Eli and Chris’ Draft Preview (or, Pro-ACC Agenda)

Now that the Cavs have secured their first round pick for the 2022 NBA Draft, Eli and Chris have been busy studying the 2022 draft class and have some thoughts as we close in on the lottery, combine, and draft over the next six weeks. Here’s some excerpts from an rapid-fire email exchange answering five questions on the top of their minds:

1. Who are your top 3 prospects?

Eli: Tari Eason is a player that has grown on me. He’s a little murkier due to his age, coming off the bench, and having mostly played center at LSU despite having the athleticism to move laterally. Eason has some of the best steal and block rate numbers I’ve seen in a while and although I don’t think he’s a pure shooter, he shot 80% from the FT line and 35-36% from deep. In the NBA he could be a bigger wing who is defensive first and can make open corner threes to start.

Ousmane Dieng is a name that intrigues me. He’s an ultimate bricklayer and is definitely mostly projection at this point. His film shows me that he’s comfortable as a playmaker from the wing and he’s very very thin (think Rookie KD but thinner). Dieng is the ultimate boom or bust prospect to me but if he pans out, he can be a franchise player in my opinion due to his unique skillset at his size. He reminds me a lot of Chandler Parsons pre injury and maybe a little bit of Evan Turner/MCW. His shot needs a lot of work but as a playmaker and hypothetical defender, he really intrigues me.

For my third, it’s really between Agbaji and Jovic but I will lean with the European player. Jovic reminds me of the bigger euro player that can do a bit of everything. His shooting is pretty strong and should instantly translate. In addition, I think his ball handling and playmaking is good enough to help alleviate the pressure on Garland/LeVert/Sexton. His lack of athleticism is a little scary but I think as the game has opened up in the NBA, it’s actually somehow helped less athletic players who are really smart thrive. Hate the easy comp but the Utah players are decent comps in Bogdanovic and Ingles (get well soon).

Chris: Tari Eason: He’s the obvious “home run swing” for the Cavs to try and find that elusive “3 and D” wing. He’s got an NBA body and was extremely productive at LSU in the SEC. The main question about him basketball-wise is his decision making and awareness (16.5% career turnover rate), but he made a massive stride in that department this past season. I think a really interesting comp to Eason is current Cav Dean Wade. Eason is a better scoring and defending version of Dean Wade, to me, that’s a reasonable outcome for the 14th pick and a player that’d be helpful in a playoff situation. Another favorable comp to Eason is Dorian Finney-Smith.

Mark Williams: obvious Duke bias aside, Williams has to be a consideration because of how talented he is. He’s arguably a better college prospect than Jarrett Allen, whom we now know is an All-Star caliber center. If the Cavs have designs of acquiring a disgruntled star, Jarrett Allen is probably the bait that will be required to land such a player, or possibly Williams himself. At the very least, Williams is a massive step up from Moses Brown or Ed Davis and is the perfect injury insurance for Tower City.

Malaki Branham: Branham could be the most underrated prospect in this draft class. He has excellent production for a freshman in a major conference, and has the length to survive on the perimeter in the NBA. From a fit perspective, Branham is the ideal choice because of his ability to score at all levels of the floor as an off-guard/wing. Branham is also an upside play because of his age (19.1 years old at the time of draft).

2. Who’s one guy you like each at pick 39 and pick 56?

Eli: Here’s a name for you at 39 that I may be biased for due to school, Jake LaRavia. A big body who can do a bit of everything, I think his game could actually fit really well with the Cavs, mostly because of Evan Mobley’s versatility on the defensive end. LaRavia is not an athlete but he brings a ton of basketball IQ and skill. He averaged almost 4 assists per game as usually the tallest player for the Deacs and also shot 38% from deep. He’d fit well into the Cavs lack of shooting. A comp for LaRavia would be Davis Bertans or George Niang.

For 56 I am tempted to pick another Demon Deacon in Alondes Williams, the perfect college combo guard who May struggle in the NBA due to athleticism. But I will go with a fellow Korean player in Hyun Jung Lee. The Davidson wing is a son of two former Korean Olympians and moved to the US for college. Lee is not the quickest athlete and was asked to play a lot of Power Forward in college. However, he was a rare 50-40-90 player last season and shot 44% from deep on 5.5 attempts his sophomore year. Think of Lee as a sharpshooting specialist who will have to work on his game defensively. A comp for him is Diet Duncan Robinson.