[00:00:00] Dustin: so, all right, everybody welcome to episode 299 of the holy backward podcast. I am Dustin here in rip city and I got my man
[00:00:19] Dillon: Sage, uh, children live and direct from Beaverton, Oregon, about to talk to these about these players that are rising up boards very fast. And, uh, we’re doing a deep dive on them. So, uh, yeah, it should be an interesting show.
[00:00:37] There’s guys that have some talents. So, uh, who do you want to start with? I’m kind of partial to Jaylen, but we can, we can go with whatever.
[00:00:47] Dustin: Yeah. Just, uh, before we get started, um, I know it’s been, uh, Sombering to say the least with the events that have transpired, whether it’s in Buffalo, [00:01:00] California, and now Texas.
[00:01:02] And it’s been hard for me personally, to focus. Um, I try to, uh, balance how much information I’m receiving from the events versus not going into overload mode. And, uh, you know, I want to be informed, but I also want to be able to function as well. And just as the details keep coming out, it’s, it’s been difficult.
[00:01:30] Um, it was difficult this morning, especially. Um, and, uh, I put on a live cam of some sea otters from the Mon Monterey bay aquarium watched a little bit of Jake LaRaviere, who we’ll be talking about later. And, uh, you know, it took a while, but it was nice to just kind of. Uh, getaway and I hope for all of our listeners who are enjoying our content, maybe tuning into the show with this is a 30 to 45 [00:02:00] minute reprieve for you.
[00:02:01] Um, you know, w w we’re here for you. Um, this is kind of what, what we’re doing this, this helps us pass the time. Um, I, I enjoy, you know, spending my nights, you know, scouting these prospects, putting notes, and just like not, not thinking for a bit. I think it’s, it’s healthy to just, uh, put a balance on what you’re able to consume.
[00:02:24] At least that’s worked for me. So for all, for listeners out there, um, it is difficult to record this show right now, given the importance of everything else going on, but it is also important for at least my mental health. Um, and so that’s, that’s what I wanted to, uh, start the show with first and foremost, because, um, There are a lot of people with that.
[00:02:45] I have my, my thoughts on right now, but, um, it is nice to just talk some draft. Uh, it’s coming up. I believe bloom. We have a couple more episodes before the actual draft. And, um, as you mentioned, Sage, [00:03:00] this is going to be, uh, for prospects that we have seen since the start of our recordings in January, kind of come out of nowhere.
[00:03:08] Um, maybe even surprised they’re declaring for this draft and as of, you know, a month or two ago, starting to make their way up into that first round,
[00:03:16] Dillon: you know, like, as you said, there’s a lot of things going on in the world. So, you know, I don’t have all the answers to everything, but what I can do is put my, uh, all my effort into talking about this draft and, you know, offering something.
[00:03:33] In the world that isn’t, uh, about the, uh, devastating events. So what made me watch like eight games in a 24 hour period was for the fans. So they don’t, you know, so they can have something, uh, of, uh, a different context to, to listen to. So, uh, we’re doing this for y’all
[00:03:56] Dustin: and, uh, let’s get it started with [00:04:00] a relative unknown.
[00:04:02] At least for me up until probably a month or so ago, you started to hear his name. Uh, it is Jaelynn Williams from, uh, the west coast conference, Santa Clara university. He’s a small Ford, almost six six, but with a 72 wingspan, uh, comes in at 209 pounds, uh, 21 years old, uh, from Gilbert, Arizona. Uh, something I found interesting about him was he grew eight inches from his sophomore year to a senior year in high school.
[00:04:29] Uh, he’s currently a little all over the board, but he’s up to 25 on the Ringer’s big board, 39 on Tanka, Athens, big boards. We’re looking at a late first, early second round prospect. Uh, his season stats at Santa Clara, 18 points per game on 51% shooting from the field almost 40% from three, a one at the line, uh, four and a half rebounds, a little over four cysts, a little over one steals per game, half a block, uh, did that in nearly 35 minutes.[00:05:00]
[00:05:00] Uh, a night for Santa Clara played 33 games and how to play your efficiency rating of 22.8. He was first team all west coast conference this past year, uh, and Sage, uh, what really stood out to you?
[00:05:15] Dillon: Well, I think of the pick and roll off fence. I know that in the league, he probably won’t be, uh, at least a primary initiator in the pick and roll, but would you saw him initiate the pick and roll as Santa Clara?
[00:05:31] He navigated the screen really, really well and got to his spots. There was a play in the, uh, zag Santa Clara game where jailing used the pick and roll and was able to get to his spots to either pull up for a mid range or to get it to the layup against shit who was in drop coverage. And if you can get your spots in.
[00:05:54] And positive times against shit who I think is the best defender post defender in the class. You can [00:06:00] get to your spots against most NBA players. So the pick and roll navigation, what his decision-making is on the pick and roll, because there was a lot of craft passing off of the pick and roll coverage.
[00:06:12] So number one thing, that’s sticks out to me is that, and like, as we’re watching in the playoffs, you need to have multiple ball handlers to attack the defense. So he might not be your first Playmaker. Well, he shouldn’t be your first Playmaker, but if, as a secondary guy to run, pick and rolls, and I believe I looked at in stat and it was like a 90% pick and roll operator to have a guy that can be your secondary and to run, pick and roll really, really well.
[00:06:42] I mean, that’s what, that’s, what stuck out to me was the play-making off of that pick and roll. And, uh, the shooting, it, his form looks great. Like he has deep NBA range and I think that’s, what’s going to keep him on the floor, but what interests me the most was the play-making and the pick and roll, uh, [00:07:00] a ball handler roll.
[00:07:02] Dustin: Yeah. I like the variety of passes out of the pick and roll. Uh, the pocket pass. He has a hook past lob. He can do the bounce, he can throw it off with one hand. Um, so definitely has some secondary play-making potential. Uh, I don’t, I agree with you. I don’t think you’re going to see him do that as frequently in the NBA, as he did at Santa Clara, it seemed like he was really their primary option and shouldered a lot of offensive usage, um, for the Broncos.
[00:07:30] Uh, I noticed his jump shot was beautiful, but I wanted to see more clips of him shooting the ball. But, uh, you know, it is tough when you are. When you are scouting prospects at a mid-major who don’t really have the talent level of a duke core or Carolina, you don’t have other players that can set him up and see how he works off ball.
