# The obvious Cavalier draft pick



## LOYALTY (May 23, 2003)

to me, it has to be Jameer Nelson. The point guard play behind McGinnis is very poor. Ollie and Cleaves have heart, but neither one can shoot well. And they both get flustered if the other team starts to bring any pressure. LeBron doesn't have the PG decision making to take over that position. And Dujuan doesn't have any PG skills.

Let's hope Nelson is available.


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## Nevus (Jun 3, 2003)

I'd pick Jameer Nelson too. Although I don't agree that LeBron doesn't have the decision making to play point. It's the hardest position to learn in the NBA, and he's done pretty well at it.

I love Jameer Nelson, he is a winner and a leader and all those other intangible cliches people like to say  And on top of that, he's a good player.

I've heard some people saying the Cavs should draft Devin Harris.. I don't really know as much about him.


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## futuristxen (Jun 26, 2003)

I think Nelson is the safe and obvious pick. He can contribute right away off the bench. And though Lebron can play the point, it's not an efficient use of his energy right now. Have someone push the ball up and let Lebron run the offense once the ball is in the halfcourt. They need to structure the offense around getting the ball into Lebron's hands and letting him work.


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## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

I think the Cavs need to go with Sergei Monya. PG isn't a necessity for this team with LBJ knowing what to do with the ball and Jeff McInnis playing his role amply. 

Cleveland is a team that will not have to worry about scoring in the future. They like to run with the ball, and LeBron can provide instant offense along with Boozer and Ilgauskas. They do give up 95.7 ppg and are relatively loose on the defensive end. Add that to the fact that they are *dead last* in the league in 3 pointers made per game, and it's relatively obvious they need a potent offensive weapon from the perimeter.

Monya gives them both: team defense and a deadly outside shooter. He may take 1 or 2 years to develop in the NBA, but LeBron is only 19, Boozer is 22, time is on the Cavaliers side. He knows how to run the court, and is very quick around the basket. Monya is 6'8 SG/SF, a big advantage in the East. 

Kirk Snyder also came to mind since the guy is ferocious on both ends of the floor, but his outside shooting is really weak at this point and I don't think the Cavs will succeed without a player than can have for 30-35 mpg on the floor and can hit outside shots or open jumpers. James' penetration skills will create alot of open shots for teammates.

If the Cavs do decide to go to with a PG, Nelson should be the automatic first choice. Love his outside touch.


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## kirk_2003 (Jun 23, 2003)

Why not draft another HS kid. TELFAIR. :yes:


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## Nevus (Jun 3, 2003)

> I think the Cavs need to go with Sergei Monya. PG isn't a necessity for this team with LBJ knowing what to do with the ball and Jeff McInnis playing his role amply.
> 
> Cleveland is a team that will not have to worry about scoring in the future. They like to run with the ball, and LeBron can provide instant offense along with Boozer and Ilgauskas. They do give up 95.7 ppg and are relatively loose on the defensive end. Add that to the fact that they are dead last in the league in 3 pointers made per game, and it's relatively obvious they need a potent offensive weapon from the perimeter.
> 
> ...


I think they will go with a point guard. Kevin Ollie and Mateen Cleaves are just placeholders, and McInnis is pretty average... they will need a young, talented point eventually. This looks like a good draft for point guards, so I'd expect they'll look in that direction.

I want them to get Andrei Kirilenko as a free agent. That would go a long way towards solving their defense problems. I don't remember if he's available this summer or the next.


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## OZZY (Jun 14, 2002)

Nelson 


I would much rather have Ben Gordon on the Caves than Nelson. The Caves need a shooter, they don't have one right now. 

They got the athletes, they got the defenders, they got the big men now they just need real shooters and no Kapono is not one of them.


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## zeus9800 (Feb 12, 2004)

Please, no more foreign soft guys.

Nelson would be a good pick, so would Harris. So would Chris Paul. Guess it depends on where they are picking. Point would definately be the primary position they need to upgrade, provided they don't get one when they trade Z. 

I think Cleaves has played very well. He's not the most talented guy in the world, but he's certainly better than Ollie. And as far as not being able to shoot, to me, that's not a liability unless you insist on shooting even though you can't. I'm perfectly happy with a PG who can't shoot, he's there to pass anyway, or he should be.


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## tpb2 (Oct 23, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>futuristxen</b>!
> I think Nelson is the safe and obvious pick. He can contribute right away off the bench. And though Lebron can play the point, it's not an efficient use of his energy right now. Have someone push the ball up and let Lebron run the offense once the ball is in the halfcourt. They need to structure the offense around getting the ball into Lebron's hands and letting him work.


How about we go help coach the team? This is what needs to happen, period.


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## futuristxen (Jun 26, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>tpb2</b>!
> 
> 
> How about we go help coach the team? This is what needs to happen, period.


I'm going to give Silas the benefit of the doubt. I think he'll figure something out this offseason to better use Lebron. This year was pretty experimental with Lebron. Silas has moved him back and forth, on and off the ball.

