Written by Thomas Moore

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Welcome to Cleveland Dion Waiters and Tyler Zeller.

Boy, we never thought we’d be writing those two names today. But it was that kind of night for the Cavs who had a unique night at the NBA Draft. And everyone knows how much we love unique here in Cleveland.

After New Orleans selected Kentucky’s Anthony Davis with the first overall pick, Charlotte threw a surprise into everyone by actually making a good choice in selecting Kentucky’s Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (who looked less than thrilled to be going from the highs of Kentucky to the stink hole that is the Charlotte Bobcats). Washington followed up with an equally good pick in Florida’s Bradley Beal.

With the two players the Cavs (and plenty of their fans) were hoping for off the board, the team quickly moved on to Waiters, the Big East’s Sixth Man of the Year at Syracuse and a player that seemingly no one outside of the Cavs saw as a lottery pick. The team also did conduct any workouts or interviews with Waiters prior to selecting him (Waiters left the combine after the first day on the advice of his agent).

“We did an enormous amount of research, maybe more than we’ve ever done, with Dion,” Cavs general manager Chris Grant told The Plain Dealer. “Ultimately, we had to make a decision what was best for us and best for this organization. With all the information, we felt very comfortable.”

Waiters, who averaged 12.6 points while shooting almost 48 percent from the field last year, was rated by many as the second-best shooting guard in the draft behind Beal.

“When he came in the game, he pretty much controlled the game,” Cavs coach Byron Scott said. “He’s able to get to the basket, he’s great off pick-and-rolls, three-point shooting, gets to the basket, finds his teammates. He can do a little bit of everything.”

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim also has high praise for Waiters.

“He’s more ready for the NBA than any other guard I’ve ever had,” Boeheim told CBS New York. “Nobody will be able to guard him one on one unless their last name is Westbrook. He’ll go by anyone he faces.”

Waiters joins Marvin Williams as the only players to never start a game in college but still be selected with a lottery pick (Grant was part of Atlanta’s front office when they drafted Williams, make of that what you will).

Having said all that, we’re not really worked up about Waiters not being a starter while at Syracuse. He played 24 minutes a game and it’s not always about who starts but who finishes a game (remember, Mike Sanders was the starting small forward on some good Cavs teams but was no where to be found come the fourth quarter). Plus when he’s on he can put points on the board in a hurry (think former Pistons’ guard Vinnie Johnson).

Waiters also does not lack for confidence, something we like to see in a shooter.

“(I’m a guy) with a lot of confidence – a guy who plays with ‘swagger’ – as people would call it,” Waiters said. “An all-around player, I feel like I don’t have any weaknesses in my game. (I’m) a hard worker, a guy who plays every game like it’s his last.”

Having to earn playing time at Syracuse may have actually helped Waiters mature and could pay off now that he is in the NBA.

“I played as a starter all my life until I got to Syracuse, and I think Syracuse helped me out a lot,” Waiters told Syracuse.com. “As far as being a team player, just having to sacrifice. I went there, I wasn’t the starter, because, you know, the guys before they, they had been there for a while, so I didn’t know how to adjust to that my freshman year. Coming out the high school, Top 15 player, given everything, and coming there, having to work for it, I didn't know how to handle it. My second year, I knew my role coming in. I knew what I had to do. I excelled at it.”

For their second pick of the night, the Cavs worked a deal with Dallas (sending picks 24, 33 and 34) to acquire Zeller, who was ACC Player of the Year for North Carolina last season. Zeller averaged 16.3 points and 9.6 rebounds as a senior. The last Tar Heel senior to be named the conference’s best player was Phil Ford in 1978, which shows how much things have changed in college basketball.

Zeller is looking to join the list of 7-foot white players from North Carolina that achieved NBA success that includes ... well, no one, actually.

“You always hope you’re a lottery pick and I had a couple teams that were interested,” Zeller said. “At the same time, wherever you go you have to make the best out of it. I think Cleveland’s a great situation and there’s definitely playing time available. I’m obviously going to have to work for it. It’s definitely a great opportunity and I’m looking forward to playing for them.”

Seriously, though, the Cavs need size and, in a league where Ryan Hollins is gainfully employed, Zeller gives the Cavs some much-needed height. Plus it’s not as if they gave up anything (second-round picks rarely do much in the NBA) and they didn’t have to part with Anderson Varejao.

NBA.com described Zeller as someone that “may never become a team’s No. 1 or No. 2 option, he’s going to have a long, productive career as an important piece of a good team. He’s very capable of averaging 14 points and seven or eight boards for 10 years.”

We can probably live with that.

With the addition of Waiters and Zeller, the Cavs now have an eight-man rotation with only two players – Varejao and Daniel Gibson – over the age of 25. Alonzo Gee (25), Omri Casspi (24), Zeller (22), Tristan Thompson (21), Waiters (20) and Kyrie Irving (20) give the Cavs a nucleus of young players that, in theory at least, can all grow and learn how to win together.

“We had a very good day today in Cavalierland,” Grant told The Plain Dealer.

For all of our sakes, Grant better be right.