[00:07:51] So, uh, how does he shoot off of movement? Uh, I know I don’t project him to be an isolation score. He, he struggled in the clip for [00:08:00] that. I saw getting separation against Gonzaga and St. Mary’s. I’m not, he’s really not overly athletic, uh, struggle struggles to finish at the rim. Um, he had his, a potential game winning shot, blocked against St.
[00:08:14] Mary’s Logan Johnson, and Logan’s only six two. So he doesn’t really have a lot of explosiveness. I don’t know what he’s going to project at the next level more than just maybe a catch and shoot score, but you, you can see the smarter there. You can see the feel for the game. Is there, I like players who.
[00:08:34] Uh, progress and he definitely has made leaps and bounds from his freshman to sophomore to junior campaign where he’s probably going to be taken in the first round. Um, I kind of feel the same way about him as I do guys like EGA Ladelle or Keegan Murray. I don’t think there’s high bus potential there. I just don’t think the ceiling is super high either.
[00:08:55] I think he’s a high floor player. So if you’re a franchise that’s looking [00:09:00] to, you know, round out your bench, looking for a solid contributor from, from day one, uh, I would really consider taking a player, uh, like, like Jaylen Williams. I think he’s got, you know, you set up a wingspan that you want. Um, especially I think size is coming back into the NBA.
[00:09:16] So I like him better as a big two than a small three.
[00:09:21] Dillon: I’m going to, uh, fight back a little bit on the hand. I think that he, without a ball screen, he can manipulate with changes, speed, and some bag where he can get his own shot a little bit. Like I saw, uh, might’ve been the same Mary’s game. I know I’ve watched too last night.
[00:09:41] So this plays in my mind, or he just like did a left right crossover, the guy bit. And he got to the mid range and rose over. I kind of liked his three levels scoring of potentials. I don’t, I don’t think it’s Malakai random level of three levels scoring, but [00:10:00] he’s, he’s, he’s got something in the bag that can get it.
[00:10:03] He can get to the spot. And I think that, you know, that high-level athleticism. Of course, it’s great. But the NBA right now to me, feels like you have to be skilled and versatile one and two. And then if you’re skilled in versatile one and two, and then have that high level of athleticism, that’s when Anthony Edwards exists.
[00:10:22] I think that he can get to his spots. Did you notice anything on defense with the clips? Because, uh, in the St Mary’s game that I watch koozie, uh, tried to, uh, drive baseline. And this was like, maybe I actually might’ve put it, uh, the 16th a minute into the second half, uh, koozie drove, uh, baseline. And, uh, Jalen helped Doug out of a koozie, ripped it and took it the other way.
[00:10:51] So there’s definitely some defensive potential with him. And I really liked his awareness as an off-ball defender. I don’t think he’ll ever be an on-ball guy because [00:11:00] the top of your athleticism isn’t really there, but like the way that he attacks the help side defense and was able to rip it from legitimately a pretty damn good point guard in koozie, um, it, it shows that he has some potential.
[00:11:16] As a defender on that, on a off ball. And if he can get to a program where they can help him develop all the other things defensively, I think that he can be a legitimately, a positive off-ball defender in the league. Yeah.
[00:11:31] Dustin: And it’s also hard to gauge his defensive ability, given how much he was shouldering on offense, too.
[00:11:36] Right? Like he’s not going to have the energy to play both ends, but hopefully with a lower load offensively in the MBA, he can be more of a aware player on, on the other side of the floor. But I agree. I wouldn’t project him to be, um, a menace on ball like that the foot speed did a lateral quickness. It’s just not there.
[00:11:55] And those are things you have to have, like smarts can only take you so far on defense when it [00:12:00] comes to being an on-ball defender, but he does have great length. He does have a high basketball intelligence, so he could, you know, tip balls, play the passing lanes, uh, kind of roam around and just kind of be a little bit of a disruptor.
[00:12:12] Uh, when teams aren’t trying to go, one-on-one against.
[00:12:15] Dillon: As you’ve looked in the playoffs, they love picking up players defensively. I don’t think he’s going to get picked on like some other players that we’ll be talking about. I think he won’t be, he won’t be a menace, but he won’t be a negative. Like he’s just gonna, he’ll be on the F if he’s hot, he’s gonna be on the floor and those, those, uh, important minutes of the game.
[00:12:37] So I, I like what he can provide, but it really, if he can shoot it, shoot it, he’s going to be on the floor.
[00:12:46] Dustin: Yeah. And it’s tough. This draft is loaded with, with wing players who I happen to like a lot more. Um, I think if this was a, maybe an average draft class, he’s probably sneaking into the teens. Uh, but because of [00:13:00] how loaded it is at the two and the three, he’s probably going to fall into the mid twenties.
[00:13:05] So, uh, that’s kind of where, where I see him, where, where I have him. I wouldn’t have a problem with the team taking him, uh, in, in the mid to late twenties.
[00:13:13] Dillon: Is there a team that just screams great fit for Jaylen Williams?
[00:13:20] Dustin: I mean, I don’t know if there’s a team off the top of my head. I think you want him to go to a veteran team?
[00:13:24] I, I think like, like I mentioned to off the job, he needs to go to a team that is looking to content right now. They have a spot eighth or ninth man off the bench. If he can play the cam Johnson role as a rookie, like what cam Johnson played in Phoenix, you know, basically he didn’t fuck up and just open shots and wasn’t a save on defense.
[00:13:43] No cam turned into a really good defensive player and an automatic shooter. Like if he can have that type of career arc that’s, that’s fabulous. So I think you look at a team. Who is ready to win right now? Like, like the sons. Um, I think he would be, be granted any [00:14:00] team that’s trying to win. I don’t know if it makes a lot of sense to bring in a ready-made rookie for a team like the thunder who are so far away.
[00:14:06] Uh, so it has gotta be a team that needs to win now neither day one contributor and, uh, can have a superstar around him that can get him some
[00:14:14] Dillon: open looks. Yeah. I was thinking like the heat or, you know, this team isn’t competing, but I think the coach makes it so he it’s a great fit, but I would love to see what he can do a good Popovich, just have him be off the bench, um, be that, that that’s secondary Playmaker with, uh, with, uh, one of the Joneses that that’s the point guard.
