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2025 NBA Draft Thread
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by addict4sneakers,
- Start date
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Juzang withdrawing must’ve meant he looked terrible in workouts or the combine. Atleast he kept it realistic instead of potentially going undrafted.
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Seriously though, college kids already hitting 7 figures because of that NIL passing so why not go back and be man on campus for one more year instead of traveling to G-League towns for PT?
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No way does Jaylen go 1st next to a live Cunningham
Also no way does Sengun go that high
Also no way does Sengun go that high
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NBA Draft confidential: Coaches, execs discuss Cade Cunningham, debate Jalen Green vs. Jalen Suggs, sleepers
When I first started “The Morning Tip” for NBA.com in 2009, I made it plain: The column that followed was going to be a blatant rip-off of Peter King’s “Monday Morning Quarterback,” the catchall NFL column that packed so very, very much into every week’s offering. There was news, Q&As, opinion, analysis, stuff about other sports, stuff that had nothing to do at all with sports — all jammed into several thousand words. I wrote the Tip in that spirit for nearly a decade.
In similar spirit, the column that follows is a blatant rip-off of Bruce Feldman’s NFL Draft Confidential — his yin to the yang that is Dane Brugler’s annual pre-draft epic, The Beast. As Feldman complements Brugler, I hope to provide some ballast to Sam Vecenie’s year-long, exhaustive prep work that leaves you better prepared for the NBA Draft than anything else you’ll read. No one knows more than Sam about the draft, starting with me; I am, definitely, one of the JBs. (And, no, I am not Bootsy Collins, who went way beyond JBdom in his own right, either.)
I’ve spent much of the last month talking to a few dozen NBA personnel men, scouts, execs and multiple college coaches who’ve either seen or whose teams coached against the blue-chip prospects who should go in this year’s draft. The goal was not to produce anything resembling a mock draft, most of which are an affront to man and God. It is not a critique of the people who work so very hard to predict what will happen in a given year that almost everyone who tries a mock is comically, crazily wrong. They are being lied to, professionally — mostly by agents who insist each of their clients will go top half of the first round, then forget to text back on draft night as their guys go through the floor.
This, then, is not a mock draft.
This is just a cross-section of opinions from people who I’ve come to trust over the decades — people who aren’t in the business of lying. They tell me the truth — sometimes, a cold truth — and I don’t name them. It’s been a fair exchange over the years. They tell me what they like and don’t like about the prospects, if the young men are coachable or not, who they think their games pattern after, and so on. As basketball has evolved, so have the position definitions. There aren’t “ones” or “twos” any more; there are just guards, wings and bigs. We will, then, start with guards, to be followed by wings and bigs before the July 29 draft.
Here’s some of what hoops people are thinking about the draft.
The Pistons will take Cade Cunningham at No. 1 … right?
Detroit’s brain trust said all the right things after winning the NBA Draft Lottery — that it wasn’t wedded to the do-everything Cunningham, the brilliant Oklahoma State playmaker, that the Pistons would give strong consideration to Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs or G-Leaguer Jalen Green with the top selection. They’ll no doubt do their due diligence on everyone else, including USC big Evan Mobley. But you can’t overthink No. 1. There’s no one making a true compelling argument against the obvious choice of Cunningham, a 6-foot-8 guard with a 7-1 wingspan, amazing passing ability and poise.
Eastern Conference executive 1: All worthy candidates to at least consider, but Cade is hard to pass on.
Eastern Conference executive 2: Now, maybe (GM Troy Weaver) sees something in Mobley that nobody else sees. And that could be him. Troy knows how to pick ’em. So maybe he sees something in Evan that he doesn’t quite see in Cade — long term, for their team. The other part about Evan is Wasserman. Arn (Tellem, the former mega-agent, who is now the Pistons’ vice chairman) created Wasserman, so there could be a connection there.
It’s kind of unfair (to discuss weaknesses) because he obviously is a level above what he was playing, where he was playing, in college. Maybe he didn’t show the athleticism that he might show once he gets to this level. The lack of athleticism that he wasn’t forced to show in college, he was able to get by because of his size, by position and skill set. So if he’s not explosive like Paul George, he’s not able to do those things, that size is only going to take him so far. (Luka) Dončić is doing some things at that same size. Luka’s big. Luka’s a big dude. And he’s very crafty with his footwork and his ability to separate, get his shot off. And I don’t know if Cade has that against this speed, at this level. But it’s kind of unfair for me to say those are weaknesses because he wasn’t forced to show those strengths at the level he was playing.
Western Conference executive 1: He has it. He surveys the game for the first 15, 20 minutes, then says “what do we need?” And he does it. He’s Scottie Barnes (Florida State’s forward, expected to go high in the Lottery) with a jump shot. That’s my problem with Scottie. (Cunningham)’s Jayson Tatum. Same size. Can score from anywhere on the court.
College head coach (his team played OSU last season): Really impressed by his poise. Unbelievable court presence. Mike (Boynton, Jr., OSU’s head coach) got him prepared for the NBA. He can do everything. He can shoot it, he can pass it. And his body is a kid. When he gets in the weight room he will become even stronger. He didn’t get sped up. We tried. It didn’t bother him one bit. He’s just got that poise and that ability to dictate what happens on the floor. We coached against Ja Morant (in college). Ja made everybody better. He gave them another level of confidence because he makes plays for everybody. He’s got that (same) presence and that ability. He’s got the makeup to be a good defender. You get out there a little early to see his presence. I didn’t feel (any) ego walking into the gym. It’s just a kid that’s excited to play. Some kids just play. He competes.
Jalen or … Jalen?
Very few things are as clear as this — the explosion of the name “Jalen,” and almost all of its variants, from “Jaylen” to “Jaylin,” and so forth — came about because of one person: the late Jeanne Rose, who gave her fourth child a mashing of the baby’s father’s name, James, and her brother’s name, Leonard, in 1973. Two decades later, Jalen Rose was one of the chief catalysts of the famed “Fab Five” at Michigan, and a movement was born. Dozens of Jalens, etc., have come to play basketball and football in the succeeding years. And this year, two more Jalens — Gonzaga freshman guard Jalen Suggs and guard Jalen Green, who played for the G League’s Ignite select team this year rather than go to college — are both set to go in the top four.
Pro-Green
G League coach (his team played Ignite): I’ve seen Jalen since he was in 11th grade, when he was with “Why Not!!” in the EYBL. Then he went to Prolific Prep. … I am impressed with this young man. Someone said he’s like a Zach LaVine. I agree with that. Early on, I don’t know how Zach was when he first came out. I think they considered Zach a little wild, out of control, but an explosive guard, just being athletic. This kid is like Zach, but a little more mature at that age.
That stint in the bubble, I think it helped him play under control. He had to learn to play defense. BShaw (Brian Shaw, Ignite’s coach) and them, playing against all those experienced players (including former NBA vets Jarrett Jack and Bobby Brown), it helped him. … I remember how Kobe was as a young dude. He tried to just be explosive, jump over people at any time. Just being reckless, deviates from the play.
(Green’s) going to be an incredible player. … I heard some negative stuff I didn’t like in the bubble. No one knows these high school dudes, so you hear it. These G league guys and these two-way guys, they have to treat (Ignite) seriously. They were like, “man, what’s with this dude?” Then all of a sudden, he goes on, like, a streak, five in a row, he was hitting 3s, athletic. And you look at him, and he’s just 17 or 18 years old. He’s going to be a steal for a team. He’s going to be a legit two-guard.
I’m trying to look for some problems for him. You’re waiting for his age to kick in, like a problem with his youth. Maybe he’ll get a little wild with it, not know all the pro concepts, deviate from the plays and just go rock on his own. But I don’t see it. … I think he’ll do that right away in the NBA if they let him, and he’s on the right team. The right team has to let him do his thing. He’s a little light of frame, maybe get knocked off his spot. But I can’t think of anything else. He’s got the 3 ball. I think he’s got great elevation on his jumper. He’s relatively consistent with the 3. He takes good shots. Nice little pull-up on the fade. And he can elevate to get his shot off.
G League team executive: He got better and better. On and off the court, he matured. Diligent about his work, wants to make every shot. Smooth. Runs like a deer. He wants to get better. You tell him something, he does it. He wants to be great. He has open ears. … (Ignite) put him in ball screens, he was getting downhill, he was making plays. Whatever you asked him to do, he made the correction. Did a good job of mixing it up, jumper and driving, (which) will make him more dangerous. I think he’s only going to get better and better. (Defensively), he wanted to get better. In the bubble, he cared. He hooped. He never said anything bad. When things didn’t go well, he was accountable.
USA Basketball Member 1: We went to Argentina for the U16s. The experiences these kids have, it really kind of numbs them from being awestruck. Both those kids, it’s not like they had everything perfect. We talked to Jalen Green about coming off the bench. He was sixth man. and he handled that tremendously. He was the MVP. Jalen is definitely (better) off the ball. His mindset, to me, is not that of a point guard. He’s a scorer and defender at that wing position. Both (Green and Suggs) can adjust their games to who they’re playing. And they’re both smart kids. You tell them don’t let him go to his right, they’ll pick. They’re not obnoxiously outspoken. Evan (Mobley, who was also on the team) didn’t talk much. Both of them are extroverts. The really good ones want to be coached.
Pro-Suggs
USA Basketball Member 2: Nothing against Jalen Green, but I love Jalen Suggs. That football mentality that he brought to basketball, his toughness, I think is a real separator. Jalen Green is a freak athlete, but Jalen Green also has that smooth west coast game that can sometimes be misconstrued as soft or lazy because he does things so effortlessly. But I would go to war with Suggs every day. He’s tough. He can play. He talks. He leads. His mentality is just different, and I loved it. Loved it. Suggs brought it every day. You knew what you were going to get with him. Part of leading is leading by example. You never had to question whether or not you were getting his best effort. You never had to question whether or not he was locked in. He wanted to win. Winning, sometimes, can get lost in the shuffle. Never with him. If he had to do something that wasn’t glamorous, or wasn’t going to get all the attention, so be it. He was going to be right there doing it. He’s a winner. That’ll translate.
Guys have to be able to play with other really good players. They can’t be that ball dominant. If you get drafted by the Mavericks, Luka Doncic is going to have the ball 90 percent of the time. So if all you can do is be productive when you have the ball, you’re going to have a problem. You go to the Lakers, LeBron’s going to have the ball. If you go to Atlanta, Trae Young’s going to have the ball. That’s just reality. There’s very few guys who are gonna be picked where a team says ‘here’s the ball; it’s your team now.’ That just isn’t gonna happen.
Jalen Suggs, to me, has proved that he can play with other good players and that he’s going to do things that aren’t the most glamorous jobs. He can sacrifice. ‘Cause he’s all about winning. If I were picking No. 1 — and no offense to Cade Cunningham, he’s a totally different beast, he’s a 6-8 point guard — but it would take a lot for me to pass up on picking Jalen Suggs. He’s one of my favorites. He’s it, man. …
Jalen Suggs’ game just translates so much easier. His size is going to help him (defensively), both his height and his physicality. He’ll be allowed to be a little bit more physical, as long as he keeps his hands off. Anything inside the 3-point line, he’s going to be allowed to use his chest and his hips. Again, he’s a football player.
Western Conference executive 2: Shot’s not broken. He just needs reps. Everyone wants Ben (Simmons) to become a shooter. So does the defense. That’s what they want him to do. If Suggs can get it to 36, 37 percent, that will be great because he’s really good. The football shows up. He’s got some of that blue-collar **** in him.
USA Basketball member 1: He is ultra competitive. He loves to compete. Any time we played three-on-three, cutthroat, where there’s a winner or loser, he’d play for a couple of hours. He’s a good athlete, but not as good as Green. Playing football helps his vision. He’s got great vision. From a quarterback standpoint, he knows where people are at. He knows how to make a tough pass. Suggs is certainly, his learning curve will be really low in how to play defense, where he should be. Understands spacing. Reacts really well. Moving when the ball is in the air. He made up a lot of ground when the ball was in the air. Really good on-ball defender.
