National Basketball Association

Cavs' pick has the potential you don't push aside

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 10:43 p.m. ET

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INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Andrew Wiggins brings athleticism, excitement, pizzazz and that good old "wow factor" to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

He also brings superstar potential, and that's what wins in this league: Superstars.

That's why the Cavs kept the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft on Thursday night -- as opposed to trading it to any of the number of teams who asked.

Those who wanted Wiggins, it seems, only wanted to surrender picks and potential, and perhaps some solid veterans. Solid veterans get you nowhere without at least one superstar. This ain't "Hoosiers", this is the NBA. It's built on star power.

Will the 6-foot-8 Wiggins be a superstar? The Cavs and their fans should be excited to find out. He dunks with ease. He runs the floor, fills the lane, and finishes with style. He possesses a smooth jumper that looks like it's straight out of 1972.

He's comfortable at small forward or shooting guard, owning the type of transcendent promise that has him drawing comparisons to the likes of Tracy McGrady, Kobe Bryant and even Dr. J.

Now, the kid has his issues -- but we should remember that, at 19 years old, he really is just a kid. He spent one season at Kansas and there were times he looked lost. There isn't a scout out there who feels completely confident Wiggins owns a killer instinct. Even Cavs general manager David Griffin admitted as much.

But no one is perfect, and you have to look beyond the flaws. You have to take a risk with upside, especially with upside like this.

So let there be no mistake, the Cavs got their man. Despite all the rumors and reports and agendas from the many sources who provide pre-draft information, that's all that matters to the Cavs.

Wiggins just fits with new coach David Blatt, alongside guard Kyrie Irving and others, and within the type of athletic and high-scoring framework in which Griffin hopes to build the Cavs. This isn't the "ugly, grind-it-out" basketball of the Mike Brown era. This is the opposite of that. And it's gotta be a relief for everyone who hoped to see beautiful basketball in this city again.

Wiggins also provides an immediate answer at small forward. That's a big deal, because the Cavs have been struggling quite mightily in that department since You Know Who took his talents You Know Where.

Which of course, leads us to the next question. The question all anyone wants to know. The question that will haunt the poor Cavs until this whole free agency thing concludes.

And that question involves LeBron James, and what type of bearing this pick may have on James' possible return.

Well, the answer is likely none. James will determine his future on things that can't be predicted. It sure won't be based on a No. 1 draft pick.

That, folks, is why the Cavs chose the right guy. They chose their guy. They picked Wiggins because Wiggins fits into their scheme, regardless of who else is on the roster.

He has every chance to be a superstar in his own right. And that is what gets it done in this league.

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