[00:14:38] I dunno. Yeah. Trade zones. And, uh, I think that he he’s going to fit a spot and play a role. I mean, he’s older, so he knows. There’s E there’s limitations in his game. Some of these 19 year olds and 18 year olds don’t think that there’s limitations. So, you know, if you’re, if you’re a Gregg Popovich, I [00:15:00] think he would fit with you.
[00:15:02] Or if you’re a team like the heat or, you know, one of those competing teams. Yeah. I think that he would be a, a pretty nice, uh, rotation player that had,
[00:15:11] Dustin: I would love to see him in, in Los Angeles with the Clippers playing in Tyler’s defensive scheme. Oh yeah.
[00:15:15] Dillon: That’d be great. Yeah. Back on the,
[00:15:19] Dustin: that’s a spot that, that kind of popped into my, my mind right there.
[00:15:23] I mean, you’ve, you’ve already got kohai PG norm pal, you know, Reggie Jackson, you get another long athletic, big, big guard. I mean, you can just throw the gauntlet at any team. Um, and then me
[00:15:36] Dillon: off the bench, because let’s be real, Reggie Jackson was over. Yeah. He was overextended as a lead guard with Paul, George, and quad being hurt.
[00:15:49] So having a guy that also can create something in the bigger role, it might be good for the Clippers. Um, Who do you want to talk about [00:16:00] next? Or do you have, do you have more about Jaylen Williams?
[00:16:03] Dustin: No, I think that about covered it. Let’s, uh, let’s move forward to, uh, Blake Wesley, uh, from Notre Dame. Uh, another shooting guard measures in just over six, four with a six, nine wingspan, uh, weighs 187 pounds.
[00:16:19] I’m 19 years old, born in south bend Indiana. So no reason why he didn’t go to Notre Dame. Uh, he’s currently number 18 on the Ringer’s big board and 26 on tank Athens, big board, uh, some seasoned stats, uh, averaged 14 and a half points per game. Did it on 40% shooting from the field 30 from three and 65.7% from the line, uh, grabbed 3.7 boards, uh, 2.4 cysts, uh, a little over a steal of game.
[00:16:52] Really didn’t register any blocks. Uh, did that in over 29 minutes of actual. In 35 games for the Irish and had a [00:17:00] player efficiency rating of 16.9. This was one of those players who, you know, we talk about, um, you know, players rising or being unexpected entries into the draft. Like he kinda falls in the line of the, the, the Bryce McCowen’s, who we will talk about a little bit later, the Malakai Branham’s where these are unlikely one in Dunn candidates.
[00:17:23] Uh, he was a four-star recruit by rivals ranked the hundred and fourth best player nationally. So a good recruit, but not somebody that you would expect to make that leap, uh, to the NBA. Uh, the, the thing that, that stuck out in my mind for, uh, Blake Wesley is he reminds me of Larry Hughes on the Washington wizards.
[00:17:46] Uh, this guy does his best when he is playing in the passing lanes, using his length and turning, um, his, his defense into offense. Like I think he projects as a [00:18:00] spark plug off the bench. The question for me is going to be, can he do more than just score the basketball? I mean, cause you, you saw the, you saw the percentages that they’re not good, 40% from the field 30% from three.
[00:18:16] And when nobody’s guarding him a sub 70% shooter from the line. So it’s going to take a while for, I think, a team to get him to, to mold him where he’s going to be. So if you’re a team, you have to come into this draft. And if you’re looking for somebody who you can bury on your bench and develop on a rookie scale contract Blake, Wesley’s your player.
[00:18:40] If you want somebody ready, made like Jaylen Williams to contribute from day one, I think you need to steer clear from. Blake Wesley, because there are a lot of holes in his game. And I do think he is worth a risk in the late first round. [00:19:00] Personally, I would’ve liked to have seen him come back to Notre Dame for his sophomore season.
[00:19:05] Uh, I think there is a big likely, uh, it would have been very likely that he would have had a sophomore breakout campaign, much like Johnny Davis, much like Benedict Matheran and much like Jayden Ivy. Um, like there’s just so much potential there. Sage w Blake Wesley. But like we mentioned with Jan Williams, there are so many other talented shooting guards.
[00:19:28] Like I wouldn’t feel the need to select him unless he really fell down the draft for it’s. Like, I think you can find somebody who has just as much potential, but as maybe more ready to play, um, around where he is going to be selected. So it’s going to be interesting to see what teams, you know, every team is going to be.
[00:19:48] Divided on these prospects are talking about or not. This isn’t a Jabari Smith. Uh, you know, this isn’t a Palo Bancaire teams are going to be like hot and cold on these prospects. [00:20:00] Uh, I think that the nicest thing I can say about him and it goes back to wanting him to go back to school. He reminds me of Jayden Ivy, very light, like the handle shows, flashes of brilliance.
[00:20:13] He has a hesitation crossover into a foul line floater. He is dynamic in the open floor. Great change of pace player. I mean, fantastic change of pace. Player is quick crafty. He’s got the hesitation moves and it helps offset the fact that he isn’t the craziest athlete. Like he’s, he’s not going to be able to just explode off of one foot and really do what Jaden Ivy does.
[00:20:36] What Ivy worked on was that general. Well, Ivy worked on was strug was, uh, finishing at the rim. That’s something that Blake Westley really struggles to do. He really doesn’t get, uh, he doesn’t, he’s not able to convert, like I said, unless there is a, a full, you know, runway for him to take off fee. He’s not going to explode into that.
[00:20:58] Um, [00:21:00] I think he, he can end up being an inconsistent volume shooter. Um, he needs to refine the jump shot. I think he needs to focus on his, on ball defensive skills. I think if he is to make it in the NBA, it’s not as that, that Jaden IB score. I think he’s got the defensive. I think he does have the defensive physical tools.
[00:21:21] Whether you look at the wingspan, you look at the lateral quickness. I think he could succeed if he models his game more after drew holiday and Marcus. So
[00:21:30] Dillon: I’ve probably only watched two, two, a Notre Dame games, but things that stood out to me in those games was that he can create space with his dribble.
[00:21:41] I think his, his bag is pretty nice. So he’ll always be able to have that. He is a great space creating guard now with the positives. I think that we have to, I think that he is really unhealthy skinny. [00:22:00] He needs to hit that weight room pretty damn hard. And that shop his shop mechanics looks like it changes every time he shoots.
