SB Nation Cleveland - 2011 NBA Draft: Cavs Receiving Passing Grades, But Did They Do Enough?

2011 NBA Draft Results: Cavaliers' Picks Were 'Defensive'

2011-06-27T14:12:08Z

Cavaliers' head coach Byron Scott explained Cleveland's strategy in last Thursday's NBA Draft in this column on Cleveland.com via Terry Pluto

The main reason for taking Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson?

"Defense," said the Cavs coach. "We must get better on defense."

Scott sees some similarities in Irving and New Orleans' Chris Paul. In discussing Irving, Scotttalked about Irving's:

"court vision ... his change of pace dribble ... his crossover dribble ... his ability to run a team ... and he can flat-out shoot."

Changing gears to discuss Thompson, Scott said:

"He can defend the post, and he can defend the pick-and-roll out on the court," said the coach. "He wants every rebound. He blocks shots. We consider him the best running big man in the draft, meaning he can get a defensive rebound -- and then get down the court for a dunk."

Scott said that the Cavaliers would work with Thompson to improve on Thompson's 49% free-throw shooting, noting that the Cavs "must rebound better. We must defend better. We must be physical. He (Thompson) can help us get there.

I recommend the entire article for further insight into the thought-process behind the selections that simultaneously made the fanbase happy and scratching their heads.

2011 NBA Draft Results: Kyrie Irving Press Conference After Being Taken No. 1 Overall By Cavaliers

2011-06-25T00:38:18Z

He may not be the once-in-a-lifetime physical talent like LeBron James, but Kyrie Irving, the Cleveland Cavaliers selection at No. 1 overall in Thursday night's 2011 NBA Draft, certainly provides downtrodden Cavs fans with reason to be excited.

There's of course his ability on the court -- despite playing a grand total of 11 college games (including the three March Madness contests Irving return from injury to participate in), he was still widely considered to be the best player available in this year's draft. The fact that he's 19 years old is of course great. He'll have plenty of time to hone is game and adjust to the next level before coming even close to approaching his physical prime. Finally, he's mature. Spending a year with Mike Kryzyzewski at Duke undoubtedly helped him be the polished, humble young man that he's shown the world recently. But he also clearly just is an upstanding guy that isn't editing himself or preoccupied with image. At Thursday night's festivities in Newark, Irving showed up with one well-wisher and supporter, his father. No entourage, no posse, no business associates. Just his dad.

We'll have plenty of time to talk more about Irving and how he might be able to transform the Cavaliers back into a competitive contender soon enough. For now, let's first hear what Irving had to say about in his first press conference as an NBA player. We'll get to his first presser with the Cavs, which was conducted Friday back in Cleveland, soon enough.

2011 NBA Draft Results: Video Highlights Of Cleveland Cavaliers' Second Round Pick, Milan Macvan

2011-06-25T00:09:45Z

AThe 2011 NBA Draft is in the books, and with its passing comes a new era in Cleveland Cavaliers basketball. After the bitterly disappointing past year beginning with LeBron James' 'Decision' and continuing with a lifeless regular season in which the Cavs won a league-low 19 games, Cavs fans deserve to finally have something to feel good and optimistic about. That's the case following Thursday night's Draft. The Cavaliers selected the consensus best player with the No. 1 pick, and then followed through on their stated intention of using their second high pick when they selected Tristan Thompson at No. 4. Some may feel like Thompson is a bit of a reach, but there's plenty others who wholly believe that he was the best player available there. We'll see.

The conversation about the Cavaliers draft largely ends right there, but Cleveland of course had a pick in Round 2 as well. At no. 54, Chris Grant phoned in Milan Macvan's name. Born in Serbia, Macvan like Thompson is 6'9". Thompson may be a bit more versatile and athletic, but Macvan is no stiff or plodder at 265 pounds. Here's a short video of him practicing and playing at the 2009 Nike Hoop World Summit Team competition.

Macvan can play, wouldn't you say? His ability was sure on display there, as the Serb was named the MVP of the Summit. Even though it's just a few clips, it's easy to identify the following skills in Macvan's game:

He understands cutting lanes and spacing on the floor. If Irving turns out to be as good as advertised from the point guard position, Macvan should be a nice complimentary asset in the pick-and-roll game.
Good hands.
Ability to shoot from 12-25 feet. In Byron Scott's uptempo offense, Macvan should find himself open for uncontested jumpshots in transition.
Good anticipation and craftiness. Mavan has a canny ability to quickly get his shot off in traffic, and like a poor man's Kevin Love I'd argue, hauls in more rebound than you'd think thanks to a sound understanding of angles and where to position himself. These are both huge, god-given traits that are rare but definitely necessary for someone who doesn't jump very well.
Finally, Macvan may just be 21 years of age, but having played professionally since 2007 is no stranger to grueling schedules or all that raw from a developmental standpoint.