Eastern Conference executive 2: I’ve seen him work through adversity. I’ve seen him take a step back to fit in with the team, and step in when they needed him to score. I’ve seen him start off bad in a game and come back the second half and turn it on. I have more faith in him coming in. … a lot of times, players are limited in how they’re able to read (plays) — not only offensively, but defensively, too. That’s a player being able to know, “OK, if this happens, then this is going to happen.” You’ve got to have that creativity to be a step ahead of a play.
That’s another reason I like Suggs, because I’ve seen that with him. He’s able to anticipate, not only defensively, but offensively. “If I make this pass, or I come off this screen, I can read that this defense is going to do this, and I’ll have these options to make reads off of.” … Jalen can manipulate the play. I’ve seen LeBron manipulate the play because he knows two steps ahead and what reads to make.
Who’s the Fourth Supreme?
We know Cunningham, Suggs and Green will be the top-three guards taken, but who will go next amongst the guards? Multiple mocks have multiple guys in the late lottery, but four seem to be jockeying with one another: Connecticut sophomore James Bouknight, Baylor junior Davion Mitchell, Arkansas freshman swingman Moses Moody and Tennessee freshman Keon Johnson — who obliterated the previous draft combine vertical leap record two weeks ago with an astonishing 48-inch jump. This might be the order they go in; at the least, it’s hard to see either Bouknight or Mitchell lasting into the teens.
The case for Bouknight
Eastern Conference executive 3: He shot the piss out the ball in workouts. I don’t know if he’s the hardest worker in practice, but when the lights come on, he shined.
Western Conference executive 2: People want to compare him to (Jordan) Clarkson today. You need to compare Bouknight to Clarkson when he was a sophomore at Missouri. Apples to apples. You don’t compare Mitchell to Russell Westbrook the MVP; you compare him to where Russell Westbrook was at UCLA. Similar size. Bouknight’s got a better handle. I never thought Clarkson was great with the ball. But Bouknight’s a tough kid. I like him. I don’t think he’s a great shooter yet. Good midrange, can handle the pick-and-roll. I just wish he shot it a little better. But, again, he’s 20.
College head coach 2 (his team played UConn last year): Streaky. He can shoot, can put it on the floor. He just needs to become a more consistent shooter. All that will fall into place. He can put it on the floor. He kicked our ***. First game he struggled; next game he went off on us. But he’s got to improve on his game. Don’t think “I’ve made it.” Continue to work on his handle. Like everybody in college, it’s a different level when you get to (the NBA). But I like him.
The case for Mitchell
College assistant coach 1 (his team played Baylor last season): We had to pick our poison with him. He’s obviously solid defensively. He has that mentality that we wants to guard. Physically, he has the ability to be able to guard. He can body you up. He moves his feet really well, both ways. On the offensive end we felt that we would give him the jump shot more than let him get to the basket, but then again, you’ve got to be able to at least touch him, because he’s a capable jump shooter. But he’s really good at finishing going to the basket. He sees the floor well. He has a point guard mentality; I don’t think he’s a shoot-it-first guard. He knows when to take his shots. Where (Jared) Butler is more smooth and herky-jerky on the offensive end, Mitchell will kind of like go on and explode by you and put his shoulders on you. He’s not going to play with the ball as much as Butler does. Mitchell will take his shot when it’s given to him. … Physically, he can guard (shooting guards).
College head coach 3 (his team also played Baylor): He disrupted us. His ability to sit down in a stance and move his feet laterally, with pressure. Most guys back up because they’re afraid you’re going to blow by. He’s really good on catch-and-shoot 3s. He puts the fear of God into you defensively. He’s like Muggsy (Bogues) on the ball. Davion Mitchell is right there among the best defenders I’ve ever coached against. Whatever team gets him, you’re as good as you are at the point of attack. He’s like a (Chris Paul), or a (Kyle) Lowry. … Plus he’s got a mean streak to him. He’s got an edge to him. When I was watching their tape, I stopped watching Baylor and started watching him. His measurables are irrelevant. Try measuring between his ears and inside his chest.
Eastern Conference executive 4: I think people see similarities with Donovan Mitchell. … I think this kid is a better point guard than Donovan was, and he might be a better pressure defender than Donovan was. He’s got ‘bulldog’ in him. Especially this year, he’s got extreme confidence in his ability to play both ends of the court. He’s going to get a bump because of the Donovan Mitchell (comparison). Donovan surpassed whatever we thought of him. I don’t know if Davion can get to that level. But he’s going to be a solid pro for many, many years. And, he’s got leadership abilities … I think this kid’s going to be able to step in and get his voice right away.
The case for Moody
Eastern Conference executive 4: I see him as a two, as a wing. He can play two, probably play some three. Moody is probably a much better defender (than Bouknight) because of the system he’s coming out of at Arkansas. (Coach Eric Musselman) makes those guys play defense, whereas I’m not sure they pressured (Bouknight) at Connecticut to play defense. They needed him to score. (Bouknight) shot it extremely well before he got hurt.
The case for Johnson
Western Conference executive 3: At the beginning of the year, it could have been close (between Johnson and his Tennessee teammate, Jaden Springer). But Keon, No. 1, athletically, is a freak. Two, not saying that Jaden isn’t, but Keon could be the best competitor in this draft class. His compete level is, by far, maybe the best in the draft. You could possibly throw in Mitchell a little bit. But this kid, he goes at a different pace and speed in a game, both offensively and defensively, that separates him. I would say today, Jaden is a more skilled basketball player — meaning handle, passing, shooting. But in the long run, I think Keon, with his work ethic, that’s what you’re seeing.
If he’s a worker, which it seems like he is, he’s going to get better in those areas. And he already will have an athletic component and a motor. … he’s like an assassin. He has stuff that now, in our game, is so important. Guys don’t play hard every night. When I started in this business, we never discussed if a guy played hard. … Now, today, I’d say the last five, seven years, playing hard has become part of our scouting. Does he play hard enough? That’s ridiculous. This kid, he plays really, really hard all the time. And at Tennessee, you know they’ve been coached hard. Playing hard is an important staple in their program.
(First?) Rounding into Shape
Several guard prospects have first-round grades from teams, including Auburn’s Sharife Cooper, who was in the U.S. U-19 camp before his one season at Auburn; Tennessee’s Jaden Springer, Louisville’s David Johnson, Florida sophomore Tre Mann, Arizona State freshman Josh Christopher and Illinois’ Ayo Dosunmu.
Sharife Cooper
Eastern Conference executive 3: Into getting the swag bag. ‘I’ll get the USA gear but I’m not into this other ****.’
Eastern Conference executive 5: He’s got great leadership. You look at the way Auburn played without him. … when Sharife came on, the way the team played was just night and day. … Here’s what this team looks like with a real guard, someone really spraying the ball around, great at setting his teammates up, understands pace. He’s got the vision and the point guard skills. Sometimes he can be a little loose with the ball, get overconfident with it, like a Tre Mann, Trae Young, Steph Curry – they’ll get a bunch of assists, but they’ll have like seven turnovers.
The biggest concern for him is his shooting off the bounce. He just was really consistent all throughout the season. That’s probably the No. 1 thing that turned some of our guys off. Can he take care of the ball and can he consistently get shots? His dad did a fantastic job framing the pitch (on his pro day). He didn’t take a single shot off the bounce in the whole hour of his pro day that he had. But he was able to hit catch-and-shoot jumpers. They didn’t do any movement. Everything they did was with his feet set. They really set him up to succeed, and he did really well. The one thing you saw at his pro day is that he works extremely hard.
David Johnson
College assistant coach 2 (his team played Louisville last season): Maybe I’m wrong. The smart thing to say about him was Carlik Jones (who made First Team All-ACC last season) kind of took his thunder. When he was at Duke his freshman year he played really good. Played in pick-and-roll and made good decisions. He’s a 6-foot-5 point guard. He didn’t have a great year. Didn’t have a bad year, but their team didn’t have a good year. With Carlik you had two good guards and maybe they didn’t get a chance to coexist. I anticipated him being a guy who was going to be a real problem, and he just wasn’t.
College assistant coach 3 (his team also played Louisville): David Johnson can play some point for you. … this year they had Carlik Jones, he played point. For (Leonard Hamilton, the Florida State coach), any of them dudes could bring it up. Scottie (Barnes) brought it up; RaiQuan Gray brought it up some. You’re talking wingspan, ball skills, positional size (with Johnson). He’s got it.
Jaden Springer
Western Conference executive 3: Overall, he’s really, really skilled. He can dribble, he can pass, and he can shoot. I believe he shot 40 percent from 3 (Editor’s note: it was 43.5 percent). And I know it was not on a lot of attempts, but you know he’s going to improve as an NBA player, because they shoot 500 shots in practice every day. He can play multiple positions, point guard and off guard. And he can defend multiple positions. High basketball IQ. The athleticism, he’s going to have to figure out a little bit. He’s a good athlete; he’s not a great athlete. But I think the three things he does transfer well. If the moon and the stars lined up, he could be Malcolm Brogdon. And I think Malcolm Brogdon signed a pretty good second contract.
Josh Christopher
Eastern Conference executive 5: It really comes down to his shooting. Do you believe his shot can get better? There’s no doubt the kid’s a scorer and he’s competitive and he can play and he’s tough. So many of the guards who didn’t participate (at the combine) were considered below him, or around his space, and he still went out and competed. He was probably the highest-profile guy that actually played at the combine. We talked about that as a group. We instantly respected that he went out and competed like that.
There’s going to a contingent of people that looked at that and say, ‘you know he’ll go out and play every day. He’s not going to sit out. He’s no chump. Whatever he can give in a playoff, he’s not going to back down; he’s going to stand out there and compete.’ Kind of reminds me of a Talen Horton-Tucker coming in. You know this guy’s got talent. You know he’s going to compete. You know he’s confident. But he doesn’t shoot efficiently. I wish he were a little bit quicker. Things like that. …I think he still goes in the first round.
Tre Mann
College assistant coach 4 (his team played Florida last season): Tre Mann obviously showed me some things scoring-wise. But Tre’s shots all came in the corner – I’m wide open, I’m gonna shoot it – or athleticism moves. Had some great tip-ins.
Eastern Conference executive 5: The shooting, I think, is legit. You saw that jump from his freshman year to his sophomore year. I was shocked he shot that poorly his freshman year. When I saw him in practices his freshman year, I thought he was going to have a season (then) that he had this year. … A lot of it was adjusting to the game and getting his body strong. I think some of that was butting heads a little bit with Andrew Nembhard (who transferred to Gonzaga last year). Once Andrew left and it solely became his show, and Scottie Lewis was a little bit more willing to take a back seat, Tre really shined.
He does have that versatility to play on and off the ball. Good handle. The main concern with him is defense, just holding his position, containing drivers. Thin legs. Doesn’t have a defensive toughness. I don’t see that floor leadership as far as really leading a team. He checks a lot of boxes as far as his craftiness with his handle, he changes gears, can play in pick-and-roll, make a variety of pick-and-roll passes, he can shoot a variety of shoots off the bounce. He can shoot behind the line to keep you honest. I think he’s more geared to score coming off of ball screens. But he can complete the pass. He may not see it regularly, because he is geared to score, and that’s one of the things he has to work on. But a lot of teams like lead guards who put pressure on the defense first and can make a play for others second.
Ayo Dosunmu
Western Conference executive 3: Not sure why he isn’t getting more love.
Western Conference executive 1: Has improved dramatically by staying three years. Combo guard who can defend multiple positions. Explosive athlete who is really tough in transition. Can score at all three levels – 3-point line, midrange and at the rim. Versatile two-way player. Think Terence Mann with an off-the-bounce dribble jumper. Serious young man who was a great interview. Leadership potential.