[00:22:09] So he needs to nail down his shot. If he can’t figure out how he’s going to shoot every single time, it’s just going to be such a high variance of what happens. So for me, he has a lot to do with the fundamentals of the game. He’s going to create space and be able to launch. He’s not going to be that like downhill driver type of guy, he’s going to have to, it’s going to be almost always dependent on his shot and shot creation.
[00:22:40] So can he get a form that is efficient and the same every time? And can he put muscle on his frame? Cause if he doesn’t, that’s going to be a real negative for him because yeah, I think that he CA he can’t play defense, but I think he also can get bodied up by [00:23:00] bigger and stronger players. So those are my two swing factors for him is his shot mechanics.
[00:23:05] And the, uh, the, the, the.
[00:23:08] Dustin: Yeah, and I don’t expect him. He doesn’t project to me as a Playmaker really at any level, um, for himself, I think
[00:23:15] Dillon: he is,
[00:23:16] Dustin: yes. Like he’s a willing passer, but he can only make the simple reads at the moment. You look at the statistics, he has a 2.4 assists to 2.2 turnover ratio.
[00:23:26] Basically every assist comes with a turnover, which is, uh, extremely sub-par. Um, every clip I watched, I watched a ton of like Wesley. He had the ball in his hands. I don’t anticipate him getting that type of, uh, leeway at the next level.
[00:23:43] Dillon: So.
[00:23:45] Dustin: Yeah, can you play without the ball? And I think that’s the answer right now is know you.
[00:23:51] I have on my notes, he needs to redefine his jump shot mechanics. We see people we’re going to talk about Jake, Jake labia, beautiful jump [00:24:00] shot. When he has set still just like how I play basketball. You give me space. I can make a jump shot, shooting off the dribble off movement, off screens, getting your body right, being able to shoot when you’re not perfectly squared up.
[00:24:12] That is very difficult to do. And only a handful of human beings on this earth can do so. So if he’s struggling to, to shoot just even off of the isolation or just wide open, I don’t anticipate him, him being able to play off ball anytime soon. So again, this is a player that is probably two years away from probably, uh, sniffing their rotation.
[00:24:36] So if you could afford that, if you’re a team that’s absolutely loaded and you’re just looking to. Kind of invest in your farm system. I think Blake Wesley is the player to do so. Uh, but if, if you need a ready, uh, contributor from day one, I don’t know how it makes sense. Um, I would say for all of the potential, I am worried about [00:25:00] a prospect who projects to be a score that percentages were awful at Notre Dame.
[00:25:07] The, the sub 70% at the free throw line is very worrisome like that, that translates in projects out more than the three point shooting desk. If you’re a good free throw shooter, you tend to be able to shoot the NBA three. Um, the, the college three is nothing more than a mid range jump shot at the next level.
[00:25:25] So, um, it’s, it’s interesting that we’re finally talking about prospects who were not really in love with, you know, we’ve done all of these episodes since January. I think there’s probably. The two duke players who I’m not infatuated with. I know you’re not infatuated with Keegan Murray, but for the most part know, we found really good in almost every prospect we’ve talked about this.
[00:25:49] This will be a solid prospect. And now we start getting into these, these late first round players. And it’s like, okay, now reality is starting to set. And this is why they are a late first round [00:26:00] prospect. Um, you see teams try to go for a home run and take a player who has really high upside, but it tends to be those players who can do just one or two things exceptional that kind of succeed in this range of the draft.
[00:26:15] So, um, I think Blake’s success is really at the next level I should say is really going to be defined by the system that he gets drafted into. And just how, how much is he going to be able to, um, Really improve upon his game. I would say right now, if I was his coach, if I was as an advisor. Sure. Go, go and take the money.
[00:26:40] You’re probably a guaranteed first round pick, but I don’t know if he’s guaranteed to get that second MBA contract. I think mechanically fundamentally he’s a ways away from, from being an NBA basketball player. I think
[00:26:56] Dillon: he has to put defense. He has to depend [00:27:00] on his craft, like the way CJ McCollum developed all of those counters.
[00:27:05] He has
[00:27:06] Dustin: well CJ’s CJ’s bag though. Coming out of Lehigh was still exceptional. So yes, he did. He got to an elite level, but you know, CJ’s bag at Lehigh was like, I think leaps and bounds above where we’re Blake’s is right now. I
[00:27:20] Dillon: mean, yes, CJ, his bag was, is bigger, but I think Blake was. Can do things with the ball that are special, but he has to develop all of those craft layup packages, because he’s not going to have that top tier athleticism to go downhill and dump it on somebody.
[00:27:45] So he’s going to have to develop that floater. He’s ended up to develop all of those craft shots that CJ’s taking. So I, I, I think we talked last week about Ryan Rawlins and him [00:28:00] needing to develop those craft finishes. I think Ryan has Mo he has more leeway to be a player without the craft finishes that Blake needs them.
[00:28:11] And it would be nice for Ryan to have,
[00:28:13] Dustin: so Ryan can shoot the basketball too. Yeah. Yeah. So, so when you were, you were talking about Blake’s Blake’s bag and that’s great, but like he’s not able to shoot off of that. So like, Yeah. He’s he’s the more I talk about it normally goddamn, he is a long ways away from, I think, being at, at the next level.
[00:28:33] So, um, so I would have
[00:28:35] Dillon: told them to stay and for a few years, but I mean, I’m worried about his body to just he’s really, really skinny. So yeah, that, that, there’s a lot to worry about when it comes to Blake, Wesley, he only weighs
[00:28:53] Dustin: like 10 pounds lighter than shit
[00:28:54] Dillon: though. Yeah. I mean, Chad has [00:29:00] a problem too.
[00:29:01] It’s obviously the Chet has a problem with its weight, but as a guard you’re going to have to, you’re going to have to get abused by re like, could you imagine what happens when drew holiday defends them or Marcus smart or one of those guys that is strong? They’re just bullying him. Like if he has the ball, they’re just going to push him to half court and it’s going to be over for him.
[00:29:23] So, yeah, I think he has to develop his body as well as the shop mechanics.
[00:29:28] Dustin: All right, let’s move on to, uh, Jake lull Rabia. He is from wake forest Jr. Small forward, uh, six eight with a six, nine and a half wingspan, uh, 227 pounds. Uh, 20 years old will be 21 in November from Indianapolis, Indiana. Uh, some season stats for Jake average to 14.6 points.
