Thanks to their improbable lucky bounce in the 2013 NBA Draft lottery, the Cleveland Cavaliers are in an enviable position of being able to either draft for need or best player available.
With the ability to either select the projected top prospect in Kentucky freshman center/power forward, Nerlens Noel or trade down, gain another pick and an elite prospect in the form of UCLA small forward Shabazz Muhammad, Indiana shooting guard Victor Oladipo, Maryland center Alex Len or Kansas shooting guard Ben McLemore, the Cavs have many tempting options to help fill areas of need on the wing or give depth in others such as backup point guard and center.
One player who might be worth the number one overall pick–the key word being might–could be Georgetown small forward Otto Porter Jr.
Porter, Jr, a lanky 6’8 small forward has been linked to the Cavs in various mock drafts, and with the need to upgrade at small forward, the 19-year old former Hoya could end up being the top overall pick.
During the Hoya’s 2012-13 season, Porter Jr averaged 16.2 pts, 7.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists en route to being named Big East Player of The Year. While still a bit thin at 205 pounds, Porter Jr will need to bulk up at the next level, but is multi-talented and versatile enough to help give Cleveland a much-needed scorer and defender on the perimeter.
For the year, Porter Jr shot 42.2 percent from three-point range, 48 percent from the field and 77.7 percent from the free throw line, while he is still a bit raw and would need a bit of fine-tuning in his jump shot, his long and 7’1 wingspan has drawn comparisons to a young Tayshaun Prince.
Is Porter Jr worth the top overall pick in June?
Maybe.
Considering their glaring needs on the wing, as well as the need to add some depth on the front line, Cleveland could–hypothetically–trade down with a team such as the Washington Wizards who are in need of a big man, grab Porter while getting their second round pick in this year’s draft as well as a first round pick in 2014.
Considering that Noel is coming from a torn ACL in his right knee, Cleveland may pass on the former Wildcat, who has the bust potential to be the second coming of Haseem Thabeet, Greg Oden and Sam Bowie.
While this is all conjecture and speculation now, do not be too surprised if the Wine and Gold decide to be very proactive on draft day.
Robert D. Cobb is the Founder/CEO/Senior Editor-In-Chief Of The Inscriber : Digital Magazine, for questions, comments and concerns email me at [email protected] follow me on Twitter @RC_TheInscriber and follow The Inscriber : Digital Magazine on Twitter at @TheInscriber
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