DNHQ Draft Tourney Group G: Jaylen Wells, Quinten Post, Zyon Pullin, N'Faly Dante; plus open thread
Jaylen Wells had a GSW workout already
Our Draft Tournament
Yes, we are having our FIFTH annual DNHQ Draft Tournament, where Dub Nation gets to vote on whom the Warriors should draft via head to head showdowns.
If the Warriors end up trading the pick, I’ll end the draft tournament early. If the Warriors somehow trade up, I’ll somehow re-fashion the Tourney.
Overall results and how we chose the field at 2024 Dub Nation HQ Draft Tournament. Past Draft Tourneys archived here.
Don’t be a party pooper and say the Warriors should trade the pick or that it doesn’t matter.
void’s Big Board Vote Site
Super commenter void has made (again) a web app where you can record your Big Board for our limited pool of “Might Fall To #52” Tourney participants.
I particularly like this site, because you can put your money where your mouth is. So when you start bragging about how all your draft picks were better than the dumb Warriors pick, people can check. For instance, you can look at all my draft picks from since 2021, from brilliant to horribly misguided.
void’s DNHQ Big Board Vote Site
Jaylen Wells
Forward, 6-8, 205lb
BPM #127
PRPG #124
Givony Woo ESPN 5-31 #57
O'Conner-Ringer 6-4 #57
Vecenie 6-5 #48
Wasserman 5/31 #50
Yahoo 6-4 #47
Why does BPM love him?
High Offensive Rating with efficient shooting (TS% and EFG) on medium usage.
41.7% 3P on a healthy 168 shots, 81.1% FT
Doesn’t turn the ball over, doesn’t commit fouls
Why isn’t he in the first round?
He’s a third-year player, only played one year in Division I, after spending two years in Division II.
Few steals and assists… scoring is what you get.
Apricot’s Highly Questionable Statistical Comps
This is from an experimental program finding closest statistical comparisons to other NCAA players since 2010.
Gary Trent Jr. 2018
Joe Harris 2012
C.J. Wilcox 2012
Reggie Bullock 2013
Kevin O’Connor, The Ringer
Shooter who has made a late surge to position himself for a chance in the pros.
SHADES OF
Corey Kispert
Perimeter Shooting
Movement Shooter
PLUSES
Knockdown shooter with a quick release from beyond the arc. He’s such a threat that he draws hard closeouts, but he can counter by dribbling into floaters, pull-ups, or sidestep 3s.
Solid ball handler who can get into his pull-up even when tightly defended, although he needs to improve in getting to the rim. He’s also a willing passer even under pressure, which could be a sign of untapped shot creation potential.
He’s a physical defender on the ball with the size to switch screens, and he’s an active rebounder.
Faced some challenges to get this far: He rose up the ranks in high school, spent two years at Sonoma State, a Division II school, and then transferred to Washington State, his first Division I opportunity. As a top player in the transfer portal, he opted to stay in the draft.
MINUSES
Reluctant scorer at the rim. He doesn’t take many shots in the paint, instead preferring to pull up.
It could have been due to his role, but he often looked passive when defending off the ball at Washington State. He’d ball watch at times, and despite that, he posted a low steal rate and block rate.
Wasserman, Bleacher Report
Pick #50
May 21 Mock Draft Spot: Off the board
School/team: Washington State
Position: SF
Size: 6'7", 206 lbs
Age: 20, Junior
Nationality: American
Pro comparison: Duncan Robinson
From Division II to Washington State and the NBA combine, Jaylen Wells has become a second-round name for teams to consider. Scouts have started to picture a shotmaking specialist with his wing size and outstanding spot-up and pull-up shooting accuracy.
