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Cleveland Cavaliers: Ranking their last 6 NBA Draft Lottery picks

By Tony Pesta

INDEPENDENCE, OH - JUNE 24: Kyrie Irving #15 and Tristan Thompson #13 of the Cleveland Cavaliers poses for a portrait at Cleveland Clinic Courts on June 24, 2011 in Independence Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2011 NBAE. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/NBAE/Getty Images)
INDEPENDENCE, OH - JUNE 24: Kyrie Irving #15 and Tristan Thompson #13 of the Cleveland Cavaliers poses for a portrait at Cleveland Clinic Courts on June 24, 2011 in Independence Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2011 NBAE. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/NBAE/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images) /

6. Anthony Bennett

2013 NBA Draft (No. 1 overall)

In a draft where there was no real consensus No. 1 pick, the Cleveland Cavaliers attempted to shock the world by selecting Anthony Bennett. The one-year player for UNLV averaged 16.1 points and 8.1 rebounds a game as a freshman in college. Somehow, this was enough for the Cavs to justify taking him with the first pick.

Bennett had a very strange build for an NBA player. Standing at 6’8″ and weighing 240 pounds, it wasn’t easy to figure out what position Bennett would play. He was too short to be a power forward or center but he lacked the athleticism and shooting to be a small forward.

Right from the jump, it was clear that Bennett was not going to have an easy rookie season. He went scoreless in eight of his first 20 career games and was benched completely in four.

He quickly proved to be a complete liability on both ends of the floor, rendering him completely useless to an NBA team. After being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2015, Bennett played for two more teams before being removed from the NBA entirely.

It is easy to give the Cavaliers a pass on this draft pick seeing as how the 2013 NBA Draft class wasn’t very strong to begin with, but with players such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Oladipo, CJ McCollum and Rudy Gobert all drafted in the first round, it is clear they made a grave mistake.

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