NBA Draft talk: Cleveland Cavaliers own league’s worst record
The Cleveland Cavaliers own the NBA’s worst record, so let’s take a look at where things stand when it comes to this summer’s NBA Draft
If the NBA awarded its draft slots according to record, the Cleveland Cavaliers would have the No. 1 pick in this summer’s draft.
That’s because Cleveland now owns the NBA’s worst record (8-27), heading into Dec. 28. The Suns, Knicks, Bulls and Hawks would hold spots 2-5.
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For those worried about the Cavs owning the worst record, that’s all well and good because this season has to culminate in Cleveland getting one of the Duke sensations, preferably Zion Williamson or R.J. Barrett.
However, the NBA Draft lottery changed format this year, and instead of giving the worst team the best odds to win the top pick, now the three worst teams have the same chance of winning the lotto.
Speaking of those Duke studs, here’s how they’re performing entering the new year.
Williamson: The 6-foot-8 forward hasn’t played since Dec. 20, when he scored 17 and nabbed 13 rebounds in the Blue Devils’ win against No. 12 Texas Tech. Williamson shot 4-of-9 from the field, but 9-of-10 from the charity stripe.
Barrett: The 6-7 forward scored 16 in that same outing, and wasn’t every efficient, shooting 7-of-22 from the field. He was also 0-7 from 3-point range. In the last three games, Barrett is 3-of-19 from downtown.
Cam Reddish: The 6-foot-8 product of Norristown, Pa. had eight points and three steaks. He’s averaging 13.5 points on the season.
Most mock drafts have these three going in the top three, but Oregon center Bol Bol is an intriguing prospect as well.
The 7-fooot-2 freshman is averaging 21 points per game while shooting 56 percent from the field. He’s also got an outside game, shooting 52 percent from 3-point range. Bol averages about three, 3-point attempts per game, so this is definitely a part of his game.
Beware of big guys and feet, though. Bol’s missed his last three games with an injured left foot.
North Carolina forward Nassir Little will also be one to watch come tournament time. The highly touted recruit is coming off the bench for Roy Williams and playing just around 20 minutes per game.
He’s still managing to average 10.8 points per contest in limited action.
Ask me again on a different day, but this has already been a tortuous season when it comes to watching Cavs’ basketball.
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If it doesn’t result in either Williamson or Barrett, go ahead and be disappointed, although don’t totally rule out the other names mentioned here as guys who can help rebuild the Cavaliers in the post-LeBron world.