Cleveland Cavaliers: 8 times they missed out on a superstar in the NBA Draft
By Tony Pesta
2. Giannis Antetokounnmpo – 2013
NBA fans are intrigued by the idea of Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James potentially teaming up in Los Angeles one day. In reality, the two could have already been playing alongside each other in Cleveland.
The 2013 NBA Draft was a tough one for a lot of teams. With no clear cut No.1 overall pick, scouts scrambled to figure out who the best prospects were. Even with the best analysis possible, it became clear each pick was going to be a shot in the dark.
Somehow, the Cavaliers still managed to shock everybody by drafting Anthony Bennett. Most projections had Bennett being taken somewhere outside of the top three but the Cavaliers elected to swing for the fences and take him anyways.
It didn’t take long for this pick to backfire on them. Bennett averaged just 4.2 points as a rookie and has since been considered the worst No. 1 pick in NBA history.
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Meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo was selected 14 picks later at the 15th spot. In case you’ve been living under a rock, the Greek Freak has blossomed into an all-time great athlete and is on his way to winning back-to-back MVP awards.
The tandem of Anteokounmpo and James would have been incredible to watch assuming nothing else changed and LBJ still elected to return home next season. It’s difficult to tell how James would have impacted Giannis’ development but missing out on these two running the floor together has to sting for Cavs fans.