The Fabulous Baylor Boys
If Mitchell is certain to go in the lottery, what of the other two-thirds of Butler’s national championship, three-headed guard monster, Jared Butler and MaCio Teague? Butler’s draft status is up in the air after he was referred to the NBA’s Fitness to Play Panel, which will determine if the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player will be cleared medically to be drafted or to play in the league. Talent isn’t the issue with Butler, who shot 42 percent behind the arc last season. Teague shot almost 40 percent on 3s, but he turned 24 last month, an advanced age for an NBA rookie to be.
College assistant coach 1: We tried to crowd Butler and not give him any space. He’s good at playing in space. He’s really crafty with the ball, he can separate. Doesn’t have a high release point on the shot. If you give him room, he really can create in space, and he’s crafty with the ball where he can just step back and shoot it. We tried to just crowd him and stay attached to him as much as possible. He’s really deceptive with the ball, he changes speeds well. I don’t necessarily see him as a point guard; he’s just a guard that can score it. He can play in the league if he’s allowed to shoot without a lot of pressure. I think if people crowd him and get in him, then he has some problems. But I’m also saying he’s still good enough that he can get to the basket and finish. He’s deceptive that way.
College head coach 3: He’s a problem in that he can make hard shots. Got an in-between game and can get into the paint.
Eastern Conference executive 4: He’s a guard. He’s not a point guard, not a shooting guard. He’s a combo guard. Jared’s a pretty talented kid.
MaCio Teague
College assistant coach 1: Teague is the wild card on that team. If you sleep on Teague he’s going to end up with 30. I told our guys I know Butler and Mitchell are the focus, but don’t sleep on Teague. You really don’t know where you’re going to play him. Definitely not at point. He has a funny release on shot. More of a scorer; he’s not going to one-two dribble and shoot over you. Can side step, step back. And a good finisher at the rim, also. A year or two in the G League, and next thing you know he’s on somebody’s roster. Mentally, I think he’s a tough kid. I don’t think people know how good he is, because he’s kind of awkward. More of a set shot. Funny looking hitch. But he can shoot the 3.
Eastern Conference executive 4: When Teague came in (after transferring from UNC-Asheville), I think he’s 6-foot-4, with a 6-foot-11 wingspan. And he had a windup shot when he came to Baylor. Because his arms are so long, he had a windup shot. He could never get it off quick enough. They started working with him to get the shot off closer to his body, and that’s where the hitch came from. And he’s gotten so used to it, it probably would be hard for him to change right now. He’s got a hitch in his spot-up 3, spot-up jumper. And he’s got a little hitch in his free throw. But when you look at him when he shoots a pull-up jumper, the shot’s good. He doesn’t have a hitch. But it’s so ingrained in him now to try and keep his body close on the jumper, he’s got that hitch and he doesn’t think about it. And he’s able to get it off a lot quicker against taller, better players than he was before.
Promises, promises?
LSU freshman Cameron Thomas withdrew from the Chicago combine. That almost always means a team has promised a prospect they’ll take him in the first round. The logic is simple: what else do you have to prove – or potentially lose – when you already know you have a guaranteed first-round spot?
College assistant coach 4 (his team played LSU last season): He’s Lou Williams all over again. Professional scorer. You wasn’t rattling Cam. … Today’s game is they’re going to find you if they can’t defend. He’s strong. He’s a strong kid. Offensively, he’s elite. He got better this year letting other people play with his toys in the sandbox. He’s going to have to play with some stars, where he can come in with the second group and do his thing. His legs are like oak trees. He don’t get fouled because he puts his head down; he knows how to get fouled. The rip through. He was shooting 10 free throws a game. He’s great at getting to his spots. Ropes in practice. He can shoot it from the (Damian Lillard) line. If you put him with the second team, he can get buckets like Cam Payne does. Cam brought the mid-range back in college.
Late risers?
Multiple guards – Ohio’s Jason Preston, VCU’s Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland, Alabama’s Josh Primo, West Virginia’s Miles McBride, Houston’s Quentin Grimes – played well last month at the Chicago Combine. But did they, or others, really improve their draft stock?
Western Conference executive 3: I don’t think any of them catapulted themselves into some area that we didn’t think they would be able to get to, but they certainly supplanted themselves and played well to say we were right, or we need to do a little more work between now and July. There’s a reason why they’re playing. There’s a reason they have to play at the combine, to show they can play. … Those guys, they separated themselves. And that’s what you have to do at that event.
Nah’Shon Hyland
College assistant coach 5 (his team played VCU last season): Talented, shifty. Got a lot of Jamal Crawford in him. Thin and you think you can push him around. But shifty. He shoots from deep. And he’s a great teammate.
Eastern Conference executive 2: I liked what I saw in him. His game translates a little bit. Kind of reminds me a little bit of (Rajon) Rondo, in the way he moves, how he sees a little bit. Probably tough of me to compare him to Rondo. But he reminded me of Rondo when I watched him at the combine. … he stuck out to me. He plays with fire. And he picks his teammates up.
Quentin Grimes
College head coach 3: Still evolving as a player. His level of improvement from his second year at Kansas (to last season) … there was a bump. He averaged two rebounds a game at Kansas. (Houston) put him on the other team’s best player. He started getting 3-to-4 offensive rebounds a game. He just took off. The thing I like about him is he’s a gym rat. Everyone thinks working on your game is dribbling around cones and getting somebody to pass you the ball and getting some shots up. You say ‘I had a great workout today.’ No, you didn’t. You don’t work on your decision-making dribbling around cones. There were a lot of games hanging in the balance where he made the difference-making big shot. Good feet. What he was not was a natural competitor. Playing hard is not enough. You have to learn to compete. There’s more there. … He’s going to have games as a rookie where he scores 20 and raises eyebrows.
Eastern Conference executive 5: (The combine) is almost like a playoff environment. You want to show the guys in the biggest moment, when every one in the league is looking at them, and they have a chance to make their dreams come true, who’s rising to the occasion, and calm, and who is getting shook. That’s why Grimes really showed, and “Bones,” both of those guys. When everything was on the table, those guys rose to the occasion.
Josh Primo
College assistant coach 4: I thought he should probably stay another year. But if you’re talking about (putting him) with two stars, you’re putting him in the corner and asking him to do what (Cam) Johnson is doing in Phoenix. You’re asking him to do what some of these other guards are doing, sitting in the corner shots and making plays. He could do that. … I think he has a lot of upside. Very non-emotional type of kid. Very different from (John) Petty, who lives off of emotion. This guy’s very calm and collected.
He’s a piece. … He’s Moody all over again. He sits in the corner and waits for his shot. Great shot, great shot fake, and if you run he knows how to attack closeouts to get a better shot. (But) he’s not creating anything. He’s not the kid in the NBA coming off the ball screen; he’s the kid in the corner waiting on a Chris Paul to get him a shot. Maybe can develop into a guy who can come off one in the right situation. It only takes one team to love you.
Daishen Nix, G-League Ignite
G League team executive: IQ is super high. Has the body and the build. Long term, years from now, he could be the guy you say ‘wow’ about. You put him in the open court, he can see the court. At times he was careless, but he sees the play before the play. He can rebound. Triple-double machine. Better defender than people think. When he’s together with a team and processing and coaching he can get better.
John Petty Jr., Alabama
College assistant coach 4: Petty could be a wild card. He could end up being somebody who, in the right situation with the right team, could step up and surprise you because he has the mentality. His ballhandling is a little suspect, but he can definitely get it going. If he had a better handle, he has the mentality of a Donovan Mitchell. He feels he can take over. I just feel like his ballhandling, sometimes, doesn’t allow him to. … He would take some 50-footers now. He had some tough years when he came in. He played behind some guys and averaged seven (or) nine. This year, they let him go.
He struggled when his game slowed down. He struggled in late-game situations because he didn’t have a go-to move. You couldn’t give him the ball and say ‘beat me.’ Petty was a good defender (but) again, it was based on emotion. If he was engaged, he was a very good defender. But he had issues his first couple of years with Avery (Johnson) where he would just disappear. … I don’t know if he was a great disciplined defender. He’s not like Jae Crowder. Petty will play defense as long as his offense was on.
M.J. Walker, Florida State
College assistant coach 2: Obviously he’s the rare McDonald’s (All-American) who stayed. Really shoots it. A little slow of foot. I don’t think they thought he was their best defender. Skillful guy. Can carve out a niche. Not a great athlete. Not Jordan Nwora, but the skill and shooting is what makes him a good player, not the length and athleticism. It’s almost like he should be playing football. His body is thick. Walker was difficult just because of his shot-making ability from deep. He could do some things off the dribble.
College assistant coach 3: Undersized. He’s no more than 6-foot-5, legit. He can shoot it. Another straight line driver. He’s going to play hard but it may be hard for him. He ain’t as good as David Johnson.
Miles McBride
Eastern Conference executive 3: I love him. He’s like a Jevon Carter with offense. Good wing span, has toughness. He’s like Suggs – he was a quarterback in high school. He’s tough, gets in you, gets deflections. Shooting is good. He’s got a good midrange. Strong lower body and he can get his legs under him when he takes the pull. If you watch him play, he’s unselfish. Making passes from the right wing to the weakside corner. I’m not saying he’s Steve Nash, but he does have some instincts. When you go (to West Virginia, Bob Huggins is) only going to bring in tough guys. That definitely helps. You watch him play, and he plays on both sides of the ball. Some people say he isn’t a point guard. He ain’t a points guard, that’s for sure. He’s got unselfish properties in him.
Jason Preston
Eastern Conference executive 3: Best pick-and-roll point guard in the country. He’s a little unorthodox. Reminds me of Derrick White in terms of a passer. He’s got some length and some competitive juices. And he’s going to scrape and claw because he scraped and clawed to get where he is. He’s got a funky shot, but it goes in. He didn’t do anything for me (in Chicago) – I already liked him. If you hadn’t been paying attention, you’d say ‘oh, snap, the kid can play.’ On that pick-and-roll, he makes good reads. He’s got to get stronger, but the boy’s got a chip on his shoulder. He didn’t have a scholarship to go to Division 1. He played an AAU tournament with his friends and they made clips and sent them out. I’m always going to root for guys like that.
When I first started “The Morning Tip” for NBA.com in 2009, I made it plain: The column that followed was going to be a blatant rip-off of Peter King’s “Monday Morning Quarterback,” the catchall NFL column that packed so very, very much into every week’s offering. There was news, Q&As, opinion, analysis, stuff about other sports, stuff that had nothing to do at all with sports — all jammed into several thousand words. I wrote the Tip in that spirit for nearly a decade.
In similar spirit, the column that follows is a blatant rip-off of Bruce Feldman’s NFL Draft Confidential — his yin to the yang that is Dane Brugler’s annual pre-draft epic, The Beast. As Feldman complements Brugler, I hope to provide some ballast to Sam Vecenie’s year-long, exhaustive prep work that leaves you better prepared for the NBA Draft than anything else you’ll read. No one knows more than Sam about the draft, starting with me; I am, definitely, one of the JBs. (And, no, I am not Bootsy Collins, who went way beyond JBdom in his own right, either.)
I’ve spent much of the last month talking to a few dozen NBA personnel men, scouts, execs and multiple college coaches who’ve either seen or whose teams coached against the blue-chip prospects who should go in this year’s draft. The goal was not to produce anything resembling a mock draft, most of which are an affront to man and God. It is not a critique of the people who work so very hard to predict what will happen in a given year that almost everyone who tries a mock is comically, crazily wrong. They are being lied to, professionally — mostly by agents who insist each of their clients will go top half of the first round, then forget to text back on draft night as their guys go through the floor.
This, then, is not a mock draft.
This is just a cross-section of opinions from people who I’ve come to trust over the decades — people who aren’t in the business of lying. They tell me the truth — sometimes, a cold truth — and I don’t name them. It’s been a fair exchange over the years. They tell me what they like and don’t like about the prospects, if the young men are coachable or not, who they think their games pattern after, and so on. As basketball has evolved, so have the position definitions. There aren’t “ones” or “twos” any more; there are just guards, wings and bigs. We will, then, start with guards, to be followed by wings and bigs before the July 29 draft.
