In addition to the 4th overall pick on June 28th, the Cleveland Cavaliers also own the 24th, 33rd, and 34th selections. In a continued look at who could be available in the late first round / early second for the Cavs, below is our latest on Fab Melo from Syracuse. 

To follow StepienRules.com Writer Nick Mancini on Twitter go here:  @nickmance

No. 23 – Fab Melo, Sophomore, Syracuse; 2011-12 stats: 7.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.9 bpg, 56% shooting


When Syracuse announced Fab Melo was ineligible for the NCAA Tournament this season, it pretty much marked the end of his career for the Orange. He was the anchor of Jim Boeheim’s 2-3 zone. Melo has potential, All-Star potential possibly, but it may take a few years for him to reach it. Almost all of Melo’s positive skills come on the defensive end.

As one of the few legit seven footers in the draft, the scouts love his defensive presence that he brings to the table. He clearly has great size and is athletic enough to keep up defensively. He is a great rebounder and solid shot blocker. He will have no problem translating that to defensive success in the NBA. For a guy his size, he also has great mobility. When he is motivated, he can be a real force. He is able to run the floor well and finish at the rim on the break. But after that, his offensive skills really drop off.

Melo is a project on the offensive end and most people know it. It is kind of puzzling to know he is one of the rare seven footers in college hoops, yet he was only able to muster up 7.8 points a game. He has no go-to post move and was wildly inconsistent. Most of his baskets came from cuts to the basket and offensive put backs. He also had issues with academic eligibility this past season. It might not be a huge deal in the NBA, but I would imagine teams would prefer a player who is able to stay academically eligible during the season.

In all the mock drafts I have looked at, the majority have Melo landing in Cleveland. I wouldn’t mind that either. Let’s be realistic, Anderson Varejao plays so hard that his body is breaking down. We all saw our lack of depth at the center position last season. Melo will take some time to develop offensively, no doubt, but he could come in and be a solid contributor defensively.

BREAKING NEWS: We are excited to announce that we will be teaming up with CLEVELAND.COM for the Cavs Draft Tweet-Up at Mullarkey's Irish Pub on Thursday night. From 6:30 to 7:30pm I will be joining Cleveland.com Sports Producer Glenn Moore in a broadcast streamed live on Cleveland.com breaking down the NBA Draft. We will take that through the Cavaliers first pick (4th overall) which is expected to be around 7:30. The show format will be similar to our critically acclaimed Cavs Draft Lottery show from Cadillac Ranch in Cleveland a few weeks ago, also streamed live on Cleveland.com. Our one hour show will be broadcasted throughout Mullarkey's as well. We will be taking questions, responding to tweets, as well as interacting in the chat room. It should be a lot of fun, big thanks to Cleveland.com for jumping on board with us!

Summary of Current Itinerary: Cavs Draft Tweet-Up officially starts at 6:30. Cleveland.com broadcast will be from 6:30 - 7:30. From approximately 7:30 to 8:30 we will be doing a Cavs Trivia Contest through Twitter. I talked to my guys @VerizonAl and @TMadCLE from TheSocialDudes.com today and the prizes will be really awesome. I'll have more details on all that tomorrow. Hit me up on Twitter if you have any questions in the meantime...hope you can make it!

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In response to the great turn-out and tremendous time we had last year with the Stepien Rules Draft Party at Mullarkey's Irish Pub in Downtown Willoughby, we'll be running it back again in a couple weeks on June 28th in celebration of Draft night.

This year we will be hosting a Cavs Draft Tweet-Up in conjunction with our good friends @VerizonAl and @TMadCLE from TheSocialDudes.com. It should be an awesome Cavaliers Draft Party, arguably the best one ever, and we'd be thrilled if you had a chance to stop by.

Festivities begin one hour before the Draft and will continue until its conclusion. Mullarkey's Irish Pub in Downtown Willoughby will be providing Free Pizza and Free Appetizers throughout the Tweet-Up, in addition to Miller Light Draft's for $1.75. Pretty solid deals.

We will be hosting an interactive Cavaliers Trivia Contest as well, and giving away promotional items throughout the Tweet-Up.

If you're an out-of-town Cavs fan you can still participate in the Cavaliers Trivia Contest on Twitter, but you will need to be at Mullarkey's in order to claim your prizes.

