In addition to the 4th overall pick on June 28th, the Cavaliers also own the 24th, 33rd, and 34th selections. In a continued look at who could be available in the bottom third of the 1st round for the Cavs, below is our latest on Jeff Taylor from Vanderbilt. For previous posts in this series on Andrew Nicholson, Will Barton and Draymond Green click here, here, and here.

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

No. 27 – Jeff Taylor, Senior, Vanderbilt; 2011-12 stats: 16.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 49% shooting, 42% 3-point


When it comes to athletes in this Draft, Jeff Taylor is near the top. In his four years at Vandy he's come a long way. As freshman, he was a raw player who got by on his athletic skills alone. Now, he is being pegged as a first round pick.

No shock here, but Taylor’s athleticism is his best trait. He is crazy athletic. He has a quick first step that allows him to get to the rim and finish in traffic. At 6-7, 225 he has a great frame for an NBA small forward and his athleticism that makes him an attractive pick. While Taylor is probably never going to be a deadeye shooter, he has made major improvements in that area of his game.

I was sitting with @VerizonAl at a Cavaliers game a few months ago when we first started talking about this James Harden to Cleveland idea. Harden will be a Restricted Free Agent after this upcoming season, and he will obviously command major dollars. The Thunder will not be able to pay Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, AND James Harden when both Ibaka and Harden's rookie deals come due at the end of next year. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers will be way under the salary cap as that 2013 Free Agency Period begins. Our conclusion, why not overpay for James Harden in 2013 and team him up in a back-court with Kyrie Irving?


There's a lot that can happen between now and then, I understand that. I also realize that James Harden to Cleveland in 2013 is more of a hypothetical dream type scenario right now than it is an actual front office strategy I am suggesting the Cavaliers prepare to execute. There's probably a few other things like make four Draft picks on June 28th they need to be worrying about first. I do think the Cavs will have a ton of money to spend as they enter Free Agency that year though, and I also expect they could be one of a select number of teams who could actually afford Harden at that point. I think you could also still offer Kyrie Irving a max deal, paying him and Harden at the same time, when Kyrie's rookie deal expires in 2016. As I said though, there is certainly a lot that can happen from now until then.




For the moment, I'm just thinking about it. I continued to think about it last night too, as I watched James Harden do this: 



Best shot I've seen all postseason by far. Completely nasty move, especially considering time and circumstance, well beyond the fact that he dribbled out the shot clock himself before firing. Russell Westbrook and KEVIN DURANT were standing nearby as possible options and that never crossed Harden's mind. No need, he knew he had it. If James Harden misses it though, there might've been a couple people upset with the fact that KD didn't touch it. But he made that shot because he knew he would, so it doesn't matter.

Heading into the 2013/14 season, the Thunder will be paying Kevin Durant $18.8M. Russell Westbrook just signed a 5-year $80M extension this past January. Oklahoma City is even scheduled to pay Kendrick Perkins $8.5M that year. If I'm Serge Ibaka's agent, I'm probably starting his contract talks by saying: 'Umm...we want $10M more than Kendrick Perkins, I think we can all agree that's fair.' Ibaka, also a RFA that year, has a qualifying offer at $3.3M. My thought is Serge will end up getting somewhere between $8 and $10M per season, and OKC figures out a way to keep him. I expect Harden to get more. That, combined with Ibaka's unique skill-set in comparison to Durant and Westbrook, will be why he stays in OKC over Harden.

In addition to the 4th overall pick on June 28th, the Cavaliers also own the 24th, 33rd, and 34th selections. In a continued look at who could be available in the bottom third of the 1st round for the Cavs, below is our latest on Draymond Green from Michigan State. For previous posts in this series on Andrew Nicholson and Will Barton, click here and here.

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

No. 28 – Draymond Green, Senior, Michigan State; 2011-12 stats: 12.6 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 4.1 apg, 43% shooting


You can always count on Michigan State to make a run in the NCAA Tournament. Tom Izzo is just that good of a coach. But, he had some help this season in the form of Big Ten Player of the Year Draymond Green. The clear-cut leader on the floor at all times this year, Green did a little bit of everything on the court. His leadership might have even made him the best team leader in all of college basketball.

Physically, his best attribute might be his passing. He has tremendous vision for a 6-6 small forward. The Spartans found Green initiating the offense many times this season; Green is that good of a facilitator. He can also get buckets as well. Green is a great shooter who has no problem stretching his range to the three-point arc. He is very crafty around the rim. He just knows how to score.