Here’s some of what hoops people are thinking about the draft.
The Pistons will take Cade Cunningham at No. 1 … right?
Detroit’s brain trust said all the right things after winning the NBA Draft Lottery — that it wasn’t wedded to the do-everything Cunningham, the brilliant Oklahoma State playmaker, that the Pistons would give strong consideration to Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs or G-Leaguer Jalen Green with the top selection. They’ll no doubt do their due diligence on everyone else, including USC big Evan Mobley. But you can’t overthink No. 1. There’s no one making a true compelling argument against the obvious choice of Cunningham, a 6-foot-8 guard with a 7-1 wingspan, amazing passing ability and poise.
Eastern Conference executive 1: All worthy candidates to at least consider, but Cade is hard to pass on.
Eastern Conference executive 2: Now, maybe (GM Troy Weaver) sees something in Mobley that nobody else sees. And that could be him. Troy knows how to pick ’em. So maybe he sees something in Evan that he doesn’t quite see in Cade — long term, for their team. The other part about Evan is Wasserman. Arn (Tellem, the former mega-agent, who is now the Pistons’ vice chairman) created Wasserman, so there could be a connection there.
It’s kind of unfair (to discuss weaknesses) because he obviously is a level above what he was playing, where he was playing, in college. Maybe he didn’t show the athleticism that he might show once he gets to this level. The lack of athleticism that he wasn’t forced to show in college, he was able to get by because of his size, by position and skill set. So if he’s not explosive like Paul George, he’s not able to do those things, that size is only going to take him so far. (Luka) Dončić is doing some things at that same size. Luka’s big. Luka’s a big dude. And he’s very crafty with his footwork and his ability to separate, get his shot off. And I don’t know if Cade has that against this speed, at this level. But it’s kind of unfair for me to say those are weaknesses because he wasn’t forced to show those strengths at the level he was playing.
Western Conference executive 1: He has it. He surveys the game for the first 15, 20 minutes, then says “what do we need?” And he does it. He’s Scottie Barnes (Florida State’s forward, expected to go high in the Lottery) with a jump shot. That’s my problem with Scottie. (Cunningham)’s Jayson Tatum. Same size. Can score from anywhere on the court.
College head coach (his team played OSU last season): Really impressed by his poise. Unbelievable court presence. Mike (Boynton, Jr., OSU’s head coach) got him prepared for the NBA. He can do everything. He can shoot it, he can pass it. And his body is a kid. When he gets in the weight room he will become even stronger. He didn’t get sped up. We tried. It didn’t bother him one bit. He’s just got that poise and that ability to dictate what happens on the floor. We coached against Ja Morant (in college). Ja made everybody better. He gave them another level of confidence because he makes plays for everybody. He’s got that (same) presence and that ability. He’s got the makeup to be a good defender. You get out there a little early to see his presence. I didn’t feel (any) ego walking into the gym. It’s just a kid that’s excited to play. Some kids just play. He competes.
Jalen or … Jalen?
Very few things are as clear as this — the explosion of the name “Jalen,” and almost all of its variants, from “Jaylen” to “Jaylin,” and so forth — came about because of one person: the late Jeanne Rose, who gave her fourth child a mashing of the baby’s father’s name, James, and her brother’s name, Leonard, in 1973. Two decades later, Jalen Rose was one of the chief catalysts of the famed “Fab Five” at Michigan, and a movement was born. Dozens of Jalens, etc., have come to play basketball and football in the succeeding years. And this year, two more Jalens — Gonzaga freshman guard Jalen Suggs and guard Jalen Green, who played for the G League’s Ignite select team this year rather than go to college — are both set to go in the top four.
Pro-Green
G League coach (his team played Ignite): I’ve seen Jalen since he was in 11th grade, when he was with “Why Not!!” in the EYBL. Then he went to Prolific Prep. … I am impressed with this young man. Someone said he’s like a Zach LaVine. I agree with that. Early on, I don’t know how Zach was when he first came out. I think they considered Zach a little wild, out of control, but an explosive guard, just being athletic. This kid is like Zach, but a little more mature at that age.
That stint in the bubble, I think it helped him play under control. He had to learn to play defense. BShaw (Brian Shaw, Ignite’s coach) and them, playing against all those experienced players (including former NBA vets Jarrett Jack and Bobby Brown), it helped him. … I remember how Kobe was as a young dude. He tried to just be explosive, jump over people at any time. Just being reckless, deviates from the play.
(Green’s) going to be an incredible player. … I heard some negative stuff I didn’t like in the bubble. No one knows these high school dudes, so you hear it. These G league guys and these two-way guys, they have to treat (Ignite) seriously. They were like, “man, what’s with this dude?” Then all of a sudden, he goes on, like, a streak, five in a row, he was hitting 3s, athletic. And you look at him, and he’s just 17 or 18 years old. He’s going to be a steal for a team. He’s going to be a legit two-guard.
I’m trying to look for some problems for him. You’re waiting for his age to kick in, like a problem with his youth. Maybe he’ll get a little wild with it, not know all the pro concepts, deviate from the plays and just go rock on his own. But I don’t see it. … I think he’ll do that right away in the NBA if they let him, and he’s on the right team. The right team has to let him do his thing. He’s a little light of frame, maybe get knocked off his spot. But I can’t think of anything else. He’s got the 3 ball. I think he’s got great elevation on his jumper. He’s relatively consistent with the 3. He takes good shots. Nice little pull-up on the fade. And he can elevate to get his shot off.
G League team executive: He got better and better. On and off the court, he matured. Diligent about his work, wants to make every shot. Smooth. Runs like a deer. He wants to get better. You tell him something, he does it. He wants to be great. He has open ears. … (Ignite) put him in ball screens, he was getting downhill, he was making plays. Whatever you asked him to do, he made the correction. Did a good job of mixing it up, jumper and driving, (which) will make him more dangerous. I think he’s only going to get better and better. (Defensively), he wanted to get better. In the bubble, he cared. He hooped. He never said anything bad. When things didn’t go well, he was accountable.
USA Basketball Member 1: We went to Argentina for the U16s. The experiences these kids have, it really kind of numbs them from being awestruck. Both those kids, it’s not like they had everything perfect. We talked to Jalen Green about coming off the bench. He was sixth man. and he handled that tremendously. He was the MVP. Jalen is definitely (better) off the ball. His mindset, to me, is not that of a point guard. He’s a scorer and defender at that wing position. Both (Green and Suggs) can adjust their games to who they’re playing. And they’re both smart kids. You tell them don’t let him go to his right, they’ll pick. They’re not obnoxiously outspoken. Evan (Mobley, who was also on the team) didn’t talk much. Both of them are extroverts. The really good ones want to be coached.
Pro-Suggs
USA Basketball Member 2: Nothing against Jalen Green, but I love Jalen Suggs. That football mentality that he brought to basketball, his toughness, I think is a real separator. Jalen Green is a freak athlete, but Jalen Green also has that smooth west coast game that can sometimes be misconstrued as soft or lazy because he does things so effortlessly. But I would go to war with Suggs every day. He’s tough. He can play. He talks. He leads. His mentality is just different, and I loved it. Loved it. Suggs brought it every day. You knew what you were going to get with him. Part of leading is leading by example. You never had to question whether or not you were getting his best effort. You never had to question whether or not he was locked in. He wanted to win. Winning, sometimes, can get lost in the shuffle. Never with him. If he had to do something that wasn’t glamorous, or wasn’t going to get all the attention, so be it. He was going to be right there doing it. He’s a winner. That’ll translate.
Guys have to be able to play with other really good players. They can’t be that ball dominant. If you get drafted by the Mavericks, Luka Doncic is going to have the ball 90 percent of the time. So if all you can do is be productive when you have the ball, you’re going to have a problem. You go to the Lakers, LeBron’s going to have the ball. If you go to Atlanta, Trae Young’s going to have the ball. That’s just reality. There’s very few guys who are gonna be picked where a team says ‘here’s the ball; it’s your team now.’ That just isn’t gonna happen.
Jalen Suggs, to me, has proved that he can play with other good players and that he’s going to do things that aren’t the most glamorous jobs. He can sacrifice. ‘Cause he’s all about winning. If I were picking No. 1 — and no offense to Cade Cunningham, he’s a totally different beast, he’s a 6-8 point guard — but it would take a lot for me to pass up on picking Jalen Suggs. He’s one of my favorites. He’s it, man. …
Jalen Suggs’ game just translates so much easier. His size is going to help him (defensively), both his height and his physicality. He’ll be allowed to be a little bit more physical, as long as he keeps his hands off. Anything inside the 3-point line, he’s going to be allowed to use his chest and his hips. Again, he’s a football player.
Western Conference executive 2: Shot’s not broken. He just needs reps. Everyone wants Ben (Simmons) to become a shooter. So does the defense. That’s what they want him to do. If Suggs can get it to 36, 37 percent, that will be great because he’s really good. The football shows up. He’s got some of that blue-collar **** in him.
USA Basketball member 1: He is ultra competitive. He loves to compete. Any time we played three-on-three, cutthroat, where there’s a winner or loser, he’d play for a couple of hours. He’s a good athlete, but not as good as Green. Playing football helps his vision. He’s got great vision. From a quarterback standpoint, he knows where people are at. He knows how to make a tough pass. Suggs is certainly, his learning curve will be really low in how to play defense, where he should be. Understands spacing. Reacts really well. Moving when the ball is in the air. He made up a lot of ground when the ball was in the air. Really good on-ball defender.
Eastern Conference executive 2: I’ve seen him work through adversity. I’ve seen him take a step back to fit in with the team, and step in when they needed him to score. I’ve seen him start off bad in a game and come back the second half and turn it on. I have more faith in him coming in. … a lot of times, players are limited in how they’re able to read (plays) — not only offensively, but defensively, too. That’s a player being able to know, “OK, if this happens, then this is going to happen.” You’ve got to have that creativity to be a step ahead of a play.
That’s another reason I like Suggs, because I’ve seen that with him. He’s able to anticipate, not only defensively, but offensively. “If I make this pass, or I come off this screen, I can read that this defense is going to do this, and I’ll have these options to make reads off of.” … Jalen can manipulate the play. I’ve seen LeBron manipulate the play because he knows two steps ahead and what reads to make.
Who’s the Fourth Supreme?
We know Cunningham, Suggs and Green will be the top-three guards taken, but who will go next amongst the guards? Multiple mocks have multiple guys in the late lottery, but four seem to be jockeying with one another: Connecticut sophomore James Bouknight, Baylor junior Davion Mitchell, Arkansas freshman swingman Moses Moody and Tennessee freshman Keon Johnson — who obliterated the previous draft combine vertical leap record two weeks ago with an astonishing 48-inch jump. This might be the order they go in; at the least, it’s hard to see either Bouknight or Mitchell lasting into the teens.
The case for Bouknight
Eastern Conference executive 3: He shot the piss out the ball in workouts. I don’t know if he’s the hardest worker in practice, but when the lights come on, he shined.
Western Conference executive 2: People want to compare him to (Jordan) Clarkson today. You need to compare Bouknight to Clarkson when he was a sophomore at Missouri. Apples to apples. You don’t compare Mitchell to Russell Westbrook the MVP; you compare him to where Russell Westbrook was at UCLA. Similar size. Bouknight’s got a better handle. I never thought Clarkson was great with the ball. But Bouknight’s a tough kid. I like him. I don’t think he’s a great shooter yet. Good midrange, can handle the pick-and-roll. I just wish he shot it a little better. But, again, he’s 20.
College head coach 2 (his team played UConn last year): Streaky. He can shoot, can put it on the floor. He just needs to become a more consistent shooter. All that will fall into place. He can put it on the floor. He kicked our ***. First game he struggled; next game he went off on us. But he’s got to improve on his game. Don’t think “I’ve made it.” Continue to work on his handle. Like everybody in college, it’s a different level when you get to (the NBA). But I like him.