2011 NBA Draft Grades: Chad Ford Likes Cleveland Cavaliers' Haul

2011-06-24T23:41:30Z

Ahh, the day after the NBA Draft. Time to debate the different ‘grades’ handed out by the media. It’s almost as entertaining (or frustrating depending on your point of view) as the lead up to the draft and the actual event itself. So how did the Cleveland Cavaliers do in the minds of the ‘experts’? Well, SB Nation gave the Cavaliers a B for their haul. They happened to think that Valanciunas is a better prospect at a more valuable position than Tristan Thompson, the Cavs’ pick at No. 4. I don’t think I agree with Valanciunas being the better prospect. Thompson is not just an athlete — he’s got a great natural feel for the game and is the perfect hybrid type of player for today’s NBA game. That said, I can understand the argument.

What about ESPN’s Chad Ford? Ford actually liked the Cavaliers draft more. Here’s what he had to say about the Cavs draft in his 2011 NBA Draft Grades ($):

Grade: A-
Analysis: The Cavs got the best player in the draft in Irving. There was a temptation to get carried away by taking Derrick Williams No. 1 and then try to score a player like Brandon Knight at No. 4. But the Cavs kept their eye on the ball and took the best player available.

Will Irving be a star? Maybe not. But he’s going to be a starting point guard for a long time in the league and has enough upside to get to a star level someday.

I did think the Cavs reached just a little bit for Tristan Thompson. We might debate for years whether the Cavs would’ve been better off taking Williams and Brandon Knight ahead of Irving and Thompson. But I think history will be kind to the Cavs.

It’d be nice to hear more folks’ thoughts on the Cavaliers other pick in Round 2, Milan Macvan (54th overall; obtained from Oklahoma City via Miami). In just a two-round draft setting, it’d seem like the second round picks might be a valuable way to really differentiate which teams fared better than others in terms of addressing needs and identifying talent. I’m sure we’ll hear and read more about Macyan in the weeks and months to come if for no other reason than that an impending lockout should give us all the time in the world to really dig in and read up on the NBA’s newest crop of young talent.

2011 NBA Draft: Cavs Receiving Passing Grades, But Did They Do Enough?

2011-06-24T15:13:12Z

Ah, the day after, when Draft Grades abound, Buyer's Remorse is a way of life, and the Walk Of Shame seems to follow David Kahn wherever he goes. A time where pundits prognosticate harder than Punxsutawney Phil starting at his little groundhog shadow.

Which isn't to say getting sucked in is bad...fans are excited and want to see their shiny new toys on the hardwood. But with the season still in jeopardy, and the Cavs still owners of the same chips that they arguably were shopping around on Draft Night, no matter what grade Cleveland receives or deserves, a more appropriate score is: incomplete.

That said, others are more inclined to assign a value (rightfully so, I suppose), and for the most part, the experts are lukewarm at worst about the Cleveland Cavaliers 2011 Draft, one that wasn't full of the fireworks initially expected, but still netted the point guard of the future.

SB Nation kicks off the grades with a B, praising the Kyrie Irving pick, but echoing concerns about Tristan Thompson's future position and his "project" tag. It is good to note that Tom Ziller at least had heard of Milan Macvan, something that couldn't be said for ESPN and their Cast of Clowns.

Perhaps Thompson was the pick all along -- it just doesn't remotely seem that way, and Cleveland management wasn't convincing in their comments late Thursday. Thompson's as much a project as Valanciunas at a lesser position. It could work out famously, or Jonas could thrive in Toronto while Thompson plugs away. We'll see. I think Valanciunas is the better prospect at No. 4.

I can't say I disagree here, but there is more to it than just who is the better prospect, I suppose. Jonas wasn't going to make it over to the USA (allegedly) until the 2012-13 season, his contract is reportedly a mess and he needs a lot of seasoning. Plus, I still believe halfheartedly that the Cavs aren't done. The Bobcats were enthralled with Thompson, and this whole thing is too eerie for it to just be the end result. Something seems off. Maybe we really have seen the last of J.J. Hickson in a Cavs uniform. I'm just not sure. We'll know more in the coming days.

Matt Moore of CBS Sports doesn't assign a specific grade, but gives the Cavs a gold star and a "winners" tag.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Irving is mostly a case of winning by default, but they wouldn't have been the first team to be unable to get out of their own way with an obvious pick. Irving gives them a franchise point guard to build around and was the best player overall in this draft. Going for Derrick Williams would have been sheer hubris in order to burn LeBron by choosing a replacement forward. Then, with the fourth, they could have opted for Valanciunas, which would have been a good pick. But there's a reason so many teams were chasing Tristan Thompson. His workouts showed how he would translate on the next level, and with that kind of athleticism, he provides a good running partner for Irving. They managed to not overcomplicate the combination of two top-five picks. They got good talent both small and big. That's a win right there.

Maybe Moore himself is oversimplifying a bit. But, I do see what he's saying. Size and speed. I get it. But, the PF mess is the issue. If the Cavs go into camp with a million power forwards and no true center, while continuing to have the arguably the worst wings in the history of the NBA, that's a problem.

