Why the Cavs couldn’t go wrong with drafting Ochai Agbaji
Agbaji can help as a rebounder
To my surprise, Agbaji is actually a solid rebounder. He’s only 6’5”, and he averaged 5.1 rebounds this season for Kansas. He also averaged 0.8 offensive rebounds per game, which is very helpful for the Cavs, as Kevin Love, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen can’t get ALL the rebounds for Cleveland.
Those extra possessions for the Cavs by getting offensive rebounds means a lot, and on the defensive end, Agbaji could be a player that can help Cleveland start the break at times.
What he needs to work on
If Agbaji will be mainly playing at the 2-guard, so he’ll need to become a better playmaker. He averaged 1.6 assists per game in his collegiate career, which is okay, but can definitely be improved upon.
Does he need to be a great playmaker as soon as he plays for the Cavs? No, the Cavs already have Darius Garland, one of the league’s best playmakers. Kevin Love is a solid playmaker for a big man, averaging 2.2 assists per night. But eventually, he should want to try to add that to his arsenal.
Being known as a defensive ace, he only averaged 0.9 steals per game this season, which hopefully can be increased soon. The Cavaliers were one of the worst teams when it comes to getting steals, being the 26th ranked team in that stat. The Cavs only averaged 7.1 steals per night, which is surprising considering the Cavs are statistically one of the best defensive teams in the NBA.
Next. Two realistic expectations for Agbaji in rookie year with Cavs. dark
Like I mentioned earlier, congrats to Agbaji. This is just the first step, though. I think he’ll have a long and successful career in this league. Good luck, Ochai Agbaji.