Cleveland Cavaliers: 2019 NBA Draft lottery will decide Cavs’ future
By Tony Pesta
Good but not great: Cavs draft 2nd-3rd
There is a scenario in which the Cleveland Cavaliers walk away from the lottery happy, but not completely satisfied.
The Cavaliers have over a 25 percent chance of selecting either second or third overall in the draft. From this position, they would almost certainly land one of two players: Ja Morant or R.J. Barrett.
Barrett came into his freshman year for Duke as the number one prospect in his high school graduating class. While some of his shine was diminished by playing alongside other star recruits, Barrett managed to maintain his position as one of the NCAA’s best young talents.
Averaging 22.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game this past season, Barrett certainly has great potential. However, he displayed some bad defensive tendencies and there are legitimate questions surrounding his 3-point jump shot. Barrett shot just 30.8 percent from deep in his Freshman season.
In terms of Morant’s potential, he is obviously an exciting prospect. Morant became the first player in NCAA history to average 20+ points and 10+ assists over the course of an entire season. The only problem is the Cavaliers already have Collin Sexton and do not need to add another point guard.
Landing the second or third in the draft wouldn’t be the worst thing to happen to Cleveland, but it would definitely be a disappointment. Especially when considering who it would miss out on selecting number one overall.