You will also need be there for the Free Food and $1.75 Miller Light Drafts.

Hit me up on Twitter if you can make it.  

If you have any questions feel free to let me know on that too...more details coming as we get closer to Draft Night!

In addition to the 4th overall pick on June 28th, the Cleveland Cavaliers also own the 24th, 33rd, and 34th selections. In a continued look at who could be available in the late first round / early second for the Cavs, below is our latest on Quincy Miller from Baylor. Our previous posts in this series on Andrew Nicholson, Will Barton, Draymond Green, Jeff Taylor, Evan Fournier and Royce White can be found here, here, here, here here and here.

No. 24 – Quincy Miller, freshman, Baylor; 2011-12 stats: 10.6 ppg, 5 rpg, 44% shooting


Originally announcing he was returning to Baylor for his sophomore season, Quincy Miller flipped the switch a few weeks later and decided to enter the Draft. Miller might have been better going with his initial decision, as another season in Waco might have given him the chance to show what he is capable of. Since he didn’t, lets talk about what he was able to do.

Despite tearing his ACL his senior year of high school, Miller was able to begin the season on time. He was a very highly touted recruit and had a fairly solid freshman campaign. Miller is a very versatile forward. At 6-10, he has some great skills for a guy his size. He can score from anywhere he wants on the floor; he has a nice jumper and also the ability to play on the block. He has the athleticism to take his man off the dribble as well. He has all the tools to become a real player in the NBA.

I was in my car for most of the last two days. I drove to Washington DC on Monday, then down to Carolina yesterday. Much of that ride I spent trying to understand how LeBron James could team up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and be getting 5 points in an NBA game against anybody. It seemed unfathomable to me until I watched Russell Westbrook play last night. He completely overwhelmed the Heat with his athleticism, and they have absolutely no answer for his speed. He looked more athletic than the most athletic person I'd ever seen in my life. Kevin Durant, at the same time, looked like basketball's version of an assassin. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh didn't appear to be enough help for LeBron James. Somewhere, I concluded, Mo Williams and Delonte West were snickering. Vegas was right again, Miami certainly needed the points.


I also spent some time thinking about the okCLEhoma and okCLE monikers. I thoroughly believe they're lame, but I also think telling anybody how to cheer is even more lame. Cavs for Mavs was conveniently unforced. It made sense at the time. These two names, while clever to a degree, they just aren't for me. Oklahoma City and their same shirt wearing diehard fans of five years don't need my support either. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant got this. If they need help, James Harden, Serge Ibacka, Thabo Sefalosha, Kendrick Perkins, Nick Collision and Derek Fisher can do more than I can. Additionally, those guys can and will also do much more than Chris Bosh, Udonis Haslem, Mario Chalmers, Shane Battier, and Joel Anthony. I don't need to cheer for any of that, it's going the way I hoped it will regardless.

Danny Ferry is being targeted by Sixers: Danny Ferry was a legendary role player for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was also the unfortunate end of arguably the worst trade in franchise history during his playing days. This, however, has led to an acute understanding as an NBA Executive of what type of players you should not trade for. That knowledge has had his name surfacing in General Manager talks since he stepped down from his post with the Cavaliers back in the summer of LeBron. He's currently working in the San Antonio Spurs front office, but according to Woj, Doug Collins wants him bad in Philly. Can't say I blame him either.


Here's what Adrian Wojnarwoski reported on it yesterday: "Danny Ferry, a front-office executive with the San Antonio Spurs, met with 76ers owners in Philadelphia over the weekend to discuss a president/general manager’s job, sources said. Ferry has emerged as the frontrunner for the position, but still hasn’t been sold that the possible job structure makes sense for him to depart a comfortable situation under Spurs GM RC Buford. Collins has been a strong advocate for Ferry’s candidacy, sources said."

As always, Danny Ferry holds all the cards. He'll take that job if he wants it, more on this once he decides.

David Lighty will make an NBA Team this season:

In addition to the 4th overall pick on June 28th, the Cleveland Cavaliers also own the 24th, 33rd, and 34th selections. In a continued look at who could be available in the late first round / early second for the Cavs, below is our latest on Evan Fournier from France. Our previous posts in this series on Andrew Nicholson, Will Barton, Draymond Green, Jeff Taylor and Evan Fournier can be found here, here, here, here and here.

