Just five days ago, the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas came to a close. The Portland Trail Blazers were crowned champions after downing the New York Knicks 85-77 on the final day. The Cleveland Cavaliers finished with a positive 3-2 record over the 10-day long event. RJ Nembhard and Amar Sylla were very impressive, with the former leading in putting up nearly 15 points per game. Despite that, unsurprisingly most eyes were fixed on the Cavs 14th overall pick, former Kansas wing Ochai Agbaji.
The final lottery pick of the 2022 NBA Draft had a good showing in the Cavaliers first matchup against the San Antonio Spurs, scoring 17 points on the night, while shooting 46% from the field and 4-of-9 from deep. Unfortunately in the Cavs next game versus the Utah Jazz, Agbaji only had eight points, and was 3-for-11 from the field.
Clearly there is room for improvement from Agbaji, but he can also be an immediate contributor for the Wine and Gold. It will be interesting to see if he starts or comes off the bench as the season progresses, in that sense. Either way, as a lottery pick, he will be expected to help the team, and one could foresee him doing so even early on in the upcoming season. That was clearly part of the allure when it came to Agbaji as a potential pick for the Cavaliers, throughout the draft process.
Now, let’s take some time to look at two realistic goals for the rookie to strive in his first season.