ABOUT THE DRAFT

1. It would be great if the Cavaliers win the draft lottery . . . again. They did so in 2011 (a Clippers pick), 2013 and 2014. But suppose they don’t, meaning Duke forward Zion Williamson plays elsewhere next season.

2. Let’s suppose the Cavs end up with the No. 2 pick. Most experts believe Duke forward RJ Barrett is the No. 2 player in the draft. But is that true? I’m not quite sold on this opinion. Part of me can make a strong case for Murray State guard Ja Morant over Barrett, even for a team such as the Cavs who already have a young, small guard in place.

3. Let’s look at Barrett. He was the No. 1 high school player in 2018, not Williamson. The 6-foot-7 Barrett averaged 22.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists. He’s only 18 years old. He’s a legitimate 6-foot-7 and 200 pounds. That size is ideal for the NBA, especially because he’ll add more strength as he matures.

4. But there are reasons to believe Barrett has a lot of work to do when it comes to shooting the ball. Overall, he was a respectable .454 from the field. But a lot of those baskets came in transition, using his athleticism to score on fast breaks.

5. Barrett shot on .308 from 3-point range and .665 at the foul line. Projected top pick Williamson has question marks looming over his outside shooting, but he was .338 on 3-pointers -- better than teammate Barrett. Williamson shot .640 from the foul line. Both guys need work on shooting.

6. Williamson is such a dominating physical specimen, wildly athletic at 6-foot-7 and 285 pounds. He did have a knee injury. He has to make sure he doesn’t develop a weight problem. But this is a dynamic player. No one in the draft compares to him.

7. But suppose the Cavs draft second. Should they simply take Barrett because that is the “safe pick” at that spot? I’d challenge them to take a hard look at Morant, a 6-foot-3 sophomore. He’s another physically gifted marvel. Despite all the highlight dunks and the 24.5 scoring average, he also delivered 10 assists per game.

8. Can the Cavs play Morant and the 6-foot-2 Collin Sexton in the backcourt together? In terms of skills, they are an excellent match. Sexton is a pure scorer (averaging 21 points after the All-Star break). Through hard work, he transformed himself into a 41 percent shooter from 3-point range. But he is not a natural passer.

9. Morant played against lesser competition than Barrett did at Duke. But He had 17 points, 16 assists and 11 rebounds (shooting 5-of-9 from the field) as his team dumped Marquette 83-64 in the first round of the NCAA Touranament. In that game, Morant controlled the offense and didn’t worry about scoring.

10. Morant shot 50 percent from the field. He was .363 on 3-pointers, .813 at the foul line. The free throw percentage is an indication he can improve as an outside shooter. In college, Sexton shot .336 from 3-point range, .778 at the foul line. Sexton is a relentless worker, taking 200-500 extra shots after some practices. That’s why his shooting improved.

11. I’m romanced by the idea of Morant on the Cavs because of his passing. His eye-popping speed could combine with Sexton to give the Cavs the high-tempo game they want to play. Defensively...it’s a big concern. But don’t dismiss Morant simply because they have Sexton.

Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts, (center) sits between assistant coaches David Vanderpool (left) and Nate Tibbetts (right). Tibbets and Vanderpool are both candidates to become head coach of the Cavs. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb, File) AP

ABOUT THE COACHING SEARCH

1. The day after Coach Larry Drew and the Cavaliers “parted ways,” I wrote that I expected Nate Tibbetts to interview with Cleveland. For the last few years, I had been hearing the Cavs like Tibbetts, who was the head coach of Tulsa and Souix Falls in the D-League (Now G-League).

2. ESPN and other media outlets recently reported the Cavs have received permission to interview Tibbetts, who has been an assistant coach with Portland since 2014. He had that same position with the Cavs from 2011-14.

3. Here’s the point: Tibbetts is more than another young and seemingly faceless NBA assistant. He was a head coach for four years in the D-League, and that’s important. So many NBA assistants become head coaches in the league when they have never been a head coach at any level. The NBA should not only use the G-League to develop players, but also coaches.

4. Nick Nurse has the Toronto Raptors in the second-round of the playoffs. He had been a Toronto assistant coach for the previous five years before taking over as head coach this season. But most of his career had been in the NBA’s minors -- the D/G League.

5. David Joerger was recently fired by Sacramento after he led the Kings to their best record in 13 years. It seems Sacramento GM Vlade Divac wanted to hire Luke Walton, who left the Lakers. Joerger had been a head coach in the NBA from 2013-19...three seasons each with Memphis and Sacramento.

6. But Joerger positioned himself to become a head coach with extensive head coaching experience in the D-League. I’d like the see the Cavs interview him.

7. The Cavs reportedly have an interest in Juwan Howard. I don’t know him. He played in the NBA from 1994-2013. He then became an assistant coach in Miami, where he mostly worked with big men. He is a candidate for the Lakers job. He has had a lot of playing experience, but little on the coaching side.

8. The Cavs also have an interest in David Vanterpool. Like Tibbetts, he is a Portland assistant to head coach Terry Stotts. Vanterpool has been a Blazers assistant since 2012. Before that, he was an assistant coach with CSKA Moscow from 2007-12. He had a long career playing in Europe.

9. It’s difficult to know what any of these guys will do as head coaches. The Cavs also are interested in Alex Jensen, a former Canton Charge head coach (2011-13) and now an assistant with Utah.

10. Cavs assistant general manager Mike Gansey was the general manager of the Canton Charge from 2012-17, so he knows Tibbetts and Jensen well. He also would know other candidates who coached in the league. That’s why Tibbetts and Jensen should be considered serious candidates.

11. While Dan Gilbert is criticized for firing general managers and coaches, he also loves to promote people from within. In 2005, he hired Danny Ferry as GM. When Ferry left in 2010, his assistant Chris Grant was promoted to the job. When Grant was fired in 2014, his assistant David Griffin was promoted. And when Griffin left in 2017, his assistant Koby Altman was promoted.

12. One more step: When Altman needed an assistant general manager, he promoted Gansey from Canton. So keep an eye on Jensen and Tibbetts. Another former Charge head coach is Jordi Fernandez, who is an assistant with Denver. He also could end up being interviewed by the Cavs.

13. The current Charge head coach is former Kent State star Nate Reinking. I don’t sense he’s a candidate for the Cavs. Notice the pattern. A guy is a head coach in the G-League, moves up to the NBA as an assistant -- then is in position to become a head coach in the NBA.

14. The Cavs denied any interest in 66-year-old Rick Pitino. The Cavs have reached out to a lot of people, often asking them about younger coaches who should be considered. The Cavs seem to be looking for a younger coach to grow with the team.

15. I hope the Cavs can talk to Monty Williams, the former New Orleans head coach and current Philadelphia assistant. He is a hot candidate, with Phoenix and the Lakers after him.