[00:29:54] Did it on 56% shooting from the field, uh, over [00:30:00] 38% from three, uh, nearly 78% from a line pulled down over six and a half rebounds handed out over three and a half assists, a block, a game one and a half steals per game. Did that in 33 games for the demon deacons in 34 minutes and had a player efficiency rating of 22.9.
[00:30:22] This is a player who really came out of nowhere. Is being talked about, um, as a first round pick a tank Anthon has them going 30th in their latest mock draft to the Oklahoma city, thunder 33rd on the big board, uh, Sage, what are your thoughts on Jake?
[00:30:43] Dillon: when I watched him, I was like, damn, this dude knows basketball.
[00:30:47] The way he moves on the port is just like classic. Like his father’s a coach. It made him run drills over and over and over again so that he knows [00:31:00] how to move and where to go on a basketball court. So I think the basketball IQ is very, very high. Um, I really was impressed with his passing. I know that wake forest is a V has a lot of, uh, transfer guys that are really, really skilled.
[00:31:15] Like, uh, their point guard was a really fun to watch, but the way that he would. He’s not going to dime you up for a good pass, but he’s a willing passer that makes quick decisions that are smart. So he would find that open cutter or that open three point shooter and just get it to them fast and efficiently.
[00:31:37] So he kind of ran off fence, like use of Turkish data just without the high-risk passing. So they would give it to them at like the top of the key. And he would find somebody for a good pass. Uh, I wrote in my notes that he’s, uh, yeah, uh, uh, a lead type of Playmaker where he would just find the right path, but it wasn’t like dribbling really.
[00:31:59] [00:32:00] Um, I really was impressed with his off ball movement as a cutter. Um, he has some real shot hesitancy, so he would be a, uh, high-level cutter degree at spacing, not a shooter as of right now because of the low attempts and the shot hesitancy, but he would be a really good cutter. There are times and places for you to be cutting.
[00:32:25] So like if a guy’s on the left side posting up and got walled off, he’d go out on the right and cut. And it would be an easy basket. So the IQ just shows, uh, shines brightly in those scenarios where he can use his cutting and scoring ability of the posts. Uh, so I like what he can do as a cutter. I think where he is explosive is in the transition game, in a, on offense where he’s comfortable, dribbling up the ball and finding the right player.
[00:32:59] I [00:33:00] think that this stage of his game, he’s more of a transition offensive player that he is a half-court offensive player. And that, that has some issues of its own where, you know, he has to be moving to be effective. But in transition, he’s pretty damn explosive finding the right player, getting to the lane himself.
[00:33:19] So I liked that in his game, but obviously it’s a half-court game when it gets to important ball. So the three point shooting is a humongous swing skill. If he gets confident enough to launch, I think that could add something to his game, but really what Jake is, is a really good defensive player where he’s kind of a stocks guy, stocks is steels and blocks.
[00:33:44] So he’s going to do the momentum play and he’s pretty damn good at it where he gets steals out of nowhere, where he gets blocked out of nowhere and then sparks it so he can do his transition offense. So, one thing that I noticed, I [00:34:00] watched the duke game and I watched the wrong duke game where he wasn’t good.
[00:34:06] And he was just getting abused by Paula. And that’s fine. Paula was a, probably the most gifted offensive player in this draft, but what made me nervous for Jake as the defender? He got blown by, by AIG multiple times Asia. I sewed him, took him to the rack.
[00:34:23] Dustin: Plenty of clips were breeding manic from North Carolina, uh, Syracuse, like buddy bay, Haim.
[00:34:29] Like I agree with you. I do think he tries on defense. I think he’s in the tub, a legit player. I close, slow laterally. Uh, he doesn’t have a wingspan. Like his arms are almost the same size. Like he only has a six, nine wingspan and he’s six, eight. So he doesn’t really have that extra length to make up for if he’s, you know, gets a step or two behind.
[00:34:53] Uh, so I, I just, I don’t know, defensively if he’s going to be able to play in [00:35:00] those
[00:35:00] Dillon: crunch minutes.
[00:35:02] Dustin: No. Like if we’re looking at Jake, Gloria, uh, I don’t see a first round player to be, to be perfectly honest. I think he’s a nice mid to late second round prospect honestly reminds me a lot of another mid to late second round prospect.
[00:35:17] The blazers took another Jake. He reminds me of Jake layman who was really good. It
[00:35:21] Dillon: has way more athletic system.
[00:35:24] Dustin: Yes, Jake layman does. Uh, but they both excelled cutting off ball. When you got Jake Clayman open, he had a beautiful jump shot, just like Jake LaRaviere does. Um, and I think that’s where he projects.
[00:35:38] If he’s going to make a roster spot, he’s going to have to be a knockdown catch and shoot score on offense. The jump shot is gorgeous when he has set. Everything else was really a struggle for him offensively, even at the collegiate level, you know, he’s taking his time and then he’s going into a back down and he’s just dribbling the seconds off the shot clock.
[00:35:58] That’s not going to happen for [00:36:00] him. He’s not going to have that type of usage or role, um, at, at the next level, you know, struggling to get by the Brady Mannix, uh, branded pretty, pretty Mannix, excuse me of the world. Uh, he can’t really shoot off the dribble or off movement. I think his ideal role is playing alongside a superstar.
[00:36:19] Who’s gravity pulls defenders away from him and he can just, boom, boom, boom, knocked down those open shots, like, like a Davis Burton’s type type of score where it’s like, okay, you can’t leave the sky open. Like it benefits the superstar and it benefits Jake. Um, and if he’s able to have that, um, I think he could become a rotational player, but even.
[00:36:43] But I’m not even sold on that, just because the defense worries me at that level. We’re looking at a player and Miami, you know, Duncan, Robinson, any elite shooter off of not only the catching shoe, but off of off screens off the dribble. I mean, he’s just one, one of the best shooters in [00:37:00] the world. He can’t defend.
[00:37:01] And he’s only getting time for the heat because they’re having, you know, injury issues to Tyler hero. Kyle Lowry can’t play basketball right now. So it, Duncan Robinson is struggling in the post-season like it just, I that’s why I would be very hesitant to give a four year contract Jake Moravia. Uh, I, I agree with everything you said Sage.
[00:37:21] I do think he’s an incredibly intelligent basketball player, but, uh, in today’s NBA, I don’t know if he’s getting minutes for you in the post-season and he’s absolutely
[00:37:33] Dillon: not going use it.