Alan Lu, NBA Scouting Live
Height: 6-8
Weight: 205
College: Washington State
Classification: Junior
Birthdate: 8/26/2003
2024 Top 100 Prospect Rank: 46
Projected Draft Range: 2nd Round
Pros:
Good shooter, especially from deep
Adequate scorer off the dribble
Moves fairly well off the ball on offense
Adequate playmaker for his size
Decent rebounder for his size
Above average athlete
Cons:
Struggles to consistently create his own shot
Can struggle to score in traffic
Needs to improve his passing ability
Can be too passive on offense
Can have lapses defensively
Summary:
Jaylen Wells is an agile, skilled sharpshooting forward that can shoot and score the basketball. He is having a solid season at Washington State this year, and he has helped lead them to get plenty of wins this season. Currently, he is a second round prospect for the 2024 draft.
NBA.com / Rotowire
Overview
Wells might be considered a “one-and-done” prospect after spending just one year in college at the D1 level, despite playing his first two years post-high school at Sonoma State. He enrolled to play for Washington State as a junior and thrived in his lone season with the Cougars. Jones averaged 12.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 0.5 steals per game while starting in 20 of his 34 appearances with the program.
Analysis
Wells is a high-level shooter who has excellent size for his projected position at the next level, and one thing that stands out regarding his mechanics is his quick release, one that allowed him to shoot 42% on catch-and-shoot triples, as well as 81% of his free-throw attempts, during the 2023-24 season. Wells’ most clear strength is his ability to hit catch-and-shoot threes, and that will remain useful as the other areas of his offensive game continue to develop, particularly his drives to the basket. Defensively, Wells has shown potential to play as a solid on-the-ball defender, being able to contain drivers due to his strength, but he’s not as advanced when it comes to his off-the-ball defense. There are multiple areas of his defensive game that need improvement, most notably his awareness and off-ball defense. How much he improves on that end of the floor will determine if he can stay on an NBA floor on a prolonged basis or if he’ll be nothing more than a situational shooter off the bench.
Projection
Based on his profile, there are some positives regarding Wells. He’s athletic, he can get the job done defensively and he is an excellent shooter. While there are multiple comparisons to him at the NBA level, given he profiles as a typical modern shooter, he might be a player worth targeting in the middle-to-late stages of the second round.
Erwin Demir 1
25. Jaylen Wells (JR.) — Washington State
After scouting him intensively at the end of February, I dedicated an in-depth piece on his NBA role before the NCAA Tournament. While growing to a crucial part of a winning high-major team, Wells earned All-American honors at the Division II level. In a nutshell: NBA teams are buying a potentially elite shooter late in the first round here.
Despite the jumper-heavy scoring diet, Wells’ three-point shot is one of the most consistent and reliable in the whole country. As the season progressed, he improved in utilizing his shooting gravity by improving his passing game, leading to his assist numbers increasing in the last ten games of the season.
As a team defender, he gives NBA decision-makers the most value. After he turned himself into one of the Cougars’ most important players, Wells got more comfortable in taking his role as a leader on the court. His awareness as an off-ball defender combined with his decision-making make it feasible for him to be able to become an above-average team defender in the future.
For more details on his NBA role, see the in-depth scouting report below.
Ersin Demir 2
Making the jump from a .500 record in the CCAA conference at the Division II level to a PAC-12 contender is an eye-popping detail in Wells’ career so far. The shooting specialist earned a starting role right after New Year’s Day, and the Cougars went 13-3 with Wells logging more than 34 minutes per game in that span.
After going 1-for-10 from three in his last game, he still averages 42.0% on 4.6 attempts per game. With his consistent rebounding and ball-moving duties, Wells shows signs of being able to fill a low-usage role at the NBA level.
Physical Profile
At 6’8”, Wells has to fill his frame more to play another role than a wing at the next level. He’s fluid with his movement and a quick decision-maker with the ball in his hands. Although he doesn’t look to attack the rim, Wells does like to challenge his opponents via post-ups.
His length immediately stood out. His wingspan comes close to seven feet, but there is no official measurement to confirm the above-mentioned. At 205 pounds, Wells should benefit from an NBA strength and condition program to be able to offer positional versatility at the next level.
