06-17-2011, 01:05 PM
Eight days before the NBA draft, Cleveland Cavaliers coach Byron Scott told Yahoo! Sports the franchise isnât close to deciding whether to use the No. 1 pick on Duke guard Kyrie Irving or Arizona forward Derrick Williams.
The Cavaliers have the first and fourth picks in the June 23 draft in Newark, N.J. Who they decide to take with the top pick could be determined by whether they decide to pursue another guard like Kentuckyâs Brandon Knight or Connecticutâs Kemba Walker at No. 4 â or whether they receive an enticing trade offer, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. The Cavs also have workouts scheduled for early next week that will factor in their decision.
âThe main reason is we want to do our due diligence on the other guys as well,â Scott said on why a decision hasnât been made. âWe have a few more workouts we want to get in before we really want to start evaluating on who we think is the best possible pick at No. 1 and who we think is the best at No. 4. So, by no means, has anyone in our organization who has been to our workouts said, âDerrick Williams is our first pickâ or âKyrie Irving is our first pick.â
âWeâre all keeping an open mind and understand we have a few more workouts to go through. Both of those guys are very, very good basketball players in our minds. Both are going to have a long career, but no way are we set on a guy.â
Scott said one of his friends called recently to suggest the Cavaliers draft Williams first and Knight fourth. Such a move would be risky because Knight is getting consideration from the Utah Jazz with the third pick. Sources said Cleveland has already worked out Turkish center Enes Kanter and Texas forward Tristan Thompson, and has heavily scouted Czech Republic forward Jan Vesley and Lithuanian center Jonas Valanciunas. They also have a workout scheduled with Knight.
âWhen you have to go through the process of re-loading with what weâre doing as a basketball team, itâs always great when you can start with two of the top five players in the draft,â Scott said. âTheyâre going to be young. Hopefully, theyâre going to be hungry. We feel that there are 10, 12, 15 guys in this draft that are going to be very productive in this league if not next year, two years down the line or something.
The Cavaliers have the first and fourth picks in the June 23 draft in Newark, N.J. Who they decide to take with the top pick could be determined by whether they decide to pursue another guard like Kentuckyâs Brandon Knight or Connecticutâs Kemba Walker at No. 4 â or whether they receive an enticing trade offer, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. The Cavs also have workouts scheduled for early next week that will factor in their decision.
âThe main reason is we want to do our due diligence on the other guys as well,â Scott said on why a decision hasnât been made. âWe have a few more workouts we want to get in before we really want to start evaluating on who we think is the best possible pick at No. 1 and who we think is the best at No. 4. So, by no means, has anyone in our organization who has been to our workouts said, âDerrick Williams is our first pickâ or âKyrie Irving is our first pick.â
âWeâre all keeping an open mind and understand we have a few more workouts to go through. Both of those guys are very, very good basketball players in our minds. Both are going to have a long career, but no way are we set on a guy.â
Scott said one of his friends called recently to suggest the Cavaliers draft Williams first and Knight fourth. Such a move would be risky because Knight is getting consideration from the Utah Jazz with the third pick. Sources said Cleveland has already worked out Turkish center Enes Kanter and Texas forward Tristan Thompson, and has heavily scouted Czech Republic forward Jan Vesley and Lithuanian center Jonas Valanciunas. They also have a workout scheduled with Knight.
âWhen you have to go through the process of re-loading with what weâre doing as a basketball team, itâs always great when you can start with two of the top five players in the draft,â Scott said. âTheyâre going to be young. Hopefully, theyâre going to be hungry. We feel that there are 10, 12, 15 guys in this draft that are going to be very productive in this league if not next year, two years down the line or something.
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