Cleveland Cavaliers: Dayton’s Obi Toppin and the 2020 NBA Draft

If the Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to accelerate their rebuilt, perhaps they should check out Dayton’s Obi Toppin in the 2020 NBA Draft.

The Cleveland Cavaliers  are marching toward another lottery pick in what’s being billed as the weirdest NBA Draft in years…Not good when your team could own a top-5 pick.

We love NBA mock drafts because, why not? That said, mocking the NBA is a tad extreme because the order of the lottery isn’t known until the NBA reveals the lineup during the second round of the playoffs.

That said, a lack of certainty regarding the order doesn’t stop mock drafts from popping up and the Cavs are all over the place. LaMelo Ball–yes, of the BALL family– has been mocked No. 1. So has 6-foot-3 Georgia guard Anthony Edwards.

Memphis center James Wiseman is also a top-3 candidate in many mocks. The 7-foot-1 center made headlines by declining to return to action after his NCAA suspension was nearing an end.

Not one of these gentlemen is a slam dunk, No. 1 pick. To make matters worse, the Cavs may not even pick first! Remember, they had the third worst record a season ago and picked fifth in June. With the rules changing for last year’s lottery, it’s a roll of the dice.

That’s why it’s time to start paying attention to University of Dayton slam dunk factory Obi Toppin. The 6-foot-9 forward explored the draft process last offseason, but instead, chose to return to school for his sophomore season.

At 21 years old, 8 months, He was recently mocked to Portland with the 14th pick. He’d be the oldest player taken in the draft (along with Ohio State’s Kaleb Wesson) if this mock comes to fruition.

Having seen the Cavs recently, it’s time to inject some size and athleticism into the lineup. I know the league is 3-point crazy, but like you, I can’t bare to watch another short guard standing at the top of the key, pounding the ball into the court.

The 6-foot-9 forward is averaging 19.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per night for the Flyers, while shooting 35.6 percent from 3-point territory.  He can take it down low, or keep you honest from the perimeter, which gels with what teams want in the modern stretch-four.

The Cavs drafted Collin Sexton and Darius Garland with potential in mind. Well, Toppin still has that too, and he’s already a good player. He impacts Dayton nightly, in a memorable fashion. I won’t pretend to be an NBA scout, but it takes about three seconds to recognize Toppiin can play at a high level.

For what it’s worth, there was one mock that had the Cavs selecting Toppin fourth overall.

There’s still a long ways to go until draft night, but keep thinking of Toppin, especially during March Madness.

I won’t pretend to experts on Ball or Wiseman. LaMelo is playing against pros in the Australian League and has received high marks. As with Wiseman, you can’t teach size. But another guy who played just three college games?

Toppin’s out there living it…and he’s a skilled, exciting player. Something to think about, Cavs Country.