Offense
In a league that values high-volume shooters, Wells has the quick-trigger release that NBA decision-makers look for in a draft prospect. He shows consistency in all of his 138 attempts this season. The most important detail is him setting his feet quickly and not lowering the ball to under his waist.
Another positive is that he reads the defensive coverages very well. He has a nag of making himself the forgotten man in sets that involve more motion, as shown in the first two plays. He also knows when to move to his spots when the defense is dialed in on his shooting threat, as shown in the last play below.
When playing out of closeouts, Wells prefers his jumper over attacking the rim. While you don’t always have to attack the closeout. Wells shows a lack of rim presence with 35 rim attempts to 96 midrange shots. However, this won’t hurt his long-term potential as he consistently shows he doesn’t settle for bad shots.
… [read the original article for more text and lots of videos]
At 1.0 assists per game, Wells’ shooting gravity hasn’t translated to his playmaking yet. However, he has shown a consistent pattern of composure when teams double him when catching the ball at his sweet spots. Being able to pass out of coverages results in Wells finding shooters, instead of bailing the defense out by making a rushed pass.
On a better-spaced NBA floor, Wells shows flashes of being able to play as a wing ball-mover despite the numbers suggesting the contrary. With 10 assists in his last seven games, the production improved compared to his season average, which is a result of teams scheming to limit Well’s open three-point attempts.
With the NBA’s trend of more plays involving hand-offs, Wells’ versatility as a scorer offers a better feasibility test due to him challenging himself more on these play types. What stood out is despite his developing frame, Wells has enough strength to create separation on his drives by initiating the contact, as shown in the first play.
In the latter stages of PAC-12 conference play, we see teams packing the paint against the Cougars more often than not. Wells’ jumper-heavy scoring diet makes him a premier weapon in forcing defenses to settle for his preferred shots. At the NBA level, this is an area of his game that’ll translate very well. Especially considering that he’s more than a capable ball-mover to find open teammates when his opponents allow him to.
Being able to create open looks as the pick-and-roll ball handler is an indicator of untapped potential for shooters in the long run. An NBA team will value handles and decision-making to trust a prospect with ball touches during their career with them.
In Wells’ case, his shooting gravity leads to teams playing out of the paint, opening room for him to utilize drives to collapse the defense. The lack of a quick first step or burst is something an NBA decision-maker has to keep in mind when evaluating his profile. However, what stood out in his attempts as the pick-and-roll ball handler is Wells’ ability to defer to his floater, which will be a valuable weapon for him in the long run.
In the first play below, Wells decelerates for the dropping big man to lose his balance, opening the lane for the bounce pass to the roller. However, due to him dropping a tad too much, Wells trusts his instincts to cash in on the floater from the foul line.
Defense
When evaluating Wells’ defensive profile, his potential versatility in guarding multiple positions stood out. With his broad shoulders, Wells can develop into a strong plus-sized NBA wing who can guard against forwards in the future.
In the second play, we see him showcasing his defensive footwork and timing which led to the tough midrange fadeaway, opening up a possibility for his team to run and get a quick bucket in transition. In the first play, Wells is matched up against a physical guard, who he successfully kept outside of the paint. Despite his body not being fully developed yet, we see Wells’ strength pop out in him guarding against post-ups.
Combine that with his defensive instincts as a help defender in the interior as shown in the third play below, which makes his untapped potential as a multi-positional defender even more interesting.
In a switch-heavy NBA, Wells likely will have to show that he can make decisions in pick-and-roll coverages. An area of development for Wells is his screen navigation. He doesn’t show consistently that he can track down incoming screens to anticipate getting stuck in screens, as shown in the first play below.
However, what should intrigue an NBA decision-maker is his excellent balance when absorbing contact near the rim. Whether it’s the scorer aggressively driving and initiating contact, Wells’ upper-body strength is good enough to be able to deter shots successfully near the rim.
