Even with their painful sweep in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers lived up to the expectations.
The Cavs were a team many thought was a top dog in the East heading into this season, and through some rocky stretches and a blockbuster trade, the playoff results were there nonetheless.
The swap of Darius Garland and James Harden brought stability to Cleveland’s offense. Due to Garland’s inability to stay on the court, acquiring an ironman like Harden changed the team’s landscape.
Despite the trade-deadline move, the Cavs took a significant step back from last year’s regular season, going from 64 wins to 52.
Evan Mobley showed little offensive progression, with his three-point shooting dropping below 30%. Donovan Mitchell was once again the team’s standout, earning All-NBA Second Team honors and averaging nearly 28 points per night.
Cleveland was rocky in the playoffs, but still got the job done when it mattered in the first two rounds. Their star power and some heroics from role players like Sam Merrill and Dean Wade propelled them through two hard-fought series.
Unfortunately, after two Game 7 victories, their flaws caught up with them, as the New York Knicks dominated them in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Now, considering Harden and Donovan Mitchell’s age and the team’s salary cap, the Cavs’ championship window is very limited, and their lack of picks only hurts that.
Cavs Draft Picks:
- Round 1 — No. 29
Cavs Draft Needs:
Overall, the entire Cleveland bench needs major work.
Although they have sharpshooters like Sam Merrill and Max Strus, their point guard, Dennis Schröder, is a temporary option, and they lack a true backup big man.
The flaw in much of the roster is a lack of athleticism. The Cavs were among the bottom teams in the playoffs in transition on both offense and defense. The age of many of their star players will always limit Cleveland’s transition and athletic capabilities, but young bench pieces will certainly help.
Cavs Draft Targets:
Christian Anderson — PG — Texas Tech
Cleveland sorely missed the offensive punch Ty Jerome brought off the bench, and Anderson has the potential to replicate that.
The Texas Tech sophomore is an offensive machine, averaging 18.5 points, 7.4 assists, and 7.9 three-point attempts, on an efficient 62.6% true shooting last season.
Anderson is a pick-and-roll machine, running almost his entire offense out of it. His three-level efficiency, high-volume shooting, and ability to hit any passing angle give him the potential for a dominant bench player.
Since he’s just 6-feet tall and has physicality concerns, there’s a reason he’s barely a first-round prospect. But if the Cavs are looking for a high-ceiling, dynamite offensive piece, Anderson’s a great option.
Amari Allen — SF — Alabama
Allen is a popular choice to land in Cleveland in multiple mock drafts, and for good reason. The Alabama wing has premier athleticism that would help the team tremendously.
He’s clearly raw, but the SEC All-Freshman member has an enormous ceiling. Allen possesses outstanding strength and rebounding (6.9 per game) for his size, along with some creation tools.
Much of his potential comes in spurts, either as a ball handler and driver, a pull-up shooter, or a help defender.
Because Allen has struggled to put all of his tools together for extended periods, as well as length issues, there is a clear risk with the pick, but the reward is well worth it.
Henri Veesaar — C — North Carolina
Veesaar would give the Cavs much-needed height. Their bench has lacked dominant size for years, and at 6-foot-11, the UNC junior will change it all.
The big man is already a premium stretch-five, knocking down 42.6% of his threes last season while still grabbing almost nine rebounds a game.
Veesaar is an advanced decision-maker, always finding open space as a role man and making the right pass.
He is 22 years old and has an extreme lack of quickness, even for his size, which puts a hard ceiling on him, but his current traits will make a substantial difference for Cleveland.
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