Chad Ford is throwing out the highest grade I've seen so far for Cleveland: A-. At the end of the day, the Cavs leveraged Mo Williams and the willingness to take on a bloated contract for the number one pick in the draft. That cannot be understated. And they used that pick to select the best player on the board. That's good for major points no matter what else happens.

On the Cavs SB Nation blog, Fear The Sword, Conrad K posed the question to the fanbase at large, and results are largely...mixed. Everyone is pretty much universally sold on the Irving pick, but some fans are upset that the team didn't do more during the draft, and the Thompson question mark has soured others. Not to mention the head-scratching selection of Harper and gut reaction trade for two future second-rounders.

When the dust settles, I think the picture will become a lot more clear. The Cavs aren't done. The TPE has another week's shelf life, the stable of PFs will sort itself out in time, and the pieces of Ramon Sessions, Anderson Varejao and Antawn Jamison's expiring deal are all realistic trade assets. The Cavs will get a grade in due time, but right now, let's just consider them having received an extension on their Final Exam.

Cleveland Cavaliers Draft Picks 2011: Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson Usher In New Era

2011-06-24T12:35:35Z

The Cleveland Cavaliers selected guard Kyrie Irving with the first overall pick, forward Tristan Thompson with the fourth overall pick and forward Milan Macvan with the 54th pick of the 2011 NBA Draft. The Cavaliers also traded the draft rights of Justin Harper, the 32nd overall pick, to the Orlando Magic in exchange for two future second-round picks (2013 and 2014).

"We feel absolutely fantastic about the two guys (Irving and Thompson) we added to our team. They are both players that were at the top of our board the entire season," said Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant. "They are both young players that have the character, integrity and the make-up that fits what we want our young men to have on this team."

Irving, 19, played in 11 games this season with the Duke Blue Devils, averaging 17.5 points on .529 shooting, including .462 shooting from three-point range, 3.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 27.5 minutes per game. The 6-foot-2 point guard started the first eight games of the season, scoring 16 or more points in five of the eight games, including a 31-point, six-rebound and four-assist effort versus Michigan State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Irving suffered a right toe injury that caused him to miss 26 consecutive games before returning in the NCAA Tournament. In the Sweet 16 versus Arizona, Irving scored a team-high 28 points on 9-15 shooting (.600) while adding three assists in 31 minutes.

As a senior in high school, Irving was named a McDonald's All-American and a First Team All-American by Parade Magazine and USA Today. He also helped the U.S. under-18 (U-18) National Team earn the gold medal in the FIBA Americas U-18 Championship.

Thompson, 20, was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year after averaging 13.1 points on .546 shooting, team highs of 7.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in 30.9 minutes per game in 36 games. The 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward posted a season-high 26 points on 9-14 shooting (.643), 10 rebounds and three blocks in 37 minutes versus Kansas State and collected a career-best 15 rebounds and 17 points in 38 minutes versus Michigan State.

As a high school senior, he earned McDonald's All-America honors and was selected a member of the World Select Team, representing his native Canada, at the 2010 Nike Hoop Summit.

Macvan, 21, split the 2010-11 season with Serbian club Hemofarm and Israeli powerhouse Maccabi Tel-Aviv. He has extensive experience overseas, playing professionally in Serbian and Adriatic leagues since the 2007-08 season. The 6-foot-9 forward was named the ULEB Eurocup Rising Star in 2008-09 and has competed for Serbia's senior and junior national teams. He led the World Select Team to a 97-89 victory over the U.S. Junior Select Team at the 2009 Nike Hoop Summit with a game-high 23 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and one block.

2011 NBA Draft Update: Cleveland Cavaliers Select Milan Macvan With the 54th Pick

2011-06-24T03:41:43Z

Well, the Cavaliers clearly don’t want a lot of rookies on their roster, and it looks like they will be sticking with the two top five picks, because in the second round, they selected Serbian forward Milan Macvan.

Macvan is a 6’9" 265 pound forward who is called “tough as nails” by NBA Euro scout Fran Fraschilla. A 21-year old who has an NBA ready body and is a solid post player. If the Cavaliers can lure him over, he might be a nice addition.

NBADraft.net compares him to Brian Cardinal, who recently won an NBA title with the Dallas Mavericks as a reserve.

2011 NBA Draft Update: Cleveland Cavaliers Select Justin Harper With the 32nd Pick

2011-06-24T02:33:33Z

**UPDATE** The Cleveland Cavaliers have traded the rights to Justin Harper to the Orlando Magic for two future second round picks

***

The Cavaliers continue to add quality talent in this year’s draft, getting one of the best shooting big men in the nation near the top of the second round in Richmond forward Justin Harper.

Harper is a poor man’s Kevin Durant who can really stroke the ball and score seemingly at will and from distance. He is a better defender than he’s given credit, but the knock on him is that he lacks toughness.

This was a great pick by the Cavs, and Harper can play either the three or the four position, and will give them shooting off the bench.