The speculation as to who the Cleveland Cavaliers will select with the No. 1 overall pick in Thursday's NBA draft has reached a whole other level. Ever since the draft lottery on May 21, conventional thought has held that the Cavs would pick center Nerlens Noel out of Kentucky. Now, however, with questions about Noel's health and offensive ability (at 6'11" he's prone to much of the same issues as Greg Oden), the doubts on Noel to the Cavs are increasing, and culminated with this tweet from a New Orleans Pelicans beat writer.
Hearing that C Alex Len, who visited with #Pelicans on Friday, is now the likely choice for #Cavs at No. 1 spot in next week's draft.
— Jimmy Smith (@JimmySmith504) June 17, 2013
So who are the options for Cleveland with their pick? Here are a few of the main prospects.
A freshman last year, Noel averaged 10.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, but it was defensive numbers and size that turned heads. At 6' 11" and with a 7' 4" wingspan, Noel averaged 4.4 blocks and 2.1 steals per game in his one season at Kentucky, and is the consensus top pick in most mock drafts. However, he is recovering from a torn ACL and has a very slender 206-pound frame, which for a defensive-minded player does not bode well against the bigger centers in the league. He has virtually no offensive game, but he is as good of a defensive prospect the league has seen for a number of years.
After coming from the Ukraine to play two seasons at Maryland, Len will try his hand in the draft this year. At 7' 1" and 255 pounds, he looks a lot more like your prototypical center than Noel, and his improvement from freshman to sophomore year with the Terps shot him up draft boards. While not the defensive prodigy that Noel is, Len's offensive game is significantly more polished and if he can continue to develop a mid-range jumper he could be deadly given his release height.
McLemore is exactly what you look for in an NBA shooting guard. He's 6' 4", 180 pounds but with an extensive 6' 8" wingspan. He can nail the three (42 percent from behind the arc last year) and finish at the basket. He's the kind of person who could win a dunk contest or a three-point contest. The question with him, however, is can he create looks for himself? No one is saying he can't per se, it's just that no one is saying he can. He wasn't asked to at Kansas, instead nailing threes that were kicked out to him or finishing a layup on a cut. And of course, the Cavs need much more help in the frontcourt than in the backcourt anyways.
One of the most explosive offensive players in college last year, Bennett has an ideal forward frame at 6' 8" and 240 pounds and could swing between both spots in the NBA, which would be a huge boost for the Cavs. Bennett averaged 16 points and eight rebounds last year and has some range from beyond the arc as well. He poses a matchup nightmare because while you have to challenge any shot, he can just as easily beat you off the dribble a drive to the basket. He is a dominant scorer, but as could be expected not much was seen out of him on the defensive front in his one year in Vegas.
In a draft filled with prospects and projects, Otto Porter is as polished as they come. With the Hoyas last year the 6' 9", 198-pound sophomore averaged 16.2 points and 7.5 rebounds last year to go along with 2.7 assists and 42 percent three-point shooting. He is ready to play in the NBA right now, which is good, but it is also his biggest detriment. Porter is already close to his ceiling, and while he would certainly be a welcome addition to most teams in the league, the question remains: Does he have enough potential to warrant being drafted first overall?
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