Cleveland Cavaliers: Dylan Windler is NBA’s most underrated rookie

The 2019 NBA Draft was nearly a masterpiece in evaluating talent for Cleveland Cavaliers‘ GM Koby Altman. With three first-round selections, Altman hit on multiple cornerstone prospects in Darius Garland, Kevin Porter Jr. and Dylan Windler – the latter of which has emerged as one of the NBA’s best rookies.

Unlike his peers, Windler missed the entire 2019-20 NBA season with a stress fracture in his knee. As a result, his rookie season is taking place nearly a year and a half after he was drafted by the Cavs. This extra time has certainly played a role in helping Windler develop his game.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have found themselves yet another hidden gem as Dylan Windler emerges as one of the league’s best rookies

At 24 years of age, Windler has an advantage over the rest of the 2020 NBA Draft class. He is older and more experienced than everyone else and this has been on display as he routinely makes high-IQ plays for Cleveland.

The sample size is small, as a wrist injury held Windler out for multiple weeks, but his impact on the court is undeniable. The Cavaliers have a Net Rating of plus 9.4 with Windler on the court – versus a negative rating of 4.8 when he is on the bench.

This trend continues when looking at both Offensive and Defensive Ratings. Windler posts the third-best OFF Rating of any rookie at 112.4 and ranks sixth in DEF Rating at 103.5. He is near the top of the team in both categories and it’s not hard to see why.

Windler is a well-rounded talent who has benefited from playing four years at Belmont. His pure jumper and quick release have helped him drill 6-of-14 attempts from deep this year, matching his accuracy from college as an above 40 percent career shooter.

His ability to space the floor is a factor in why the Cavaliers Offensive Rating skyrockets with him on the court. Opponents have to respect him as a threat to shoot at all times and this has allowed slashers such as Collin Sexton to freely attack the paint.

On the defensive end, his sound decision-making keeps Windler in a position to be effective. He rarely takes risks and relentlessly works to keep himself in front of his man. His length has flustered ball handlers like James Harden and LaMelo Ball, coming up with seven steals in five games. Windler doesn’t have high-end athleticism that allows him to recover from individual mistakes but he can have a positive impact by playing to his strengths and staying within the team system.

The Cavaliers have found the perfect forward to round out their lineup around a promising backcourt. In fact, the two-man duo of Sexton and Windler has an impressive Net Rating of plus 24.6 in their 37 minutes on the court together.

While the season is still young, we have seen enough to assume Windler will continue to trend in the right direction. There aren’t many questions surrounding his development. Windler is a quality shooter with upside as a team defender. It seems the Cleveland Cavaliers have an All-Rookie- caliber talent and a solid role player moving forward in the rebuild.