The case for Mitchell
College assistant coach 1 (his team played Baylor last season): We had to pick our poison with him. He’s obviously solid defensively. He has that mentality that we wants to guard. Physically, he has the ability to be able to guard. He can body you up. He moves his feet really well, both ways. On the offensive end we felt that we would give him the jump shot more than let him get to the basket, but then again, you’ve got to be able to at least touch him, because he’s a capable jump shooter. But he’s really good at finishing going to the basket. He sees the floor well. He has a point guard mentality; I don’t think he’s a shoot-it-first guard. He knows when to take his shots. Where (Jared) Butler is more smooth and herky-jerky on the offensive end, Mitchell will kind of like go on and explode by you and put his shoulders on you. He’s not going to play with the ball as much as Butler does. Mitchell will take his shot when it’s given to him. … Physically, he can guard (shooting guards).
College head coach 3 (his team also played Baylor): He disrupted us. His ability to sit down in a stance and move his feet laterally, with pressure. Most guys back up because they’re afraid you’re going to blow by. He’s really good on catch-and-shoot 3s. He puts the fear of God into you defensively. He’s like Muggsy (Bogues) on the ball. Davion Mitchell is right there among the best defenders I’ve ever coached against. Whatever team gets him, you’re as good as you are at the point of attack. He’s like a (Chris Paul), or a (Kyle) Lowry. … Plus he’s got a mean streak to him. He’s got an edge to him. When I was watching their tape, I stopped watching Baylor and started watching him. His measurables are irrelevant. Try measuring between his ears and inside his chest.
Eastern Conference executive 4: I think people see similarities with Donovan Mitchell. … I think this kid is a better point guard than Donovan was, and he might be a better pressure defender than Donovan was. He’s got ‘bulldog’ in him. Especially this year, he’s got extreme confidence in his ability to play both ends of the court. He’s going to get a bump because of the Donovan Mitchell (comparison). Donovan surpassed whatever we thought of him. I don’t know if Davion can get to that level. But he’s going to be a solid pro for many, many years. And, he’s got leadership abilities … I think this kid’s going to be able to step in and get his voice right away.
The case for Moody
Eastern Conference executive 4: I see him as a two, as a wing. He can play two, probably play some three. Moody is probably a much better defender (than Bouknight) because of the system he’s coming out of at Arkansas. (Coach Eric Musselman) makes those guys play defense, whereas I’m not sure they pressured (Bouknight) at Connecticut to play defense. They needed him to score. (Bouknight) shot it extremely well before he got hurt.
The case for Johnson
Western Conference executive 3: At the beginning of the year, it could have been close (between Johnson and his Tennessee teammate, Jaden Springer). But Keon, No. 1, athletically, is a freak. Two, not saying that Jaden isn’t, but Keon could be the best competitor in this draft class. His compete level is, by far, maybe the best in the draft. You could possibly throw in Mitchell a little bit. But this kid, he goes at a different pace and speed in a game, both offensively and defensively, that separates him. I would say today, Jaden is a more skilled basketball player — meaning handle, passing, shooting. But in the long run, I think Keon, with his work ethic, that’s what you’re seeing.
If he’s a worker, which it seems like he is, he’s going to get better in those areas. And he already will have an athletic component and a motor. … he’s like an assassin. He has stuff that now, in our game, is so important. Guys don’t play hard every night. When I started in this business, we never discussed if a guy played hard. … Now, today, I’d say the last five, seven years, playing hard has become part of our scouting. Does he play hard enough? That’s ridiculous. This kid, he plays really, really hard all the time. And at Tennessee, you know they’ve been coached hard. Playing hard is an important staple in their program.
(First?) Rounding into Shape
Several guard prospects have first-round grades from teams, including Auburn’s Sharife Cooper, who was in the U.S. U-19 camp before his one season at Auburn; Tennessee’s Jaden Springer, Louisville’s David Johnson, Florida sophomore Tre Mann, Arizona State freshman Josh Christopher and Illinois’ Ayo Dosunmu.
Sharife Cooper
Eastern Conference executive 3: Into getting the swag bag. ‘I’ll get the USA gear but I’m not into this other ****.’
Eastern Conference executive 5: He’s got great leadership. You look at the way Auburn played without him. … when Sharife came on, the way the team played was just night and day. … Here’s what this team looks like with a real guard, someone really spraying the ball around, great at setting his teammates up, understands pace. He’s got the vision and the point guard skills. Sometimes he can be a little loose with the ball, get overconfident with it, like a Tre Mann, Trae Young, Steph Curry – they’ll get a bunch of assists, but they’ll have like seven turnovers.
The biggest concern for him is his shooting off the bounce. He just was really consistent all throughout the season. That’s probably the No. 1 thing that turned some of our guys off. Can he take care of the ball and can he consistently get shots? His dad did a fantastic job framing the pitch (on his pro day). He didn’t take a single shot off the bounce in the whole hour of his pro day that he had. But he was able to hit catch-and-shoot jumpers. They didn’t do any movement. Everything they did was with his feet set. They really set him up to succeed, and he did really well. The one thing you saw at his pro day is that he works extremely hard.
David Johnson
College assistant coach 2 (his team played Louisville last season): Maybe I’m wrong. The smart thing to say about him was Carlik Jones (who made First Team All-ACC last season) kind of took his thunder. When he was at Duke his freshman year he played really good. Played in pick-and-roll and made good decisions. He’s a 6-foot-5 point guard. He didn’t have a great year. Didn’t have a bad year, but their team didn’t have a good year. With Carlik you had two good guards and maybe they didn’t get a chance to coexist. I anticipated him being a guy who was going to be a real problem, and he just wasn’t.
College assistant coach 3 (his team also played Louisville): David Johnson can play some point for you. … this year they had Carlik Jones, he played point. For (Leonard Hamilton, the Florida State coach), any of them dudes could bring it up. Scottie (Barnes) brought it up; RaiQuan Gray brought it up some. You’re talking wingspan, ball skills, positional size (with Johnson). He’s got it.
Jaden Springer
Western Conference executive 3: Overall, he’s really, really skilled. He can dribble, he can pass, and he can shoot. I believe he shot 40 percent from 3 (Editor’s note: it was 43.5 percent). And I know it was not on a lot of attempts, but you know he’s going to improve as an NBA player, because they shoot 500 shots in practice every day. He can play multiple positions, point guard and off guard. And he can defend multiple positions. High basketball IQ. The athleticism, he’s going to have to figure out a little bit. He’s a good athlete; he’s not a great athlete. But I think the three things he does transfer well. If the moon and the stars lined up, he could be Malcolm Brogdon. And I think Malcolm Brogdon signed a pretty good second contract.
Josh Christopher
Eastern Conference executive 5: It really comes down to his shooting. Do you believe his shot can get better? There’s no doubt the kid’s a scorer and he’s competitive and he can play and he’s tough. So many of the guards who didn’t participate (at the combine) were considered below him, or around his space, and he still went out and competed. He was probably the highest-profile guy that actually played at the combine. We talked about that as a group. We instantly respected that he went out and competed like that.
There’s going to a contingent of people that looked at that and say, ‘you know he’ll go out and play every day. He’s not going to sit out. He’s no chump. Whatever he can give in a playoff, he’s not going to back down; he’s going to stand out there and compete.’ Kind of reminds me of a Talen Horton-Tucker coming in. You know this guy’s got talent. You know he’s going to compete. You know he’s confident. But he doesn’t shoot efficiently. I wish he were a little bit quicker. Things like that. …I think he still goes in the first round.
Tre Mann
College assistant coach 4 (his team played Florida last season): Tre Mann obviously showed me some things scoring-wise. But Tre’s shots all came in the corner – I’m wide open, I’m gonna shoot it – or athleticism moves. Had some great tip-ins.
Eastern Conference executive 5: The shooting, I think, is legit. You saw that jump from his freshman year to his sophomore year. I was shocked he shot that poorly his freshman year. When I saw him in practices his freshman year, I thought he was going to have a season (then) that he had this year. … A lot of it was adjusting to the game and getting his body strong. I think some of that was butting heads a little bit with Andrew Nembhard (who transferred to Gonzaga last year). Once Andrew left and it solely became his show, and Scottie Lewis was a little bit more willing to take a back seat, Tre really shined.
He does have that versatility to play on and off the ball. Good handle. The main concern with him is defense, just holding his position, containing drivers. Thin legs. Doesn’t have a defensive toughness. I don’t see that floor leadership as far as really leading a team. He checks a lot of boxes as far as his craftiness with his handle, he changes gears, can play in pick-and-roll, make a variety of pick-and-roll passes, he can shoot a variety of shoots off the bounce. He can shoot behind the line to keep you honest. I think he’s more geared to score coming off of ball screens. But he can complete the pass. He may not see it regularly, because he is geared to score, and that’s one of the things he has to work on. But a lot of teams like lead guards who put pressure on the defense first and can make a play for others second.
Ayo Dosunmu
Western Conference executive 3: Not sure why he isn’t getting more love.
Western Conference executive 1: Has improved dramatically by staying three years. Combo guard who can defend multiple positions. Explosive athlete who is really tough in transition. Can score at all three levels – 3-point line, midrange and at the rim. Versatile two-way player. Think Terence Mann with an off-the-bounce dribble jumper. Serious young man who was a great interview. Leadership potential.
The Fabulous Baylor Boys
If Mitchell is certain to go in the lottery, what of the other two-thirds of Butler’s national championship, three-headed guard monster, Jared Butler and MaCio Teague? Butler’s draft status is up in the air after he was referred to the NBA’s Fitness to Play Panel, which will determine if the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player will be cleared medically to be drafted or to play in the league. Talent isn’t the issue with Butler, who shot 42 percent behind the arc last season. Teague shot almost 40 percent on 3s, but he turned 24 last month, an advanced age for an NBA rookie to be.
College assistant coach 1: We tried to crowd Butler and not give him any space. He’s good at playing in space. He’s really crafty with the ball, he can separate. Doesn’t have a high release point on the shot. If you give him room, he really can create in space, and he’s crafty with the ball where he can just step back and shoot it. We tried to just crowd him and stay attached to him as much as possible. He’s really deceptive with the ball, he changes speeds well. I don’t necessarily see him as a point guard; he’s just a guard that can score it. He can play in the league if he’s allowed to shoot without a lot of pressure. I think if people crowd him and get in him, then he has some problems. But I’m also saying he’s still good enough that he can get to the basket and finish. He’s deceptive that way.
College head coach 3: He’s a problem in that he can make hard shots. Got an in-between game and can get into the paint.
Eastern Conference executive 4: He’s a guard. He’s not a point guard, not a shooting guard. He’s a combo guard. Jared’s a pretty talented kid.
MaCio Teague
College assistant coach 1: Teague is the wild card on that team. If you sleep on Teague he’s going to end up with 30. I told our guys I know Butler and Mitchell are the focus, but don’t sleep on Teague. You really don’t know where you’re going to play him. Definitely not at point. He has a funny release on shot. More of a scorer; he’s not going to one-two dribble and shoot over you. Can side step, step back. And a good finisher at the rim, also. A year or two in the G League, and next thing you know he’s on somebody’s roster. Mentally, I think he’s a tough kid. I don’t think people know how good he is, because he’s kind of awkward. More of a set shot. Funny looking hitch. But he can shoot the 3.
Eastern Conference executive 4: When Teague came in (after transferring from UNC-Asheville), I think he’s 6-foot-4, with a 6-foot-11 wingspan. And he had a windup shot when he came to Baylor. Because his arms are so long, he had a windup shot. He could never get it off quick enough. They started working with him to get the shot off closer to his body, and that’s where the hitch came from. And he’s gotten so used to it, it probably would be hard for him to change right now. He’s got a hitch in his spot-up 3, spot-up jumper. And he’s got a little hitch in his free throw. But when you look at him when he shoots a pull-up jumper, the shot’s good. He doesn’t have a hitch. But it’s so ingrained in him now to try and keep his body close on the jumper, he’s got that hitch and he doesn’t think about it. And he’s able to get it off a lot quicker against taller, better players than he was before.
