The Cavs selected Dylan Windler with the 26th overall pick in this year’s draft. The former Belmont standout is listed as a left-handed shooter, but he’s not afraid to go right when needed. In fact, he’s comfortable in both scenarios — to an extent.
In an interview with Chris Fedor of cleveland.com, Windler noted that he has used both hands since he was young. He uses his left hand for several things, including basketball, billiards and soccer/football. However, he uses his right hand for golfing, writing and eating.
“I think at a young age I was purely ambidextrous,” Windler told cleveland.com. “I was trying to do everything left or right. I would throw it one time with one hand and get it back and then throw with the other hand the next time. But I always shot lefty and that just kind of stuck. Everything else just transitioned into right. Just one of those things that happened at a young age.”
Often times, defenders will try to guard a player on one side or the other. If a player is known to be right-handed, defenders will try to “shade” that side in an effort to push the ball-handler to their weaker hand. In Windler’s case, however, there isn’t really a weaker hand, though he admits that his right-handed jump shot isn’t so great.
“There’s not really a weak hand for me,” Windler said. “If the defense tries to send me one way or the other, I’m comfortable coming off or being able to pass right or throw it back left.”
“You don’t want to see my right-handed jump shot,” Windler said with a smile.
The Cavs finished the 2018-19 season with a disappointing 19-63 overall record, which left the team well out of playoff contention. Now, though, with an influx of young talent and a new head coach, Cleveland will look to climb back into contention.
