NBA Draft 2012: Top 5 Prospects Cleveland Cavaliers Could Pair with Kyrie Irving

The Cavaliers made a huge step to ensure future success by drafting Duke point guard Kyrie Irving in the 2011 NBA draft.

As great of a player as Irving will likely be, no man in the NBA can get it done by himself.

Irving needs a Durant to his Westbrook, a Duncan to his Parker, a Malone to his Stockton.

With no big free agents available to fill this role, the Cavaliers would be wise to target these five players in the 2012 NBA draft.

Michael Gilchrist

Position: Small forward/shooting guard

Height/Weight: 6'7", 205

Draft Projection: Seventh overall

Gilchrist is another explosive athlete from the 2011 class who, unlike others, puts a lot of pride into his defensive game as well.

Only 17, Gilchrist is very mature for his age and had a monster senior year at St. Patrick's High School in New Jersey, putting up 19.4 points, 14.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 5.2 blocks and 3.5 steals a game.

Another reason the Cavs could eye Gilchrist is that he was a high school teammate of none other than Kyrie Irving. 

Fans can watch Michael play at Kentucky this fall.  While he may not climb higher than names like Harrison Barnes or Jared Sullinger in mock drafts, look for Gilchrist to wind up being a top-five pick in the 2012 NBA draft.

Perry Jones III

Position: Small forward/power forward

Height/Weight: 6'11", 220

Draft Projection: Fourth overall

First of all, Jones is an incredible athlete who many scouts say has the most upside of any player in college basketball.  At 6'11", he can dribble and shoot extremely well for a big man and can throw down some of the most ferocious dunks you'll see.

Some knocks on him are his aggression (or lack thereof) and hustle in games.  His rebounding (7.2 in nearly 34 minutes per game) leaves something to be desired and he doesn't block a lot of shots (0.5 per game) for someone his size.

With a great coach, however, Jones could easily be the best player in the 2012 NBA draft.  If his outside shooting continues to improve, Jones would be a nightmare matchup at small forward in the NBA with his size. 

With senior and shot-chucker LaceDarius Dunn gone, look for Jones to get more touches and for his scoring average (13.9 a game) to improve this season.

Jared Sullinger

Position: Power forward/center

Height/Weight: 6'9", 280

Draft Projection: Third overall

Cavs fans should know Sullinger well, as he led Ohio State to the No. 1 overall seed in last year's NCAA tournament.

Right now, Sullinger would most likely be a power forward in the NBA with his current height and weight.  Since the Cavaliers seem to be set at the position as it is, they should keep a keen eye on the 19-year-old to see if he's done growing or not. 

A 7'0'' Sullinger could be a monster center in the NBA.

One of college basketball's least flashiest players, he's also one of the most productive.  As a freshman, Sully put up 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds a game, stats that should only improve as he heads into his sophomore season late this fall.

If the Cavs believe he can play center in the NBA, he could be a nice complement to Tristan Thompson down low and give Irving a big target to dump the ball to inside.

Keep an eye on his height, and his game, this winter.

Harrison Barnes

Position: Small forward

Height/Weight: 6'8", 210

Draft Projection: Second overall

Barnes enjoyed a good, but not great, freshman season at North Carolina and, like many, elected to return for his sophomore season.

While projected to be the first overall pick in the 2011 draft coming out of high school, Barnes struggled out of the gate but finished strong for UNC, highlighted by a 40-point performance against Clemson in the ACC tournament.

For the season, he averaged 15.7 points and 5.8 rebounds a game on what has to be one of the prettiest shots in college basketball.

Already possessing a friendship with Irving, Barnes could be the perfect player to bring in and take heat off Kyrie.  Had he stayed in the draft this season, Barnes would have certainly been a top-four pick, if not possibly going first overall.

Austin Rivers

Position: Shooting guard

Height/Weight: 6'4", 190

Draft Projection: 10th overall

Rivers is the son of Doc Rivers, and it definitely shows basketball runs in the family.  As a senior at Winter Park High School in Florida, Rivers put up 28.8 points and 6.1 rebounds a game.

As evidenced by the video, Rivers can score from anywhere on the court and is an extremely gifted ball-handler and passer when he wants to be.

Irving and Rivers could have been teammates at Duke this season had Irving stayed in what would have been the best backcourt in all of college basketball.

Not one lacking confidence, Rivers has been quoted as saying:

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“Well, I’ve met Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen—you name it. A lot of people ask me who I’ve met through my dad, and they’re in awe when they hear the names of the players, but I’ve never looked at it like that. It’s cool meeting all of them, but I really want to be in their situation one day. I don’t want to just meet LeBron, I want to destroy him on the court one day.”

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How's that sound, Cavs fans?