Green is also an exceptional rebounder at 6-6. He isn’t the biggest player on the court, but he has a high basketball IQ and knows where to position himself for boards. He is just a natural basketball player. But, Green is still kind of an odd prospect at the NBA level. He is a bit of a tweener when it comes to playing a specific position.

Four weeks ago I reported that the Phoenix Suns were interested in offering Alonzo Gee a multi-year contract in the $4 million per season range. Below is an excerpt of what I posted here at StepienRules.com after initially breaking that news on Twitter:

Over the weekend I was told by a reliable source that the Phoenix Suns are looking to offer Cleveland Cavaliers restricted free agent Alonzo Gee a multi-year contract in the $4 million per season range. I was also told that the Suns were in the lead for Gee's services right now too, and I posted my tweet from Saturday morning below.

On Thursday, two days earlier, John Telich tweeted that he "heard at least three teams interested in Alonzo Gee of #Cavs, Phoenix, Minnesota, Detroit".

My source didn't tell me who the Suns were in the lead over, but I assumed it meant Minnesota and Detroit with respect to what Telich had said previously. Regardless of what offers do eventually end up coming in for Gee though, the Cavaliers will have the opportunity to match since he is a Restricted Free Agent.

I went on to say that my source did not tell me the length of the contract specifically Phoenix was looking to offer Gee. I suggested that it would most likely be in the neighborhood of four years.


This weekend, Bob Finnan from The News-Herald reported that the Suns could make a "lucrative four year contract offer to Gee". This was included in Bob's three points and rumor mill article for June 3rd: 

Cavs forward Alonzo Gee might draw some serious interest in free agency. The Suns could make a lucrative offer to Gee. One source said they could offer Gee a four-year, $16 million offer and hope the Cavs don't match it.

Finnan didn't mention my previous report in his latest on Gee, but that's totally cool with me in the event anyone was wondering. So let that be my answer to the emails I received yesterday. I appreciate you guys looking out, but it's all good. Bob's the man, he tweeted at me to say nice work on my initial report back when I made it, and that's all he had to do. He is providing new information here with regards to the length of the offer, and I only reference it now in order to follow back up on that conversation from last month.

Alonzo Gee's impact on who the Cavs could Draft: I've heard this question asked, and read it a few places, wondering aloud if re-signing Alonzo Gee could/would have any impact on who the Cavaliers select in this upcoming Draft. That thinking being if the Cavaliers matched an offer like this one for Alonzo [call it 4 years, $4 million per season] they'd be saying they have their Small Forward of the future and not draft someone who plays that position. I guess.  I firmly believe, however, that Alonzo Gee has ZERO impact on who the Cavaliers select on June 28th. 

Moving forward, even with Alonzo Gee next season, the Cavaliers still need wings [Small Forwards and Shooting Guards] in the worst of NBA ways. They need a big too, but they need wings even more desperately. If the Cavaliers were to re-sign Gee, I see him as the player who can back up both the two and the three for what we'd hope is a team that contends for the playoffs next season and the one after that. I believe his ceiling is that of a fringe starter, but more directly a player who can be [and is] a very solid 6th or 7th man on a good team's bench.

In an ideal world, or in my opinion, the Cavaliers would be best served by going SF, SG, big, then the best player available with picks 4, 24, 33 and 34 respectively. Or maybe that's wing [SF or SG], wing [SF if you took a SG at 4, SG if you took a SF at 4], big, best player available. You pass on absolutely nobody based on the fact that Alonzo Gee is [still] on your roster. A good team needs three or four wings who can play. Alonzo Gee has proven that he can be one of those guys. The Cavaliers have the opportunity to add two more on June 28th to play with him. Hopefully they do.

In addition to the 4th overall pick on June 28th, the Cavaliers also own the 24th, 33rd, and 34th selections. In a continued look at who could be available in the bottom third of the 1st round for the Cavaliers, below is our latest on Will Barton. For Andrew Nicholson click here.