I actually think Mcginnis was so successfull because he was the best at getting Lebron the ball quickly in the halfcourt. The adjustment may only be getting a point guard who "knows the score". I notice Newble and Ollie when they come in really wreck the offense.

I think Mcginnis had a good floor game in that he knew when to come down and just throw it straight into the post, but still knew when to get the ball to Lebron's side of the floor.

I would be interested to see the numbers but I'd wager Mcginnis got most of his assists passing to Lebron and Boozer. Which is very similiar to how Sam Cassell plays with KG. He gets his assists to KG or Spreewell. He doesn't even mess with the other scrubs on the team.


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## tpb2 (Oct 23, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>futuristxen</b>!
> 
> 
> I'm going to give Silas the benefit of the doubt. I think he'll figure something out this offseason to better use Lebron. This year was pretty experimental with Lebron. Silas has moved him back and forth, on and off the ball.
> ...


This is an excellent post, especially about McInnis. Ollie almost takes James out of the offense, and eveything slows down.


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## CavsTalk (Jun 10, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>kirk_2003</b>!
> Why not draft another HS kid. TELFAIR. :yes:


Because he has no business being in the NBA.

Silas and Paxson said they are looking to fill their scoring void through free agency so hopefully that brings in Rasheed Wallace but as for the draft, I wouldn't mind Nelson. He has a good stroke and he is a great PG with his vision. But how big is he? Can he defend the 1 in the NBA?

I know I questioned TJ Ford and he did ALRIGHT, but defense is a key this team needs. I would look for the defense the player brings in before I look at what they could do offensivley.


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## drewson (May 19, 2003)

i think they will shop z for a PG and draft a big


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## The OUTLAW (Jun 13, 2002)

I see the Cavs primary need at sf. I don't think that Williams will be back next year and while LeBron can play sf I prefer him in the backcourt. A sweet shooting sf would be the ideal pickup for the Cavaliers either in the draft or as a free agent.


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## Nevus (Jun 3, 2003)

> I would much rather have Ben Gordon on the Caves than Nelson. The Caves need a shooter, they don't have one right now.


Nelson can shoot too; he's a good all around offensive player. But the big difference between Nelson and Gordon is decision making. Nelson >>>>> Gordon in terms of shot selection, pacing, controlling a game, etc. He's a very mature player.

Ben Gordon is Steve Francis. Maybe you like Steve Francis... I don't think Ben Gordon would really add much to the Cavaliers. Jameer Nelson would add new dimensions to the team's chemistry and offense while Gordon is more of a one-on-one player.


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## Nevus (Jun 3, 2003)

Hmm, another person I think the Cavaliers should consider if he declares for the draft is Charlie Villanueva. If anyone else remembers, he and LeBron played great together in the McDonald's game. They looked like they'd been teammates before. Maybe they should be teammates again?

I've been pretty impressed with what I've seen from him with UConn. He seems to have some competitive fire and he's so talented. He's a great rebounder and shotblocker, plus he's a great passer, can handle the ball, shoot outside some, and as we saw in the McDonald's game last year, he's great running the floor in transition. If he's going to work and play hard, he has the tools to be a really good player.


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## futuristxen (Jun 26, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Nevus</b>!
> Hmm, another person I think the Cavaliers should consider if he declares for the draft is Charlie Villanueva. If anyone else remembers, he and LeBron played great together in the McDonald's game. They looked like they'd been teammates before. Maybe they should be teammates again?
> 
> I've been pretty impressed with what I've seen from him with UConn. He seems to have some competitive fire and he's so talented. He's a great rebounder and shotblocker, plus he's a great passer, can handle the ball, shoot outside some, and as we saw in the McDonald's game last year, he's great running the floor in transition. If he's going to work and play hard, he has the tools to be a really good player.


I like that idea. Plus Silas should be able to keep him working hard. I like his game. I was actually thinking today that his skill base might actually be better than Deng's. He just doesn't quite have it all together. But his outside shooting and finishing ability and passing would be very helpful for the Cavs. And I think he is damn near 7 feet tall. I heard Jim Calhoun say that Charlie V was the best passer on the team.


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## tpb2 (Oct 23, 2003)

I would not hesitate to take Charlie V over Deng.


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## Nevus (Jun 3, 2003)

> I was actually thinking today that his skill base might actually be better than Deng's.





> I would not hesitate to take Charlie V over Deng.


I agree. Deng is good but not as good as he's commonly considered to be... I think Villanueva can be better. He's taller and much quicker and more athletic, and not really any less polished or versatile.


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## The OUTLAW (Jun 13, 2002)

I like the idea of the Cavaliers taking a SF especially since I don't think that Williams will be here next year. They need an upgrade at the position either in the draft or as a free agent.


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## futuristxen (Jun 26, 2003)

You know. I was watching Telfair on the World-US Select game last night...Telfair is damn good. I don't know if he can shoot or not. But his passing and approach to the game reminds me a lot of Lebron last year. He is just about winning the game. If that means 0 points and 11 assists so be it, that's what he'll do. His passing is unworldy. He throws passes with a ton of zip. Just watching him throw a bounce pass is a treat.