[00:37:35] Dustin: Honestly, if, if he is graded out as the 30th or 33rd best player, I would rather roll the dice on a player like drew Timmy at 59, but then than take Jake Lynn Rabia that’s because I think Timmy, if he is eight, Timmy’s got four or five inches on wingspan on the rave.
[00:37:57] If he’s able and he has a much better [00:38:00] touch touch, he’s got a feel for the game. Like I would roll the dice on him at 59 rather than spend the first drum pick on, on the review. Like that’s like, he’s, I think he’s a fantastic European basketball player. Like
[00:38:15] Dillon: there was nothing wrong with being a fantastic
[00:38:18] Dustin: basketball player, a great basketball player, but I almost go back to the Caleb Swan again, you know, argument like just so smart.
[00:38:26] It does everything you want, but like athletically
[00:38:30] Dillon: at that next level, some benchmarks as an athlete to play in this, any, he doesn’t know. The two biggest wind skills for him is his athleticism and his, his, uh, shooting. So if you can’t do the two most important things, play defense and shoot. It’s going to be really hard for him to, uh, make a rotation, spot the IQs, going to keep him playing basketball for awhile, but he has to develop [00:39:00] something.
[00:39:00] Um, yeah, I really wish she was went for his senior year, but he’s not going to get any more athletic. And he’s probably, that’s
[00:39:10] Dustin: the thing. It’s like, if he can get a first-round contract, you have to go because like you said, he’s not going to get,
[00:39:16] Dillon: he probably shined in those, uh, drills in the combine and people got excited, but
[00:39:23] Dustin: those are combine players.
[00:39:25] Yeah. Well, and
[00:39:26] Dillon: just look at it, like if I’m underwhelmed by watching three or four games of him, if he shines in one part of the game, In combined. That’s great, but the game is so much different and it’s so much more telling you can hide not being a good shooter. You can hide not being athletic for, you know, a workout, but when you’re getting ISO two against Aja Griffin, or you’re just getting [00:40:00] your shit blown up by Paulo, that’s more telling than just dominating combat players.
[00:40:06] That probably aren’t as good as you. So he,
[00:40:15] if Dylan, Terry’s 40 on tank Yvonne, and Jake’s a first, I
[00:40:19] Dustin: don’t, I don’t see. I don’t know how that, yeah. I don’t know what we’re missing on and Terry, but he feels.
[00:40:28] Dillon: He should be in their twenties to be yes,
[00:40:31] Dustin: absolutely. Um, so again, we’re, we’re not just bringing you prospects that we think are fantastic or that knock our socks off.
[00:40:39] You know, we’re, we’re covering prospects from the top five all the way down to, to, you know, pick 55. Uh, and these are prospects that are just, that they’ve came out of nowhere left field. And when we started this in January, uh, these prospects were on nobody’s radar, really? That, that we would think we would be talking about at this [00:41:00] time.
[00:41:01] Um, anything left on Jake before we move to our final prospect stage, uh,
[00:41:05] Dillon: I have a question rank, the three guys that we’ve talked about thus far,
[00:41:10] Dustin: the three guys we’ve talked about so far, I would say Jaylen Williams, Blake Wesley, and Jake LaRaviere.
[00:41:17] Dillon: Is there a huge gap between, uh, uh, Jalen and Blake,
[00:41:22] Dustin: very small gap between those two.
[00:41:26] But large gap between Wesley and Larry via.
[00:41:30] Dillon: Okay. Cause I have a, I haven’t put Jaylen in my board yet, but he would be in the twenties. I don’t think Blake’s in my first round. So I honestly, I Blake and Jake have a, it’s a small bit of separation, but I would say it’s a pretty big separation from Blake and, uh, uh, Jalen.
[00:41:56] All right, let’s talk about this fourth guy, somebody that I told you, [00:42:00] you would hate.
[00:42:08] Dustin: All right, last but not least is Bryce. McGowan’s from the university of Nebraska shooting guard six, six and a half with a almost six, nine wingspan. Someone who weighs even less than Blake Wesley, 181 pounds. A 19 years old will turn 20 in November from Pendleton, South Carolina. So made the trip from South Carolina to Nebraska.
[00:42:32] He was a five-star recruit by rivals the number 30th player ranked nationally in Nebraska’s highest rated, highest ranked recruit in the database era. Um, his bio says he chose Nebraska over Jordan. Michigan, Oregon and Florida state. Uh, his brother, Trey is a sophomore on the Nebraska basketball team.
[00:42:55] It’s kind of a trend that we’ve seen with some of these prospects. You’ve got Keegan and Chris [00:43:00] Murray at Iowa. Um, and there is some athleticism in the family. His mother, Pam played basketball at Western Carolina. Uh, currently a high school basketball coach is popular body play football and basketball at South Carolina.
[00:43:14] And he has a younger sister named Reyna, uh, some accolades for Bryce McCowen’s third team, all big 10 this year, and the big attendant newcomer of the year. He’s currently ranked 23rd on the Ringer’s big board and 27 on tank. Anthon some season stats before we get into our evaluations. He averaged 16.8 points per game did so on 40% shooting from the field 27 and a half percent from.
[00:43:45] 83%. Apolline grabbed over five rebounds handed out just about an assistant a half per game. Uh, about a half a steel about a half a block per game. Did all of that in 33 minutes in [00:44:00] 31 games, what they player efficiency rating of 16.9 Sage. What were your thoughts on Bryce McGowan’s?
[00:44:11] Dillon: So there is two versions of Bryce.
[00:44:16] One is earlier Bryce, where he is hero balling it 100% of the time. And it w he was taking some, uh, portrait shots, some awful shots. And then there was middle of the year, end of the year, Bryce, where he was going downhill and getting to the basket and scoring and using his shooting and using all of the other tools that he has.
[00:44:41] I got to give him props for changing his game completely from somebody that I don’t think in today’s game is that worthy of being in the NBA as a hero ball guy that takes just Kobe Bryant level [00:45:00] shots when he was just going for his and missing and then go changing it to a guy that attacks the offense and is a, a good offense, a player.
[00:45:12] So I want to give him props for at least acknowledging that hero ball. Isn’t the way to play when you’re trying to get evaluated for the NBA. So I want to give him props on that. I think that he is a good offense player. When you isn’t in the hero ball mindstate, he has shown some ability to be an on-ball and off-ball score where I don’t think Blake Wesley has a chance of being an off ball.
