In anticipation of the NBA Draft Lottery on May 30th, we will be profiling each of the top-10 players available in the NBA Draft from 10 to 1, discussing their strengths, weakness, and how each player could theoretically fit or not fit with the Cavaliers.

To follow StepienRules.com contributor Nick Mancini on Twitter go here: @NickMance

No. 7 – Harrison Barnes, Sophomore, North Carolina; 2011-12 stats: 17.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 44% shooting.

The Cavs need a scorer. Harrison Barnes might be the best pure scorer in the entire draft. Seems like a match made in heaven, right?  After Barnes’ freshman year, he was probably a top-5 pick in last year’s draft, a possibility for the Cavaliers at #4 even. But, Barnes decided to return the Chapel Hill for another go round.

Barnes showed in his two seasons that he could put the ball in the hole. At 6-8, he is as smooth as can be on the floor and makes scoring look effortless at times. He has a great midrange game and can definitely extend that range beyond the arc. Defensively, he has the tools to be a great defender at the next level. He is long and has the ability to stay with other wing players. But, for some reason this past season, many people wanted to look at Barnes’ shortcomings.

He has the knock of only being a good athlete. Scouts say he isn’t the greatest ball handler and is slightly one-dimensional. When UNC got to the NCAA Tournament, many people, including myself, had them winning it. Then injury struck and they lost starting point guard Kendall Marshall to a broken wrist. This only intensified the talk of Barnes being one-dimensional. The loss of an elite point guard showed that Barnes had trouble creating his own shot and needed someone to get him the ball.

In the two games he played without Marshall, Barnes was a combined 8-30 shooting, 2-14 from 3-point range. Does Barnes need a solid point guard to set him up? Maybe, but so do a lot of other player as well. And last time I checked, the Cavs have this kid named Kyrie Irving who might be able to help Barnes with that.

Despite what is said or written about Barnes, I think he fits very well with the Cavs and that they have to look at him. Unless they end up picking in the top 3. If they are sitting in the 4-6 range though, they would be hard pressed to find a guy to come in and be able to provide what he does.

Barnes would slide right into the 3, next to Irving and whoever is playing the 2 (O.J. Mayo anybody?) and be able to take some pressure off the offense. Teams would have to respect his shooting ability, which opens up the paint for Tristan Thompson and Anderson Varejao.

Simply put, I think the Cavs could do much worse than adding Barnes to a core of Irving, Thompson and Varejao.

Written by Nick Mancini

Author: Brendan Bowers

In anticipation of the NBA Draft Lottery on May 30th, we will be profiling each of the top-10 players available in the NBA Draft from 10 to 1, discussing their strengths, weakness, and how each player could theoretically fit or not fit with the Cavaliers. For Tyler Zeller click here, and Perry Jones III click here. Below is our profile on North Carolina big man John Henson. 

To follow StepienRules.com contributor Nick Mancini on Twitter go here: @NickMance

No. 8 – John Henson, junior, North Carolina 2011-12: 13.8 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 2.9 bpg, 50% shooting 

John Henson intrigues me. Yet, he also screams Brandon Wright, a disappointing big man, also out of UNC, who has the same build and skill-set as Henson. But, I will take the intriguing side of Henson. Henson was an important cog in the UNC machine, as evidenced by their struggles when he was injured for three games this season. He was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year and that is where he likely sticks out the most headed into the draft.

Henson dominated the paint for the Tar Heels. He ranked 12th in the country in blocks per game and routinely had games of four and five blocks (he opened the season with a nine block performance). Henson is also a very strong rebounder. He posted 18 double-doubles and is able to use his 6-10 frame, which is extremely long, to grab boards. He is a superb athlete; something this draft is loaded with, and has a high motor.

Offensively, he remains a slight work in progress. He has a great post game, but does not have much of a perimeter game. His athleticism allows him to finish strong around the rim and he is very much a finesse player. Another glaring weakness for Henson is his free throw shooting. He has improved his free throw shooting in each of his three seasons at UNC; raising it to 51 percent. Much like Tristan Thompson, he may not be able to on the court during crucial times, teams are smart enough to exploit those kinds of flaws.

