Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 players to watch in the Sweet 16

1. De’Andre Hunter

Hunter is kind of like Clarke, a long wing with lockdown defensive abilities. Hunter’s advantage is he plays in the ACC, responsible for guarding NBA-caliber talent (Williamson, North Carolina’s Cameron Johnson and Virginia Tech’s Nickiel Alexander-Walker, to name a few). Naturally, scouts will value his Defensive Player of the Year award in the ACC more highly than Clarke’s in the WCC.

Hunter also leads Virginia with 15.2 points per game. His 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game  coupled with a 52.9 shooting percentage are respectable. Clearly he can play both ways.

Eager NBA GMs would be smart to note Hunter’s improvement from last season. His field goal percentage improved by four percent, his 3-point shooting by six percent and his rebounding numbers shot way up too. His trajectory and playing style mirrors that of Kawhi Leonard. He’s literally the exact same size and height Leonard was in college.

Hunter, like Leonard, is a low floor player; if he never pans out offensively, teams know he can at least be a 3-and-D wing.

After Virginia’s first round exit last year, Hunter had to lead his team deep into the tournament. Virginia won despite Hunter’s sluggish performance in round two. If he erupts over these final four games, he could secure his spot as the No. 4 pick in the draft, separating himself from North Carolina prospects Coby White and Nassir Little and the aforementioned talent from Gonzaga. This is the player Cavaliers should keep an eye on.