To follow StepienRules.com Writer Nick Mancini on Twitter go here: @nickmance

No. 25 – Royce White, Sophomore, Iowa State; 2011-12 stats: 13.4 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 5.0 apg, 53% shooting


I really like Royce White. He can do it all, and aside from his unorthodox nature, some team is going to find themselves with a very good player. At 6-8, 260 pounds, White may be a bit of a tweener. But, the fact is he is just a good basketball player. He is very physical on the court and can hold his own athletically. His athleticism will almost sneak up on you sometimes. I really like him at the 3 in the NBA; I think he has the skills to be able to play there, while also sliding to the 4 if needed.

Offensively, he can score from anywhere on the court. Inside or outside, White is a very adept scorer. He has decent range, but only attempted twelve 3-pointers all season, making four. He is very crafty around the rim, and has a great post game. At 6-8, he is a superb passer and ball handler. The Cyclones saw themselves with White facilitating the offense. His court vision is off the charts and he could really be a point forward in the NBA.

Players with his size and skills don’t come around often. A downside offensively is his shooting. While he has solid range, he can be inconsistent. Also, only 12 threes isn’t a big problem, but if he wants to be able to play small forward, he will need to become a more consistent shooter and extend his range. White is probably one of the most interesting players in the whole draft.

He does come with some risk, which is why he could be available late in the first round. He was dismissed from the University of Minnesota for off-the-court issues, which is how he ended up at Iowa State. He also suffers from an anxiety disorder and he has a serious fear of flying. Teams will definitely have to do their homework on him leading up to the Draft.

I would love to see White in the Wine and Gold. I think he would be great coming off the bench, being able to play either the 3 or 4 for Cleveland. Placed in the right spot, White can thrive. I think the Cavs would be a great team for White to land on and I think he fits in perfectly as a scoring 3 coming off the bench.

In addition to the 4th overall pick on June 28th, the Cleveland Cavaliers also own the 24th, 33rd, and 34th selections. In a continued look at who could be available in the late first round / early second for the Cavs, below is our latest on Evan Fournier from France. Our previous posts in this series on Andrew Nicholson, Will Barton, Draymond Green and Jeff Taylor can be found here, here, here and here.

To follow StepienRules.com Writer Nick Mancini on Twitter go here:  @nickmance

No. 26 – Evan Fournier, France; 2011-12 stats: 14 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.2 apg, 42% shooting


Last year, I bought into the international hype. From Enes Kanter to Jonas Valanciunas to Jan Vesely, I beat the drum on all three of them to end up in Cleveland. Thankfully, that didn’t happen.

Kanter and Vesely were minimal contributors this past season, and the Raptors are still working to get Valanciuns to the NBA. This year, there isn't as much hype surrounding the list of overseas draft candidates. The guy who is at the top of everyone’s list in that category is Evan Fournier though, a guard/forward from France.

Now, admittedly, I know little to nothing about this guy. Some of his highlights on YouTube weren’t the greatest either. But I will try my best here.

From what I can gather, Fournier is a smooth player and a solid scorer. At 19, he will be one of the youngest players in the draft. He was playing at one of the highest levels in France, and he was producing solid numbers. He is great at getting to the rim and has nice ball handling skills for a 6-7 forward. He has a good jumper as well, which he mainly uses in the midrange game.

Bob Finnan of the Morning Journal suggested last week that the Cleveland Cavaliers could swap first round picks the Portland Trailblazers. He said specficially: "One rumor flying around has the Cavs offering their Nos. 4 and 24 picks to Charlotte for the Bobcats’ No. 2. Another one is 4 and 24 for Portland’s 6 and 11." Yesterday, Alex Kennedy from Hoopsworld reported that Cleveland and Portland have talked about the second of those rumors when he tweeted the following: "Cleveland and Portland have talked about swapping draft picks, according to source. Cavs would get #6 and #11, Blazers would get #4 and #24."  This morning I compiled my thoughts on this proposed deal, and listed the reasons why I would or wouldn't do it for each team below.

The Portland Trailblazers trading their 6th and 11th pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Nos. 4 and 24...

