2019 NBA Draft Prep

[Jamaaliver]

From Bleacher Report:

Grading Every Top 2019 NBA Draft Prospect in Key Categories

Romeo Langford (Indiana, SG, Freshman)



Scoring: B+

Key stat: 20.3 points per 40 minutes, 45.8 FG%

With Indiana losing 12 of its past 13 conference games, a cloud sits over Romeo Langford's average of 17.0 points. He'll still draw plenty of NBA interest for his physical tools, scoring efficiency and skill set. Langford has excelled as a pick-and-roll ball-handler (86th percentile), mostly by getting downhill, attacking (6.3 free-throw attempts per game) and finishing around the basket, where he's shot a terrific 65.6 percent. On 37 isolation possessions, his 1.135 PPP also ranks in the 92nd percentile, which highlights his ability to drive or separate in the mid-range with pull-ups and step-backs. He's making 58.3 percent of his medium-range jumpers.



Shooting: C+

Key stat: 48-of-149 jump shots in the half court (34.3 percent)

Langford is shooting only 27.1 percent on 4.0 three-point attempts per game. He doesn't generate a ton of leg power either as a shooter or a leaper, and he recently tossed up an airball at the free-throw line against Iowa. Langford has shot-making ability, averaging 1.1 threes per game while converting 32-of-85 dribble jump shots (37.6 percent) in the half court. But he'll need to eventually improve his distance shooting to take off as a three-level NBA scorer.



Playmaking: C+

Key stat: 14.8 assist percentage

Langford isn't likely to earn a combo label at the next level, although he does flash playmaking out of pick-and-rolls, having helped to generate 74 points on 80 possessions passing off ball screens. When he makes his move toward the basket, he's typically looking to score or get to the free-throw line. Only two of his isolation possessions have resulted in baskets for teammates.



Defense: B

Key stat: 1.9 stocks per 40 minutes (steals and blocks)

Like most freshmen, Langford can look silly on some defensive possessions and impressive on others. He does possess the size, length and foot speed to become a reliable perimeter defender. However, his low steal rate (1.4 steal percentage) doesn't help his case, and there have been sequences in which he's lost track of his man off the ball or been turned around in ball-screen coverage.

[Jamaaliver]

RJ Barrett (Duke, SG/SF, Freshman)



Scoring: A-

Key stat: 27.2 points per 40 minutes, 46.0 FG%

Turning 19 a week before the draft, RJ Barrett ranks second among power-conference players averaging 23.3 points. Third in the country in transition points, he's best in the open floor, where he changes speeds with impressive footwork that guides him toward the rim. He's been productive in the half court, able to score out of spot-ups, isolation and pick-and-rolls, but his execution hasn't always been there. His .903 PPP in the half court only ranks in the 63rd percentile, while his 1.054 PPP finishing at the rim falls in the 38th percentile. He turns into a black hole far too frequently. Inefficiency caused by poor shot selection and a reliance on improvisation over skill—plus shaky touch—bring down his scoring grade.



Shooting: B

Key stat: 68-of-192 jump shots in the half court (35.4 percent)

Barrett deserves praise for his shot-making, hitting 2.1 threes per game and 44.3 percent of his pull-ups. However, inconsistency, bad misses and a 68.6 percent free-throw mark raise questions about the validity of his jump-shot production.



Playmaking: B-

Key stat: 22.6 assist percentage

Barrett can develop tunnel vision, but when he's focused on facilitating, he's been an effective setup man averaging 4.1 assists on the season. Eleven of his 12 ball-screen passes to the roll man have been converted into baskets. His tendency to look off teammates can be a turnoff, but his ability to make tight-window passes and drive-and-kick points to playmaking potential.



Defense: B-

Key stat: 1.5 stocks per 40 minutes (steals and blocks)

Some sequences highlight Barrett's ability to get low and engage defensively. On other possessions, he gives up too early or easily. Averaging only 1.0 steals and 0.5 blocks per 40 minutes, his lack of defensive playmaking is a possible red flag as well. Barrett's 2.2 defensive box plus-minus is the lowest among Duke rotation players.

Bleacher Report

[Jamaaliver]

2019 NBA Draft: Every Projected Top Pick's Biggest Strength, Weakness

Keldon Johnson (Kentucky, SG/SF, Freshman)



Strengths: Off-ball scoring

Spot-ups: 1.132 PPP (85th percentile), Off screens: 1.213 PPP (87th percentile), Catch-and-shoot: 44.1 percent

The most comforting strength of Keldon Johnson's is his ability to score off the ball in multiple ways.

Spotting up, which he does to generate 32.9 percent of his offense, Johnson shoots 46.0 percent off the catch and 52.9 percent on his drives past closeouts that result in runners, layups or dunks.

He's also shot well curling, fading and coming off screens straight, with the latter action resulting in baskets nine out of 16 times.

