With the first 20 games of the NBA regular season in the books, teams are starting to figure out whether or not playoffs are a realistic goal. Sure, there are more than 60 games left in the season, but the teams at the bottom of the standings are probably in too deep of a hole to climb out of even this early in the season.
One of those teams is the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are 5-16 through the first 21 games of the season. With news that players are unhappy with John Beilein’s coaching style and Kevin Love is on the trading block, their record isn’t expected to get much better.
It’s for that reason the Cavaliers have already begun looking at prospects at the top of the draft, including LaMelo Ball, according to Sam Amico of Sports Illustrated:
Like all teams, the Cavs have already started planning for the draft. They are scouting college teams and international clubs. They have extensively scouted potential No. 1 overall pick and basketball celebrity LaMelo Ball, currently playing in Australia.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard of the Cavs’ interest in Ball. In September, the Cavaliers were one of 27 NBA teams that flew to watch Ball and RJ Hampton at the NBL Blitz in Tazmania. It seems their interest has only grown since then.
The Cavaliers have spent their last two lottery picks on combo guards, but Ball would be the tallest and, most importantly, most talented one they’ve drafted to date. If the Cavaliers end up with a top-three pick, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Ball in Cleveland next season.
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