…
NBA Draft Projection
Despite the jumper-heavy scoring diet, Wells’ three-point shot is one of the most consistent and reliable in the whole country. As the season progressed, he improved in utilizing his shooting gravity by improving his passing game, leading to his assist numbers increasing in the last ten games. Outside of the shooting, Wells’ is fairly raw and needs another season of reps to prepare himself fully for NBA basketball.
As a team defender, he gives NBA decision-makers the most value. After he turned himself into one of the Cougars’ most important players, Wells got more comfortable in taking his role as a leader on the court. His awareness as an off-ball defender combined with his decision-making make it feasible for him to be able to become an above-average team defender in the future.
As a closeout defender, Wells has the most to improve. His jumper-heavy shot diet leads to him treating opponent shooters the way opponents are treating him. Wells needs to improve on making it harder for shooters to eliminate his closeouts with fakes. Considering how well his rebounding is, Wells, being on the perimeter after a field goal attempt lowers the value of his production on the glass.
Considering the NBA readiness of his jumper, combined with the important flashes of his team defense, Wells is currently the biggest sleeper among college upperclassmen. Therefore, I expect him to test the waters this summer and collect feedback from NBA teams on what he has to improve in his senior year. However, considering the above-mentioned elements it’s in Wells’ best interest to improve in a faster-paced game, making me lean toward him playing G League minutes over college basketball.
Therefore, I project Wells to eventually declare for this year’s NBA Draft. With the lack of shooting depth in this class, he has the opportunity to be an early pick in the second round this summer.
Quinten Post
Forward, 7-0, 240lb
(a real 7-0 in socks at the NBA Combine)
BPM #31
PRPG #44
O'Conner-Ringer 6-4 #49
Why does BPM love him?
High Offensive Rating, efficient shooting (EFG, TS%), on average Usage.
Excellent defensive rebounding rate, high Block rate.
82.1% FT, 43.1% 3P shooting. (FYI career 79% FT, 38.8% 3P)
Why isn’t he in the first round?
He’s a five-year player.
Large and doesn’t have burst athleticism; can he defend in the NBA?
Apricot’s Highly Questionable Statistical Comps
This is from an experimental program finding closest statistical comparisons to other NCAA players since 2010.
Frank Kaminsky 2014
Santi Aldama 2021
Frank Kaminsky 2015
Kelly Olynyk 2013
Greg Monroe 2010
Mike Muscala 2012
In Post’s defense, Kaminsky was a really good college player.
Kevin O’Connor, The Ringer
SHADES OF
Troy Murphy
Float Game
Spacer
Catch-and-shoot Threat
PLUSES
Knockdown shooter from the center position: He made 42.9 percent of his 3s over his final two collegiate seasons. He also made 83.2 percent of his free throws.
Incredibly coordinated big man who displays excellent touch on floaters and hook shots, making him a prime candidate to thrive out of the short roll. He can also attack closeouts off the dribble to drive into sweeping runners and layups.
Capable of running dribble handoffs as a perimeter facilitator. He’s not a flashy passer, but he can make the simple play. Combine his shooting, straight-line driving, and passing skills, and you have an intriguing fit in a ton of systems.
Reliable interior defender who alters and blocks shots without fouling. Boston College was 21.6 points per 100 possessions worse on defense when Post was off the floor, per CBB Analytics.
MINUSES
His handle tends to get a little too loose on post-ups. Despite his last name, he’s better when he’s facing up rather than playing with his back to the basket.
Can he expand on his standstill shooting ability? He can spot up and pick-and-pop, but adding some movement shooting would bring a unique dimension to his game as a 7-footer.
