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Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 pressing questions to be answered in offseason

By Tony Pesta

CLEVELAND, OHIO - MARCH 08: Collin Sexton #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts during the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on March 08, 2020 in Cleveland, 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. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MARCH 08: Collin Sexton #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts during the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on March 08, 2020 in Cleveland, 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. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
(Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /

1. Who will they draft?

The 2020 NBA Draft is shaping up to be the most unusual one in league history. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic cutting the NCAA season short and a number of top prospects either playing overseas or electing not to play college basketball at all, it has become nearly impossible to accurately project where each player will be selected.

It doesn’t help that this draft class was already shaping up to be weak. No player has really stood out above the rest and there will not be a clear cut first pick like in recent years.

Currently, the Cavaliers are tied with the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves for a 14.0 percent chance at winning the draft lottery. At the worst, Cleveland can fall to the sixth pick. Overall, they have about a 50/50 chance of landing in the top three

Regardless of where the Cavaliers end up, they should be able to limit their options to about four prospects. This list includes James Wiseman, Anthony Edwards, Obi Toppin, LaMelo Ball.

Ball might be emerging as a frontrunner as scouts are becoming more and more enticed by his potential. The 19-year old displayed phenomenal playmaking and slashing ability as he won the NBL Rookie of the Year Award overseas.

The other guard the Cleveland Cavaliers should be considering is Edwards. The Georgia freshman has exploded onto the scene as a brute force athlete with all of the physical tools needed to be a two-way force in the NBA.

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Of course, adding either Ball or Edwards would only further complicate the growing issue the team has in the backcourt. The hope here would be that Ball and Edwards are talented enough to justify the selection. Ball is a skilled passer whereas Edwards has prowess as a perimeter defender. These are two areas of concern for the Cavaliers backcourt and would assumably be fixed by one of these prospects.

Outside of the guard position is a towering seven-foot center in James Wiseman. He is projected as an elite rim protector and could one day anchor the Cavaliers’ weak interior defense. However, his lack of an offensive game and a small sample size in college could hold the Cavs back from betting on Wiseman.

Lastly, there is the Dayton star Obi Toppin. Toppin has taken another step forward after his breakout season as a freshman and averaged career-highs in points, rebounds and assists this year.

Toppin makes the most sense from a lineup standpoint. He is a powerful forward with strong 3-point shooting ability that will allow him to spread the floor for Cleveland. The biggest concern is that his ceiling is limited as he is already older (22) than every member of the Cleveland Cavaliers young core.

It is going to be tough for the front office to feel fully invested in any prospect this year. At some point, they will have to bet on a player and hope for the best.

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