Should the Cavs Draft Vladislav Goldin?

Should the Cavs Draft Vladislav Goldin?

with the NBA draft fast approaching the Cleveland Cavaliers are eyeing opportunities to solidify the roster after a solid 2024 campaign Cleveland now stands at a crossroads should they reinforce their front court with the sleeper pick meet Vladislav Golden a 7’1 rushing center who might just be the defensive anchor Cleveland could use he’s big he’s physical and he’s vastly underrated today we’re diving deep into whether or not Vatislav Golden is the right pick for the Cavs but before we dig into why Vatislav remains a possibility do your boy a favor and smash that like button subscribe to keep the NBA content coming and hit that notification bell so you stay locked in all offseason who is Vladislav Golden vlatislav Golden isn’t your typical draft prospect born in Nachic Russia Golden began his basketball journey overseas before making his way to the US to play for Putinham Science Academy in Connecticut he later transferred to Florida Atlantic University yes that same FAU team that made a miraculous final four rut in 2023 before ultimately ending his collegiate career with Michigan as a fifthear senior and in his final season as an amateur Golden would put up averages of 16.6 points seven rebounds 1.1 assist and 1.4 blocks while completing over 60.7% of his field goals but his impact went far beyond the stat sheet he’s more than just numbers he’s a paint presence a smart screener and yes a legit rim protector his combination of soft hands mobility for his size and rim running make him an intriguing option for NBA teams looking to bolster their front court he anchored FAU’s interior defense and became a go-to option in the paint on offense and wound up doing much the same for Michigan in his lone season for the Wolverines so why would the Cavs be interested let’s talk fit cleveland already has Evan Mobley and Jared Allen two elite defenders but behind them depth is shaky and that’s putting it mildly over the past two seasons they have primarily relied on Evan Mobley and Jared Allen to switch off at backup 5 and a front court rotation of Dean Wade DeAndre Hunter and George Nang in place of Hunter before he was acquired sprinkle in a bit of Tristan Thompson and you have a pretty nauseating death chart beyond the starters and let me be clear this is not necessarily a knock on Wade or Hunter but they’re not bigs the Cavs could use at least one more solid dependable big on the roster cleveland struggled to maintain an imposing interior presence when Moley or Allen were off the four they need a third big who’s long mobile and coachable what Golden brings golden strengths align well with what Cleveland needs off the bench let’s break it down first up pick and roll finishing at the collegiate level Golden thrived in pick and roll sets catching lobs rolling hard and finishing efficiently with Darius Garland or Donovan Mitchell that synergy could be deadly secondary playmakers like Max Struce Craig Porter Jr and Ty Derome can make this fit even more deadly this is a team that is heavily reliant on the pick and roll and being able to function as a reliable role man should be a prerequisite for any big on the roster up to this point he is golden no pun intended around the rim knocking down 68% of his field goals around the rim which accounted for over 72% of his total field goals he appears to be an elite finisher and the Cavs could always use more of those he is a very efficient scorer around the rim with a variety of post moves toughness and an incredible feel for scoring against contact at the rim off of a roll the Russian big man generates a lot of his point production in the post where he scored 0.97 points per possession and place within the 71st percentile he has no problem posting up on the block and going to work against his defender you can dump it off to him and feel fairly confident that he will get the job done golden has the physical presence to bully smaller defenders and establish deep position and seal them off while there and is particularly effective in bigto pick and roll situations where he uses his strength and positioning to finish at a high percentage this could bode well for any lineups featuring himself alongside Evan Mobley he screens effectively and has proven himself as a productive roleman knowing when to slip and where to seal golden is quite the second chance opportunity creator as well his potential impact on that end will be a large part of his role especially in punishing smaller shooting heavy lineups he’s averaged over two offensive rebounds per game and four straight seasons at the collegiate level that can be attributed to his composure toughness and clever positioning rim protection defensively Golden has shown himself to be a reliable drop coverage big who protects the rim with the use of the rule of verticality and solid awareness rather than elite athleticism that said he doesn’t have to rely on drop coverage he’s quite comfortable and mobile due to his long stride golden just has to become more active while in drop and know when to give his assignment less space to operate with despite being a little more passive than you’d like at times in the drop Golden understands how well his rotations must be to ensure that he can contest against either ball hander or the play finisher he appears to be a disciplined shot blocker up to this point as he averaged over 1.2 blocks per game in each of his final three college seasons he had a block rate of 5.2% this past season with Michigan and has finished at 5% or higher in four of his five seasons at the college level the young big’s motor was always on display and could help him turn into a reliable defensive anchor he consistently contested shots and deterred opponents from venturing into the paint it’s not crazy to think that he could be a major disruptor in the painted area at the next level the dude is rarely out of position and uses his frame to contest without fouling he has great spatial awareness which helps him from getting beat away from the ball and against cuts his use of tags and quick checking to control his assignment has led to him avoiding many back door cuts that’s a pretty solid strategy when thinking about adjusting to the motion-based offenses he will see on a nightight basis at the NBA level he is adept at using his length to close angles against passers and even when he has his assignment under control he’s looking to close angles and shrink the interior the dude is a true 7-footer having been measured at 7 foot in socks with a rangy wingspan of 7’5 and a quarter the fifth longest measurement in the draft combine that’s not nothing especially for a Cavaliers team that can use some additional size off the bench in the front court overall defensively he’s not elite laterally but his verticality and awareness and drop coverage make him a solid anchor concerns of course no prospect is perfect golden isn’t switchable on defense and may struggle with NBA speed early on he has a slow first step and doesn’t look comfortable playing on the perimeter when he’s put against a score this could be rather worrisome because it could make it feasible that NBA teams will force a switch to put him on an island against ball handlers not ideal and let me be clear he has the mobility it’s the pace and speed that could legit give him problems in the early going he must be more composed when he’s facing jab steps or shooters who are already spotting up and he must learn to not bite on the pump fake and force a rotation and in regard to defending the three-point line it’s not as if he doesn’t have the length to effectively close out it’s just the lack of lateral quickness in order to circumvent that he has to make the right decisions when closing out as scorers will gladly attack him off the dribble or take away his length and collapse the defense for a paint touch or a much better shot via another kickout pass that’s one of the only ways he’ll be able to compensate for the lack of burst and lateral quickness he also has limited offensive creation outside of the paint and struggles to create clean scoring angles out of closeouts and not showing creativity like pump or pass fakes before finishing a play these could be potential red flags for front offices and could take away from some of his scoring prowess at the NBA level his general lack of creativity will likely be an area of focus or concern for NBA scouts also Golden will enter the NBA as a large question mark in terms of spacing but his mechanics are consistent and he does show a high arc and release even if he’s bothered by a quick close out he can shoot over the defender with ease i mean at 7 foot you kind of have to that’s something that can be built upon overall most mocks have golden in the late second round or going undrafted entirely but for a Cavs team with a late pick and limited cap flexibility he’s the kind of lowrisk high upside player worth betting on if the Cavaliers want to maintain defensive dominance and develop a young big who fits their identity Vlatislav Golden should be on the radar he won’t wow you with Flash but he brings grit size and growth potential what do you think Cavs fans should Kobe Alman take a swing on the Russian rim runner drop your thoughts in the comments and don’t forget to like and subscribe for more Cavs draft content go Cavs

The Cleveland Cavaliers are in dire need of a viable 3rd big. Could Vladislav Goldin be a potential answer?

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