It’s official, not much of a surprise but we didn’t make the playoffs. Now it’s time to start looking forward to the draft. It looks like the most realistic outcome is that we end up with picks #9, #14 and #28. Here are some prospects for the #9 and #14 picks that might be available that are worth looking at:
Likely Available
GG Jackson – PF/C 6’9” South Carolina
Highlight Reel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCkhKXnFbW4&ab_channel=NoCeilingsNBA
A potential sleeper pick that I could easily see being available at #14. He does seem a little raw and might take some development to get consistency in scoring down as he only shot 41% from the field and 32% from 3 on 5 attempts per game. He’s a solid rebounder and his size and athleticism would make his weaknesses worth developing and working on. He also just turned 18 a few months ago, so he’s young enough to get quite a few good development years out of. If we take a guard with the #9 pick, I feel like I could see him being a solid choice at our #14 slot if he’s available.
Rayan Rupert – SG/SF 6’6” France
Highlight Reel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm7NVzSX8J8&ab_channel=NoCeilingsNBA
A French player who played his last year in New Zealand, he’s getting some hype and is looking like a mid-1st rounder or late lottery pick. It’s hard to be completely sold on him though. He’s athletic and plays solid defense, but his offensive output has been questionable to say the least. Shooting 36% from the field 25% from 3 with only 1 assist per game makes him look like a liability on the offensive end only scoring 6.6 in the 20 minutes he played each night. He’s looking like a pick that would be good for some speed, athleticism, defense and potential. But he’s a pass in my book.
Cason Wallace – PG 6’4” Kentucky
Highlight Reel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEAxqzYy4lk&ab_channel=NoCeilingsNBA
A defensive-minded combo guard that plays with heart and is likely my pick to go at #9 where he has a good chance at being available. He would fill the need for a primary ball handler, and perimeter defender. With 2 steals a night on top of 4.3 assists help with decent scoring numbers make him a player worth investing in. Down sides seem to be productivity in scoring where he was pretty average in FG% and shot a less than spectacular 34% from 3. Be that as it may, Utah needs a point guard, and with the fact that he is not the most gifted natural athlete in the draft but still as talented as he is, I can see him developing quickly into a very solid starter-level player akin to Marcus Smart.
Jalen Hood-Schifino – PG/SG 6’6” Indiana
Highlight Reel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdpWIP8Qv30&ab_channel=NoCeilingsNBA
An intriguing prospect that could be worth considering at the #14 slot. He’s a combo guard that seemed to raise a few eyebrows for good and bad reasons throughout his year at Indiana. He’s a better playmaker and ballhandler than a lot of the other 2-guards, but inconsistency concerns on the offensive end have either put him late lottery or later. I could see the Jazz taking him if there are no better ball handlers available, but I wouldn’t have incredibly high hopes either.
Keyonte George – SG 6’4” Baylor
Highlight Reel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6Jk02RGDh4&ab_channel=NoCeilingsNBA
A shooting guard who is only this low in most mock drafts due to some consistency issues. Gets really streaky with high highs and low lows. If he can prove to be more efficient, there are some teams that would likely take a gamble on him closer to the top 10, but as of writing this, that seems unlikely. For a shooting guard, his 3 point shooting is not super reliable at 34% and his inside scoring is pretty hit and miss at 42%. Seems to play a well-balanced game being able to pass and rebound
Possibly Available
Nick Smith – PG/SG 6’5” Arkansas
Highlight Reel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_Qn1rGWwck&t=60s&ab_channel=NoCeilingsNBA
Would fill our need for a point guard, but I’m not very high on him. He was a high-level recruit in high school who played only half the year at Arkansas and did not impress. Shooting a measly 38% from the field, 33% from 3 and averaging as many assists as he did turnovers in the 17 games he played was enough for him to go from almost a sure-fire top 5 pick down to late lottery, and at this rate possibly even later. It seems like most of the hype on him is still stemming from his high school days. Has potential, but I’d pass on him if I were Ainge & co.
Gradey Dick – SG 6’7” Kansas
Highlight Reel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfMqu5zjPj8&ab_channel=NoCeilingsNBA
A deadly shooter with a respectable work ethic. Questions have been raised about his athleticism and defensive ability at an NBA level, but not enough to make him less than a sure-fire top 10 pick. From a superficial level, it’s hard to want a guy that looks like Gordon Hayward’s cousin with the name “Gradey Dick” on a team that most of the NBA sees as racist. But looking at it from more of a professional standpoint, if his shooting translates to the league and his work ethic leads to improvements on ball handling and passing, he could be a very good pickup if he’s available at 9.
Cam Whitmore – SF 6’7” Villanova
Highlight Reel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTXaEjkNG2E&ab_channel=NoCeilingsNBA
Doesn’t seem to have much potential in the way of becoming a cornerstone player for a team, but definitely has the potential to be a ready-now player that is able to develop over time. Personally, I don’t see a lot of a fit with the current Utah crew as I’m not 100% sure on work ethic as he seems to rely on natural talent and ability, and his score-first mentality leads to a pathetic 0.7 assists per game. Wouldn’t be the worst pickup at #9 as he was a dominant scorer in the paint on top of 5.3 rebounds in 27 minutes.
Taylor Hendricks – PF/C 6’9” UCF
Highlight Reel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgXwvKBNT50&ab_channel=NoCeilingsNBA
At the moment, I’m torn between taking Hendricks or Cason Wallace at #9 but both could possibly fall to 14. I think Hendricks is more likely to fall than Wallace, but I wouldn’t be upset to see either go at the 9 slot. Love his potential at an NBA level as he seems to be a threat at both ends of the court. He was a reliable scorer shooting an impressive 39.4% from deep with the strength and athletic ability getting him scoring at 54% from the field. He can also play small-ball center when we’re running a smaller lineup. Pairing him with Lauri and Kessler could give us a really dominant big 3 down low with Lauri and Hendricks being a threat from deep.
Wishful Thinking
Anthony Black – PG/SG 6’7” Arkansas
Highlight Reel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-XSdwdmitU&ab_channel=NoCeilingsNBA
A very entertaining and high-ceiling player that will likely be off the board by the time the Jazz draft at #9. Turnovers and 3-point shooting were issues for him during his year at Arkansas but the athletic ability, speed, and size make him a player that might make it worth the 2-3 years to unlock his full potential.
Jarace Walker – SF/PF 6’8” Houston
Highlight Reel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J8WAg9EI08&ab_channel=NoCeilingsNBA
A no-brainer if available at #9 but I’m not holding my breath that he falls that low. Has a solid build and uses his size effectively on the defensive end to grab rebounds and lock out the paint. He would be an incredible big to pair with Walker Kessler to keep opponents from scoring inside. He shot a reasonable 34% from 3 and a respectable 52% from the field making him an offensive option likely more versatile than Kessler.
Ausar Thompson – SG/SF 6’7” Overtime Elite
Highlight Reel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7i18AGpYvnc&ab_channel=NoCeilingsNBA
Another absolute no-brainer if he’s available at #9 but seeing him fall that low is extremely unlikely. Although not an incredible outside shooter, his size, defense and athletic ability shows that his ceiling is high and is likely to at least be a starting level player on any team he ends up with. Possible star potential that teaming up with the likes of Lauri could give us some incredible offensive options.
by crispytime29