There is one thing Henson will need to do at the next level, much like his teammate Tyler Zeller needs to do, and that is to bulk up. Henson is a slight 220 pounds and at 6-10, he may have trouble guarding some of the thicker power forwards in the NBA. He is also an intriguing option for the Cavs though. Pairing him with Thompson gives Cleveland an uber-athletic frontline. But, that leaves a lot to be desired offensively, while neither of them will provide much outside the paint.

Without much of a perimeter game, he may not make a solid choice for the Cavs. He definitely has the potential to become a threat if he can develop an outside game, but for the Cavs, I am not too sure they will be willing to wait for the payoff.

Written by Nick Mancini

Author: Brendan Bowers

Dan Gilbert had media availability earlier today at Cleveland Clinic Courts and I was there. Some interesting talking points or takeaways from his Q+A session included the fact that he felt that the Cavaliers “did make progress this season”, the “two biggest examples of that progress” according to Dan were “Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson”, and that he has “not studied or explored the idea of buying the Indians”.

Besides all that, he also talked about the NBA Draft Lottery later this month, along with revealing a philosophical shift within the Cavs organization since LeBron James left for Miami.

The Draft Lottery and Grounding Nick: Dan Gilbert said he’s a real superstitious person when it comes to the Draft Lottery later this month. He said he is “trying to do everything the same as they did last year – same clothes, same people, same routine”.  He said that other people have asked if they can come this season and he told them no. The same group that went last year, including Josh Cribbs, Joe Haden, Bernie Kosar and Nick Gilbert himself, will be the same people going again. The only new addition to that group will be Kyrie Irving, who was kinda already there too last season anyways I guess. Dan also said that if Nick Gilbert “doesn’t win the first overall pick again this year, he will be grounded for the entire summer.”

Building “With Superstars” as opposed to “Around Them”: This was the major takeaway from Dan Gilbert’s press conference for me. After replying to a question about what the organization has learned over the last couple seasons since “you know who left”, Dan first joked: “You mean since Zendon Hamilton left?”  I laughed, because that was funny. What he went on to say from there was both interesting and revealing though, I thought. Dan Gilbert said that since that time, the organization has shifted their philosophy from generally “trying to build around superstars” to now trying “to build with them”.  The “with”, he noted, as opposed to the “around”, was the important change in philosophy. I personally also think it’s indicative of a franchise that is learning from the past, growing, and maturing as well. But I don’t think most of my fellow bloggers will ever give Dan Gilbert credit for something like that. Even though they maybe should.

Author: Brendan Bowers

In anticipation of the NBA Draft Lottery on May 30th, we will be profiling each of the top-10 players available, discussing strengths, weakness, and how each player could theoretically fit or not fit with the Cavaliers. We’ll also be doing the same with the prospects ranked in the 20-30 range too, as an introductory preview to the options available to the Cavs for each of their two First Round Draft picks.

No. 9 – Perry Jones III, Sophomore, Baylor 2011-12 Season stats: 13.5 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1.3 apg, 50% shooting

Oh, Perry Jones, you should be so much higher on this list. The fact you are only #9 baffles me for days. After Jones’s freshman season, he was a top-5 pick. But he chose to return to Baylor for his sophomore season, possibly holding out hope for an even higher slot in the following draft. Didn’t quite work out to plan though.

Nobody questions his ability, just the opposite. He might be the most talented player in this whole draft, and should be challenging Anthony Davis for the top pick. But, for some reason, he has stretches during games where he becomes more passive then LeBron during Game 5 against Boston. At 6-11, Jones plays much more like a wing than someone who should bang in the post. And maybe that is part of the problem; he might have been playing out of position at Baylor.

Jones can score from anywhere he wants to. He reminds me a lot of Lamar Odom, he has those point-forward qualities to him. He has a nice jumper that he can stretch out beyond the arc. Athletically, he is tough to top. He can jump out of the gym and runs the break effortlessly. He also has all the tools to become a solid defender; he is already an above average rebounder and shot blocker too.