Rarely has coach John Calipari put Johnson on the ball, yet he's still averaging 13.9 points per game on an efficient 59.5 true shooting percentage.



Weakness: Creating

Pick-and-roll ball-handler: 13 possessions, .538 PPP (16th percentile), Isolation: Five possessions, four points, Assists: 2.0 per 40 minutes

Johnson isn't used to initiate offensive possessions. He's not a creative ball-handler or shot-creator, as he leans on catch-and-shoot jumpers and straight-line drives (though an excellent runner has often come in handy).

Without one-on-one scoring or playmaking ability, coaches may want to play Johnson at small forward, which could negate some of the physical advantage he'd have as a 6'6" 2-guard.

Bleacher Report

[Jamaaliver]

RJ Barrett Reminding CBB He's More Than Zion's Wingman



Zion Williamson is a legend.

Because of Williamson's impact, RJ Barrett had found himself overshadowed by the physical and mythical presence of Zion. Whether that's fair or unfair is up for debate. The truth is, Barrett, while averaging 23.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game, is the sidekick to Zion's star.

Read on Twitter

It took Williamson's absence to fully push Barrett into the spotlight. And he sure is comfortable on center stage.

This is the same player who dominated Team USA in the FIBA U19 Basketball Championships in 2017. Team USA had earned two straight U19 titles and three of the last four, but Barrett ended those runs with 38 points, 13 rebounds and five assists.

He's the standout who racked up 33 points and six assists in his college debut, a 118-84 dismantling of Kentucky; the one who scored 32 points and played all 40 minutes during a thrilling win at Florida State when an eye injury limited Williamson in January.

And the same superstar who notched a quiet zero-turnover triple-double behind Williamson's 32-point display against NC State.

Barrett would be a team-leading superstar if Williamson wasn't on the same roster.

When Mike Krzyzewski and his Duke staff had several days to prepare a plan without Zion, Barrett flat-out dominated.

Syracuse didn't have an answer for him in Duke's 75-65 victory on Saturday. Barrett racked up 30 points on a clinical 14-of-20 line, while also dishing a game-best seven assists that shredded Syracuse's trademark zone defense.

Spoiler:

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Barrett has an occasional habit of holding the ball too long, and that playmaker mentality will be a point of contention on his NBA scouting report. When he sees the floor like at Syracuse, he's even tougher to defend.

After all, you know he'll score.

The best featured players know their wingman's worth. Sometimes, though, that wingman needs a moment in the spotlight to remind everyone else just how integral he is.

Bleacher Report

[Hazer]

Decision to stay at Maryland paying major dividends for Fernando and Terps



When a player decides to forego the NBA Draft to return to college for one more year to potentially improve their draft stock, it doesn’t always go as planned. But in the case of Maryland sophomore center Bruno Fernando, it couldn’t be working out any better.

Having averaged 10.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 58% from the field and 74% from the free throw line as a freshman, Fernando was no lock to be drafted. Through 28 games played this season, Fernando is averaging 14.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 65 percent from the field and 77 percent from the free throw line. His stellar season for the Terps has led to him being named a finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award given to the nation’s top center.

“He’s just dominant all the time,” Terps freshman forward Ricky Lindo Jr. said of Fernando. “There’s no one that can really stop him unless you like triple team him or something. He’s just a dominant force in the paint.”

Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon has said many times this season that Fernando tries to get every rebound when he’s out there on the floor, and he’s not kidding. Maryland is currently second in the Big Ten with 39.8 rebounds per game and the Terps mostly have Fernando to thank for that.

Fernando’s calling card during his time in College Park has been dominating the paint, but he has also shown touch on his shot from mid-range and even deep. How he’ll be used in the NBA remains to be seen and will depend on where he lands, but the versatility, basketball IQ, and overall growth of his game that he’s showing and will put on display in this year’s pre-draft process will likely turn some heads.

Rivals.com

I have Fernando as the 2nd best center in the draft behind Bol. He might be worth the 5th pick only because the biggest need for the Hawks right now is a defensive center to pair with Collins.

Fernando reminds me of a bigger Charles Oakley.

His strengths are:
-Great at setting picks
-Wide shoulders and very strong
-Good shooting mechanics which can be seen in his free throw shooting
-Has the mental and physical foundation to be an anchor on defense
-Above average basketball IQ in the sense that he is looking to play team ball and not just lower his head and bully his way in.

