Chad Ford put up his sixth mock draft of the season for those of you who have ESPN Insider, and he has two pretty familiar faces heading to the Cavaliers as far as mock drafts go. Right now, it seems like everyone is questioning the Kyrie Irving to Cleveland selection, as they should be. I don’t think Irving is worthy of the top pick, and the Cavs recently had Derrick Williams in for a visit, as they should to cover all bases.
Ford is sticking to his guns and putting Irving to the Cavaliers with the top overall pick, but he doesn’t seem quite as sure as he has in the past. Here is his analysis:
Analysis: Two days before the draft, the Cavs are still claiming they haven’t made up their mind. ESPN’s Ric Bucher reported the Cavs had settled on Irving on Monday, but while the report was running on the ticker, owner Dan Gilbert was meeting with Derrick Williams in Cleveland.
While sources continue to point toward Irving’s being the No. 1 pick, Williams’ camp is holding out hope that it has a chance. Could the Cavs still have concerns about Irving’s toe? Or are they worried that at No. 4 they can’t get a solid big man?
With the Cavs’ second first round pick, Ford acknowledges that Cleveland is in a precarious position with the fourth pick. They like Lithuanian big man Jonas Valanciunas in that slot, but his buyout makes it almost imossible for them to use that pick on him when he won’t even be in the NBA next year. Ford says the Cavs are looking to possibly trade the pick, but that if they end up making the selection with the players available, the pick will be Turkish big man Enes Kanter, a risky but high upside pick. Here is Ford’s analysis:
Analysis: We had Jonas Valanciunas in this position last week. But on Monday, we reported Valanciunas’ buyout with his team in Lithuania would prohibit him from coming to the NBA next season.
The Cavs love Valanciunas, but do they love him enough to draft him even if he won’t be coming to the NBA next season? I doubt it at No. 4. The Cavs have been exploring a number of trade possibilities to move down a few spots in the draft. If they stay here, I think Kanter is their guy.
The NBA Draft is merely two days away. Will the Cavs make the right decisions?