Cleveland Cavaliers: A+
The Cleveland Cavaliers had one of the best first rounds performances of anyone in the draft selecting No. 5, 26 and 30. Coming off a 19-63 season needing to get younger and more talented all over the roster, the Cavs did just that.
There was speculation they would trade the No. 5 overall pick for more assets, but they decided to select Vanderbilt’s Darius Garland.
Garland averaged 16.2 points on 53.7-percent shooting in five games before going down with a torn meniscus in his knee that kept him out the entire season. Vanderbilt started the season 4-0 and the hype that surrounded Garland started to build before it abruptly ended.
Garland’s ceiling is high and if he and Collin Sexton can mesh well they can develop quickly under Kevin Love‘s leadership they can be a dangerous duo.
The Cavaliers used their second pick in the first round by selecting Belmont’s Dylan Windler No. 26 overall. Windler averaged 21.3 points and an outstanding 10.9 rebounds per game as a senior.
Windler is a 6-foot-6, 195 pound forward that eclipsed 40-percent for his career from three-point land and put up a ridiculous seven threes a game knocking down three.
The Cavaliers had the Milwaukee Bucks pick at No. 30 overall to end the first round, and the Cavs capped it off with the left-handed Kevin Porter Jr. from USC.
Porter Jr. hit 41.2-percent of the threes, 9.5 points, 4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 22.1 minutes per game. He brings an ability to create shots and potential to be a really good wing defender at 6-foot-4 and a wingspan of 6-foot-9.
Garland, Porter Jr., and Windler are all gamers and players coming from different backgrounds with different types of chips on their shoulders. All of their play styles add shooting, aggression and a quality quickness to the offense led by last year’s No. 8 overall pick Collin Sexton and five-time All-Star Kevin Love.
Cleveland also landed a first-round pick during the night from the Hawks next year adding onto an eventful and highly successful night for the Cavs.
Atlanta is also sending a Cleveland heavily protected first-round pick in 2020 to the Pelicans, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 20, 2019