Everything You Need to Know About Cleveland Cavaliers Draft Pick Kay Felder

Hey, Cleveland Cavaliers, stop it already.

As if life as the champs wasn't fun enough, the Cavs went out and got themselves the most entertaining player in college basketball when they purchased the rights to Kay Felder, the 54th pick in Thursday's draft, from the Atlanta Hawks.

Muggsy Bogues told me a couple of weeks ago that Felder reminds him of Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas, and the NBA should be shaking in its boots if the Cavs just landed the next Isaiah Thomas. Like IT2, Felder is just 5'9", and he's another lefty who can get a shot whenever he wants.

Oakland head coach Greg Kampe compares Felder's shiftiness to Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders.

"He's sideways as fast as he is forwards," Kampe told Bleacher Report. 

Relevant stats

	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
2015-16	24.4	4.3	9.3	2.0	44.0	35.5	84.8
2014-15	18.1	4.8	7.6	2.0	42.2	33.8	82.6
2013-14	9.5	3.9	6.4	0.9	40.2	32.3	75.6

Felder led the nation in assists and ranked third in scoring during the 2015-16 season. Don't discount his numbers because he played at Oakland in the Horizon League either; through four games against Power Five conference opponents last year, Felder averaged 32.0 points and 6.5 assists. 

It gets even more impressive when you simply look at his numbers against Virginia and Michigan State, two of the best teams in the country this past year and programs known for their defense.

Felder went for 37 points and nine assists against the Spartans in an overtime loss. He dropped 30 points on the road at Virginia and spent part of that game defended by fellow second-round pick Malcolm Brogdon, arguably the best perimeter defender in the country.

Strengths

Felder can get a shot whenever he pleases, and his signature move is a step-back jumper that is unguardable. His height is less of a concern because of his strength and athleticism—Felder had the top max vertical (44 inches) at the NBA Draft Combine. 

"Kay is long and he's so athletic and can jump, he plays way bigger than a lot of guys 6'2" or 6'3" would play," Kampe said. "We alley oop to him. He rebounds. He had triple-doubles where he had double-digit rebounds. He's a freak athlete."

Age	21 (Born March 29, 1995)
Team	Oakland
Height	5'9"
Weight	176

The Grizzlies relied on Felder so much offensively that he didn't always get to show off his defensive chops. He proved during the combine scrimmages that he can be a pest, making opposing point guards look uncomfortable with his pressure. 

Kampe said he would put Felder on the other team's best perimeter scorer late in games, even if that was a taller wing. 

"They would take him down in the post and maybe he'd get beat the first time, and then next time they'd run the same play and he would jump the pass or at least tip it out of bounds," Kampe said. "A lot of times great players and great athletes, they're hard-headed and they believe that they're the best and they can do it this way. And then when they can't, they don't know what to do. 

"He's not that way. He's very intelligent and he gets beat a certain way, he'll figure out a way to stop that."

Weaknesses

Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports

Felder's step-back is unguardable, but one NBA scout told B/R he believes it's more of a hindrance to his game because it's a high-degree-of-difficulty shot and he shoots it so often. 

Conversely, Kampe says he trusts Felder's step-back more than his regular jumper, but it is fair to critique Felder's shot selection. He is so capable of making the spectacular play that he often falls into the trap of trying to hit a home run instead of making the simple read. 

"He has a tendency to get out of control," the scout said. "He makes bad passes. He'll dribble into trouble. He just doesn't quite have the feel or basketball IQ that [Tyler] Ulis has even though he's stronger and a more explosive leaper."

In Felder's defense, he played on a team that needed him to be ultra-aggressive. With the Cavs, he will be able to pick his spots.

NBA player comparison

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Thomas is the easy comp because both are lefties who went late in the draft. Felder also has some of the same cleverness off the bounce. 

Felder's build and explosiveness is especially reminiscent of Nate Robinson. Robinson's career arc is a more reasonable expectation as well—Felder fits as a change-of-pace guard off the bench who provides scoring. He did put up huge assist numbers at Oakland, but he's more of a natural scorer than a facilitator.

Outlook

Felder provides the Cavs insurance in case they aren't able to re-sign Matthew Dellavedova or choose to move away from aging veteran Mo Williams. He also gives the team a playmaker they haven't had when both LeBron James and Kyrie Irving go to the bench. 

Most undersized guys like Felder who've made it experience success early on. Robinson averaged 9.3 points per game as a rookie, while Thomas started 35 games and averaged 11.5 points and 4.5 assists. Felder appears ready to play right away, and the Cavs should be able to figure out quickly whether they have something or not in the minihighlight reel. 

C.J. Moore covers college basketball for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @CJMooreBR.