When the Cleveland Cavaliers were on the clock in the 2022 NBA Draft, there were a couple of prospects I really loved that were readily available to be selected by the the Cavalier front office. AJ Griffin out of Duke and Malaki Branham out of Ohio State, were two players in particular that I would have loved to see drafted at 14. However, the Cavs decided to go with Ochai Agbaji from Kansas, as he was more likely to have a bigger impact, quicker than the aforementioned prospects.
On Friday night in the opening minutes of the Cavaliers Summer League debut versus the San Antonio Spurs, the sharpshooter from Kansas showed why he was the correct pick at the time. About two minutes into the game, Agbaji nailed two straight three-pointers to get the Cavalier offense going.
Agbaji would finish with 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting, including 4-of-9 from three. He played the exact role that the Cavs will need him to play in the regular season. While at times, I wish Agbaji would attempt to create off the dribble a bit more, his outside shooting is incredibly impressive. On top of that, he shows absolutely no hesitation when he launches a shot, which helps him get his shot off quicker.
But, Agbaji wasn’t the only Cavalier to impress, as Amar Sylla and RJ Nembhard Jr. had great games to start this Summer League season.
Let’s take a look at how Agbaji’s overall game was last night, and how it was a great start for the role the Cavaliers want the sharpshooter to play.