Weaknesses:
-Not a super athlete in quickness and vertical
-He gets blocks, but doesn't have a 40 inch vertical like Dwight or Amare
-Lack of lateral quickness could be a problem when he switches and guards the perimeter
-No guard skills like Jokic or Draymond
-Poor when running the fast break or doesn't always run the fast break
-Currently no 3pt shot

Fernando doesn't take many 3pt shots or 18 foot jump shots, but when he does, he has good form. He is an immovable object, but that also affects his quickness. He is no Jokic when it comes to passing but what i love about the guy is that before he does anything, he will look at the floor and teammates and see if he can make a pass before making a move to take his own shot, so he is making an effort in playing team ball and not me ball. He has a good jump shot although on the college level, he doesn't use it that much, but I can see him easily developing an Oakley/Horford jump shot once he gets into the NBA.

Call me crazy, but I can kind of see that he has 0.0001% chance of becoming Karl Malone, but realistically I think he has a 50% chance of becoming Jusuf Nurkic.

Worth it with the Dallas pick, not the BPA at Hawks pick. Never draft for need with your first pick, only with bonus picks.

[ATL Boy]

I'm more a strategy of taking a legit scoring option with our pick (doesn't even have to be a primary option for us, can be a secondary-scorer to punish teams for giving Trae too much attention), and then a defensive-minded player with the Mavs pick.

We'll have to start addressing defense soon. Trae and Collins are great building blocks but both are terrible defenders, and we have nobody on this roster whom you can throw at an opposing team's best player in hopes of really slowing him down or a big who's a legit rim protector.

[observer1995]

Might might end up coming around on Barrett in the end. I'm not there right now but if he can prove himself more as a passer I might get there. I'd still be worried about him needing the ball too much though.

Right now I'd probably be most for taking Hunter and Fernando with the picks. I'd actually try to get a 3rd first round pick lower and get Jontay Porter to be a potential future Boris Diaw for mainly the second unit.

[EazyRoc]

Might might end up coming around on Barrett in the end. I'm not there right now but if he can prove himself more as a passer I might get there. I'd still be worried about him needing the ball too much though.

Right now I'd probably be most for taking Hunter and Fernando with the picks. I'd actually try to get a 3rd first round pick lower and get Jontay Porter to be a potential future Boris Diaw for mainly the second unit.

Barrett has been flashing good playmaking ability lately with Zion out. The thing I dislike about Barrett is he’s just not that great off the ball.

[CP War Hawks]

People struggling to find a comp for BF is a red flag into itself. For me, he's something between Bam and Dedmon. He's the same tier of big as Bassey, Kabengele, Gafford, Bitadze, etc.

You can't invest a lotto pick on those guys much less a top ten pick. You could trade back with one of the picks or GMS could trade for a 3rd first rounder.

[atlantabbq99]

I'm still very low on Barrett, he games reminds me the most of Josh Smith, especially with his annoying long twos and jump shot that he falls in love with.

[CP War Hawks]

I'm still very low on Barrett, he games reminds me the most of Josh Smith, especially with his annoying long twos and jump shot that he falls in love with.

That's that patented Baze heat check where he tries to do entirely too much. I fear RJ will be stuck as the Baze his first year of that big extenstion. A guy that is trying to be an alpha but is all role player.

RJ has the alpha mindset but lowkey could be the Baze roleplayer. I mean he's producing at 18 and there some more juice to squeeze out of him just yet, no homo.

It's nothing to be riled up over until the lotto give us our fate.

[King Ken]

I see R.J. Barrett as a player in the mold of Luka and Harden. His skill level is insane as is he is polished. He does remind me of Bazemore on D but not as stat driven and plays more safe on D as well as doesn't have the defensive motor that Baze has.

I clearly see Barrett as an elite prospect. I personally think he can be our leading scorer this season in his "supposed" HS senior year aka true Freshman year

[King Ken]

I still like Hayes long term more than any other center in this draft for us and the way we play

[atlantabbq99]

I see R.J. Barrett as a player in the mold of Luka and Harden. His skill level is insane as is he is polished. He does remind me of Bazemore on D but not as stat driven and plays more safe on D as well as doesn't have the defensive motor that Baze has.

I clearly see Barrett as an elite prospect. I personally think he can be our leading scorer this season in his "supposed" HS senior year aka true Freshman year

Luka and Harden are elite shooters, Barrett is not, shooting is actually a weakness for him. Besides that Barrett would just be a horrible teammate for Trae. When Trae dominates the ball and makes a move and draws the double, Trae needs to be able to make a pass to a guy who can catch and shoot like Klay.

[Spud2nique]

I see R.J. Barrett as a player in the mold of Luka and Harden. His skill level is insane as is he is polished. He does remind me of Bazemore on D but not as stat driven and plays more safe on D as well as doesn't have the defensive motor that Baze has.

I clearly see Barrett as an elite prospect. I personally think he can be our leading scorer this season in his "supposed" HS senior year aka true Freshman year

Luka and Harden are elite shooters, Barrett is not, shooting is actually a weakness for him. Besides that Barrett would just be a horrible teammate for Trae. When Trae dominates the ball and makes a move and draws the double, Trae needs to be able to make a pass to a guy who can catch and shoot like Klay.