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

No. 29 – Will Barton, Sophomore, Memphis 2011-12 stats: 18 ppg, 8 rpg, 51% shooting


Memphis always seems to produce NBA talent and Will Barton is no exception. He is just another in a long line of guys to come out of Memphis who are able to contribute at the next level. Barton’s greatest asset is his ability to score. No question about it. He was in double-figure scoring for 30 of his 35 games this season. He has deep range, coupled with a great shooting stroke. He is a potent scorer who can put it in the basket from anywhere on the court. Barton also shines with his aggressiveness on that end of the floor. He can penetrate to the rim with the best of them and finish with great ease and ability.

I can see him coming off the bench for teams and being able to provide solid scoring. Barton does have his downsides though. He is 6-5, but is only 165 pounds. That’s is extremely skinny for a 2-guard and he will definitely need to add some muscle. If he doesn’t, he will just get overpowered by some of the stronger guards in the league. Barton also struggles with decision-making and shot selection. Yes, he is able to light up the scoreboard at times, but when he is off his game and not making shots, he can just as easily throw a dud in there too. Even in some of his better scoring outputs, he was still taking a lot of shots.

He can definitely work on his consistency when getting to the next level. Barton is a solid prospect for a later first round pick. He has great offensive skills and with some bulk may be able to help on the defensive end as well. But, players like Barton are all over the NBA. There are tons of teams with scoring guards who come off the bench to provide that spark for a handful of minutes and if they get hot maybe more. I think the Cavs will look elsewhere to find that type of player. They may already have that player in Manny Harris, who played well near the end of the season for Cleveland. Unless Barton can really impress in his workouts, pretty unlikely he ends up in the Wine and Gold.

In my latest blog for Cleveland.com, I laid out why there's reason to believe Michael Kidd-Gilchrist could still fall to Cleveland at pick number four. Below is an excerpt from that, where I also recapped our Cavs Draft Lottery Show from Wednesday at Cadillac Ranch:

Anthony Davis at first overall in this year'€™s Draft is a pick that not even MJ could mess up. Davis is going to the Hornets though, and the Bobcats are on the clock. I can already hear the sweat pounding on their war room table. Not to infer that Charlotte will make a bad pick technically, but I do think they could pass on MKG. The Cavaliers wouldn'€™t have taken Thomas Robinson from Kansas second overall if they had that chance, for example, but Charlotte might. I spoke with a reliable NBA source on Thursday who told me that Charlotte is high on Robinson, and that could very well happen at two. Maybe I called him because I thought he'€™d say that, or maybe I didn'™t. If they don'€™t go Robinson at two though, Jordan could also take North Carolina product Harrison Barnes instead. You know, because he went there and all. I expect both guys to truly be beasts in their individual workouts also, both have NBA bodies right now to be fair, and assuming they are able to score on MJ in a pick-up game he just might go with either player at that spot.

With Washington to follow at pick number three, I then starting evaluating what the Wizards might think they need. JaVale McGee is a big they just traded, and Andray Blatche is another guy they simply sent home last season because they didn't want him around. Andre Drummond from UConn, along with his frame and athleticism, is an option with as much upside as he is tall to pair alongside the veteran Nene. Bradley Beal from Florida is another option, especially if Washington doesn'€™t think that Jordan Crawford is their long-term answer next to John Wall in the backcourt. When I coupled those two possibilities with the fact that Washington just drafted a Forward in Jan Vessley last year, I started to really believe MKG to Cleveland was possible all over again.

A unique aspect of this Draft in particular is that there are a number of distinctly different players hovering around the top-10. Players who all possess different skill-sets that any number of NBA teams could fall in love with for any number of reasons. Besides Kidd-Gilchrist, Thomas Robinson is a bruising Power Forward who can step out and shoot a little bit. Harrison Barnes is still that player loaded with all those physical gifts that made him the top prospect in a high school class that included Kyrie Irving. Andre Drummond has All Star center potential, and size you can'€™t teach no matter how bad he shoots free throws. Bradley Beal'€™s jump shot is as pure as any player entering the NBA in recent memory. If Perry Jones III from Baylor is able to get his mind right, his upside is limitless as a 6-10 Small Forward in today'€™s NBA. 

For the Full Article Click Here: On the Draft Lottery, Pick Number Four, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

For some initial reactions to the Cavs Draft Lottery from Brendan last night, click here for his video recap with Glenn Moore over at Cleveland.com.

We will have more on the Draft Lottery and that 4th pick coming shortly, but first we will also be identifying who could be available towards the end of the first round for the Cavaliers over the next series of posts by Nick Mancini. The Cavs currently also own pick numbers 24, 33 and 34.

