Johnny Davis could be a perfect fit for Cavs in the NBA Draft
Davis allows the Cavs to stay big and bring Sexton off the bench
One of the most surprising things about the beginning of the 2021-2022 NBA season was the Cavalier’s “big” lineup. After Collin Sexton went down with a knee injury, the Cavs had three near 7-footers in their starting line-up in Lauri Markkanen, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. Mobley and Allen locked down the paint on the defensive end, and Markkanen was a great shooter from deep at times last year. We all saw how well Darius Garland performed using this lineup, putting in his first All-Star season. However, the biggest issue for the Cavaliers when using this lineup was who would start next to Garland in the back-court.
At first, it was Sexton for 11 games before he missed the season with a knee injury. After that, the Cavs used Isaac Okoro at the shooting guard position for most of the year. Unfortunately, Okoro’s game just hasn’t really taken off, and to some, it doesn’t look like he’ll ever be more than a solid defender who’s good in the open floor. Instead of inserting Sexton back into the starting lineup next year, Davis might be the perfect prospect to position next to Garland.
On the offensive end, the Cavaliers desperately needed scoring and shot-creation at the end of the season last year. Davis would easily upgrade the offense with his mid-range game and ability to use his body to get separation. Despite not having the quickest first step, his offensive arsenal off the bounce is impressive. On top of that, Davis is one of the better play-makers in this draft. He doesn’t necessarily have the control that some lead guards do, but he’s a great passer and has great vision when attacking a defender. He’s already a polished finisher with either hand and shoots nearly 80% from the charity stripe.
If the Cavs were to draft Davis, it would allow them to really think about what they want to do with Collin Sexton. Sexton is a great scorer, but he has a very high usage rate and doesn’t have the best passing numbers. However, there’s no doubt he can score, and after missing most of the season, his shooting is said to have improved. In my opinion, Collin Sexton would be the perfect sixth man, providing instant offense. At times Sexton can do most of the ball-handling, but whoever the Cavaliers bring in this summer to play point guard for the second unit can also look to find Sexton on the break. At the least, drafting Davis would give the Cavs a couple of other options when it comes to the former Alabama man.
Davis’ offensive arsenal is built for the NBA, and he’s a creative scorer. Standing at 6’5″ he’s an explosive player that also plays under control. One of Davis’ favorite spots on the court is in the post. Multiple times over the course of the season, Davis took a smaller guard into the post and scored. He loves to use his footwork and creativity in the post. However, the most intriguing part of Davis’ game is his lock-down defense. Not only could he give the Cavaliers help on offense, but he should be able to defend most opposing team’s best guards.