Young Center Prospects to Consider

[Jamaaliver]

Hawks over the last few months have been rumored to be moving either of Capela or Okongwu.

You'd have to imagine they have a plan in mind to replace either of them moving forward.

Any thoughts, predictions, concerns over moving from the best Center Platoon in the league?

[dms269]

You are giving the FO way too much credit in thinking they have actually thought this out and have a plan.

[jayu70]

You are giving the FO way too much credit in thinking they have actually thought this out and have a plan.

I quite agree. They are all over the map on a rudderless ship.

[Jamaaliver]

^What we've heard about the front office's intentions has been pretty consistent over the past 9 months. (With the exception of DeJounte.)

We're looking to

1. dump salary and get under the apron,
2. collect future draft picks to replenish our war chest,
3. move away from Capela,
4. and everyone on the roster is available outside of Jalen and Trae.

I don't love this overarching direction. But every credible rumor we've heard over the last 3 months has been in this same vein.


With 2 first round picks in a Center Heavy Draft, it makes sense we'd see one of these kids as a long term option:

• Kyle Filipowski (Sabonis lite)
• Yves Missi (Mark Williams)
• Donovan Clingan (Poetl lite)
• DaRon Holmes (Wendell Carter without the injuries)
• Oso Ighodaro
• Kel'el Ware (Milwaukee Brook Lopez)
• Adem Bona (Capela lite)
• Zach Edey

[Jamaaliver]

James Wiseman could be signed for cheap as a backup this summer.
Mo Bamba is in the same boat
Claxton is a RFA
Mo Gueye is already in the pipeline

[Jamaaliver]

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[Jamaaliver]

Okongwu is putting up top production as a starting Center, but he's still only 6'8".

Should we be looking for a 7 footer to play next to him in the starting 5 or as a change of pace backup?

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[Jamaaliver]

Another freshman project at Center. But he could really payoff down the line. Think Mark Williams on Charlotte's squad.

He'll likely be available at pick #15.

Yves Missi | Baylor

7'0" | 235 lb | Center | 22 years old | Freshman

Highflier who can punish the rim on offense and protect the paint on defense.

Watch on YouTube

Shades of: Jalen Duren

PLUSES

• Built to thrive in any defensive scheme. With a strong frame, vertical pop, and long arms, he offers rim protection whether he’s dropping in the pick-and-roll or sliding over as a help defender. He’s also alert and quick, making him a threat to disrupt on the perimeter. He can rack up deflections and steals, or switch screens to defend multiple positions.
  
• He has the hands and coordination to catch tough passes, absorb contact, and finish. He also has the athleticism to fly up for lobs. He’s an advanced screener for his age, too, and he always rolls hard.
  
• Relentless rebounder posting a prolific offensive rebounding percentage for a potential first-round prospect. On defense, he consistently boxes out despite having the inherent athleticism to sky over defenders.

MINUSES

• Learning the rule of verticality is the next step in his development. He will need to tone down his fouling in the NBA. He bites at pump fakes, and in general is too eager to go for blocks around the rim.
  
• Hackable free throw shooter who also lacks touch away from the hoop.
  
• Not much of a passer. He needs to do a better job of seeking kickout opportunities after offensive boards rather than forcing it back up. He isn’t asked to do much playmaking on the perimeter for a reason.
  
• Questionable conditioning. He plays just a hair over 20 minutes per game. He’ll need to prove his full-throttle style of play can translate with a more significant workload.

The Ringer

[Jamaaliver]

DaRon can rebound, defend in space and hit from 3.

He'll likely be available at pick 22.

Daron Holmes II | Dayton

6'9" | 221 lb | Center | 21 years old | Junior

Throwback big who can block shots and finish lobs, with the benefit of modern switchability.

Watch on YouTube

Shades of: Jalen Smith

PLUSES

• He’s just figuring out how to play in his body. He was listed at 6-foot-8 as a high school senior, then sprouted to 6-foot-10 at Dayton. He is now around 230 pounds, with a long wingspan and explosive leaping ability.
  
