<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Me)</div><div class='quotemain'>I meant to add to this column a few times before the Draft, but I’ve been caught up with timetable issues at school as well as going to University Open Days, so I guess I can’t. To surmise what has happened with regards to the Cavs prospects, here’s a bullet point list: · Ty Lawson – withdrawn from the NBA Draft. · Marreese Speights – stock remains similar, not a lot has changed in my mind. · Kosta Koufos – stock has perhaps risen slightly. · JaVale McGee – stock similar, maybe fallen slightly. · Chase Budinger – withdrawn from NBA Draft. · Chris Douglas-Roberts – stock similar, maybe risen slightly. · Bill Walker – stock similar, hasn’t risen as predicted due to extra worries about his knees. It should also be noted that all player’s stocks have risen in a sense due to players withdrawing from the Draft. New players on the Cavs’s radar: · Brandon Rush · Roy Hibbert · Nicholas Batum It is widely known that Roy Hibbert had a stellar March Madness in 2007, but his performances in 2008 did not quite live up to the hype he had created for himself. This could be beneficial to the Cavs, as he might be able to play like he showed the World he can, so could be a steal if available at #19. Brandon Rush is somewhat of an interesting prospect; he shows really good signs of being able to produce in the NBA, but also has some big flaws (such as aggression going to the hoop, despite good athleticism) and is quite old for a junior. He may, or may not be available for the Cavs and he is the type of player who could turn into a Shannon Brown or a player more like Eddie Jones on a good day. If the Cavs can acquire a pick soon after the #19, he might be worth the risk. Nicholas Batum is a severe question mark. He shows a lot of great potential, but also some glaring weaknesses. He could be a really serviceable player in the League for many years to come if he works out right, but he could be just a Eighth or Ninth Man if not. Cavs Strengths: · LeBron James – he is such a talent that the Cavs can deal without a true PG. They’d like one, but it’s not a necessity. · Wally Szczerbiak – or to give his full name: Wally Szczerbiak’s expiring contract. · Veteran presence – players like Ilgauskas, Ben Wallace and Joe Smith can help to develop youngsters, especially forwards. · Defense – the Cavs are a really good defensive team, so they can probably afford to take on a player with sub-par defense and not suffer too much. Weaknesses: · Secondary option – or rather, lack of. · Offensive system – see above description. · Age – have LeBron, Boobie, AV and West as solid youngsters, but other than that they don’t have particularly good young players. What the Cavs need from this offseason: · A secondary option – whether it’s from the Draft, trade or Free Agency, this really is a must. · An offensive system – maybe a new Assistant Coach might help here, but this has little to do with the Draft, though the system is likely to be half-court so this should be taken into account. · Young talent – add to the core of essentially LeBron and Boobie. What are the criteria for the Draft? · If the Cavs draft a Guard, he will probably need to be the secondary option else may fall behind in the rotation. · If they Draft a Forward/Center he will need to be a solid player, but they will still need to find a secondary option. · Needs to be able to perform now and have potential to improve. Who meets these criteria? · Roy Hibbert – good young Center who has the potential to step in and play straight away as well as improve in the future. Also well suited to a half court style of basketball. · Chris Douglas-Roberts – might be some question marks over his ability to be a secondary option, but I have faith that he can step in and do a big job for the Cavs if Mike Brown puts faith in him. · Kosta Koufous – similar, in fact, to Hibbert but maybe less suited to a half court style.</div> Source Thoughts?
Ben Wallace sucks, Varajao is a nice hustle player off the bench, and Z looks like he's playing on broken ankles most of the time. The back court is a shambles. Wallyworld is a great shooter, but not much else. The rest of the crew underachieves or simply aren't very good. I think they need help at guard the most.