NBA.com / Rotowire
Overview
Post was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands and won the 2017-18 Dutch National U18 Championship as the team’s starting center. In 2018-19, he played for the Alba Berlin Youth Club in Germany. Following that campaign, he moved to the United States, playing his freshman and sophomore years at Mississippi State. As a sophomore, he was a regular rotation player, but saw just 8.7 minutes per game. He transferred to Boston College in 2021-22 for his junior year and made some waves, earning an ACC All-Tournament Second Team nod. As a senior, Post started 14 of 19 appearances and was named the ACC Most Improved Player after posting 15.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 25.9 minutes with 35 starts. He was once again named to the ACC All-Tournament Second Team, but also added ACC All-Second Team and ACC All-Defensive Team honors. He averaged 17.0 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.7 blocks in 31.9 minutes.
Analysis
Post is a traditionally sized center with three-and-D upside. Over his past two seasons at BC, he went 73-for-170 (43%) from distance. That translated to the free-throw line, where he shot 144-for-173 (83%). On the block, he uses his size and strength to make basic hook shots and drop steps. However, his limited athleticism doesn’t make him a top-shelf lob threat. It also doesn’t help on defense, where he struggles outside of the paint. Post, for his size, is also simply an adequate rebounder.
Projection
Because of his limited mobility but three-and-D upside, Post has shades of current Brook Lopez or Al Horford to his game. Post also improved his passing as a fifth-year senior, giving him some potential as the occasional offensive hub, especially on handoff actions at the top of the three-point line. A potential second-round pick, Post will probably need reps in the NBA G League before he turns into a reliable backup big.
Alan Lu, NBAScoutingLive.com
Height: 7-0
Weight: 245
College: Boston College
Classification: Fifth-Year Senior
Birthdate: 3/21/2000
2024 Top 100 Prospect Rank: 67
Projected Draft Range: 2nd Round to Undrafted
Pros:
Solid shooter for a big man, has stretch big potential
Adequate low post scorer
Adequate scorer off the dribble
Excels at scoring on off-ball motion plays
Decent playmaker for his size
Cons:
Can struggle to score in traffic
Needs to improve his rebounding
Struggles to guard quicker players
Only an average athlete at best
Old for a draft prospect, may have limited upside
Summary:
Hailing from the Netherlands, Quinten Post is a skilled big man that is having a good season at Boston College this season. He can knock down jumpers, will move off the ball to score around the basket, and he is a good passing big man. On the other hand, his lack of mobility and struggles to defend quicker players could make it difficult for him to adjust at higher levels. Still, his skill set and feel for the game could allow him to be a reliable backup big man at the NBA level.
Zyon Pullin
Guard, 6-4, 195lb
BPM #164
PRPG #18
O'Conner-Ringer 6-4 #50
Why does BPM love him?
High Assist Rate, low Turnover Rate, low Foul Rate.
Above average at getting to the FT line. Converts well with 84.7% FT and a great 44.9% 3P, though on low volume.
Why isn’t he in the first round?
He’s a fifth-year senior and doesn’t seem that athletic.
Career 37.3% 3P and 79.3% FT are good numbers, but not the stunners from his final year.
Apricot’s Highly Questionable Statistical Comps
This is from an experimental program finding closest statistical comparisons to other NCAA players since 2010.
Jordan Bone 2019
Tre Jones 2020
Monte Morris 2017
Monte Morris 2016
Xavier Thames 2014
Miles McBride 2021
My program is convinced Zyon is Monte Morris, for better or worse.
Kevin O’Connor, The Ringer
SHADES OF
Tyus Jones
Floor General
Feel for the Game
On-Ball Defense
Pull-up Threat
PLUSES
Reliable ball handler with one of the highest assist-to-turnover ratios in college basketball. He limits mistakes and always finds the open man, often putting great velocity on the ball. He shows excellent spatial awareness, finding ways to create angles for passing lanes.
Comfortable scorer off the dribble. He loves using spins and pivots in the lane and often opts to take floaters from different angles, with great success. If he doesn’t get inside, he’s highly efficient stopping on a dime from midrange and stepping back from 3.
