Building the perfect Cavs draft: best-case for all three picks
Building the perfect Cavs draft: Best-case scenario at 56
541. . Point Guard. Bulldogs . Andrew Nembhard. 56. player
No team should expect to get much of anything out of a late second-round pick; if they do strike gold, or even bronze, that’s great, but it’s a longshot. Players who believe strongly in themselves will often avoid being drafted late so they can choose their own destiny as an undrafted free agent.
That doesn’t make it impossible, though, and if the Cavs do end up taking a player at 56 then Andrew Nembhard would be a great pick, assuming he is available. Nembhard has been getting some buzz after a strong NBA Draft Combine, so it’s likely he goes higher than this…but you could say that for 75 prospects, and someone has to be available at 56.
Nembhard is a steady hand at point guard, a true “floor general” type of player with decent size at 6’4″. He competes on defense and has a solid jumper, but a lack of athleticism or scoring burst mean he will really struggle to finish against any sort of contest. He’s the definition of a long-term backup, and the Cavs would love to take a player here they can slot in as their third point guard.
Pipe-dream scenario: Wendell Moore, Wing, Duke – The second round is a mess. Wendell Moore probably won’t fall; in fact it seems insane to think he will. Yet there are absolutely teams that have 55 players ranked higher than him, and if no one is in love with Moore it’s at least theoretically possible he is there at 56. If he is the Cavs should pounce; they need playable wings and Moore brings a lot to the table, even if he doesn’t do one thing at an elite level.
Next. NBA Mock Draft 4.0: Picks for the entire first round. dark
Adding Johnny Davis, Christian Braun and Andrew Nembhard to the team gives them young, inexpensive boosts to their rotation. Davis addresses their need for a secondary shot creator and gives them insurance in case Collin Sexton leaves, and he could be their long-term starter at the 2. Add in a solid backup 3 and a low-cost backup point guard and the Cavs would be cooking with gas coming out of the 2022 NBA Draft.