Last year, the Cleveland Cavaliers would up with three first round picks.
Everyone was hoping they would get the first overall pick with their chances in the lottery, but they would up getting the fifth pick and selected Darius Garland, who played sparingly at Vanderbilt and had an up and down rookie season.
GM Koby Altman moved a bunch of second round picks to get the last pick in the first round, and selected Kevin Porter Jr., who turned out to be one of the surprises of the season.
Porter Jr. played 23 minutes per game, and scored 10 points on 44% shooting and his free throw shooting, a weakness in college (52%), wound up at 72% during his first season in the NBA.
He will only be 20 when the 2020-21 season starts, but he is viewed as one of the building blocks of the future for the wine and gold.
The third first round pick is largely forgotten because he was injured in training camp, and didn’t play a minute last season.
Dylan Windler was the 26th overall pick, a four year college player out of Belmont. A 6’7″ wing player, he shot 54% during his senior season, including 42.9% from beyond the three point arc.
Because he’s a four year player, he will turn 24 years old before the next regular season gets underway, but there is no question he can shoot the rock.
While some long range shooters can be mechanical and slow, the report on Windler (and watching highlights too) is he has a very quick release and he’s also a lefty, which fools defenders used to righties, which is the norm.
And he’s not a guy who just stands around the perimeter, waiting for someone to see him open. He is active without the ball, and will cut to the basket to get opportunities around the basket. He’s also a solid rebounder, averaging 9.3 and 10.8 boards per game in his last two collegiate seasons.
The biggest question, as is for most players coming into the pro game, is how well he can defend. We say it all the time, pretty much every player who gets to the NBA can put the ball in the basket, what determines their playing time is what they can do on the other end of the floor.
It’s not just a quickness thing either. You have to be strong, be able to hold your ground to play defense at the pro level. You have to wonder if Windler has been able to improve his strength while he is recovering from his stress reaction to his leg.
The other issue is it’s a young man’s league in the NBA and Windler will get his first action at 24. How much room does he have to grow as a player? It’s not impossible, some players get better in their late 20’s because they discover their niche in the league.
It’s tough because he lost a year of development because of the injury. There is no replacing experience. Garland and Porter Jr. know what to expect in their second season, Windler doesn’t.
However, he can be a huge asset to the Cavaliers because the team needs both shooting and wing players. They also need players with length, and J.B. Bickerstaff knows that.
Dylan Windler could make the 2019 draft a huge bonanza for Altman and the Cavs if he can translate his the abilities that made him a player in college to the NBA.
Maybe we can see that if the non-playoff teams get their own “bubble” coming up.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 