Overview:

Mathew Cleveland is an explosive wing who is Very Good in Transition.  However, he will need to dramatically improve his shooting or playmaking to be a viable player at the next level. At this stage, Cleveland has the size and athleticism to be an NBA prospect.   2022-23 will be Cleveland sophomore year for the Florida State Seminoles.

NBA skill:  Athleticism

Note:  Prospects compared to statistical averages of drafted NBA players (2017-2022), by position, from their last college season.

Guards = Below 6’5″

Wings = 6’6″ to 6’9″

Posts = Above 6’10”

Blue      Comparable to average drafted NBA players by position.

Green  Exceeds the average drafted NBA players by position.

Red      Below the average of drafted NBA players by position.

Darker color signifies a greater statistical variance.

Offense:

Mathew Cleveland is a high motor explosive wing.  With length and athleticism, physically he is the prototype of an athletic wing that NBA teams covet.  He fearlessly attacks the rim which can end in electrifying dunks.  So watch your head.   Cleveland moves well in Transition and converts 1.2 of these play types which is Very Good.  This is where Cleveland is most effective and this Play Type accounts for 24% of his actions, a significant amount.  

However, Cleveland must improve his shooting to have a chance at making an NBA roster.  He only shot 1.2 3PA last season.  His splits were 45/17/55.  This indicates that Cleveland can score at the rim.   However, his perimeter shooting both beyond the arc and from the free throw line are not up to the NBA standard.  This could be a non-starter for being drafted to an NBA team. 

Wanna sees

Dramatic improvement in 3pt shooting

Higher volume shooting threes

Dramatic improvement in free throw shooting

Assists and decision making.  

Cleveland is Very Good in Transition as the ball handler which means when he pushes temp off defensive rebounds he is very efficient.  So far, as a Pick and Roll Ball Handler he Cleveland was inefficient converting just .5 PPP in that play type.   With such low shooting numbers Cleveland will need to make more plays for teammates, ala Scotty Barnes from the 2020-21 season for the Seminoles.  

Scotty Barnes had similar splits of 50/27/52.  But the major difference was Barnes also averaged 4.1 AST while playing just 24 minutes per game.  Cleveland played 26 minutes per game in 2021-22.

Cleveland has a relatively low turnover rate mainly because he does not have a primary ball handling role for Florida State. 

Wanna see:

Grab and go transitions as the ball handler 

Increase in Assists  

Rebounding and defense

Cleveland’s rebounding numbers are a bit low for a wing.  He doesn’t get many tough rebounds that would add 1-2 rebounds onto his average.  Cleveland is also inconsistent, crashing the offensive glass.  The fact that he still averages 1.2 ORB per game is a testament that he is leaving a lot more rebounds on the table.  

Defensively, is an average defender.  His lateral quickness is solid.  He has the tools to be a better defender but his lack of steals and blocks (3.8 Combo (STL% + BLK %) is much less than previously drafted NBA wings (5.0%).  Cleveland will need to find a way to have a greater impact on the game to be a viable selection at the next level.   

 Wanna see:

Higher commitment to rebounding

Increased disruption on defense

Tier of 2023 draft prediction:  Return for junior year