WFNY World Cup Diary: Très Cleveland
June 23, 20142014 NBA Draft: Joe Gilbert’s Top Five Shooting Guards
June 23, 2014
With the NBA Draft just three days away, speculation will only increase as all eyes turn to the Cleveland Cavaliers and their No. 1 pick. In his latest mock draft, ESPN.com’s Chad Ford reports that Duke’s Jabari Parker’s workout with the Cavs on Friday was nothing short of a disaster.
Sources close to the Cavs told ESPN.com this weekend that the Cavs are now leaning toward taking Parker with the No. 1 pick. However, it’s far from a lock. Parker came in to work out on Friday in front of the Cavs front office and ownership. Parker wasn’t great. He was a bit heavy (he weighed in at 255 pounds), didn’t shoot the ball well and got winded at times. Furthermore, two different sources told ESPN.com that Parker seemed a bit indifferent. One source said he thought Parker “tanked” the workout.
Why? A source says he strongly prefers to play in Milwaukee. The Cavs appear to be aware of this. “Jabari wasn’t himself,” one source said. “It was clear we weren’t his first option.”
Ford, it should be said, has the Cavaliers taking Parker with their first pick, but it appears that Andrew Wiggins is picking up steam despite his present day offensive limitations. Wiggins came in and nailed his workout on Wednesday. Per Ford, he shot the ball well, showed off tremendous athleticism and had a good interview. Perhaps most importantly, he apparently made it aware that he wants to play in Cleveland.
It appears that the decision will come down to what the team needs (or desires) in the short term versus their patience. Parker offers immediate returns, but somehow weighs 55 pounds more than Wiggins who also stands at 6-feet-8. Ownership wants to get back into the playoffs, but that same group reportedly grew concerned after Friday’s horrid workout.
To be continued…
38 Comments
I’m going the other way with this…he showed up as a fat, out of shape tweener forward with breathing issues? And the Cavs have recently drafted a fat, out of shape tweener forward with breathing issues at #1? Well played, Jabari. Well played indeed
Maybe we can swap picks with Milwaukee, and score Wiggins plus some other goodies.
Another good reason to draft Andrew Wiggins, put him @ SG and trade Waiters for mid to late first round pick (I’m looking @ you James Young). You get an SG, SF, and then draft an big man with #33 (Walter Tavares, Nikola Jokic, Artem Klimenko)
A guy manipulating himself out of the overall #1 position by being intentionally out of shape? Guy is carefully groomed to be a potential #1 overall and sabatoges it? Anything’s possible but rather hard to believe. Not doubting the workout went a little south, or that his weight’s gone north. Doubt the rumored cause, that he thinks Milwaukee is so much more attractive, and remembering that sillies are in the air.
1. The weight is more important from the Cavs’ perspective. I would have preferred Parker because he is further along the curve and supposedly has more of a killer instinct but the weight threatens both of those assumptions.
2. If he doesn’t want to be here, we should choose someone else.
3. I’m still hoping we can get Embiid + a second lottery pick if we play our cards right.
Go figure, Cavs have the top pick and one top pick gets hurt and another doesn’t want to be here.
Perhaps the rumor was launched by Parker’s post-workout text: “If you draft me, I’m going to wreck this team”
in fact, this is the opposite of typical. Two players bottomed out, but there were three to begin with. That puts the cavs in better, not worse position.
exactly. we could have picked Embiid, only to have him be injured his entire time here (Oden in Portland). we could have picked Jabari, only to have him not happy and out-of-shape to a mostly mediocre time here.
what is left? only the #1 prospect from the beginning who had an up-and-down college year, yet possesses all of the tangibles, is a great fit for the team at a needed position (great at cutting, in the open floor and is a good catch-n-shoot guy), and is Canadian (okay, that one doesn’t matter).
Doubt his weight is up due to not wanting Cavs too, but weight has been an issue in the past as well and concerning that he would not be in the best shape possible for this draft.
That’s one way to look at it. Hard to believe when they haven’t showed us much of anything since 2010.
Parker offers immediate returns
Parker offers more offensive upside due to his better form shot and better post moves. However, I am not sure that means immediate returns. SF tend to struggle initially in the NBA on offense. Wiggins possibility of defense (he needs to demonstrate it more) offers more immediate rewards. Also, stylistically, Wiggins fits Blatt better. Cutter who can catch-n-shoot and get out in the open-floor. If Jabari was a better passer, then I could see him fit just as well (in a different role), but that’s not his game.
Both are good prospects and well above all others (well, I don’t know enough about Exum to qualify him), but Wiggins fits better and has less red flags IMO. He’s the pick.
they haven’t shown us much in the 1st round of the draft this century other than LeBron and Kyrie, but <they have been fired and replaced.
it will be interesting to see how Griffin differs from Grant in how he evaluates players.
