Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 options for pick No. 8 in 2018 NBA Draft
By Ryan Piers
2. Trae Young
Landing a point guard should be first on the Cavaliers’ priority list. The best franchises are built around them and it’s a position of need, regardless of whether LeBron stays or leaves.
Trae Young has all the makings of a star point guard. He’s cheetah quick with incredible range. Young scored 27.4 points per game while hitting 3.7 3-pointers a night. Those 8.7 assists per game weren’t too shabby either.
He’s also a great complementary player to James. LeBron thrives as a drive-and-kick playmaker with marksmen lined along the 3-point arc. When players like Kyle Korver and J.R. Smith are on, LeBron teams are even more deadly.
With Young, opposing guards would be unable to help on James as he penetrates. Young’s quick release gives defenders little time to close out. As you can see here, he also has the range to make defenders play tight.
Scouts question Young’s ability to defend NBA-caliber talent. At 6’3″ with a relatively slight frame and a 6’3″ wingspan, it’s a fair critique. Which is why our No. 1 is the better option.