Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 options for the No. 3 pick in the NBA Draft

Cleveland Cavaliers 5 options for the No. 3 pick: 2. Jalen Green

For the first time in a long time, the NBA got directly involved with recruiting high school prospects. They created a team in the G League specifically designed for top-level recruits to come and play instead of spending a year in college. The “Ignite” had four such prospects, two of which are locks to go in the lottery Thursday night.

The better of the two is Jalen Green, a 6’6″ shooting guard who is an effortless scorer. He is an elite athlete, with both the power and explosion you want in attacking the rim while also having quick-twitch reflexes. He can go up off of one foot or two, with the force to finish even in and around contact.

Green was not a perfect shooter with the G League, but it looks good enough to think it will one day be a major strength. It’s unusual for a player his age to have such a developed pull-up game, but Green is growing up in a new era of players watching Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard through the heart of their development. To varying degrees, Green has all the tricks — the stepback, the pull-up 3-pointer in transition, the pump and drive.

It’s not all great, as Green often makes poor decisions with the ball. He can make a high number of passes, but the execution is inconsistent. Defensively he is thin and can be taken advantage of, although he works hard and should improve as his frame fills out. He is a sponge, seeking out and soaking in advice and training from those around him.

Green would be somewhat redundant on the Cavaliers, as his natural position is at the 2 and right now Cleveland has Collin Sexton entrenched there. With rumors swirling of the team shopping Sexton, taking Green would be a signal that they know they will be moving on from Sexton.

There is a very good chance that Green goes second overall to the Houston Rockets. If he is available at three, he would be an excellent prospect to take and begin to build around.