Promises, promises?
LSU freshman Cameron Thomas withdrew from the Chicago combine. That almost always means a team has promised a prospect they’ll take him in the first round. The logic is simple: what else do you have to prove – or potentially lose – when you already know you have a guaranteed first-round spot?
College assistant coach 4 (his team played LSU last season): He’s Lou Williams all over again. Professional scorer. You wasn’t rattling Cam. … Today’s game is they’re going to find you if they can’t defend. He’s strong. He’s a strong kid. Offensively, he’s elite. He got better this year letting other people play with his toys in the sandbox. He’s going to have to play with some stars, where he can come in with the second group and do his thing. His legs are like oak trees. He don’t get fouled because he puts his head down; he knows how to get fouled. The rip through. He was shooting 10 free throws a game. He’s great at getting to his spots. Ropes in practice. He can shoot it from the (Damian Lillard) line. If you put him with the second team, he can get buckets like Cam Payne does. Cam brought the mid-range back in college.
Late risers?
Multiple guards – Ohio’s Jason Preston, VCU’s Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland, Alabama’s Josh Primo, West Virginia’s Miles McBride, Houston’s Quentin Grimes – played well last month at the Chicago Combine. But did they, or others, really improve their draft stock?
Western Conference executive 3: I don’t think any of them catapulted themselves into some area that we didn’t think they would be able to get to, but they certainly supplanted themselves and played well to say we were right, or we need to do a little more work between now and July. There’s a reason why they’re playing. There’s a reason they have to play at the combine, to show they can play. … Those guys, they separated themselves. And that’s what you have to do at that event.
Nah’Shon Hyland
College assistant coach 5 (his team played VCU last season): Talented, shifty. Got a lot of Jamal Crawford in him. Thin and you think you can push him around. But shifty. He shoots from deep. And he’s a great teammate.
Eastern Conference executive 2: I liked what I saw in him. His game translates a little bit. Kind of reminds me a little bit of (Rajon) Rondo, in the way he moves, how he sees a little bit. Probably tough of me to compare him to Rondo. But he reminded me of Rondo when I watched him at the combine. … he stuck out to me. He plays with fire. And he picks his teammates up.
Quentin Grimes
College head coach 3: Still evolving as a player. His level of improvement from his second year at Kansas (to last season) … there was a bump. He averaged two rebounds a game at Kansas. (Houston) put him on the other team’s best player. He started getting 3-to-4 offensive rebounds a game. He just took off. The thing I like about him is he’s a gym rat. Everyone thinks working on your game is dribbling around cones and getting somebody to pass you the ball and getting some shots up. You say ‘I had a great workout today.’ No, you didn’t. You don’t work on your decision-making dribbling around cones. There were a lot of games hanging in the balance where he made the difference-making big shot. Good feet. What he was not was a natural competitor. Playing hard is not enough. You have to learn to compete. There’s more there. … He’s going to have games as a rookie where he scores 20 and raises eyebrows.
Eastern Conference executive 5: (The combine) is almost like a playoff environment. You want to show the guys in the biggest moment, when every one in the league is looking at them, and they have a chance to make their dreams come true, who’s rising to the occasion, and calm, and who is getting shook. That’s why Grimes really showed, and “Bones,” both of those guys. When everything was on the table, those guys rose to the occasion.
Josh Primo
College assistant coach 4: I thought he should probably stay another year. But if you’re talking about (putting him) with two stars, you’re putting him in the corner and asking him to do what (Cam) Johnson is doing in Phoenix. You’re asking him to do what some of these other guards are doing, sitting in the corner shots and making plays. He could do that. … I think he has a lot of upside. Very non-emotional type of kid. Very different from (John) Petty, who lives off of emotion. This guy’s very calm and collected.
He’s a piece. … He’s Moody all over again. He sits in the corner and waits for his shot. Great shot, great shot fake, and if you run he knows how to attack closeouts to get a better shot. (But) he’s not creating anything. He’s not the kid in the NBA coming off the ball screen; he’s the kid in the corner waiting on a Chris Paul to get him a shot. Maybe can develop into a guy who can come off one in the right situation. It only takes one team to love you.
Daishen Nix, G-League Ignite
G League team executive: IQ is super high. Has the body and the build. Long term, years from now, he could be the guy you say ‘wow’ about. You put him in the open court, he can see the court. At times he was careless, but he sees the play before the play. He can rebound. Triple-double machine. Better defender than people think. When he’s together with a team and processing and coaching he can get better.
John Petty Jr., Alabama
College assistant coach 4: Petty could be a wild card. He could end up being somebody who, in the right situation with the right team, could step up and surprise you because he has the mentality. His ballhandling is a little suspect, but he can definitely get it going. If he had a better handle, he has the mentality of a Donovan Mitchell. He feels he can take over. I just feel like his ballhandling, sometimes, doesn’t allow him to. … He would take some 50-footers now. He had some tough years when he came in. He played behind some guys and averaged seven (or) nine. This year, they let him go.
He struggled when his game slowed down. He struggled in late-game situations because he didn’t have a go-to move. You couldn’t give him the ball and say ‘beat me.’ Petty was a good defender (but) again, it was based on emotion. If he was engaged, he was a very good defender. But he had issues his first couple of years with Avery (Johnson) where he would just disappear. … I don’t know if he was a great disciplined defender. He’s not like Jae Crowder. Petty will play defense as long as his offense was on.
M.J. Walker, Florida State
College assistant coach 2: Obviously he’s the rare McDonald’s (All-American) who stayed. Really shoots it. A little slow of foot. I don’t think they thought he was their best defender. Skillful guy. Can carve out a niche. Not a great athlete. Not Jordan Nwora, but the skill and shooting is what makes him a good player, not the length and athleticism. It’s almost like he should be playing football. His body is thick. Walker was difficult just because of his shot-making ability from deep. He could do some things off the dribble.
College assistant coach 3: Undersized. He’s no more than 6-foot-5, legit. He can shoot it. Another straight line driver. He’s going to play hard but it may be hard for him. He ain’t as good as David Johnson.
Miles McBride
Eastern Conference executive 3: I love him. He’s like a Jevon Carter with offense. Good wing span, has toughness. He’s like Suggs – he was a quarterback in high school. He’s tough, gets in you, gets deflections. Shooting is good. He’s got a good midrange. Strong lower body and he can get his legs under him when he takes the pull. If you watch him play, he’s unselfish. Making passes from the right wing to the weakside corner. I’m not saying he’s Steve Nash, but he does have some instincts. When you go (to West Virginia, Bob Huggins is) only going to bring in tough guys. That definitely helps. You watch him play, and he plays on both sides of the ball. Some people say he isn’t a point guard. He ain’t a points guard, that’s for sure. He’s got unselfish properties in him.
Jason Preston
Eastern Conference executive 3: Best pick-and-roll point guard in the country. He’s a little unorthodox. Reminds me of Derrick White in terms of a passer. He’s got some length and some competitive juices. And he’s going to scrape and claw because he scraped and clawed to get where he is. He’s got a funky shot, but it goes in. He didn’t do anything for me (in Chicago) – I already liked him. If you hadn’t been paying attention, you’d say ‘oh, snap, the kid can play.’ On that pick-and-roll, he makes good reads. He’s got to get stronger, but the boy’s got a chip on his shoulder. He didn’t have a scholarship to go to Division 1. He played an AAU tournament with his friends and they made clips and sent them out. I’m always going to root for guys like that.
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NBA scout evaluates Wizards’ draft targets, question marks, upside and fit
There always seems to be something in flux as the Washington Wizards approach the NBA Draft.
Two years ago, the front office awaited changes. Tommy Sheppard, who’s now the full-time general manager, was still an interim. Last year included a rushed schedule with the league postponing the draft multiple times because of the pandemic. And now, with the July 29 date approaching, the Wizards are looking for a new head coach.
The absence of one hasn’t stopped them from preparing for the pick. Even if they had a head coach, the front office would control the majority of the pre-draft process. Workouts with young hopefuls have already begun. Washington is set to select No. 15. It does not have a second-round pick.
The Athletic has once again asked a well-respected NBA scout about the major question marks of eight players who could be available when the Wizards draft No. 15. Here is what the scout said:
Moses Moody
6-foot-6 wing | 19 years old | Arkansas
2020-21 stats: 16.8 ppg., 5.8 rpg., 1.6 apg., 48 percent on 2s, 36 percent on 3s
Vecenie’s Draft Positioning (per Sam Vecenie’s most recent mock): No. 11 to the Hornets
What’s his defensive potential as an NBA player?
Well, you hope it’s what he showed in college. He has a great body for a wing. He has great length. He showed some shooting. You hope he’s a Mikal Bridges type down the road. He’s not the same player as Bridges, but kind of the same idea: a wing who can shoot and defend, as every team wants. If you have him on your team, you know teams are gonna look at that guy and cover him in some way or another because that’s what everybody wants in this league these days. He’s very young, obviously. I don’t think he’s someone who’s gonna help you right away. And if we’re talking specifically about the Wizards, it’s a question of how much they’re willing to wait for someone like that to develop.
What specifically do you think needs to develop?
The body needs to develop, and he needs to mature in many ways because he’s so young. … He just turned 19 a month ago. I think it’s around that, just his body needs to mature, game needs to mature.
Trey Murphy
6-foot-9 guard/wing | 20 years old | Virginia
2020-21 stats: 11.3 ppg., 3.4 rpg., 50-43-93 shooting line
Vecenie’s Draft Positioning: No. 23 to the Rockets
Murphy was a three-year college player. His defense was good. What kind of a role could he play on an NBA team if he had to step on the court now? And how productive could he be in that role right away?
Talking with colleagues and other teams, some people like him; some people don’t see it that much. I think on top of what you mentioned there’s also some good basketball IQ there. The Wizards pick 15th. That might be too high for him from what I’m gathering from other teams. I don’t think there’s a lot of upside.
The case for Moody over him is age. The younger you are, teams are more counting on your upside. Moody’s body is probably better for that position, too. I think what people are most torn about is (Murphy’s) defense. Is it gonna translate? In college, it was there. I’m not sure it’s gonna be of that magnitude in the league. I think people feel more comfortable with his shooting. But there’s a chance that’s the only thing that will translate with him, and if that’s the only thing that translates, it has to be high, high level. If you can’t do anything more than shooting, then that shooting better be elite, super high-level shooting.
So, I think there are a lot of questions with him. Can he help right away? I wouldn’t count on him to help from Year 1. Maybe he can help more than Moody, but still — a team that makes the playoffs, that’s trying to win, I wouldn’t count on him from Day 1 to help, but for sure it’s gonna be faster than a freshman, the one-and-done guys that are still trying to figure it out.
Alperen Şengün
6-foot-9 big | 18 years old | Besiktas
2020-21 stats (Turkish Super League): 19.2 ppg., 9.4 rpg., 2.5 apg., 68 percent on 2s
Vecenie’s Draft Positioning: No. 12 to the Spurs
Şengün just won the Turkish League MVP as an 18-year-old. Is he a better prospect than the public realizes? Is his back-to-the-basket game too old school to translate?
He is probably the most confusing prospect in this draft for many reasons. One, because of the style you mentioned. Two, because of not playing in EuroLeague or top levels in Europe. That’s also not helping answer the questions. He played on a very young team. He’s gonna turn 19 four days before the draft. But he’s not just a post-up guy; he’s a post-up guy that takes time like in the good old days. He takes his time in the post. And if you do that, you have to be damn good in doing that, right?
He kinda needs to be the focus of the offense, and nobody plays like that, right? It’s what’s so confusing. That team (in Turkey), specifically — he was the best player, so they played that way, but nobody in the NBA plays that way. I wouldn’t put him in the same box as Luka Dončić. But this kid, he was not supposed to be this good in the Turkish League this season.
