Furphy’s size and feel for the game is enough reason to select him at 20.
It’s easy to talk yourself into a 6’ 8” wing who can shoot threes for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Draft no matter how the rest of this summer shakes out. It’s even easier to do so when Carlton Carrington and Tristan da Silva were selected a few picks in front. That’s why we chose Murphy in the annual SB Nation NBA Mock Draft.
Furphy isn’t a perfect prospect. He’s not an elite athlete and his outside shot ran hot and cold. Furphy connected on a solid 35.2% from three, but that isn’t necessarily a high enough percentage to be a specialist. Converting just 76.5% from the charity stripe also isn’t what you’d like to see from an outside shooter.
That said, Furphy does have a well-rounded game to fall back on. He proved to be effective in transition, was a good rebounder for his position, and showed that he could handle the ball some in the half-court.
The reason to bet on Furphy, as opposed to some of the other available options, is his basketball IQ. Furphy showed a great feel for moving off-ball offensively which is something the Cavs desperately need. While he wasn’t a great individual defender in college, he was a capable team defender who showed a knack for being in the right spots at the right time. That’s what you need from the wing on a team that has Cleveland’s interior defenders.
The Cavs need playable wing options and not long-term projects that could eventually yield upside. Players with good instincts, like Furphy, are more likely to hit their ceiling even if that ceiling is considerably lower than an intriguing prospect like DaRon Holmes II.
The lack of playable wings has been a glaring weakness for the Cavs in the last two playoffs. This showed through most in their second-round loss to the Boston Celtics where Max Strus was asked to spend time guarding Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. You likely aren’t going to get someone at 20 who can step in and fulfill that role in the playoffs for you as a rookie. But you do want to find someone who could theoretically one day do so. Furphy should be able to do that.
Cleveland’s roster could look very different next season depending on if Koby Altman and company decide to trade Darius Garland and/or Jarrett Allen. Moving either would create a bigger hole at the backup point guard and center positions. That said, we know that there is a hole at the wing. It’s been there since 2018. Furphy would provide depth where the Cavs need it most.
