2008 NBA Draft: Cleveland Cavaliers Analysis, Pt. 2

In Part 1, I established the case for the Cavaliers needing to draft a center. Now let's take a look at their options in this year's upcoming draft.

Before naming names, it's important to consider just what kind of center the Cavs should draft.

For instance, they could pick a very traditional center. That is, someone with a big body who uses their size and strength to play back-to-the-basket, post-up basketball, box out for rebounds, and take up lots of space in the lane defensively. It's not uncommon to see this kind of center in the half-court style of offense that the Cavs use. Zydrunas Ilgauskas is a good example of a traditional center, though he gets most of his points off of tip-ins and mid-range jump shots.

But the traditional center in the NBA has become more rare in recent years. With the exception of a handful of players including Yao Ming, Chris Kaman, and Dwight Howard, you don't really see the prototypical Shaq-style seven footers scoring from the five position anymore.

Most of the scoring seven footers such as Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, and Pau Gasol are found at the power forward position where they can use their face-up game as a weapon. The Cavs are in desperate need of a player who can effectively guard such over-sized power forwards.

There's another way the Cavs could go. They could switch gears and try the smaller yet more athletic centers that many more NBA teams are playing these days.

These non-traditional centers are natural power forwards who manage to use their quickness, athleticism, and finesse to out play even larger men. Examples of such players include Marcus Camby, Amare Stoudamire, and dare I say, Rasheed Wallace or Antonio McDyess. Such players are perfect for more of an up-tempo game as they can run the floor better and, despite being shorter, often have a better above-the-rim game than taller players.

The Cavs could use Ilgauskas' eventual retirement as an opportunity to revamp their frontcourt in the style of Dallas or San Antonio. That is, Varejao and Wallace playing roles similar to Fabricio Oberto or Eric Dampier and recruiting an lengthy offensive threat at the power forward position.

It's not likely, but this fan can dream nonetheless. 

That being said, here's a list of draftees in order of which ones are most likely to be drafted by the Cavs:

1. Roy Hibbert—Hibbert falls into the category of the traditional center. He's 7'2", 270lb, and known well for his ability to score. This in itself should be enough for the Cavs to pick him up if he's still available, but that's a big "if."

Despite the depth of this year's draft class, I find it hard to believe that more than 15 teams would pass up on a guy with his size and ability to score. On the other hand, Hibbert could easily be shown up by other dominant big men like Brook Lopez, DeAndre Jordan, JaVale McGee, and maybe even Hasheem Thabeet.

Whoever Phoenix, also looking for a center, picks at the 15 spot could prove to be the difference.

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