Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 best No. 5 picks in NBA Draft history
By Ryan Piers
The Cleveland Cavaliers select fifth overall in the upcoming 2019 NBA Draft. Here are the best five players ever selected at that spot.
Most Cleveland Cavaliers supporters were bummed about the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery. Fans didn’t trudge through the badlands of the 2018-19 season for a paradise as uninviting as the fifth overall pick.
The expected superstars will likely be off the the board by the time Cleveland comes calling. The fifth pick is where teams start to think about need as much as drafting the best player available, as the talent gap between prospects dwindles.
On the bright side, the league’s scouting abilities are improving. Advanced statistics and increased scientific measurements give front offices better data entering draft day. Thus, a crippling early- draft misfire on a potentially risky prospect is unlikely.
NBA All-Rookie teams pic.twitter.com/4MrBYjACa1
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 21, 2019
Case in point, the top five picks in last year’s draft all made the 2018-19 NBA All-Rookie First Team. Cavaliers point guard Collin Sexton finished seventh in the voting, one place off his drafted spot. Front offices are better at pinpointing talent and busts are a bit less frequent. Players are reaching expectations, in part, because those expectations are more accurate.
Plus, there have been plenty of talented No. 5 picks in league history, including Rookie of the Year finalist Trae Young. But who are the best? As we inch closer to draft day, let’s take a step back and analyze the top five picks in the No. 5 spot over NBA Draft history. Hopefully Cleveland’s future selection will one day crack this list.