5 Bold Predictions For Cleveland Cavaliers’ 2016-17 Season

Kay Felder Emerges As A Rising Star

Leading up to the 2016 NBA Draft, there was a lot of love in the scouting community for Kay Felder. The Oakland product was a star during his college career, but fell before the Cavaliers bought the No. 54 overall pick from the Atlanta Hawks to spend on him.

Felder fell largely due to his height (5-foot-8), but he’s an elite athlete who turned every head in the room during the NBA Combine with his 44-inch vertical. He also averaged 24.4 points, 9.3 assists and 2 steals per game last season, showing serious potential as a scorer and facilitator.

His stock continued to rise during Summer League, when he lit it up for Cleveland. He averaged 15.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.4 steals, proving he’s more than capable of contributing when called upon.

Especially with Matthew Dellavedova gone and Mo Williams getting up there in age, Felder could steal the show as the backup point guard. I’m guessing that’ll be the case, which will give him opportunities to shine as a key cog of the bench unit.

Felder was overlooked due to his height and success at a school not known for producing NBA prospects. However, the Cavaliers will benefit from his slide–and much earlier than anticipated.

Next: A Cav Leads the League in Rebounds