[00:45:39] Price because of his shooting ability can be an off balls for, um, he ran off screens really well. I think he’s a lethal, lethal shooter and his slithery when he gets to the basket. So he actually has some finishing crafts, but I know if you watched any early season Bryce, you absolutely hated [00:46:00] him, but what did you think of his offensive game?
[00:46:04] Dustin: Hated it. I know, I know I do not like this prospect, um, at all to be, to be blunt. Um, I watched, you know, clips from early middle to late and yeah, there was a bit of a change, but I, I still think that the chucker tendency is there. Um, you’re looking at a player who had the ultimate green light at Nebraska.
[00:46:27] They were four and 16 in conference, tied Minnesota for the worst record in the big pen. And it’s putting up a solid stats on teams that, that don’t win with a high usage. I don’t really like how that translates. Um, I really believe like a lot of these prospects we’ve talked about, he could have used another year or two of, of collegiate basketball.
[00:46:51] He’s raw. I don’t think he looked six, six on the court and that could be due to his, his slim frame. It he’s [00:47:00] skinny. I think he needs to add, add weight because he’s just not good with contact. Uh, he. Struggles to finish around the rim. He loves throwing up these, these awkward scooping difficult type of layups.
[00:47:14] Um, I mean, just from what I’ve seen, he’s, he’s not going to be a Playmaker or a passer, like with all of that usage, he really had tunnel vision quite a bit. There was a game against Rutgers. He had two chances to win it and he took two terrible contested layups that came nowhere close, uh, to, uh, finding the bottom of the net and his team lost that game.
[00:47:42] Yes, I do think there is some potential there, but like with some of these other prospects, I think he’s maybe the furthest away. And I say that because. The Jumpshot needs a lot of work mechanically. Um, it’s a slow release. He drops it down to his chest to gain momentum [00:48:00] before going up. Uh, he’s got that ball placement in the front of his face, and I just don’t think those mechanics allow for consistency when you’re moving off ball or off of the dribble.
[00:48:11] Um, I think, yeah, with, with like with the Blake Wesley there’s there’s potential, but it’s a wait and see, and it has to be in, in the right system. So
[00:48:24] Dillon: what about Bryce’s ability to get to the free throw line and manufacturer points off?
[00:48:32] Dustin: Very interesting. I was watching all of these clips and it’s like highlight of highlight up and getting to the free-throw line.
[00:48:38] And I’m like, that’s just not going to work in the NBA. They’ve reminded me exactly. Of Jarrod Bayless, summer league, wherever everyone is hyped. This dude was, you know, summer league MBP getting the line like 18 times a game. I’m like, fuck yeah, this dude rules. He’s not going to get these calls at the next level.
[00:48:55] Um, it, Jared Bayless to me is, is the exact [00:49:00] comparison I would give to him. Bayless had a very inconsistent jump shot. He was pretty athletic, but he had the most tunnel vision of maybe any tunnel vision player, a young guard that I can remember, at least for the Portland trailblazers. I fucking love to Jared Bayless too.
[00:49:14] I have the blinders on for him, but it didn’t work out because he could never add anything else to his game. So. He tends to drive right into the defenders. He did average over six free throws a game. So he was getting the calls at that level, but we’ve seen NBA officials. You have to earn their respect to get the calls.
[00:49:35] I just don’t feel like he’s going to get those type of calls at the next level. Like he may develop a James harden, like tendency to, you know, bait and trick the officials into these calls. But, um, I, I would be surprised if that is something that you can, can bank on. Um, but yeah, I agreed that that was a standout for him in, at Nebraska.
[00:49:59] I [00:50:00] just, I don’t think that’s something that, that translates. It certainly didn’t translate for Jared Bayless. Like I’m again, watched him in summer league parade to that free throw line. And he tried to do the same things once the regular season started and the whistles were swallowed,
[00:50:14] Dillon: you know, he, he, he has all of the architectural things that you’re looking for.
[00:50:20] Wing size with all the tools. He’s just not a good basketball player right now, but he has all the tools that a coach can say, give me that and I’ll turn them into this. So I think that I like the way that he runs some pick and rolls, navigating the screens to get to his spots to shoot. So again, he, to me, he’s a round guy.
[00:50:46] So even though he has all the potential in the world to be that wing guy, and we didn’t even talk about his defense, which is
[00:50:54] Dustin: bad, he is a terrible defender. I put in my notes, maybe the worst I have scouted this year. [00:51:00] Yeah. He’s he’s, he’s just not in for me. So H he’s I have him one spot ahead of Jake LaRaviere on my big board and it’s because he’s a freshman and he, he, something may happen in the right system.
[00:51:14] I think Jake’s pretty much tapped out, but it’s
[00:51:19] Dillon: steer clear. He has a lot more leeway the J cause the age and because of the tools that he has, but I mean that 6, 7, 6, 9 guy is always going to get a job over the six foot guy. That’s more skilled just because of size and the NBA. But I think that he has shown a little bit of something authentically, even though a lot of his film is pretty shitty with the hero ball part of his game.
[00:51:46] So while he he’s, he’s definitely a second round guy for me, even though he has the tools. Tools. Aren’t the only thing that you need to look at, especially when [00:52:00] you’re drafting at this point, you have to look for a guy that has some skills and, you know, you can say that he’s a pick and roll guy and navigate screen well, but we’ve talked about a bunch of guys already that do the same thing and have other skills.
[00:52:17] And so he has to get his body to ride. He has to, he has to be prepared to scale way down. Like he was, he was the, he was there off fence, who
[00:52:28] Dustin: was the man in Nebraska. So
[00:52:30] Dillon: he’s not going to be the man in anything other than summer league, if the GM sucks and doesn’t put a competent team around him, he’ll do that.
[00:52:38] But once he comes into the league with NBA guys, like, could you imagine him trying to pull this shit with LeBron or, or Damian Lillard? It ain’t happening captain, like, come on bro. But there’s obviously some skill. He, I would not give them that guaranteed for
[00:52:59] Dustin: [00:53:00] no. Yeah. I think you give him leeway for being a five-star recruit.
[00:53:05] It could work out and it just, it takes some time. But I, I agree. I think you mitigate the risk by putting a second round pick instead of that, that guaranteed contract, um, on the player. And I think it’s, it’s the right system that really needs to work on the shot mechanics, get in the weight room and make a commitment to defense.
