On a day when just about everyone was still coming to grips with the exciting trade that brought Shaq to the Cavaliers, hope was plentiful. By all accounts Danny Ferry and the Cavs weren’t done improving the team and the next step was that very night with the NBA Draft.

Let’s start with the facts. The Cavs draft looked like this:
Round 1 (30th pick) – Christian Eyenga (Congo)
Round 2 (46th pick) – Danny Green (UNC)
Round 2 (57th pick) – Emir Preldzic (Turkey)

I’m not going to sugar coat my feelings on this one. This draft stinks. I give the whole Cavs draft a C- grade and it’s only that good because Green could come off the bench and provide some scoring right away. The other two guys are total unknowns who won’t even make it out of Europe for 2 years, if at all. I’ll break each down individually.

Round 1

Christian Eyenga is 6’5” and weighs 210 lbs. He’s a 20 year old small forward who plays for a club in Spain called DKV Joventut. Some reports have said he plays for the Joventut “B” team, which I think is true. But it’s also true that the team plays in Spain’s THIRD DIVISION, also known as LEB Silver. So an undersized small forward from Congo who plays limited minutes in the Spanish Third Division is going to help a potential NBA champion win now? Even without reading about the player’s “skills” I know he’s never going to play a minute in the NBA. But since I’m thorough:

“Eyenga doesn’t particularly stand out for his skills or basketball IQ.” – i.e., he’ll never learn how to play in the NBA, especially on defense.

“Still, he can knock down three-pointers, even if his high-released jumper is pretty inconsistent (he struggles finding balance in the air to ignite a fluid release).” – i.e., he’s going to brick as many threes as he makes, a la Sasha Pavlovic.

“He also shows a very nice first step to beat his opponents off the dribble -although he lacks the ball-handling skills to change directions reliably- and he shows decent criteria passing the ball.” – i.e., he’s athletic and quick, but will likely lose the handle on his way to the rim or pass the ball out of bounds.

“Not likely to develop into a big-time prospect.” – i.e., he’s not likely to develop into a big-time prospect.

Those are excerpts from DraftExpress.com, along with my translations. Try not to vomit on your computer screen.

Ferry essentially threw away the 30th pick in the draft. Flushed it down the toilet. Eyenga was considered MAYBE a very late second round pick.
Based on who was available at the time, I would have taken Sam Young here. He’s NBA ready now and looks to me like a future Ron Artest, only without the baggage. Why would the Cavs pass on this guy? I can’t stop shaking my head and sighing…

Round 2

Danny Green is 6’6” and weighs 210 lbs. He’s a 22 year old shooting guard/small forward from the University of North Carolina. I like Green a lot, expect him to make the team and, as the roster stands today, see him in the 10 man rotation. If he adjusts really quickly, he could even be the immediate backup for Delonte West. As of right now that backup is either Daniel Gibson or Tarance Kinsey. Green should put pressure on both of them for minutes.

He’s known for his defense and definitely can shoot the ball. His size is more in line with an NBA 2, rather than a 3 and I think he would have a tough time against larger small forwards like Turkoglu. Still he’s a solid pick and pretty much the only bright spot in this draft.

Based on who was available at the time and the fact that I would have taken Sam Young in Round 1, I would have taken Patrick Mills. Probably. Though if Green was still available here, I might not have a problem taking him anyway, even though he and Young are similar. Really, can you have too many 6’6” combo guys who can shoot, are smart, and can play lockdown perimeter defense? I say no.

Round 2

Emir Preldzic is 6’9” and weighs 220 lbs. He’s 21 years old and plays small forward for Fenerbahce Ulker in Turkey. He is, quite literally, Danny Ferry’s attempt to get Hedo Turkoglu on the roster… only 4 years from now. He’s described by DraftExpress.com as a “point-forward” just like Hedo. Also, “Almost half of his possessions (according to Synergy Sports Technology’s quantified player report) come from pick and roll situations.” Still sounds like Hedo, right?

Here’s where the comparison goes off the tracks, down the hill and into a lake: “One thing he absolutely must improve on if he’s to reach his full potential is his perimeter shooting. His stroke is extremely streaky at the moment, particularly with his feet set, where he’s extremely unreliable. His release point is very inconsistent, as he has a tendency to shoot the ball on the way down or while leaning forward.” Oy.

He’s also turnover prone and is described as having similar potential to the immortal Theodoros Papaloukas. Who? Apparently he was the best player in Europe 2 years ago. Most likely that’s what Preldzic will be in 6-8 years, because he’s never going to play a minute for the Cavs.

Who would I have taken here, based on players available? Probably nobody. That’s the maddening part. Danny Ferry PAID for this pick!! He paid the Suns for the rights to this guy and I cannot for the life of me understand why. The only thing I can come up with is it was a wink-wink deal with his old pal Steve Kerr to send some extra cash the Suns’ way after the Shaq deal. I seriously don’t get it.

So let’s compare, shall we? First, the Cavs picks, then my picks.

Cavs:
1. Christian Eyenga
2. Danny Green
3. Emir Preldzic

Me:
1. Sam Young
2. Danny Green or Patrick Mills
3. Nobody because I would have to pay for it.

Which makes you feel more confident in the Cavs adding to their depth in order to win in 2010?

I’m perfectly happy to come back here in 4 years and say I was wrong if either Eyenga or Preldzic turns into a legitimate contributor. But I’m pretty confident I won’t have to do that. Danny Ferry’s 2009 draft was 2/3 garbage. 33.3% would have been a resounding and disturbing “F” if I had gotten that score on a test in high school.

As it is, I feel generous giving Mr. Ferry a C-.

Next up is going to be a swirl of activity as the Cavs scoop up 3 or 4 Unrestricted Free Agents, including a backup point guard (that’s right, it’s almost UFA Season!!!), re-sign Anderson Varejao, and use their Mid Level Exception on a veteran free agent. Based on the picks Ferry made last night, don’t be at all shocked if he uses the MLE on Rasheed Wallace… OK, now I’m going to be sick…