2 2023 NBA Draft prospects that could find roles early on with Cavs

Prospect No. 2: Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Secondly, the 2022-23 Pac-12 Player of the Year in Jaime Jaquez Jr. is another intriguing 2023 NBA Draft prospect the Cavaliers should pay close attention to.

Some will be turned away by Jaquez being a four-year collegiate player, and him already being 22.

His perimeter shooting has left plenty to be desired over the course of his career with the UCLA Bruins as well, as he has converted on 32.7 percent from three over that period. He’s attempted only 2.6 of those per contest as well, which has resulted in a three-point attempt rate of 25.4 percent, and that’s been just 20.5 and 19.8 percent over the past two seasons, in which his role has expanded more.

Nonetheless, despite the deep shooting question marks, and how he could possibly contribute at the NBA level, Jaquez is a player who can create for himself in multiple ways, and for Cleveland’s bench, that could prove useful.

Jaquez, who has had 13.9 and then 17.3 points per contest the past two years for UCLA, has a well-rounded mid and low-post game, finishes through and around contact well. And his mid-range feel is polished, and to counter defenders anticipating him getting into the middies, he can get downhill as a driver, where his strength and wide pace enables him to get to the basket and connect or draw fouls.

Jaquez’s combination of ball fakes, foul drawing, post polish and push shot touch, and with him being a timely cutter, could potentially make him a difficult cover if he gets the opportunities.

At the other end, he could aid Cleveland to some degree as a team defender with strong and active hands, and his sturdy, wide base at 6-foot-7 and 225 pounds should lead to him being a helpful rebounder in potential minutes. His off-ball feel could make a difference in rotational minutes early on, too, as he’s had 1.7 steals per-40 minutes with the Bruins over four years, and has registered a steal rate of 2.5 percent.

It’s tough to forecast whether Jaquez could be more viable at the 3 or 4, and there would be some questions about him playing with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen for extended stretches. But with Jaquez’s craftiness, he could feasibly give the Cavs a meaningful complementary bench shot creator, especially if the offensively inconsistent Caris LeVert isn’t back, and Jaquez is a good decision-maker and underrated connecting passer.

Don’t discount his toughness and fortitude, either, which would fit right in with this Cavaliers group. This might result in him falling a bit, however, if he’s on the board, the Cavs should consider him.