Applaud or Fraud….the sequel! I broke my rebuild articles into parts because attention spans are down, and the demand for clicks is up. You get it. This is free, don’t complain. Let’s get into more GM talk!
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Rebuild Grades:
Detroit Pistons: B-
I have a bit of a hot take here. I like Cade Cunningham a lot. He’s a future All-Star, he’s got all the tools, pro game, pro body, no baggage, pretty much all of the stuff you want in a prospect. Nobody will get fired taking Cade number one. Whether he’s good or bad. However, the Pistons are FAR away. I was a proponent of them trading the number one pick for a HAUL. The networks in their draft coverage were saying things like, “Cade is the closest prospect to LeBron, we’ve seen.” I obviously don’t agree with that or I wouldn’t be making the case to trade the pick. But if the rest of the league agrees with that, imagine what you could receive in return.
The Pistons have Cade, Saddiq Bey, Kelly Olynyk, Sekou, and Isiah Stewart as they enter their rebuild. They couldn’t sniff the playoffs if it farted. The four players that I mentioned are obviously NBA players. I’m not aiming to slander them, but if this rebuild is successful, I’m guessing it won’t be because Bey, Olynyk, and Sekou got so much better. They have a lot of holes in this roster. I respect sticking with and believing in your talent. But the East isn’t a joke anymore. There are some great rosters. Detroit can’t compete.
Notable Draft Picks’ Summer League Stats:
Cade Cunningham – 19ppg, 6rebs, 2asts…cool…He’s very polished. He’ll probably have multiple ASGs to his name by the time his career is over. But he needs help. He’s not a “put-a-team-on-your-back” type of player. Not many are. It’s going to be hard for a player like him to re-sign with this team when his rookie deal is up. Especially with all the endorsement money he can make. Detroit has work to do. Especially if they want to keep him after his rookie deal. Cade should not be taken in the first round of your NBA Fantasy drafts, though. I struggle to see a world in which he averages better numbers than Spencer Dinwiddie.
Luka Garza – 13.5ppg, 8rebs…DAMN! Luka Garza? Luka Garza from Iowa? He’s dropped weight. He’s shooting threes. Still an incredible rebounder. Still talking on defense. Still a large human. I thought of him in the same way I thought of Tyler Hansborough, but Luka has done the work to adjust to today’s league and keep him there. He’s most certainly an NBA player. I had my doubts, but I was wrong. I’ve been impressed with how he’s grown in such a small amount of time. Great pick for Detroit. Also… with this pick, I wonder what they must think of Isiah Stewart. I would draft Garza higher than Dwight Howard in your fantasy drafts. And Howard might start for the Lakers this year, so Garza provides better value and similar metrics.
Cleveland Cavaliers: C
Evan Mobley is good. He’s got all the tools. Seven footer. Stretch four/five. Reminds me of a more offensively passive Chris Bosh. Another safe pick that won’t get anyone fired. However, why would you draft him, and then give Jarrett Allen a $100M deal? Are they going for a twin towers thing? Why did you spend the summer shopping Colin Sexton (who has literally only gotten better every single year) and then not do it? What’s the plan?
Notable Draft Picks’ Summer League Stats:
Evan Mobley – 11.3ppg, 8rebs… He’s playing really well in the summer league. He’s showcasing what makes him special, while also not overshadowing other talent. Problem is, if you’re the number three overall pick in the draft, I’d expect you to overshadow other talent. He’ll be a very good player, but I don’t anticipate the Cavs’ fortunes changing in the near future. Mobley is on my do not draft list. I see the intrigue, because he can provide points in a lot of stat categories, but Jarrett Allen could easily take usage away from Mobley. I also don’t know that he can guard 4s or 5s without foul trouble.
Orlando Magic: B
They had Jalen Suggs fall into their laps, but with Cole Anthony and Markelle Fultz on the roster, they probably should’ve let Suggs fall past them too. I guess when you have as many issues as the Magic have, you need to acquire all the talent you can. Frankly, I was low on Jalen Suggs, but his play in summer league, before he hurt his hand, has turned me. He’s a much better scorer against pros than I anticipated he’d be.
Wagner is a solid pick as well, at number eight. 19 years old, he’s a smooth easy scorer. I don’t know that I’d take him this high (#9 overall), but I see the vision. You look at a lot of silky smooth guys with his kind of game and I think Kevin Huerter, Duncan Robinson, and Utah’s Bogdanovic. These are players that will be in the league for a long time. He makes more sense to me as a piece on a winning team, as opposed to the Magic, though. Wagner is great to pick up on the waiver wire for 3pointers in a category league. Suggs would be strictly for points.
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