Tomorrow night is finally the 2020 NBA Draft. This year’s draft has been greatly overshadowed by Covid-19, the election, football and lots more. Even the draft prospects probably forgot about it with the lack of attention it has drawn.
For Cavaliers fans, the waiting won’t be long. The Cavs currently have the fifth pick of the night. It is the team’s only pick this year and I don’t expect them to trade up or back into a later spot.
There has been a ton of buzz surrounding the Cavs and Dayton star Obi Toppin. Toppin is my personal favorite top prospect in this class due to his versatility, athleticism, size and “wow factor”. Any team that selects him will be extremely blessed for many years to come.
The problem with Toppin to the Cavs is that he is viewed as more of an athletic power forward than small forward in this current era of basketball. Toppin’s ability makes him a must start player, which means he would have to replace Kevin Love if the coaching staff does not want to put him at small forward.
I see a great opportunity to bench Cedi Osman (sorry Cavs fans, he’s not that good) and stick in Toppin. It would be a great move that I would back heavily. Unfortunately, to secure Toppin it will probably take a trade up.
Instead the Cavs will likely have to look elsewhere. Something beneficial would be the addition of an athletic defender on the wing. If said player could also slide down to the two guard some, that would be ideal.
One specific prospect matches the description. This player also has some elite potential if he continues to develop his offensive game. In the meantime, the athleticism and defensive intensity will quickly gain support of Cavs fans.