkanen to play the small forward position this year often.

The two players that make the most sense, in this case, are Ochai Agbaji and Tari Eason.

Ochai Agbaji looks to be the more popular of the two, coming off a National Championship run with Kansas. Agbaji has all the makings of a modern-day wing. Standing at 6’5″, and 215 pounds, Agbaji’s size and strength is what stood out in his improvements as a scorer. Highlighting his scoring more, Agbaji’s scoring improved every year of college, as did his shooting.

This season was the pinnacle of his college career, averaging 18.8 points, shooting 40.9% from three on 6.5 attempts per game.

His fit with the team is seamless and the hope is that his offensive skillset improves enough to be a reliable shot creator for the team. Being 22 years old, the biggest question is just how much he can improve. If the Cavaliers are confident in his improvements, this pick should be a no-brainer.

Looking at Tari Eason’s case, his size, defensive prowess, and shooting potential have helped catapult him into lottery talks. On the year, Eason averaged 16.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, and 1.9 steals per game on 52/36/80 shooting splits.

Eason made highlight play after highlight play on both ends of the floor but still has questions that need to be answered. Is the three-point shooting legit? Is he a 3 or a 4 in the NBA? Should the foul issues be concerning?

If the team is confident in his ability to shoot and that his fit on this team could limit his foul tendency, he could be the big wing that brings everything together.