The thing with those players that don’t fit the profile of modern basketball is if it works out, it works out. And I don’t know with this kid where it’s going. Again, it’s very confusing. And it depends a lot on how comfortable the coach feels with him and the other players. If Russell Westbrook doesn’t wanna pass the ball to the big guy for him to post up for 10 seconds, which is probably the case, then I don’t know. Defensively, he’s gonna struggle. Shooting can come down the road, not from Day 1. He can pass the ball well for a big. But again, I think there are a lot of question marks with this guy. Either you love him or you just don’t see it.
Corey Kispert
6-foot-7 wing | 22 years old | Gonzaga
2020-21 stats: 18.6 ppg., 5.0 rpg., 53-44-88 shooting, 2.8 3s made per game
Vecenie’s Draft Positioning: No. 15 to the Wizards
If you don’t have multiple good skills, you need one incredible skill. Is Kispert’s incredible skill, which is shooting, good enough to where you say drafting him 15th is worth it? And do you think he gets to a point offensively where he is more than just a dangerous spot-up guy?
He has the IQ, as well. He has experience at Gonzaga. He played at a high level with them. I do think he has more than shooting, but he’s gonna live off the shooting if that makes sense. If he’s ever gonna do more than that, it’s because he’s an elite shooter. He’s not gonna be able to do more without being an elite shooter. Does that make sense?
He’s kinda something between (Doug) McDermott and Joe Harris. That’s the type of player you see in him. He is probably the most ready player to help a team in this range. Specifically talking about the Wizards, he, (Davis) Bertans and (Bradley) Beal — that’s a lot of shooting on the floor. It’s three guys who can shoot, and each one can shoot at a high volume. They can make four, five, maybe even more on any given night. And that’s a lot. Playing with Russ and the shooting he needs around him, there’s a lot to like for the Wizards. The team is looking to win. Kispert is ready to help. Everybody likes shooting now in this league, and he’s a high-level, high-volume shooter. I can see how it would work there.
Ziaire Williams
6-foot-7 wing | 19 years old | Stanford
2020-21 stats: 10.7 ppg., 4.6 rpg., 2.2 apg., 43 percent on 2s, 29 percent on 3s
Vecenie’s Draft Positioning: No. 17 to the Grizzlies
Williams is fluid and athletic, but every scout seems to agree that he’s going to take a few years to develop. If he comes onto the floor as an NBA player next season, are there any pro skills he has right off the bat?
I think in college, he showed glimpses of many things but there was inconsistency with each one of them. He showed he can shoot. He showed he can score off the dribble. He showed some defense: off the ball, on the ball. He showed a lot. But at the same time, none of that was something he did consistently, even at the college level. I imagine his body will take time because he’s still physically weak. He’s gonna have to get stronger. If he works out, he’s gonna help a team in many ways down the road. If everything clicks, he can be nice. But for everything to click, that’s hard, and it’s gonna take time.
So, I don’t know if the Wizards are ready to bet on something like that. I think it’s a pick for someone that will take time to develop his body. Also, when you take him, what do you develop first when he gets to your team? Because, again, he showed a little bit of everything, but none of it was like, ‘OK, that’s what he does.’ And some of these players end up outside the league in some years because they couldn’t develop one or two things as their go-to. Whoever takes him probably needs to be very careful and very smart with his development program.
Franz Wagner
6-foot-9 forward | 19 years old | Michigan
2020-21 stats: 12.5 ppg., 6.5 rpg., 3.0 apg., 1.3 spg., 1.0 bpg.
Vecenie’s Draft Positioning: No. 10 to the Pelicans
Franz Wagner had a high block and steal rate this season and was a good help defender in college. Do you see that level of impact defense carrying over to the NBA?
I’m not sure he’s that level of impact. I think in the NBA, he’s gonna have to more use his IQ to defend in some situations, which he has. He’s a smart basketball player. He has to use some of his instincts. The thing is, Wagner fits the Wizards’ draft profile. They took two international forwards in their last two drafts with Deni (Avdija) and Rui (Hachimura). They seem to like that kind of player: that position, that versatility, can play some defense. But Wagner doesn’t look like a lock-down defender in the league. So, he could play some defense. I agree with that. Is he a difference-maker on defense? I’m not sure. But he can help you. I feel confident he can help you on defense. But if you’re picking just for the defense, I think it’s gonna be too much.
Do you think he would be redundant with Avdija and Hachimura? How would you evaluate that fit?
I think the potential headache here with Wagner and Deni and Rui is that all three of them are 3/4, 4/3. I don’t think any of them can play the 2. I don’t think any of them can play the 5. Maybe Rui can play a small-ball 5 down the road. Maybe Deni can play some giant 2 in specific lineups. But their default positions are 3/4, 4/3. … Playing all three at the same time, one of them would have to figure out something that will help him play at that extra position. … I think Wagner can play with both of them, so in that sense, I think it works, but if one of them turns out to be a great backup, that’s great, too. So, I don’t think they’re stepping on each other’s toes in that sense.
If someone is too good to be a backup, you trade him and get something else for him. So, at this stage of their careers — Rui is two years in; Deni is one year in; Wagner is coming from the draft — you play it and see who are the best two and you go with them. And the third is maybe a solid backup or you trade him or whatever. …
Rui came earliest, so he’s kinda ahead of everybody in that sense, but I don’t think people look at him as, ‘Alright, for the next seven years, he’s starting at the 4 for the Wizards.’ He showed some glimpses. He showed he can help and be part of the team, but it’s not like, ‘Alright, we’ve figured out the 4 position. We don’t need to care about anyone else.’ He’s not there yet. So yeah, take another guy you like with his skill set and kinda figure it out and see what the best pair is. And again, if someone can figure out an extra position, then you can play them.
Kai Jones
6-foot-11 big | 19 years old | Texas
2020-21 stats: 8.8 ppg., 4.8 rpg., 0.9 bpg., 64 percent on 2s
Vecenie’s Draft Positioning: No. 16 to the Thunder
Lots of young bigs have foul problems, and Jones was obviously one of them. Can he outgrow it? And if he does, is he worth a middling first-round pick?
He is a high-risk, high-reward kind of pick. That’s the range where those guys usually go. (He has) too many question marks to go high in the lottery but at the same time, there’s a lot of promise, a lot of upside that you kinda wanna take a swing at that position. Not to make the exact comparison to the players, but that’s where you take Michael Porter Jr. That’s where you take Giannis (Antetokounmpo). That’s where you take players with a high, high ceiling that still have question marks. You mention the foul trouble as one of them, but I don’t think that’s the only one with him. I think there are a lot of questions.
He plays hard. He’s a great athlete. He needs to figure out his position. He showed some glimpses of shooting, but it’s not a tool yet. There’s so much to figure out as far as basketball IQ and getting experience and all these things. I think he’s gonna spend the first year developing that. But some teams look at the high-risk, high-reward kinda picks. You need to like him to go for him, but if you like him, that’s a solid pick. Those are the guys that you take at No. 15. Some teams will just look at him and say, ‘Nah, he’s too far away. I don’t think he’s gonna figure it out.’ But if you do like him, if you are intrigued by him, that’s the range where you take those guys.
Chris Duarte
6-foot-6 wing | 24 years old | Oregon
2020-21 stats: 17.1 ppg., 4.6 rpg., 2.7 apg., 53-42-81 shooting line
Vecenie’s Draft Positioning: No. 22 to the Lakers
Duarte is the oldest prospect in the Wizards’ draft range, a good defender and shot it well from 3. Of the wings in that range, do you believe he is the one who is the most likely to help you as a rookie?
It’s probably him and Kispert. … If you’re looking for someone to help right now, those are the two guys you’re looking at. There are not a lot of examples of guys that made the pros at 24 and figured it out. … (Suns forward) Cameron Johnson was 23. But yeah, if you’re looking for someone to help you right away, and I think people are pretty comfortable with Duarte’s shooting — he’s the kinda guy who can fit in a system, especially with Russ and Beal. They need someone who can just knock down shots and all that. He’s probably one of the safest bets in this draft in that sense.
Is there any worry with his production coming against players who he’s two, three, four or, in some cases, five years older than?
Yeah, you worry about that, for sure. It’s not a fair playground, in a way. Body-wise — not that he’s super big or super strong, but the age difference can’t be ignored. When you’re playing against guys who are five years younger, you’re gonna have some advantage, for sure. And now, you’re gonna jump into a situation where that advantage is gone in a heartbeat. It was an advantage every night, and now you’re stepping into somewhere where nobody cares about it anymore.
If he was 18, 19, he would be far more intriguing, but on the plus side, if you want someone that is mentally the readiest or his body is ready and experience is ready and all that, that’s him and Kispert. Those are the safest bets. You always have guys who are 19, 20 who step in and figure it out quite quickly, even outside of the top picks. But we’re talking about the safe pick and someone you can feel comfortable is helping right off the bat, and he could potentially help you.
There always seems to be something in flux as the Washington Wizards approach the NBA Draft.
Two years ago, the front office awaited changes. Tommy Sheppard, who’s now the full-time general manager, was still an interim. Last year included a rushed schedule with the league postponing the draft multiple times because of the pandemic. And now, with the July 29 date approaching, the Wizards are looking for a new head coach.
The absence of one hasn’t stopped them from preparing for the pick. Even if they had a head coach, the front office would control the majority of the pre-draft process. Workouts with young hopefuls have already begun. Washington is set to select No. 15. It does not have a second-round pick.
The Athletic has once again asked a well-respected NBA scout about the major question marks of eight players who could be available when the Wizards draft No. 15. Here is what the scout said:
Moses Moody
6-foot-6 wing | 19 years old | Arkansas
2020-21 stats: 16.8 ppg., 5.8 rpg., 1.6 apg., 48 percent on 2s, 36 percent on 3s
Vecenie’s Draft Positioning (per Sam Vecenie’s most recent mock): No. 11 to the Hornets
What’s his defensive potential as an NBA player?
Well, you hope it’s what he showed in college. He has a great body for a wing. He has great length. He showed some shooting. You hope he’s a Mikal Bridges type down the road. He’s not the same player as Bridges, but kind of the same idea: a wing who can shoot and defend, as every team wants. If you have him on your team, you know teams are gonna look at that guy and cover him in some way or another because that’s what everybody wants in this league these days. He’s very young, obviously. I don’t think he’s someone who’s gonna help you right away. And if we’re talking specifically about the Wizards, it’s a question of how much they’re willing to wait for someone like that to develop.
What specifically do you think needs to develop?
The body needs to develop, and he needs to mature in many ways because he’s so young. … He just turned 19 a month ago. I think it’s around that, just his body needs to mature, game needs to mature.
Trey Murphy
6-foot-9 guard/wing | 20 years old | Virginia
2020-21 stats: 11.3 ppg., 3.4 rpg., 50-43-93 shooting line
Vecenie’s Draft Positioning: No. 23 to the Rockets
Murphy was a three-year college player. His defense was good. What kind of a role could he play on an NBA team if he had to step on the court now? And how productive could he be in that role right away?
Talking with colleagues and other teams, some people like him; some people don’t see it that much. I think on top of what you mentioned there’s also some good basketball IQ there. The Wizards pick 15th. That might be too high for him from what I’m gathering from other teams. I don’t think there’s a lot of upside.
The case for Moody over him is age. The younger you are, teams are more counting on your upside. Moody’s body is probably better for that position, too. I think what people are most torn about is (Murphy’s) defense. Is it gonna translate? In college, it was there. I’m not sure it’s gonna be of that magnitude in the league. I think people feel more comfortable with his shooting. But there’s a chance that’s the only thing that will translate with him, and if that’s the only thing that translates, it has to be high, high level. If you can’t do anything more than shooting, then that shooting better be elite, super high-level shooting.
So, I think there are a lot of questions with him. Can he help right away? I wouldn’t count on him to help from Year 1. Maybe he can help more than Moody, but still — a team that makes the playoffs, that’s trying to win, I wouldn’t count on him from Day 1 to help, but for sure it’s gonna be faster than a freshman, the one-and-done guys that are still trying to figure it out.