Seasoned pick-and-roll shot creator who plays like a veteran. He plays with pace, putting defenders in jail, changing speed, and decelerating—all while maintaining the ability to survey the floor and make smart decisions. He has underwhelmed at the rim in college, but he draws a ton of fouls. And since he has such soft touch from the field and the line, there’s hope he can develop the craft to score against length.
Strong-bodied defender who moves quickly laterally to keep opposing guards in front of him. With plus length and strength, he can be asked to switch screens, too. This is true on the ball and off the ball, as he’s a hyperintelligent team defender with an understanding of where and when to be.
MINUSES
He hasn’t logged a single dunk all season, which is representative of his below-the-rim finishing ability. He’s made about 50 percent of his attempts at the rim, often looking overwhelmed by opponents’ size and length.
He hasn’t shot spot-up 3s well at Florida, and he turns down some open attempts. It’s a small sample, and he shot it better in previous years at UC Riverside, but it’s worth noting given the higher level of competition he’ll be facing.
NBA.com / Rotowire
Overview
Prior to college, Pullin was an All-Bay Area News Group selection at College Park High School. He began his collegiate career in 2019-20 with UC Riverside. He started to make waves as a sophomore, being named an All-Big West honorable mention behind 12.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists while starting all 22 of his appearances. As a junior, Pullin was second-team All-Big West with 14.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists, also making the Big West All-Academic team. The improvement continued in his 2022-23 senior campaign. Pullin averaged 18.3 points, 4.2 assists and 3.9 rebounds and was named first-team All Big West. For his grad season in 2023-24, Pullin transferred to Florida. He made first-team All-SEC with 15.5 points, 4.9 assists and 3.9 rebounds. Pullin’s 3.77 assist-to-turnover ratio in 2023-24 was Florida’s single-season record and the best mark by an SEC player since the turn of the century.
Analysis
Pullin is a ball-screen floor general who likes to get downhill, but who can pull up with confidence from the midrange if his drive gets cut off. He’s an excellent passer and rarely turns the ball over. He drastically improved his shooting as a fifth-year senior, going 35-for-78 (45%) from deep and 161-for-190 (85%) from the charity stripe. The sample size from three isn’t large, but he shot a quality 26-for-66 (39%) the year prior. His release is fairly slow, so defenders often have time to close out. When plays break down, he’s shown the ability to get a bucket in isolation. Pullin is also a smart defender with the physical tools to deal with guards and smaller wings. He’s also not much of a vertical athlete, failing to record a dunk at Florida despite being 6-foot-4. That impacts his finishing ability against NBA-level length.
Projection
Pullin should be able to make an impact as a low-mistakes, team-first backup point guard, similar to Tyus Jones or Monte Morris. If he can learn to shoot the three at volume and improve his rim finishing, there’s upside for him to be a game-managing starter. Pullin is a classic floor-raising point guard.
N'Faly Dante
Center, 6-11, 230lb
TheAthletic 4-19 #69
Wasserman 4-23 #57
BPM #4 (holy cow)
PRPG #23
Yahoo 6-4 #41
Why does BPM love him?
And let me point out that BPM is absolutely INFATUATED with Dante, ranking him the 4th most productive player in the country. For context, #1 is Zach Edey, #2 is Donovan Clingan and #3 is Johni Broome (who returned to school and will be next year’s Trayce Jackson-Davis).
He’s a blocking (5.7% of shots, #83 in the country) machine.
He’s a stealing (3.2% of opp possessions, #136) machine.
He’s a rebounding machine (#199 OREB rate, #61 DREB rate)
Above average at not fouling and at drawing free throws.
His true shooting is very efficient (68.6%, #18).
So basically he does everything that BPM thinks correlates to winning.
Why isn’t he in the first round?
He’s a fifth year senior.
Considered raw offensively.
Apricot’s Highly Questionable Statistical Comps
This is from an experimental program finding closest statistical comparisons to other NCAA players since 2010.