Enter Cam...

[King Ken]

I see R.J. Barrett as a player in the mold of Luka and Harden. His skill level is insane as is he is polished. He does remind me of Bazemore on D but not as stat driven and plays more safe on D as well as doesn't have the defensive motor that Baze has.

I clearly see Barrett as an elite prospect. I personally think he can be our leading scorer this season in his "supposed" HS senior year aka true Freshman year

Luka and Harden are elite shooters, Barrett is not, shooting is actually a weakness for him. Besides that Barrett would just be a horrible teammate for Trae. When Trae dominates the ball and makes a move and draws the double, Trae needs to be able to make a pass to a guy who can catch and shoot like Klay.

Luka shot at a worse percentage than R.J. last year
https://www.basketball-reference.com/euro/players/luka-doncic-1.html

Well Harden is an elite shooter. I agree. R.J. is shooting. 33% from three on 6.3 attempts a game. Far too much foolishness on this R.J. can't shoot train

I disagree, Trae would be a great fit with R.J. Trae fits everybody.

[Spud2nique]

I see R.J. Barrett as a player in the mold of Luka and Harden. His skill level is insane as is he is polished. He does remind me of Bazemore on D but not as stat driven and plays more safe on D as well as doesn't have the defensive motor that Baze has.

I clearly see Barrett as an elite prospect. I personally think he can be our leading scorer this season in his "supposed" HS senior year aka true Freshman year

Luka and Harden are elite shooters, Barrett is not, shooting is actually a weakness for him. Besides that Barrett would just be a horrible teammate for Trae. When Trae dominates the ball and makes a move and draws the double, Trae needs to be able to make a pass to a guy who can catch and shoot like Klay.

Luka shot at a worse percentage than R.J. last year
https://www.basketball-reference.com/euro/players/luka-doncic-1.html

Well Harden is an elite shooter. I agree. R.J. is shooting. 33% from three on 6.3 attempts a game. Far too much foolishness on this R.J. can't shoot train

I disagree, Trae would be a great fit with R.J. Trae fits everybody.

I’m worried RJ doesn’t fit with everybody though.. I mean you have to admit he is a ball dominant player. I need to see him move without the ball...I haven’t seen that.

I dunno if we are in a position to draft RJ or Morant we might want to sell to the highest bidder for:

1. Super young players that FIT with high ceilings.

Or

2. Find a team in desperation mode like Orlando or Washington (although I hate trading within the same conf. let alone division) and bank on them to suck and try to grab their 2020 UNPROTECTED first.

[King Ken]

Luka and Harden are elite shooters, Barrett is not, shooting is actually a weakness for him. Besides that Barrett would just be a horrible teammate for Trae. When Trae dominates the ball and makes a move and draws the double, Trae needs to be able to make a pass to a guy who can catch and shoot like Klay.

Luka shot at a worse percentage than R.J. last year
https://www.basketball-reference.com/euro/players/luka-doncic-1.html

Well Harden is an elite shooter. I agree. R.J. is shooting. 33% from three on 6.3 attempts a game. Far too much foolishness on this R.J. can't shoot train

I disagree, Trae would be a great fit with R.J. Trae fits everybody.

I’m worried RJ doesn’t fit with everybody though.. I mean you have to admit he is a ball dominant player. I need to see him move without the ball...I haven’t seen that.

I dunno if we are in a position to draft RJ or Morant we might want to sell to the highest bidder for:

1. Super young players that FIT with high ceilings.

Or

2. Find a team in desperation mode like Orlando or Washington (although I hate trading within the same conf. let alone division) and bank on them to suck and try to grab their 2020 UNPROTECTED first.

He is ball dominant but he's not ball negative. He has a great feel for the game. His issue is, wanting to make plays too much. When he just lets the game come to him, he is a dominant player in points, rebounds, and assists. He also is Duke's best off the ball player. He does a lot of things that goes underrated because he is playing college basketball. We have seen him move off the ball often every game. Why do you think he gets the ball so often in scoring opportunities. He is constantly moving. He is the best on our team at moving into scoring situations. It's part of his skill that goes underrated by the masses.

I disagree, if we land 1 or 2, keep it. NO MATTER WHAT. I see superstar potential with both prospects. I also see it with Ja Morant but we got Trae so

I see three superstars in this draft. After that, you got potential in this draft but most are far away or the ones who are close lack All Star much less superstar potential.

I would consider moving up for Barrett with both picks. That's how much I rate him. You are talking about a 19 y.o. who can score 20+ a game to go with Trae. I am not passing on that. This is a 20/5/5 rookie. I am not passing on that. We passed on Luka already. I am not passing on that type again. Him and Trae will work extremely well together.

[King Ken]

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[King Ken]

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