Ranking the Cleveland Cavaliers’ lottery picks since 2011

#8. Dion Waiters, Guard, Syracuse

(4th Overall Pick in 2012)

Another shocking top-five selection in 2012, Dion Waiters was drafted far too early in the draft. The 6’3″ guard played two seasons at Syracuse, and did not start. He was named Big East Sixth Man of the Year during his final year with the Orangemen. However, on top of the fact that he didn’t start, Syracuse’s zone defense was something that had NBA scouts a bit worried.

Waiters had a solid rookie campaign with the Cavaliers averaging 14.7 points per game on 42% shooting from the field. He was selected to compete in the Rising Stars Challenge with teammates Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson, and Tyler Zeller. His second year in the league, he raised his scoring average to nearly 16 points per game, while shooting 43% from the field.

The reason Waiters is so low on this list is because he only played two-and-a-half seasons with the Cavaliers. From the moment he was drafted, he and Kyrie Irving did not see eye-to-eye. That led to a toxic locker room and tense player relationships. When LeBron James returned to Cleveland in 2014, Waiters was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Cavs ended up receiving Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith in return.

#7. Isaac Okoro, Guard/Wing, Auburn

(Fifth Overall Pick in 2020)

Before I take a lot of heat for Isaac Okoro‘s ranking, let me say, there is a little bit of reason to believe “Ice” can become a good two-way player. He’s just not there yet. However, his biggest problem is that he might not have much time to show improvement. Okoro was an interesting pick in 2020. On the defensive end, he has the talent and will to be one of the top perimeter defenders in the NBA. But, on the offensive end, he may as well take a seat.

Last year during his rookie year, Okoro averaged almost 10 points per game while hitting his shots at a 42% clip. His scoring dipped a bit this past year, but his efficiency definitely got better, as he hit 48% of his shots. On top of that, he became a much better three-point shooter this season, hitting 35% of his deep-shots compared to 29% in his rookie campaign, albeit on a low volume.

What really makes Okoro so low in my personal rankings, is that there were multiple players drafted behind Okoro that would have been a much better fit for the Cavaliers. Tyrese Haliburton was the 12th overall pick, and Desmond Bane who was the last pick of the first round, are just two examples.

Okoro is a very athletic win player, who can be great on the defensive end. However, his biggest problem is that he is essentially a ghost on offense, and his impressive defense doesn’t make up for his offensive game being nonexistent. If I were the Cavs, I would be dangling Okoro to see if there are any takers. However, because of his defensive prowess, he still provides some value, but if he doesn’t take the third-year leap in 2022-2023, he might be headed out of town.

#6. Tristan Thompson, Forward/Center, Texas

(4th Overall Pick in 2011)

When Tristan Thompson became the fourth pick overall, and the Cavs’ second pick in the first five, I was pretty surprised. Even still, looking back on Thompson’s selection over a decade later, it was a great pick. At the time, the two highest-rated prospects coming out of the college ranks were Kyrie Irving and Derrick Williams. Personally, with my disdain for Duke, I would have preferred the Cavs select Williams first overall, and then draft a guard with the fourth overall pick. Luckily for the Cavaliers, they did not heed my advice.

Thompson was the second of the Cavs top-five picks. We all know how the Irving selection ended up. However, people do often forget how big of a part that Thompson played on that 2016 Championship team. Thompson was a pillar on the defensive end of the court, and was also a fan-favorite because of his passion and effort. In his nine years playing for the Cavs, Thompson averaged nearly 10 points per game, and had near double-digit rebounds as well.

Thompson, along with Irving, are the only two lottery picks that took part in the 2016 NBA Championship run. To me, Thompson is immortalized in Cleveland, and his number should be retired one day. However, while the pick ended up working out for the Cavs in a big way, Thompson was just a good NBA player. Not bad, and not great, but a good basketball player.