Pros (for Portland):  They would have to seriously think the player they need is going to be off the board at pick number 6. Not the guy they want or the guy they're targeting, but they guy they believe they need on an organizational level. Moving back 13 spots to move up 2 is a relatively steep price. Especially when you consider the guy I think Portland is targeting is a player that Cleveland isn't interested in. That being Andre Drummond at number 4. I'm picking for Portland in the SLAMonline Mock Draft and I just took Drummond at 6, but maybe he isn't there in real life. He could be a good fit alongside LaMarcus Aldridge; maybe that's the consensus in Rip City. Maybe that's also why you saw reports surfacing over the last two days that have Cleveland gathering information on Drummond. It's not checkers they're playing out there, son...it's chess.

Cons (for Portland):  There's a big part of me that doesn't see why Portland would make this trade. At all. They have a new GM, will have a new permanent head coach once Kaleb Canales' future is determined one way or another, and need to start new with their roster. Brandon Roy is gone, Oden is done, Ray Felton is gone, and Jamal Crawford is probably gone soon too. They have LaMarcus Aldridge as an All Star, Wes Matthews is a player, and they'll most likely re-sign Nicolas Batum. Not to mention the fact that Drummond could fall to them at 6. Portland could add two more players - a big and a guard - who could very well start next year at 6 and 11. Even if Drummond's gone. Take the best guard on the board at 6 if he is and come back around and take Henson, or Zeller, or PJIII at 11. You won't be getting anybody like that at 24. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers trading their 4th and 24th pick to the Portland Trailblazers for Nos. 6 and 11...

Kyrie Irving was on the Saturday edition of CBS This Morning. He was asked questions about LeBron James and the Miami Heat primarily, and predicted the Heat would beat OKC in the NBA Finals. He did well for himself in front of the national television audience during the interview, especially when asked about being reunited with LeBron James one day in Cleveland. He also had a nice line in response to to a question about filling his shoes. 

Below is that video:

 

My favorite question is when the guy asks about the Miami Heat saying, "obviously not everybody's a fan." Also a big fan of Kyrie Irving repping Cleveland, Uncle Drew should be proud.

There's been a lot of news-ish commentary coming out of Chicago's Pre-Draft camp this week. Heat won last night also, and somebody dumped a beer on LeBron. Plenty of info-tainment to digest across the NBA universe today. I'm waiting to see what happens in Game Seven before I weigh in on the Eastern Conference Finals myself, but I am thinking Rondo might need post a 43-16-12 triple double in order for Boston to win. Not that I'd put anything past the most underrated point guard in NBA history since Mark Price. For now though, back to the Draft...

Thomas Robinson had a solid line about himself in response to Anthony Davis' Check My Stats shirt. The more I hear from that kid the more I like him. Just not for the Cavaliers right now. The tweet from Alex Kennedy about a player last year who made sure he told the GM he was interviewing with during the pre-draft process that he liked his vodka cranberry was a gem. Watching national writers tweet out each draft prospect's official measurements as individual tweets has been amusing. Although after I laughed about that, I did go on to read every one of Chad Ford's individual tweets about each draft prospect's official measurements. How are dudes gaining two inches in shoes anyways? I need a pair of those. 

Sorting through all that, there are three pieces of reported information that I've found most interesting so far as it pertains to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Each of which I've listed below in the event you find it similarly interesting:

After I hypothetically traded pick number 24, along with pick number 4, in order to move up to 2 and select MKG yesterday, I wanted to explore what could be possible after that. If this was the NFL Draft, the Cavaliers could very well trade their two second round picks to move back into the first round. Maybe somewhere around number 24, maybe even higher. But this isnt' the NFL Draft, it's the NBA. 

High second round picks are valuable in the sense that a team could take a chance on a first round talent who may have slipped through into the 2nd round without having to offer a guaranteed contract. Most times, however, 2nd round picks don't the team. Isaiah Thomas doing what he did for the Sacramento Kings this past season as pick no. 60 in last year's Draft is most definitely an exception.


What the Cavaliers could do with these two picks is find one guy who can become a quality rotation player / fringe starter over the next few seasons in my opinion. Essentially two chances to hit on one player. The other option is to select one or two European players, stash them overseas for a while, and see what happens from there. The latter isn't as exciting to talk about though, so I'll instead focus on the idea of selecting two players there in hopes that one begins to help you win next season.