Tag Archives: Dwight Powell

1^st Round – Pick #1 – Andrew Wiggins – 6’8 – 200 – FR – SG/SF – Kansas

17ppg – 6rpg – 1.5apg – 1.2st – 44.8%fg – 34.1%(3fg) – 77.5%ft

Grade – A

Love the pick. His athleticism is off the charts and that should help him flourish in the transition game of the NBA. He’s already a two-way player, so he’s going to help the Cavaliers on defense, where he’ll be able to guard three different positions.

On offense, the Cavs expect him to swing between the 2 and the 3, but as G.M. David Griffin said last night after the draft, “If Andrew finds greatness in this league, it’s going to be as a very big 2-guard.” His shot needs to become more consistent, but his form is fine. His handle will need to get better, but there are reports that he already has been working diligently on that. And lastly, he needs to be more aggressive on offense and not get lost in the mix. David Griffin addressed that last night saying, “Andrew understands there’s a level to his game that we’re expecting him to find and he really, really wants to achieve it. He knows he’s got more in the tank.” When I asked Wiggins last night about his passiveness on the offensive end, he told me, “You won’t have to worry about that next year” As far as Wiggins suit that he wore to the NBA Draft, he gets an A++ from me.

 (Photo courtesy of Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

2^nd Round – Pick #33 – Joe Harris – 6’6 – 225 – SR – SG – Virginia

12ppg – 3rpg – 2.3apg – 44.1%fg – 40%(3fg) – 64%ft

Grade – B

One of the best shooters in the draft. I’m happy the Cavs addressed their outside shooting needs and that’s where Harris excels. He can drain it from three and showed NBA range at Virginia, but is also a good shooter coming off screens. Harris has good size for a shooting guard and has another trait that G.M. David Griffin loves: a very high basketball IQ. Defensively, Harris will have some issues transitioning to the NBA and will need to improve in that area so he is not a liability on the floor. But lets not kid ourselves, he was drafted for his shooting ability and as long as he’s knocking down jumpers and giving effort on “D”, the Cavs will be happy.

2^nd Round – Pick #45 (from Charlotte) – Dwight Powell – 6’11 – 240 – SR –  PF/C – Stanford

14ppg – 7rpg – 3.1apg – 1.3st – 46.2%fg – 25.6(3fg) – 68.7%ft

(The Cavs reportedly are finalizing a trade with the Hornets for Powell. Alonzo Gee is being dealt and in return, the Cavaliers get Powell and center Brendan Haywood. The deal has not yet been approved by the league office.)

Grade – C+

The Cavs needed to get bigger in the post, but I was hoping for a true 7-foot center who’s calling card was defense. Powell will give you effort on defense, but he’s not the rim protector I was looking for like a Walter Tavarez (Spain). According the NBA’s draft guide, Powell is more known for his inside-outside game on offense. He is also a good passer and like fellow 2nd round pick Joe Harris, has a high basketball IQ.