Cavaliers pick Andrew Wiggins first overall!

The Cleveland Cavaliers followed my advice and used the first overall pick in the draft to tab Andrew Wiggins, the 6'8 small forward/shooting guard from Kansas.

I discussed yesterday why I felt that Wiggins was the better selection for Cleveland than Jabari Parker, but here is how I see Wiggins affecting the Cavaliers.

Wiggins will instantly upgrade the Cleveland defense as at 6'8 he is tall enough to tower over two guards, yet he is quick enough to be able to guard them.
Wiggins will also be very effective in defending small forwards with his athleticism and right off the stick will be a plus defender.

On the offensive end, Wiggins is going to be in transition on a team that desperately needs a player that can finish off the wing and will produce his share of points just doing that before we even get further.
Wiggins can knock down the open shot and even though the Wiggins shot still needs some refinement, opponents will not be able to play off him.

Cleveland needed help at the small forward and the selection of Wiggins makes sense.
Jabari Parker might have the height that you like at the small forward position, but even now, Parker was not going to guard players at the three spot now, let alone in a few years.
I'm not saying Parker is a bad player, I'm stating that his game is that of a power forward and time wouldn't change that.
When you look at the Cleveland roster before Wiggins, the small forward spot was manned by Anthony Bennett (really better suited for the 4 position), Luol Deng (likely to leave as a free agent), and Alonzo Gee (lacking on the offensive end), so not only was Andrew Wiggins the best player in the draft, in my opinion, he was the player at the biggest position of need.

I am thrilled with the addition of Andrew Wiggins and I'm convinced that he will be a long term star in the league.

Cleveland added Joe Harris of the Virginia Cavaliers with their second-round pick.
Harris is a shooter on a team that could use help with the outside shot and Harris could prove to be helpful if he can knock down opportunities from the three-point line.
Harris looks to be the type of shooter that may be one dimensional, but on the right team could be quite effective.

I hear that Cleveland has another deal in the works, so if it comes down-I'll be back with it tonight and the New Jersey Devils have their draft tonight, so I'll be around with the newest addition to the Devils system as well tonight!
 

Wiggins or Parker for Cleveland?

The Cleveland Cavaliers somehow lucked into the top pick in what appears to be a loaded draft and what happens?
Speculation on who they will pick or a trade down.
That's Cleveland basketball and for all of the lunkheaded decisions that the team has made since a certain someone took his talents to South Beach, they cannot afford to botch this one.

Now that Kansas center Joel Embiid is out of the picture (note to teams, the track record of big men that are "projects" and come with back and/or foot problems, usually don't live up to the risk) due to back and foot problems and let's assume that the team is smart and does not trade down (unless it's to target Embiid and take the risk along with adding a player besides) for these purposes.
That leaves Andrew Wiggins of Kansas and Jabari Parker of Duke and I'll take a look at which I'd rather see in Wine and Gold tomorrow night.

Andrew Wiggins is a 6'8 small forward that will immediately step in and be a force on defense, which happens about as often as an appearance from Halley's Comet from a 19-year-old with one year in college.
Wiggins has great athletic ability, can run the floor in transition, will find his way to the foul line a handful of times a night and will play the team game.
What's not to like about Wiggins? The rap on him is a less than strong outside shot, but I think that's somewhat exaggerated.
You don't hit 34 percent of your three-point attempts without being able to shoot a little bit.
Could there be some improvement? Sure and that could come with teaching, but I wouldn't go as far as to say Wiggins is a bricklayer that is a lost cause as a shooter...

Jabari Parker is 6'8, which is the same height as Wiggins, but they have far different games.
Parker can hit the outside shot but is more of a power forward type.
Parker will bang the boards and looks like if he can keep his weight under control, he might be one of those players that you can write down 20 points and 10 rebounds a night and feel like that's a pretty safe guarantee.
Many comparisons have used for Parker's game, but the one that I like the best is this one that goes back to the old school- a taller Adrian Dantley.
Capable of scoring inside with the bulls and capable of hitting the jumper to make defenses unable to play off him, Parker is going to score in the league and looks to be the readiest for the league right now.

The downsides?
Well, Wiggins does have some detractors that don't like his shot and think that he is not the type of player that aggressively snatches control of a game.
Parker's doubters look at some bad defensive tendencies and that he has gained weight since the end of the season that staying in shape could be an issue.
Parker also has been accused of bombing his workout in Cleveland on purpose, so he would go to Milwaukee at the second choice.
If that's true, that shows not just immaturity, but also a player that might not be at his best when things don't go his way.

Both players are going to produce in the league, I don't doubt that, but I would take Andrew Wiggins.
I love the defensive skills and I think he's going to grow into things on the offensive end.
Imagine a prime Shawn Marion with offensive skills and that might be what you get from Andrew Wiggins.
Jabari Parker may be the rookie of the year next season, but my pick for the long haul would be Andrew Wiggins...