• Shot blocking is his best defensive skill. He’s agile in small spaces and perceptive; he keeps his head on a swivel and hustles for second and third efforts on possessions. He also can step out as a disruptive perimeter defender who slides his feet with his arms spread wide.
  
• Intelligent player who embraces his role as a screener, cutter, and rim runner. He always boxes out. After defensive stops he’ll instantly sprint up the floor and have his hands up to catch passes. And if he doesn't receive the ball, he doesn't mope.
  
• His 3-point percentage is way up. He shot 26.9 percent over his first two seasons, but he’s at 43.6 percent this year on quadruple the attempts per game. His form looks a tad quicker and smoother than the elongated release he used in previous years.
  
• Excellent pick-and-roll finisher who sets strong screens at the proper angles and has great timing on his rolls to the rim. He also has soft hands that allow him to catch tough passes and the athleticism to finish powerful dunks.
  
• Dayton uses him in the middle against zone defenses, which displays his ability to serve as a short-roll playmaker, dishing passes. He is mostly a straight-line driver, but he shows potential when attacking from the elbows to get to the basket.
  
• Though he lacks advanced footwork in the post, he’s good enough to beat mismatches at the next level. He could punish a switching defense by sealing off a smaller defender under the rim.

MINUSES

• Limited experience playing against top competition. NBA offenses will be a major adjustment for him in terms of speed, especially since he frequently gets pulled out into switches at the college level. He’s effective at getting stops at that level, but the pros are a different monster.
  
• Cutting down on turnovers should be a priority. He telegraphs too many passes and he’ll sometimes dribble himself into trouble. He’s a bit robotic, pounding the ball with his right hand in a way that could get him stripped by NBA defenders.
  
• Is his shooting improvement for real? This season he’s shooting an outlier number from 3, but his free throw percentage isn’t notably improved and is still below 70 percent.

The Ringer

[Jamaaliver]

Kel'el Ware legit has lottery talent. His motor, commitment and discipline are what scouts question.

At what point in a weak draft is Ware worth a gamble with this type of potential production?

(Think athletic Brook Lopez. 7'0" Defensive anchor, rim protector, floor spacer with a solid post game.)

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[King Ken]

Ware is a better fit for most teams but we aren't one of those teams. Easily taking Edey. We are the one team that Edey would shine with.

[Geaux_Hawks]

Sarr has always been the center I wanted out of this draft, but Kel'el Ware would make the most sense when you consider draft position. I'd probably go Ware over Filipowski or Klingen just for the upside and also what he's shown so far as an improved shooter. The athletic tools just give me more comfort with him.

[Jamaaliver]

Kel'el Ware | Indiana | Sophomore

7'0" | 210 lb | Center | 20 years old

A vertical interior presence with floor-spacing upside, but he has underwhelmed in college.

Watch on YouTube

Shades of: Myles Turner

PLUSES

• A dunk contest–worthy athlete with phenomenal size and length. He’s an eager shot blocker with excellent timing, and he has good mobility and makes quick second leaps.
  
• Good hands catching tough passes around the rim with the coordination to pivot toward the basket and finish from difficult angles.
  
• Shoots an easy ball from 3. He hops into his shot and cleanly transitions into his high, un-blockable release. His percentages need to catch up, but his touch is a positive indicator. He shoots a high percentage on hook shots, floaters, and layups.
  
• His combination of skills gives him great pick-and-roll potential. His high school team ran plays off the opening tip in which a player would screen for him as he’d sprint toward the basket to catch a lob.

MINUSES

• Effort and focus have wavered going back to high school. He’ll disappear for an entire half. His desire to box out and play with physicality is a notable concern, and he’s been bullied by players of a comparable size to him.
  
• When catching the ball around the rim, he sometimes brings it down to load up before elevating instead of just launching.
  
• Sloppy decision-maker who doesn’t handle pressure well when posting up. He telegraphs passes and often dribbles into trouble.
  
• His size suggests he could have value as a screener, except he’s not good at setting picks. He makes little contact. And since he’s lean, NBA defenses will often switch against him, but he lacks the moves on the post to take advantage.

The Ringer

[King Ken]

Kel'el Ware | Indiana | Sophomore

7'0" | 210 lb | Center | 20 years old

A vertical interior presence with floor-spacing upside, but he has underwhelmed in college.

