The Cleveland Cavaliers are actively working the phones in an attempt to move up from 49 and into the first round. If they unable to do so, they will likely add either a developmental piece or a seasoned 3 or 4 year starter that they feel could help at the end of the rotation at some point this upcoming season. One of the names to keep an eye on in this range will be Miami’s Jordan Miller who is about as seasoned as they come, spending 5 total years at that level between George Mason and Miami.
Prior to the NBA draft combine, there was a bit of confusion regarding Miller’s actual size as he was frequently listed at 6-6 In some places and 6-7 in others. We came away from the combine with the knowledge that he is 6-4.5 without shoes, so he is a bit undersized but still carries an interesting blend of size overall thanks to his 6' 11.75 Wingspan.
In his final season with the U, he put up solid averages of 15.3 PTS, 6.2 REB, 2.7 AST, and 1.2 STL combined with shooting splits of 54.5% FG, 35.2% 3PT, and 78.4% FT. He functioned as sort of a do-it-all wing at Miami and should profile as somewhat of a combo forward at the NBA level.
He has the skillset to eventually develop into a respectable 3 and D wing but isn’t quite there yet. He completed a career best 35.2% from distance but that came on low volume. 2.5 ATT per game to be exact. Not exactly enough to suggest that he can be counted on to knock them down. This is similar to Cleveland’s Isaac Okoro who hasn’t yet shaken the “offensive liability” label that was bestowed upon him pretty early into his career.
The difference between the two? Overall experience. Okoro played just one season at Auburn and already has 3 NBA seasons under his belt despite still being just 22 years old. Miller will be entering the NBA at age 23 and has been able to develop his game over the course of 5 collegiate seasons.
He plays a hell of a lot bigger than his 6’4.5 frame might suggest. This can be seen in a few areas. Defensively, he could potentially defend up to 3 different positions thanks to his massive reach, high motor, and high basketball IQ. He uses his length to force ball handlers into bad positions, and plays the passing lanes pretty well. He has displayed the ability to be impactful as both a help-side defender, inside, and as an on-ball defender.
Offensively, he gets better the closer he gets to the rim. The dude is an excellent finisher in various regards, utilizing his unique length at the rim very well. He has a nasty spin move in his arsenal and it helps him create space. Miller has displayed a good enough handle to suggest that he might develop into a solid tertiary creator someday as well. The frame must’ve helped as a rebounder too as his 6.2 boards per game were good for 11th in the ACC conference.
Overall, Jordan Miller will likely enter the NBA as a project due to still being a work-in-progress as a perimeter shooter. His defensive versatility could earn him some minutes earlier on but the true swing skill for him will be the development of a perimeter shot. If the Cavs opt to go the project route with the 49th pick, they could do much worse than a potential 3&D wing such as Miller.
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