For sure, absolutely, weight is concerning. Amazing to think that he’d let that happen given that there’s no injury excuse. I think he is represented by Arn Tellum, who also took a huge hit when Embiid’s foot was diagnosed.
I’m getting back to where I started. Don’t overthink this, take the most talented player … Wiggins.
Because what this team needs to do is get younger?? Not trying to be a jerk, but seriously. yuck.
Manziel texted during his draft that he wanted to wreck the league.
Different draft same story: Cleveland consternation!
hence the word play
I completely agree. I mean, if there is a franchise more poorly run than the Cavs in the last decade, it’s likely Milwaukee.
i agree.
These guys are competitors. I am sure they would want to be mentioned with LeBron, Duncan, and the rest of the overall #1 picks (even you, Anthony Bennett) in the history of the NBA. I’d want to be recognized as the BEST in that class. Plus, you get paid more than the #2 guy.
Ha. It’s cool. No reason to say ” not trying to be a jerk”. It’s your own opinion and understandable. In an way I agree with using Waiters and Thompson as pieces for veteran players.
and he has been my (and yours) #1 guy all along. Bode, it’s our year, son. Our year.
I have wavered at times on Wiggins, so it’s only fair to be clear about it.
beginning of college season, I liked Jabari’s offensive repetoire and how hard he tried on defense more. once Embiid got going, he became the clear choice except for his injuries.
Wiggins fascinated me but he was missing something early in conference play. Then, February hit and he really found his niche in the offense and showed off his defensive talents (at times).
It was that stretch that made me re-evaluate Parker and I started realizing that him trying hard on defense (and still being poor) was not a good sign. There were murmurs that he didn’t work out much outside of the basketball court and his passing was subpar. Still a special talent, but one that was much more limited than at first glance.
Meanwhile, that upside of Wiggins is vast and he has the potential to be our Lance Stephenson / Kawhi Leonard and potentially with more offense. And, he could potentially rotate between SG & SF as well. Given the prospects in this draft, he just seems pretty clear cut as the best prospect.
He has deficiencies (Horace has linked to the articles demonstrating his poor finishing ability), but even some of his “weaknesses” work well with us (not needing to be the alpha with the ball on a team that has too many who need the ball is a good thing).
Anyways, almost draft time. Wonder what else we’ll do.
I don’t waste a minute believing any of these dumb stories. Just like last week when people railed against Rizzo and low and behold he was justified in what he reported. Where are those egg wearing people now? Back in the shadows where they belong.
Huh..well I thought it weird that Parker was taking hook shots from half court his entire workout.
lmao . Best comment yet
Cavs should draft the guy who wants to be there long term.Not just until there rookie contact expires and leave to a big market.Which will probably happen anyway.
I was referring to Gilbert as owner of the team but I do agree about how terrible previous coaches and GM’s were.
please name the instance of a star NBA player leaving after his rookie contract to a big market. any team will do.
what % did he hit? sounds unstoppable!
How’s that? Where’s the consternation, Sham my man? I’ll gladly take Wiggins on this team as a ‘fallback,’ which he’s not..this ain’t the ‘typical Cleveland’ nonsense this time.
He just hit one, after which he ran around screaming “That one’s for MTV Rock n Jock, beyotch!” Also he came to the workout dressed like Urkel.
Maybe not you but this non story is a perfect example and you know others will actually believe Parker tanked a workout. That makes absolutely no sense especially when the alternative is Milwaukee. But hey each to their own. I’m with you if not Parker then Wiggins would be just fine.
none of that sounds very noteworthy. pretty typical NBA stuff there.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5gh7F0qY3tY/T8wOOkCpXGI/AAAAAAAAAbE/Z2bMHwhWRkU/s1600/play_durantwestbrook13_576.jpg
Haha, right?
and Woj is now saying we just signed Lue to be our associate Head Coach. so, apparently we got BOTH of the coaches we were after for this team.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/clippers-assistant-tyronn-lue-to-become-cavs-associate-head-coach-181128579.html
lots of smoke coming out of Utah about wanting the #1 pick (presumably for Jabari). I have seen both a Hayward, Kanter, #5 package along with a Favors, #5 package.
I would favor Favors (can play center), but it would put us in a tough spot as pretty much all scenario BPA at #5 will be either PF or PG. So, do we take Exum for our backcourt and possibly move Kyrie to a more SG role (and switch those roles on defense)? Do we take another PF (Vonleh, Gordon)? Do we then trade down, again?
All smoke right now, but this was the first smoke that intrigued me to the point of contemplating what else we would want to do if it happened.
I preferred Parker over Wiggins solely because I thought that this would not be an issue with Parker. I thought he was the kind of high-character guy that you could build a team around. If true, this is very disappointing.