Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Draft issues: May the best guard win

Finally, after back-to-back years of dropping in the NBA Draft Lottery, the Cleveland Cavaliers have had a stroke of luck in securing a top-three pick. Of course, this comes with a price, as the franchise now needs to make a very difficult decision on who to select.

The choice likely comes down to two names, Jalen Green and Evan Mobley. While I’m sure we will have plenty of debate on who is the better prospect, this article will assume the Cavaliers select Green. In this case, overloading the backcourt with too many guards is a real concern.

Obviously, there is only one basketball — and having three guys who need the rock to be productive is an issue. Or, at least it was in the past. It should be noted that many successful NBA teams today have three (or more) players who can create their own shot off the dribble. Furthermore, one of the Cavaliers’ biggest issues last season was not having enough shot makers on the roster.

Green provides exactly what they need. He was an electric scorer in high school and in the G-League, displaying an ability to score from all areas of the floor. He’s a quick-twitch athlete with insane bounce, a shifty handle and a smooth jumper. Toss in some raw but exciting potential as a playmaker and Green has offensive superstar written all over him.

The 2021 NBA Draft Lottery was kind to the Cleveland Cavaliers. But now, a battle between three guards will have to take place.

This leaves their lack of size as the only underlying problem for Cleveland. With Collin Sexton and Darius Garland both standing at 6’1″ and Green just below league average at 6’5″ — this lineup is a short one. It’s made worse when considering Isaac Okoro is by far the team’s best perimeter defender and he is only 6’5″ himself. Okoro is far too important defensively to remove but the Cavs will be sacrificing major size by boasting this lineup. It’ll just be too difficult to keep these guys all on the court together for extended periods of time, even with a towering Jarret Allen (6’11”) anchoring the paint.

While it’s possible Green grows a few inches (he just turned 19 years old, after all) and Okoro can blossom into an Andre Iguodala/P.J. Tucker type of small-ball four — it’s more than likely going to come down to a battle between the guards.

More from Cleveland Cavaliers

• Latest intel calls Donovan Mitchell’s future with the Cavs into question
• 5 players who will challenge Victor Wembanyama for Rookie of the Year
• Cleveland Cavaliers: Analyzing the Max Strus acquisition
• Ranking the 5 best available shooting guards in 2023 NBA free agency
• NBA Rumors: Cavs have secret weapon to lure LeBron back to Cleveland

Cleveland might need to begin accepting the reality that an uber-successful Jalen Green could mean the end of SexLand. In the event Green flourishes with his high-end athleticism and well-rounded offensive game, it will be hard to keep him out of the starting lineup. This leaves the question, who does he replace?

One would assume Garland will retain his role as starting point guard. He accepted the challenge of becoming the primary distributor and dished 6.1 assists per game last season. Garland is the most natural fit at the point and his elite 3-point shooting makes the most sense when pairing next to Green.

However, it will not be easy to justify moving Sexton to the bench. He was among the league’s best scorers last season at 24.3 points per game. It will take a monstrous effort from Green to overtake Young Bull as the franchise cornerstone. And, if Sexton continues to make strides as a playmaker, he could just as easily slide over and knock Garland to the bench, as well.

Nonetheless, we should accept whatever the outcome is between these three guards. Is there a possibility the cards fall just right and Garland/Sexton/Green/Okoro combine to form the NBA’s next death lineup? Sure.

But, if this shakes out in a different way, with Green forcing himself into the starting five and one of Garland or Sexton moving to the bench —  then so be it. Even in the absolute worst-case scenario, with Garland or Sexton being traded to accommodate Green’s potential stardom, fans of the Cavaliers should simply be happy the team is finally entering a position to compete for a playoff spot once again.

A battle for the two starting guard spots is destined to ensue if the Cavs select Green. While we all have our personal favorites, it’s time to just watch and let the most deserving man win.