Cavs take Belmont’s Dylan Windler with second first-round pick

Initial reports indicated that the Cavs were taking Kentucky’s Keldon Johnson with their second first-round pick. However, the actual pick is Dylan Windler, a 6’8”, 22-year-old forward from Belmont.

Last year at Belmont, Windler shot 42.9% on 7.1 attempts per game. He also has a 6’10” wingspan and averaged 10.8 rebounds per game last year. His appeal to the Cavs is clearly as a player who can provide spacing on the wing and perhaps develop into a useful defender.

As a senior, Windler was third in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) in scoring and 10th in rebounds per game among all Division I players. He was part of a team that won the OVC championship and the school’s NCAA win.

Windler is an off the radar pick, but the numbers and his profile indicate that he’s someone who fills potential needs for the Cavs. John Beilein’s system also needs floor spacers, so perhaps that played a part in the pick as well.