With the Cleveland Cavaliers reportedly hiring Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson to be their next head coach, their attention can now fully shift to the NBA Draft that begins tonight. The Cavs currently have the 20th pick in the first round and no second-round picks. It looks likely that they will stay at that spot and pick a young player who can help them in their quest to contention.
Cleveland has a few needs they can fill with that pick. Adding more ball handlers and scorers off the bench, floor spacing bigs, and a 3 and D wings are three of the main positional archetypes they should be looking for. The good thing about this draft is that it is deep, even though it may be lacking franchise cornerstones. The Cavs are fortunate enough to not be looking for a franchise player, but there are still a lot of quality players in this draft that can be plugged into their rotation.
So which prospects fit the Cavs best? There have been a number of players that Cleveland has reported interest in, but which ones stand out as the best fits and will likely be there at pick 20? Here are the four best prospects for the Cavs.
1. Pittsburgh guard Carlton Carrington
Carlton Carrington is one of the younger prospects in this draft, as he does not turn 19 until next month. He could be seen as a potential Caris LeVert replacement as he enters the last year of his contract.
One of Carrington’s strengths is his scoring ability. He is great at getting to his spots, specifically in the mid-range, and he is a great creator for himself. 75% of his baskets at Pitt this past season were unassisted according to College Basketball scouting. Carrington is also very good at using his handle and getting to the rim and finishing with touch. He also likes to take jump shots, specifically in the elbow area and is good at rising up and getting it up over defenders.
Another one of his strengths is his playmaking. Carrington was seventh in the ACC in total assists with 136 and had one of the lower turnover percentages in the ACC at 13%. He is great at navigating the pick and roll and is good at finding a roller or getting his own shot off the screen.
Defensively, Carrington is good at using his length to contest shots, as well as moving his feet to stay in front of perimeter players. It is not one of his best skills, but it is one that can be honed and developed under the tutelage of Atkinson.
The main weakness in Carrington’s game though is his three-point shooting. Taking them is not necessarily the problem, as his three-point rate was 52 percent, but he only made 32 percent of his attempts. That is something he needs to fix as he enters the pros, but his ball handling ability off the bench would be valuable to the Cavs.