Derrick Favors 2010
Willie Cauley-Stein 2013
Robert Williams 2018 (Time Lord!)
Brandon Clarke 2016
Nerlens Noel 2013
In Dante’s defense, WCS was a really good college player.
Wasserman, NBA.com
Previous mock draft spot: No. 57
Team: Oregon
Position: C
Size: 6-foot-11, 265 lbs
Age/Year: 22, Senior
Nationality: Malian
Pro comparison: Daniel Gafford
Through five postseason games between the NCAAs and Pac-12 tournament, N’Faly Dante averaged 22.4 points on 74.6% shooting. Even though he hasn’t expanded his range or added any ball-handling skill, he’s improved offensively in the paint with his footwork, poise and off-hand. A career 2.8 steal percentage is also extremely rare for a center. Dante has become a name worth watching heading into the predraft process, and more impact two-way play at the combine could further strengthen his chances of being drafted.
NBADraftRoom.com
Dante has elite physical tools pushing 7 feet tall, with a massive wingspan and good coordination and strength, he has a chance to become a special defensive talent. He goes after every shot around the rim and is an intimidating force who causes opponents to think twice before entering the lane.
Although Dante isn’t a polished offensive player he does have good hands and shows good timing on the offensive glass. He takes the ball hard to the rim and uses his impressive reach to get way above the rim with his dunks.
Shows some touch from mid range with a decent looking stroke, although he’s got a long ways to go on the offensive end.
His post game consists mostly of strong moves to the rim, including a power dribble and drop step move. He also has a nice right hand flip hook that he shoots with great height, making it nearly impossible to block.
Has good mobility and changes ends well. Can make plays in transition, showing off his coordination and great length.
Still learning the game, figuring out where to be on the court and which rotations to make on D.
Is very raw on the offensive end, lacking consistency with his outside shot and isn’t a good free throw shooter.
Comparisons
[trigger warning - EA]
Ekpe Udoh+
Hollinger on NBA Combine
Tentacles Award: N’Faly Dante, Oregon
Dante was just OK on the court, but he was the winner of the wingspan measurements that preceded five-on-five play.
Dante has what scouts call a “plus-8 wingspan,” measuring 6-10 without shoes with a 7-6 fingertip-to-fingertip length, the biggest differential of any player at the combine. Since wingspan does correlate with pro success (albeit not as well as some other factors, like, for instance, being good at basketball), this is always a measurement front offices keep an eye on.
Maxwell Baumbach, No Ceilings
Look, I get it. N’Faly Dante is old for a draft prospect, and he’s had some injuries. But the dude is clearly good in a way that scales up to the NBA level. He’s 6’11” with the length, strength, and toughness to bang it out against pros. He’s an effective finisher who never gets fancy with it. He knows who he is and he doesn’t make mistakes. On defense, he moves his feet exceptionally well. When guarding in space, Dante displays the agility you’d expect from a soccer player rather than a man with his size. Still, he has the power and bounce to turn people away at the cup. N’Faly Dante isn’t going to drastically swing the fortunes of an NBA team. But when it comes to lower usage bench spots, competitive teams should be seeking guys who know who they are, who know how to play, and most importantly, actually can play at a high level. That’s N’Faly Dante.
Vote
You can vote here. You can also post a comment vote which counts as 10 votes. (Or both.) However, to officially count, the comment must be include exactly one hashtag out of #Wells, #Post, #Pullin, #Dante.
Funny variations cause extra work for me.
New thread with the full discussion with Perks: https://dubnationhq.com/p/explain-warriors-decisions-on-klay
Yes, I followed the will of the commenters and posted the whole shebang. Good luck
I suppose Dante.. more shooting, especially from the front court, sounds great, but at the same time Dante might have a chance at not getting played off the court defensively, even against five-out offense. And ultimately, in the medium-to-long term, it’ll be easier to add shooting than quality defense.