A recently published mock draft on CBS Sports from Colin Ward-Henninger has the Cleveland Cavaliers selecting Ohio State wing Malaki Branham with the 14th overall pick. The explanation of the pick and overall fit appears below.
“The Cavs need wings — especially ones who can shoot — and Branham fits the bill to a tee. He’s not the most explosive creator, but he’s a knock-down 3-point shooter who can also hit a pull-up mid-range jumper when he’s run off the line. He may be lacking in the “D” part of 3-and-D, but that’s something that J.B. Bickerstaff and the Cavs development staff can help improve.“
Collin Ward-Henninger on Malaki Branham to Cleveland
The major takeaway here is three-point shooting, an area that was not the Cavs forte last season. Cleveland was middle of the road percentage wise as their 35.5% from deep ranked 15th overall while their 11.6 makes per game checks in at 20. The point being they need help. Malaki Branham made 41.6% of his attempts from deep last season with that number increasing to 43.2% once the calendar flipped over to January.
If the Cavaliers are going to take that next step forward they are going to need knockdown shooters to take the pressure off of Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. Perhaps the 19-year old Buckeye can be the answer they are looking for.