Alperen Şengün
6-foot-9 big | 18 years old | Besiktas
2020-21 stats (Turkish Super League): 19.2 ppg., 9.4 rpg., 2.5 apg., 68 percent on 2s
Vecenie’s Draft Positioning: No. 12 to the Spurs
Şengün just won the Turkish League MVP as an 18-year-old. Is he a better prospect than the public realizes? Is his back-to-the-basket game too old school to translate?
He is probably the most confusing prospect in this draft for many reasons. One, because of the style you mentioned. Two, because of not playing in EuroLeague or top levels in Europe. That’s also not helping answer the questions. He played on a very young team. He’s gonna turn 19 four days before the draft. But he’s not just a post-up guy; he’s a post-up guy that takes time like in the good old days. He takes his time in the post. And if you do that, you have to be damn good in doing that, right?
He kinda needs to be the focus of the offense, and nobody plays like that, right? It’s what’s so confusing. That team (in Turkey), specifically — he was the best player, so they played that way, but nobody in the NBA plays that way. I wouldn’t put him in the same box as Luka Dončić. But this kid, he was not supposed to be this good in the Turkish League this season.
The thing with those players that don’t fit the profile of modern basketball is if it works out, it works out. And I don’t know with this kid where it’s going. Again, it’s very confusing. And it depends a lot on how comfortable the coach feels with him and the other players. If Russell Westbrook doesn’t wanna pass the ball to the big guy for him to post up for 10 seconds, which is probably the case, then I don’t know. Defensively, he’s gonna struggle. Shooting can come down the road, not from Day 1. He can pass the ball well for a big. But again, I think there are a lot of question marks with this guy. Either you love him or you just don’t see it.
Corey Kispert
6-foot-7 wing | 22 years old | Gonzaga
2020-21 stats: 18.6 ppg., 5.0 rpg., 53-44-88 shooting, 2.8 3s made per game
Vecenie’s Draft Positioning: No. 15 to the Wizards
If you don’t have multiple good skills, you need one incredible skill. Is Kispert’s incredible skill, which is shooting, good enough to where you say drafting him 15th is worth it? And do you think he gets to a point offensively where he is more than just a dangerous spot-up guy?
He has the IQ, as well. He has experience at Gonzaga. He played at a high level with them. I do think he has more than shooting, but he’s gonna live off the shooting if that makes sense. If he’s ever gonna do more than that, it’s because he’s an elite shooter. He’s not gonna be able to do more without being an elite shooter. Does that make sense?
He’s kinda something between (Doug) McDermott and Joe Harris. That’s the type of player you see in him. He is probably the most ready player to help a team in this range. Specifically talking about the Wizards, he, (Davis) Bertans and (Bradley) Beal — that’s a lot of shooting on the floor. It’s three guys who can shoot, and each one can shoot at a high volume. They can make four, five, maybe even more on any given night. And that’s a lot. Playing with Russ and the shooting he needs around him, there’s a lot to like for the Wizards. The team is looking to win. Kispert is ready to help. Everybody likes shooting now in this league, and he’s a high-level, high-volume shooter. I can see how it would work there.
Ziaire Williams
6-foot-7 wing | 19 years old | Stanford
2020-21 stats: 10.7 ppg., 4.6 rpg., 2.2 apg., 43 percent on 2s, 29 percent on 3s
Vecenie’s Draft Positioning: No. 17 to the Grizzlies
Williams is fluid and athletic, but every scout seems to agree that he’s going to take a few years to develop. If he comes onto the floor as an NBA player next season, are there any pro skills he has right off the bat?
I think in college, he showed glimpses of many things but there was inconsistency with each one of them. He showed he can shoot. He showed he can score off the dribble. He showed some defense: off the ball, on the ball. He showed a lot. But at the same time, none of that was something he did consistently, even at the college level. I imagine his body will take time because he’s still physically weak. He’s gonna have to get stronger. If he works out, he’s gonna help a team in many ways down the road. If everything clicks, he can be nice. But for everything to click, that’s hard, and it’s gonna take time.
So, I don’t know if the Wizards are ready to bet on something like that. I think it’s a pick for someone that will take time to develop his body. Also, when you take him, what do you develop first when he gets to your team? Because, again, he showed a little bit of everything, but none of it was like, ‘OK, that’s what he does.’ And some of these players end up outside the league in some years because they couldn’t develop one or two things as their go-to. Whoever takes him probably needs to be very careful and very smart with his development program.
Franz Wagner
6-foot-9 forward | 19 years old | Michigan
2020-21 stats: 12.5 ppg., 6.5 rpg., 3.0 apg., 1.3 spg., 1.0 bpg.
Vecenie’s Draft Positioning: No. 10 to the Pelicans
Franz Wagner had a high block and steal rate this season and was a good help defender in college. Do you see that level of impact defense carrying over to the NBA?
I’m not sure he’s that level of impact. I think in the NBA, he’s gonna have to more use his IQ to defend in some situations, which he has. He’s a smart basketball player. He has to use some of his instincts. The thing is, Wagner fits the Wizards’ draft profile. They took two international forwards in their last two drafts with Deni (Avdija) and Rui (Hachimura). They seem to like that kind of player: that position, that versatility, can play some defense. But Wagner doesn’t look like a lock-down defender in the league. So, he could play some defense. I agree with that. Is he a difference-maker on defense? I’m not sure. But he can help you. I feel confident he can help you on defense. But if you’re picking just for the defense, I think it’s gonna be too much.
Do you think he would be redundant with Avdija and Hachimura? How would you evaluate that fit?
I think the potential headache here with Wagner and Deni and Rui is that all three of them are 3/4, 4/3. I don’t think any of them can play the 2. I don’t think any of them can play the 5. Maybe Rui can play a small-ball 5 down the road. Maybe Deni can play some giant 2 in specific lineups. But their default positions are 3/4, 4/3. … Playing all three at the same time, one of them would have to figure out something that will help him play at that extra position. … I think Wagner can play with both of them, so in that sense, I think it works, but if one of them turns out to be a great backup, that’s great, too. So, I don’t think they’re stepping on each other’s toes in that sense.
If someone is too good to be a backup, you trade him and get something else for him. So, at this stage of their careers — Rui is two years in; Deni is one year in; Wagner is coming from the draft — you play it and see who are the best two and you go with them. And the third is maybe a solid backup or you trade him or whatever. …
Rui came earliest, so he’s kinda ahead of everybody in that sense, but I don’t think people look at him as, ‘Alright, for the next seven years, he’s starting at the 4 for the Wizards.’ He showed some glimpses. He showed he can help and be part of the team, but it’s not like, ‘Alright, we’ve figured out the 4 position. We don’t need to care about anyone else.’ He’s not there yet. So yeah, take another guy you like with his skill set and kinda figure it out and see what the best pair is. And again, if someone can figure out an extra position, then you can play them.
Kai Jones
6-foot-11 big | 19 years old | Texas
2020-21 stats: 8.8 ppg., 4.8 rpg., 0.9 bpg., 64 percent on 2s
Vecenie’s Draft Positioning: No. 16 to the Thunder
Lots of young bigs have foul problems, and Jones was obviously one of them. Can he outgrow it? And if he does, is he worth a middling first-round pick?
He is a high-risk, high-reward kind of pick. That’s the range where those guys usually go. (He has) too many question marks to go high in the lottery but at the same time, there’s a lot of promise, a lot of upside that you kinda wanna take a swing at that position. Not to make the exact comparison to the players, but that’s where you take Michael Porter Jr. That’s where you take Giannis (Antetokounmpo). That’s where you take players with a high, high ceiling that still have question marks. You mention the foul trouble as one of them, but I don’t think that’s the only one with him. I think there are a lot of questions.
He plays hard. He’s a great athlete. He needs to figure out his position. He showed some glimpses of shooting, but it’s not a tool yet. There’s so much to figure out as far as basketball IQ and getting experience and all these things. I think he’s gonna spend the first year developing that. But some teams look at the high-risk, high-reward kinda picks. You need to like him to go for him, but if you like him, that’s a solid pick. Those are the guys that you take at No. 15. Some teams will just look at him and say, ‘Nah, he’s too far away. I don’t think he’s gonna figure it out.’ But if you do like him, if you are intrigued by him, that’s the range where you take those guys.
Chris Duarte
6-foot-6 wing | 24 years old | Oregon
2020-21 stats: 17.1 ppg., 4.6 rpg., 2.7 apg., 53-42-81 shooting line
Vecenie’s Draft Positioning: No. 22 to the Lakers
Duarte is the oldest prospect in the Wizards’ draft range, a good defender and shot it well from 3. Of the wings in that range, do you believe he is the one who is the most likely to help you as a rookie?
It’s probably him and Kispert. … If you’re looking for someone to help right now, those are the two guys you’re looking at. There are not a lot of examples of guys that made the pros at 24 and figured it out. … (Suns forward) Cameron Johnson was 23. But yeah, if you’re looking for someone to help you right away, and I think people are pretty comfortable with Duarte’s shooting — he’s the kinda guy who can fit in a system, especially with Russ and Beal. They need someone who can just knock down shots and all that. He’s probably one of the safest bets in this draft in that sense.
Is there any worry with his production coming against players who he’s two, three, four or, in some cases, five years older than?
Yeah, you worry about that, for sure. It’s not a fair playground, in a way. Body-wise — not that he’s super big or super strong, but the age difference can’t be ignored. When you’re playing against guys who are five years younger, you’re gonna have some advantage, for sure. And now, you’re gonna jump into a situation where that advantage is gone in a heartbeat. It was an advantage every night, and now you’re stepping into somewhere where nobody cares about it anymore.
If he was 18, 19, he would be far more intriguing, but on the plus side, if you want someone that is mentally the readiest or his body is ready and experience is ready and all that, that’s him and Kispert. Those are the safest bets. You always have guys who are 19, 20 who step in and figure it out quite quickly, even outside of the top picks. But we’re talking about the safe pick and someone you can feel comfortable is helping right off the bat, and he could potentially help you.
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If I'm Mobley...I'm refusing to work out for Cleveland and have my agent figure out a way to get me to Toronto instead.
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Mobley having high hips and a narrow frame is worrisome . The two frames he is getting compared too are different AD had wide *** shoulders when he was young then Pau had a long torso.
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Other busts who’ve had similar frames?
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Cant reallly think of busts right now.
KP’s high hips kept him from being able to post up.
JJJ is a 6’10 sg as well.
if you think he has enough skills to be able to play in the perimiter full time. Those bigs mentioned cant really mix it up in the paint and get bullied.
HOU$TON
formerly convertibleburt
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I don't want to put a ton into random stuff that happened in the NCAA tourney, but I didn't love seeing Drew Timmie have his way with Mobley physically.
Again, I know it always sounds like I'm being hard on Mobley, but I really do like his game. I just think there's a chance that he's more of a good starter down the line than an all-star. I think his frame plays a really a big part in that.
Again, I know it always sounds like I'm being hard on Mobley, but I really do like his game. I just think there's a chance that he's more of a good starter down the line than an all-star. I think his frame plays a really a big part in that.
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Brandon Ingram had the high hips, narrow upper and long legs too. Took him a season and half before he really got comfortable.
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i think this doesnt matter as much as a wing
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Mobley is fluid. Im not worried. Also he doesn’t have to guard 5s. He won’t be guarding a Embiid or Jokic or even a JV every game. He wont be playing there full time against much bigger centers.
Whoever drafts him will go small when the opposing team goes small.
Whoever drafts him will go small when the opposing team goes small.
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Jarett Allen about to make 100Ms.
I don't know what Mobley is going to be...but if i had to guess...he's also going to be making 100Ms in a few years.
I don't know what Mobley is going to be...but if i had to guess...he's also going to be making 100Ms in a few years.
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If he's been not going to gaurd C's then what's the point?
If he's gunna reach his potential he's gotta be able to play 5 defensively.
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What center is playing back down game 24/7? Mobley will be fine
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