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

No. 30 – Andrew Nicholson, Senior, St. Boneventure 2011-12 stats: 18.5 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2 bpg, 57% shooting


As one of those rare four-year college players, Andrew Nicholson has kind of flown under the radar. He averaged double-figure points every season he played and was a consistent rebounder throughout his career. Early in his career, scouts questioned his toughness and basketball IQ. After he finished his senior campaign, he answered those questions.

Nicholson had a minor coming out party in the Bonnies near upset of third-seeded Florida State in the NCAA Tournament. He scored 20 points, went 4-5 from beyond the arc, and grabbed seven boards. He has been compared to David West for a while, and the more he plays, the more it looks that way.

Nicholson has the chance to be a great scorer in the NBA. In his 32 games this season, he was in double digits for 27 of them. In his last 10 games, he was 19-30 from the 3-point line. Compare that to his first 22 when he made only four. He is a long and lanky 4, with good hands, who is explosive around the rim.

Offensively, he really stacks up well at the next level, as long as he keeps playing with that toughness he found at the end of his college career. Nicholson is a good, but not great rebounder. For his size and ability, he should be a much more consistent rebounder. Yes, he averages over eight, but those numbers were slightly inflated by some monster rebounding games; namely a 23-rebound performance against Duquesne.

I will be streaming live over the Cleveland.com airwaves from Cadillac Ranch in Cleveland at the official Cavs Draft Lottery Watch Party tonight alongside my man Glenn Moore from Cleveland.com. Glenn and I will be talking Cavs and the NBA Draft from 7:30 to 9:00 pm, as well as reacting to the magic of Nick Gilbert's bow tie once the Lottery order is officially set at approximately 8:25.  

Below are details on the Cavs Draft Lottery Watch Party from Cleveland.com:

The NBA Draft Lottery is tonight: will the Cavaliers win the No. 1 pick for the second year in a row? Join our live audio broadcast and online chat from the official Cavs Draft Lottery Watch party at Cadillac Ranch starting at 7:30 p.m.

Log in, listen and chat with cleveland.com's Glenn Moore and Brendan Bowers of StepienRules.com as they set the stage for the lottery and then break down the possible picks and scenarios once the numbers are drawn. Express your opinions and ask your questions in the chat room or by calling into the show at 440-678-7599.

Be sure to stream every second of our show live, log into the chat room, and give us a call later on tonight to tell us who you think the Cavaliers should Draft on June 28th and why. Or if you want to get real social about it, stop by the Cadillac Ranch in person and come say hello.

I'll tweet out the show link later on today...in the meantime, here's a blog I wrote about the Cavaliers chances of winning the Lottery again this year as a primer for tonight: Cavaliers looking to do what Magic did in 1993, with much better odds.

The prevailing fear of impending doom used to engulf my Cleveland sports fan soul as night's like this Wednesday approached in year's past. A game of chance, ping pong balls, a hopper machine I never quite understood the mechanics of, a closed room we are not allowed to peer into, it all used to feel like a recipe for inevitable disaster. The sports world would surely be left laughing at our luck once again, as they danced on our hope for a better tomorrow. Poor Cleveland, they'd all say, as their evil snickers roared into laughter.


That was the pitiful existence I toiled in as a Cavs fan on night's like the Draft Lottery before meeting Nick Gilbert. Now I'm not only excited about our chances, but confident that whatever happens will be the the best case scenario for this team moving forward. Maybe it's the bow tie, or the way he wears it, but I just feel good about the whole thing with Nicky G at the helm. He'll be on location with the same crew he came through with last year - Bernie Kosar, Josh Cribbs, Joe Haden, along with Kyrie Irving this time - and he's smart to put those same positive vibes back out into the Lottosphere. His Dad said he'll be grounded if he doesn't win a good pick tomorrow night, and he probably would be, but he's not afraid of losing because Nick Gilbert always wins. Just like he will on Wednesday night, no matter what happens. 