Watch on YouTube

Shades of: Myles Turner

PLUSES

• A dunk contest–worthy athlete with phenomenal size and length. He’s an eager shot blocker with excellent timing, and he has good mobility and makes quick second leaps.
  
• Good hands catching tough passes around the rim with the coordination to pivot toward the basket and finish from difficult angles.
  
• Shoots an easy ball from 3. He hops into his shot and cleanly transitions into his high, un-blockable release. His percentages need to catch up, but his touch is a positive indicator. He shoots a high percentage on hook shots, floaters, and layups.
  
• His combination of skills gives him great pick-and-roll potential. His high school team ran plays off the opening tip in which a player would screen for him as he’d sprint toward the basket to catch a lob.

MINUSES

• Effort and focus have wavered going back to high school. He’ll disappear for an entire half. His desire to box out and play with physicality is a notable concern, and he’s been bullied by players of a comparable size to him.
  
• When catching the ball around the rim, he sometimes brings it down to load up before elevating instead of just launching.
  
• Sloppy decision-maker who doesn’t handle pressure well when posting up. He telegraphs passes and often dribbles into trouble.
  
• His size suggests he could have value as a screener, except he’s not good at setting picks. He makes little contact. And since he’s lean, NBA defenses will often switch against him, but he lacks the moves on the post to take advantage.

The Ringer

Injury prone
225, less than 230 which will only lead to more injuries.
motor and effort

The idea of Ware is a lot better than the reality of Ware. Allen and Ware were risky picks even in their teens. The thing is, Allen has proven he was worth it, can Ware, I don't know but effort and focus are why Cam Reddish and Mo Bamba are on vet mins. They were plenty talented as well.

[Jamaaliver]

Injury prone
225, less than 230 which will only lead to more injuries.
motor and effort

The idea of Ware is a lot better than the reality of Ware...effort and focus are why Cam Reddish and Mo Bamba are on vet mins.

They were plenty talented as well.

There were signs during the scouting process that DeAndre Ayton would disappoint if he got ever got a fat contract.
Ware has some of those same red flags.

[Jamaaliver]

An absolute glue guy who can contribute to any team in any system. Any team would appreciate having a backup like Holmes.

DaRon Holmes II| 6-10 big | 21 years old | Dayton

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The Nuggets have tended to draft older under general manager Calvin Booth, and the team has a significant need on the interior behind Nikola Jokić. Zeke Nnaji hasn’t been good enough. Holmes would give them a chance at a high-level producer who has a very real case as an All-American this season. Since Dec. 9, Holmes is averaging 22.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.3 blocks while shooting 58.1 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from 3 on over three attempts from distance per game. That is about as well-rounded a skill set as you can find when it comes to translating to an NBA backup big man role.

He passes well out of short rolls, can pick-and-pop or can catch lobs above the rim in ball-screen situations. He’s a tremendous weakside rim protector and has gotten better on the glass to where he might be able to handle ending possessions in the NBA despite being a bit undersized, depending on who else is on the court with him. He’s carrying Dayton back to the NCAA Tournament this year and should be considered a likely top-40 pick at this stage.

The Athletic

[Jamaaliver]

At 6'10", 220 pounds, he's a little light in the backside.

But he will contribute at the next level. And he'll thrive next to a top-end creator.

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[Jamaaliver]

If he comes out, I'd consider taking him in the lottery. He's a gamble, but we're talking elite ceiling with his size, agility and skill set.

A potential franchise cornerstone. We're talking on par with Sengun as a foreign Center prospect.

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[Jamaaliver]

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[Jamaaliver]

Despite his huge numbers Tankathon has [Edey] at #35 in their mock. Ware #19, Missi #15, Clingan #13 and Filipowski #11

Definitely want a center with one of our picks, just not sure which one. I think that Edey will go in the first though

My concern with Yves Missi or Donovan Clingan is that they are so offensively limited. You're essentially committing yourself to a young, big man with the same limitations of Capela: no shooting, no passing, no ball-handling.




Admittedly, Zach Edey has those same limitations...but he's just so friggin' big.