NBADraft has revealed their mock draft for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have three picks in the upcoming 2022 NBA Draft. They have three picks in the upcoming 2022 NBA Draft, one in the first round at No. 14, and two in the second round, at picks 39 and pick 58. They can remake their entire roster if they hit on two of the three picks, and be able to upgrade their roster a bit by trading away a few lesser pieces and replacing them with the rookies.
Now before anyone gets really excited about the Cav shaving three picks, remember, the NBA Draft is far less reliable, as compared to say the NFL Draft. The teams picking outside of the Top 10 rarely find starters, let alone All-Stars, even fewer are in the second round. So the Cavs aren’t likely to find that huge names late in the draft, but there’s always the chance of some real gems.
If they can find a few grinders or some specialty guys, then that would be wonderful. A Lamar Stevens or Duncan Robinson type would make this draft all worthwhile. It’s possible the Cavs get a starting caliber guy at number 14 and that should be a priority.
So while we suss out who we think the Cavs should take, we decided to take a look at NBADraft.net to see who they think we should take with our three draft picks. So, let’s get into it.
Malaki Branham is an undersized two-guard who has good shooting skills. That said, he isn’t the perfect fit for the Cavaliers. The team is pretty heavy on guards who play just like him, and if the Cavaliers do in fact bring back both Collin Sexton and Ricky Rubio this season (and presumably for a few seasons after), then you end up limiting Branham’s ability to get on the floor.
The 14th pick in the draft is rarely a starter and almost never a star. In the last ten years, there’s10 guys after the 10th pick that turned into an All-Star. There are an additional 23 guys since 2012 that turned into starters for a majority of their careers. So far. So after the 10th pick, you’re looking at six players, between picks 10 and 30 that will turn out to be either a starter or an All-Star per draft.
That may seem like a lot, but keep in mind, that’s just a 16% chance of getting one of those guys. There are years where there’s more and there are years where there is way less. So even if the Cavs had a need for Branham, there’s no guarantee he turns into anything.
The Cavs should keep that in mind and draft the biggest position of need, which is a three and D wing. On a different team, Branham may be interesting, but he’s just not going to beat out Rubio, Sexton, Darius Garland, Caris LeVert, or even Isaac Okoro for minutes.
He’s too small to play the wing effectively and his defense is considered anywhere from poor to average depending on who’s evaluating him.
If you want a French center, just go trade for Rudy Gobert. It’s not like he’s going to demand too much in a trade, the Utah Jazz has done a pretty good job making him look bad by surrounding him with guys who can’t play defense on the wing, and then letting him take all the blame. No wonder there’s dysfunction in Utah. Drafting Ismael Kamagate is fine, as he’s a project pick but he isn’t someone that I would bend over backward to get.
Part of the issue is the competition he’s faced. Kamate has played against some pro players, former Knicks center Kyle O’Quinn is one of his current teammates on the Paris Basketball team. Yet, like in the US, Europe has different leagues with different levels of talent. The EuroLeague is considered to be the apex of pro ball in Europe, and like in European soccer, there are different leagues beneath them.
The team that Kamate, Paris Basketball, isn’t close to being promoted to the EuroLeague. They’re one of the worst teams in their current league, LNB Pro A. They had a record of just 13-21 this past season and were second-to-last in rebounds for the league.
So most of what Kamate is gets boiled down to his measurables, as there really isn’t much there with regards to anything tangible. He’s getting bullied by C-tier international talent. I wouldn’t waste a draft pick on him.
Peyton Watson is even more of a project pick than Ismael Kamagate. At least Kamagate was a key player in their team and played nearly 30 minutes per game. Watson isn’t even a starter. He played just 12 minutes at UCLA, with just 3 points, 3 rebounds, and less than one assist per game. His shooting splits are abysmal, .322/.226/.688 and he didn’t start a single game for the Bruins.
The fact they’re wasting a pick on Watson, who didn’t prove a single thing in college, is hilariously misguided. Especially since this mock draft still has Drew Timme on the board. Timme isn’t the next Dirk Nowitzki, but if you work with him, he can be a stretch four in the league. He has the touch that big men his size don’t usually have and while he isn’t some ultra-athlete, that never stopped him against some of the best talents in college. Plus, unlike Watson, Timme is a bucket-getter if given the chance.
If the Cavs are deadset on taking a UCLA Bruin, Johnny Juzang is a great prospect. He’s barely tall enough to play a wing position and has a solid three-point shot. If he can improve his defense, he may be something worth keeping an eye on.