Maybe winning this Lottery means that he'll get pick number one again. Maybe this time it's pick number two. Or maybe, like Gloria told Billy Hoyle in White Men Can't Jump, that "sometimes when you lose, you really win". Meaning, even if the Cavaliers pick 6th, I feel like Perry Jones III will then become that Small Forward who NBA Scouts dream he might be one day. Or possibly the Cavaliers neither win or lose, hold serve and pick third, and Nick allows that second pick to go to a team who doesn't want MKG for some reason and the Cavs get my guy anyways. Whichever way it goes, I just have this feeling that it will shake out right for Cleveland. I appreciate that bow tie rocking swagged out little dude for that too, and thank Nick Gilbert for making this thing fun tomorrow.

More on MKG at SLAM: As a follow up to the SLAMonline article I wrote on MKG last week, I finished up a piece on Michael Kidd-Gilchrist over the weekend that is scheduled to run in SLAM 160. After watching him workout four times over the last couple weeks, I can't tell you how much I hope he ends up on the Cleveland Cavaliers. His game, his work ethic, his attitude, and his relationship with both Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson couldn't mesh any more perfectly with what the Cavaliers are trying to build if you invented your own player for such purposes in NBA 2K12. I'll have more on all that though after the next issue of SLAM hits newsstands, for now you just have to trust me.



Bradley Beal Rounds Out My Top Three: If Nick does end up with the 6th pick I am confident that it will be for reasons deeper than anything I think I know right now looking at this Draft Class before they ever play a game in the NBA. That said, my top three overall - and for the Cavaliers - goes from Anthony Davis at one, to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist at two, to Bradley Beal at three. After that, it's Harrison Barnes and Perry Jones III in no particular order. I'm not that high on Thomas Robinson, maybe some of that is because I needed Kansas to win the National Championship in order to cash in on all the money I didn't win in my NCAA tournament pool, but I also don't think he's what the Cavaliers need right now either. Andre Drummond is a guy I'm similarly bearish on; the 10 points, 7 rebounds, questionable motor, and work ethic red flags just don't move me. Beal is legitimate though, and while I would be disappointed if the Cavs lost out on MKG, I think Beal would help me with that some. 

More on Wednesday after we know where the Cavaliers will be drafting on June 28th.

Leading up to the NBA Draft Lottery on May 30th, we will be profiling each of the top-10 players available in the Draft from 10 to 1. We'll be discussing each player's game, and how they could theoretically fit or not fit with the Cavaliers. For Tyler Zeller click here, Perry Jones III here, John Henson here, Harrison Barnes here, Jared Sullinger here, Andre Drummond here,Thomas Robison here, for Bradley Beal here and for Michael Kidd-Gilchrist click here.

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

No. 1 – Anthony Davis, freshman, Kentucky 2011-12 stats: 14.2 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 4.7 bpg, 62% shooting

There aren’t many players in the country who are able to go 1-10 shooting and still be the most dominant player in the National Title game. Anthony Davis is that type of player. The freshman phenom for the Wildcats dominated games unlike any freshman has done on the college scene in years. There isn’t much he doesn’t excel at when he is on the court. He stands at 6-10, but it seems like he is eight feet tall sometimes.

The nation’s leader in blocks, he made it a misery while on the defensive end for Kentucky’s opponents. His long frame and quickness allowed him to get to shots not many other players are able to get to. Since Davis is so quick for his size, he is able to defend multiple positions. He can slide from guarding a center all the way to a 2 or 3. His athleticism makes him able to stay in front of smaller guards, using his length to suffocate them.

On the offensive end, Davis does a lot of his damage off lobs and when in position to finish around the rim. On the break, he is nearly unstoppable. He is so smooth and quick on his feet, if he is given the ball anywhere remotely near the rim, odds are he is going to be able to finish it. For being 6-10, Davis is a solid ball handler. As recently as a few seasons ago, Davis was a point guard. Then, he had an enormous growth spurt into the player we watched this past season.

He is able to use his point guard skills to take his man off the dribble. A man his size and with those types of skills don’t come around often. There is a reason Davis is the clear-cut top pick. Whoever wins the lottery should have one of the easiest decisions of the draft. And, boy do I hope that is Cleveland. If the Clippers were lob city this season, the Cavs would give them a run for their money next season. How about Lob City East?

Davis does play the spot currently occupied but Tristan Thompson, but who really cares. He is such a rare talent, just stick him on the court. A duo of Thompson and Davis could form one of the most athletic defensive tandems in the league. Davis would thrive on the same team as Kyrie Irving and, dare I say it, he could be the piece that has the Cavs talking playoffs again.

Lets just hope those Ping-Pong balls falls correctly.