3 talented players the Cavs should have drafted but didn’t

3 players the Cavs should have drafted but didn’t: E.J. Liddell

E.J. Liddell was the 13th-ranked player on my personal big board. He is an incredibly smart defender, the kind of guy who can direct a defense while on the court. He is strong enough to take on bigs but nimble enough to switch onto the perimeter, and his weakside rim protection is superb. After only Chet Holmgren and Jabari Smith Jr. he was the next-best defender in the draft.

It made sense for the Cavs to prioritize the wing with their first pick at No. 14, although AJ Griffin or Dalen Terry were ranked more highly on my board than Ochai Agbaji. But with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen in the fold the need for Liddell wasn’t as big, and concerns about whether his shot will translate to the NBA line are fair for a team that needs spacing.

But Liddell inexplicably stayed on the board through the entire first round, and he was available when the Cavs picked at 39!!! One of the three or four best defensive players in the draft, a true difference-maker who can guard multiple positions, the answer to defending big wings like Jimmy Butler and Giannis Antetokounmpo, was there at pick No. 39, a true steal.

Who did the Cavs choose instead? They went for a draft-and-stash, a center named Khalifa Diop who might become a backup 5 in a few years. Backup 5s are a dime-a-dozen in today’s NBA, available for the minimum or a second-round pick anytime. Stashing one? That was a huge waste of a pick, especially when a defensive game-changer in Liddell was on the board.