If Nelson isn't there, Telfair as a backup to Mcginnis for a few years would not be bad.


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## tpb2 (Oct 23, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>futuristxen</b>!
> You know. I was watching Telfair on the World-US Select game last night...Telfair is damn good. I don't know if he can shoot or not. But his passing and approach to the game reminds me a lot of Lebron last year. He is just about winning the game. If that means 0 points and 11 assists so be it, that's what he'll do. His passing is unworldy. He throws passes with a ton of zip. Just watching him throw a bounce pass is a treat.
> 
> If Nelson isn't there, Telfair as a backup to Mcginnis for a few years would not be bad.


Yeah, if the kid is mature, this might be the time to get another high school kid. I wonder if he'd have a problem running the offense through LeBron, as long as he could be the one pushing the ball. Do you think Telfair, Boozer, and LeBron could co-exist in terms of scoring? Telfair might not get to score 20/gm on that team.


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## Nevus (Jun 3, 2003)

> If Nelson isn't there, Telfair as a backup to Mcginnis for a few years would not be bad.


I've considered Telfair too, just for the reason that the Cavaliers can afford to develop young guys for a few years. No need to rush in Cleveland. I wonder if they're looking at him.


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## futuristxen (Jun 26, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>tpb2</b>!
> 
> 
> Yeah, if the kid is mature, this might be the time to get another high school kid. I wonder if he'd have a problem running the offense through LeBron, as long as he could be the one pushing the ball. Do you think Telfair, Boozer, and LeBron could co-exist in terms of scoring? Telfair might not get to score 20/gm on that team.


Judging from the all-star games he seems to be very malleable in those terms. I mean the kid took less than 5 shots in the Mcdonalds game with all of the scouts watching, instead he controlled the game with his passing. He really seems to love the pass.

My thought last night was that if Lebron was 5-10 in high school instead of 6-8 240, Telfair is probably the player Lebron would be.

It would be interesting to see how Lebron and him played off each other. I would think Telfair would make Lebron more of a finisher...which...well I'm not sure about that...you might just see some amazing passing. Stockton and Malone except at the 1 and 2/3 spots. Could be a real boon for Boozer.


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## BigMike (Jun 12, 2002)

I think a sweet-shooting Euro scorer would do well on the Cavs...or a true PG type.


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## Damian Necronamous (Jun 10, 2002)

Signing Ollie long-term was a bad idea.


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## futuristxen (Jun 26, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Damian Necronamous</b>!
> Signing Ollie long-term was a bad idea.


I write it off as a charity case. It's really not going to hamstring the franchise too badly, so long as they don't add to it...


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## SkywalkerAC (Sep 20, 2002)

could continue to build the beast line and draft Chris Humphries to play SF and a little PF. He's a sweet shooter but probably needs to improve his D for the nba.


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## Starbury03 (Aug 12, 2003)

What about Andre Igoudaila? He can play D and could be a very good player with all those offensive players.


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## SuperNova (Apr 2, 2004)

Devin Harris seems like a good pick for the Cavs to me. He's a good decision-maker, and is a pass-first shoot-second point (what the Cavs need, with their talent). Plus he's bigger and more athletic than Nelson, and almost as good a shooter. And a very good defender.

The one question is whether he'll slip far enough for the Cavs to snag him, but it seems very possible.


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## LOYALTY (May 23, 2003)

I still want Nelson in the draft, but I agree that the Cavaliers need a small forward who has a great outside stroke. I would rather go after a veteran NBA player who has proven that he can hit the outside shot against NBA pressure. I don't know what free agents are out there, but I hope we get one. I would think that Cleveland has become a pretty attractive place for potential free agents.


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## futuristxen (Jun 26, 2003)

You know who could be perfect for the Cavs at the 3? Hedo Turkulu.

That's the first name I can think of in free agency at the 3 that the Cavs could pursue.

Or what about trading Z for Rashard Lewis and then signing Brent Barry?

Barry/Telfair
Lebron
Rashard
Boozer
Diop/Battie/Jerome James??

Probably could sweaten the deal for Seatle by taking on one of their overpaid big men and let Silas work his magic with a Jerome James who obviously has talent and size, but doesn't know how to use it?

I don't know how that all works out cap wise. And the Cavs have to be careful and save room to resign Boozer the following year.

But surely that's an intriguing idea to look at.


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## TyGuy (Apr 19, 2003)

I would rather have Marion and dont be surprised if they are secretly shopping him with JJ playing so good and being much cheaper. They want to bring in Kobe or t-mac and the only way is saying goodbye to marion.


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## futuristxen (Jun 26, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>TyGuy</b>!
> I would rather have Marion and dont be surprised if they are secretly shopping him with JJ playing so good and being much cheaper. They want to bring in Kobe or t-mac and the only way is saying goodbye to marion.


:laugh: I would rather have Marion as well. That's a no-brainer if that's on the table.


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## Mongolmike (Jun 11, 2002)

Hedo would work for me too.... sure Matrix is nice, but Hedo is under-rated. I'd take him in a second.


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