https://theathletic.com/2694200/2021/07/08/nba-draft-confidential-coaches-execs-discuss-cade-cunningham-debate-jalen-green-vs-jalen-suggs-sleepers/Who’s the Fourth Supreme?
We know Cunningham, Suggs and Green will be the top 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 ass. 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 he 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.