[00:53:29] Like I would give McGowan’s such a better grade if he just was a passable defender where right now it’s, it’s, it’s, it’s terrible. Like it’s almost like. It almost looked like an AAU player. Who’s just out there, they’d get his numbers and like one way on, on, on the side of the basketball. So, um, just needs, there’s a lot of red flags for me when it comes to scouting this prospect.
[00:53:55] And I think you can, you can turn a blind eye to [00:54:00] one, maybe two red flags if you’re taking a first round pick, but, but multiple, I can’t do it.
[00:54:07] Dillon: Fair enough. He put that
[00:54:09] Dustin: was, that was bound to happen this age. We have almost, we have really raved about so many prospects. I think there’s 20 plus prospects. We can both, you know, sit here and say, yeah, we would love to take them with a first round pick.
[00:54:22] Like we really enjoy these players and what they can do. Like it’s bound to happen. There’s going to be prospects that you love and prospects that you just
[00:54:30] Dillon: what’s happened. So people say this draft sucks is because there’s like the 18 quality players and then. The guys that we’ve three out of the four guys and we talked about today, kind of have the better than likely chance they bust.
[00:54:49] So I would say the Jaylen, he probably sticks. If Blake Wesley sticks, he hits that 99% craft finish. He sees him a call [00:55:00] last year was an Alzheimer all time draft, one of the best ever. This ones has had some great players. And then we’ve did, we’ve done this ship for five months. Of course, we’re going to talk about bad guys.
[00:55:15] So it happens. I wish every player had a chance of making it, but I don’t there there’s guys that are just going to fail.
[00:55:24] Dustin: Yeah. You can even go back to two, three years ago and just look like where are the second rounders that now. There they’re gone. Like they get their shot and that, that’s why the NBA is able to put 60 players and do a draft every year is because, I mean, there’s only so many players that retire.
[00:55:40] It’s the players that aren’t able to consistently stick and you try to find fresh faces that are able to do so, but there will, there will be second round players from this draft that, that find their way. And I think it’s going to be those specialists who do one to two things really well. Aren’t played off the floor because [00:56:00] they do something extremely poor.
[00:56:02] Um, like you can, you can find a player who maybe doesn’t have the isn’t the most athletic isn’t, isn’t the tallest for their position, but they, they figure out a way, right. They find a way to make that extra play. They. Th they, they figure it out. Um, and maybe the four players that we talked about are able to do so.
[00:56:24] Um, but that’s why this is just an evaluation process. It’s just something that we’re looking at with, with our own eyes. And it’s like, I’m not going to sit here and say that I’m the most comprehensive, uh, evaluator out there. Like I’m just some of the players like this, these aren’t single episodes. We’re trying to cram four players into one.
[00:56:43] So, you know, I’m going to give a shout out. There’s a couple of YouTube channels that I, that the scouting report does a great job of just putting game highlights together of misses of turnovers of whatever players to great resource, uh, that the box. Um, YouTube channel does a great job of putting [00:57:00] together about 15 minutes scouting reports that can just give you high level of what this player is.
[00:57:04] You take it and you make your own evaluation of the players. But I wasn’t sitting here turning into wake forest to watch Jake LaRaviere back in, in February. Like, I’m sorry. We were talking about shat home grid and in Jabari Smith and Jaden IB. So, you know, we’re, we’re doing our best, but we’re playing catch up to, and again, we’re going to have players that we hit on and we’re going to have players.
[00:57:27] We missed on just like every other scout out there. Yeah.
[00:57:33] Dillon: I mean, people now are just starting to watch dice and Daniels. So,
[00:57:37] Dustin: and I feel like we were a little early on vaccinated, so I’ll give us some credit for that.
[00:57:40] Dillon: So, I mean, I like, yeah, I’m not watching Wakeforest unless they were playing duke. I probably did watch late us duke game.
[00:57:48] I remember plays. Yeah. Like, I felt like this, this particular episode was the one where I was feeling the most unprepared because like these, these [00:58:00] guys are fringe first round picks. And I was like, if I wasn’t watching NBA and I was trying to watch a college game probably big and do it probably picking, uh, do you just get annoyed or Purdue?
[00:58:15] So we’re playing catch-up and I like, I, I just framed and watched way too many games, 24 hours beforehand. So,
[00:58:25] Dustin: but sometimes those are the best Scouts and like, sometimes you don’t overthink it. And that’s why I do enjoy these late first. Getting around guys, because you just there’s, there’s not as much risk involved in picking somebody at this, this late in the draft.
[00:58:40] You just like, okay, at least, you know what, when I’m kind of doing this and it’s like, I found a tendency that like, if we were looking at the lottery players, like, am I overthinking best player? And I think that happens constantly. So it is nice to just be like, okay, I feel good about where I’m at here.
[00:58:56] And, and let’s, let’s, let’s kind of move on. I
[00:58:59] Dillon: mean, we watch [00:59:00] basketball and obviously like watching basketball and being able to talk about basketball as a completely different thing. But sometimes you have to just look at your gut and gut feelings. Like, uh, there was a book by shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit about trusting your gut by a Malcolm Malcolm Gladwell, where if you’ve a professional at this thing, you trust your gut and it’s right.
[00:59:27] So when I watched Jake, I’m like, I, I like what he can provide. But I have among this question marks about at his athleticism. So this is good. Maybe this is a, not the way to talk about this next week, but if you watch Djokovic all watch pat Baldwin and JD Davidson. So we can have another four stack. You call that.
[00:59:57] All right. So next week, [01:00:00] JD Davidson, pat Baldwin, Jovan, I don’t remember his first
[01:00:05] Dustin: name. It’s Nicola, Joe Beck. It’s almost like it’s almost like it’s
[01:00:10] Dillon: Yogesh. That’s not, it’s not nickel Lazio kick. And then our, one of our most favorite prospects, Jaylen Williams,
[01:00:18] Dustin: the other Jaylen Williams,
[01:00:19] Dillon: the J a Y L I N Williams.
[01:00:22] So tune in next week, there’s going to be a lot of, uh, more information for you. And, uh, if you enjoy these four stack episodes, Like, and comment on iTunes retweet us on Twitter. We’re providing some legitimate draft talk where it’s not just the elite players. We’re talking about players with some real flaws now.
[01:00:45] So, um, support the holy backward and we’ll be back next week.
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