NBA Draft prospect Johnny Davis could provide offensive boost for Cavs

Davis’ defense, and how he might be a better long term answer than others

Lastly, defensively, I do believe Davis could be competent against opposing wings and for some stretches on opposing lead playmakers.

He makes it difficult on the opposition with his physicality, getting back into plays in pick-and-roll situations, and he has active hands as a help side defender, where he’s so difficult to defend in live-ball turnover plays. That played into him having 1.2 steals per contest.

He’s a player that closes airspace on shooters, and can get through to contest well, even while recovering from sagging off-ball to get to the corners, and with players such as Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, could really make it tough on drivers.

Plus, while I’m not saying he’ll be a seven-plus rebound guy regularly at the next level, Davis did lead the Big Ten in defensive rebounds this season, and had 8.2 per game. His positioning there could help the Wine and Gold get out and run more opportunisitically, and he’d be a grab-and-go player himself.

Looking onward, if the Cavaliers were to select Davis in the 2022 NBA Draft on June 23, he could, most notably, be a capable shot creator and provide another meaningful driver.

And if that were to mean Caris LeVert is potentially expendable, or maybe down the road, Isaac Okoro is, oh well.

The Cavs could go with a number of different guys it’d seem with their late-lottery pick in the first round next month, and he might not be there, but if Davis is, the 20-year-old would have to be in the mix, one would think.