With the nineteenth pick in the 2008 SBNation NBA Mock Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers, represented by Waiting For Next Year , select...
Courtney Lee, Guard/Forward, Western Kentucky University. 6-5, 200 lbs.
Waiting For Next Year says:
The Cavaliers find themselves stuck a bit between a rock and a hard place. They need to win, and they need to win now. It would be nice to find a piece with the #19 pick that can help immediately, but if you look at recent history, it’s tough to find guys picked at 19 or lower who made an immediate impact on their teams. Most people feel that Danny Ferry is going to take a F/C Project. With Anderson Varejao on the last year of his deal and unlikely to consider re-signing, and with the ever-aging Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Joe Smith, and Ben Wallace on their last legs, the Cavs are looking razor thin in the frontcourt 3 years from now. So it would possibly make sense to roll the dice on a big man with future potential (Kosta Koufos, JaVale McGee, etc).
But that’s not what the Cavaliers need to do with this pick. They can’t afford to look 3 years down the road. They need to focus on this year and the next. Two guys who would have been perfect for Cleveland (Brandon Rush and Chris Douglas-Roberts) are off the board already. Another guy who might have been an interesting pick here was Chase Budinger, but he elected to go back to Arizona. Because I refuse to take a Big Man Project, I feel like the best options here are Mario Chalmers or Courtney Lee.
While we liked some of the things we saw from Delonte West in his short stint with the Cavaliers this year, we’re not sold on him being the PG of the future. He’s really more of a combo guard who would probably be best suited for coming off the bench. As much as I love the toughness, experience, and lights-out shooting ability of Mario Chalmers, my fear is that he is bound to be a combo guard best suited for coming off the bench….just like Delonte West. So with this pick, we’re taking Courtney Lee. I absolutely love his offensive game, and that’s what the Cavaliers need…offense, offense, offense. He is an ample long range shooter (40.1% for his collegiate career), but where he is at his best is in his mid-range game, which is something the Cavaliers SORELY need. He can help take some of the offensive pressure and load off of LeBron, and while some have questioned Lee’s defense, his strong fundamentals will allow Mike Brown to instill the proper defensive technique in him. Lee improved his FG% every season in college, showing his willingness to work for improvement, something that will be important if he’s going to eventually become a compatible component (in other words, suitable role player) that the Cavaliers will need him to be.
The Denver Nuggets, represented by PickAxe and Roll , are on the Clock.
The 2008 SB Nation Mock Draft so far:
1. Chicago Bulls- Blog-A-Bull: Derrick Rose
2. Miami Heat- Peninsula is Mightier: Michael Beasley
3. Minnesota Timberwolves- Canis Hoopus: OJ Mayo
4. Seattle Supersonics- Ridiculous Upside: Eric Gordon
5. Memphis Grizzlies- 3 Shades of Blue: Kevin Love
6. New York Knicks- Posting and Toasting: Russell Westbrook
7. Los Angeles Clippers- Clips Nation: Jerryd Bayless
8. Milwaukee Bucks- BrewHoop: Anthony Randolph
9. Charlotte Bobcats- Queen City Hoops: Joe Alexander
10. New Jersey Nets-Nets Daily: Brook Lopez
11. Indiana Pacers-Indy Cornrows: DJ Augustin
12. Sacramento Kings- Sactown Royalty: Marreese Speights
13. Portland Trailblazers-Blazers Edge: Brandon Rush
14. Golden State Warriors- Golden State of Mind: DeAndre Jordan
15. Phoenix Suns- Bright Side of the Sun: Danilo Gallinari
16. Philadelphia 76ers- Ridiculous Upside: Darrell Arthur
17. Toronto Raptors- The Dinosty: Chris Douglas Roberts
18. Washington Wizards- Bullets Forever: Roy Hibbert
19. Cleveland Cavaliers- Waiting For Next Year: Courtney Lee
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