Now, about that passiveness. I had no rooting interest in Baylor this past season and Jones frustrated me more than any player on my beloved Zags. Jones should have dominated competition, yet he didn’t. Jones entered the NCCA Tournament averaging 18 points and shooting 56% from the floor. So, he promptly scored 9 points and shoots 4-14 in his first two games. He just doesn’t have that killer instinct. He almost plays some games like he doesn’t care.

It is possible a coach can get that out of him in the NBA and I certainly hope for whoever picks him can do that. He is far too talented to not make it. I love Jones for the Cavs, but only in the right spot. I think he would make the perfect 3 on this team. He clearly has no interest in playing on the block and we have a glaring hole for another scorer on the perimeter.

Worst-case scenario and the Cavs end up picking six, I hope Chris Grant takes a long and hard look at Jones. Any higher and I think the Cavs would be hurting themselves (there are a few guys from Big Blue nation who make the Cavs a very dangerous team). But, Byron Scott is the coach I think could break through to Jones and get him to play like every basketball talking head knows he can.

For Part One with Tyler Zeller, click here. Follow Nick Mancini on Twitter @NickMance 

Written by Nick Mancini

Author: Brendan Bowers

In anticipation of the NBA Draft Lottery on May 30th, we will be profiling each of the top-10 players in the NBA Draft, discussing strengths, weakness, and how each player could theoretically fit or not fit with the Cavaliers. We’ll also be doing the same with the prospects ranked in the 20-30 range too, as an introductory preview to the options available to the Cavs for each of their two First Round Draft picks.

No. 10 – Tyler Zeller, senior, North Carolina 2011-12 Stats: 16.3 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 1.5 blocks, 55% shooting:

With the Cavs sitting with the third best odds entering the draft lottery, they will be picking no later than sixth. That almost ensures them of getting another scorer to go alongside Kyrie Irving. In looking at a few top 10 lists for draft prospects, they were all pretty similar, with a couple differences. Sitting at #10 is Tyler Zeller. The 7-footer out of North Carolina won the ACC Player of the Year and put together some solid numbers in his final season in Chapel Hill. And he still isn’t the most highly touted prospect in his family (younger brother Cody returned to Indiana for his sophomore season).

The elder Zeller elevated his draft stock his senior season. Offensively, he does most of his damage in half court sets in the post. He has a great motor; he runs the floor extremely well for his size and is able to finish at the rim at a high rate. Zeller also has a nice mid-range jump shot, though he didn’t get to use it much. A 7-footer with a mid range game and soft touch around the basket are always in demand. Zeller showed he is a very strong rebounder, as evidenced by 16 double-figure rebounding games too. He posted a 20-point, 22-rebound game in the Tar Heels’ Sweet 16 game against Ohio.

Defensively is where Zeller will need work. It is not that he is a bad defender, but for a 7-footer, he didn’t dominate the paint like he probably should have. He only averaged 1.5 blocks a game, which ranked 102nd in the nation. Athletically, he is above average in regards to running the floor on the break. But he won’t make jaws drop with an explosive vertical. He will also need to hit the weights, as he is not the strongest guy in the world right now. His frame has room to add some much needed muscle though.

For being generally ranked in the top 10, Zeller doesn’t project to be a star in the League. But, he is skilled enough offensively and has the tools to become a solid player for many teams. If somehow he ends up on the Cavs, he instantly gives them a low post presence offensively they haven’t had in a few seasons. He would allow Tristan Thompson to slide back over to his natural position. He would be a solid backup and probably the first big man off the bench, but let’s be honest, after watching them this season, that wouldn’t be very hard to do.

I have tried to think a scenario where the Cavs grab Tyler Zeller, but I haven’t been able to. Zeller is a nice player, but for the Cavs, he isn’t a top five talent and he doesn’t play the position of greatest need; which everyone knows is a wing player.

Written by Nick Mancini

Follow Nick Mancini on Twitter @NickMance

Author: Brendan Bowers