While the Cleveland Cavaliers may be inviting a handful of top-ranked win players to Independence for a workout, ESPN’s Chad Ford says that a pair of centers are the “early favorites” to be selected with the first-overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.
The team is expected to host several non-centers to Independence on Wednesday, including Kansas shooting guard Ben McLemore and Georgetown small forward Otto Porter Jr. In a chat conducted on Wednesday afternoon, Ford says that while there are several players in the mix, odds are that the Wine and Gold add a big man to their stable come June 27, be it in the form of Kentucky’s Nerlens Noel or Maryland’s Alex Len.
“There’s more in the mix there,” said Ford, “but I think those two are the favorite.”
While the majority of mock drafts have had the Cavaliers selecting Noel, recent murmurs have added Len’s name into the mix for the No. 1 pick due to his offensive skill set and ability to play from the start of the season. Ford, however, is sticking to his guns and penciling the Cavaliers in for the flat-topped Kentucky product.
“Despite the Internet chatter, I don’t think it’s correct to say that the Cavs are leaning toward Len,” said Ford. “I think they’re using this week to evaluate everyone. Figure out who the best fit is and I think by early next week we’ll have a read on the favorite. To me it’s Noel until I hear otherwise from Cleveland and I’ve yet to hear otherwise.”
[Related: Top Pick Debate: No Clear Answer, But Several Theories To Rule Out]
