How strong is Ja Morant's case for the No. 2 pick now? 🏀
How strong is Ja Morant's case for the No. 2 pick now?
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EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- Jonathan Givony: A huge contingent of high-level NBA decision-makers were in attendance for the semifinals of the OVC tournament between Murray State and Jacksonville State on Friday, especially from top lottery teams such as the New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliersand Chicago Bulls. Forty NBA scouts were credentialed, according to conference officials, but we counted quite a few more in the stands. (Curiously, very few NBA folks elected to stay for the championship game, perhaps having decided they saw enough in the semifinals.)
Mike, considering the importance of the stage and who was watching, what do you think top draft prospect Ja Morant showed here? And is time to start talking about him as the No. 2 pick in this draft?
Mike Schmitz: To me, at this stage of the process, he has leapfrogged RJ Barrett as the second-best prospect in the draft behind Zion Williamson.
With all the pressure on him, Morant put on an absolute show, displaying every trait teams look for in a franchise point guard. Before the tournament tipped off, Morant's father, Tee, told me, "He's built for these moments." Morant proved exactly that, dropping in the game-winning and-1 floater on Friday and shredding Belmont's defense on Saturday with electric drives to the rim en route to a 36-point night that punched Murray State's ticket to the NCAA tournament. Morant delivered in the Racers' two biggest games of the season, which has been a theme all season long for the 19-year-old sensation.
While Barrett has had an outstanding freshman campaign and remains a high-floor top-3 prospect thanks to his physicality at 6-foot-7, scoring instincts, playmaking potential and competitiveness, it's going to be hard for teams to pass on Morant's upside. His ball-on-a-string handle and ability to change speeds and directions on a dime -- along with his excellent court vision and creativity -- will make him a nightmare cover with NBA spacing, especially if he's surrounded by shooting. He shifts gears violently to the rim going left, putting defenders on skates and bigs on posters with his springs. He has serious pop off one or two feet, he embraces contact impressively given his frame and he has added several finesse finishes to his game that we didn't see early in the season.
There are certainly questions about his turnover-prone nature, off-the-dribble shooting and defensive consistency. We also should take his OVC showing with a grain of salt given the level of competition. He's flash over substance at times as a decision-maker. He dies on screens defensively and doesn't always play with enough urgency on that end. He has nice touch but still will have to prove himself from the NBA line against the pick-and-roll under coverages he's bound to face. But his ability to break down a defense without a ball screen along with his skill level, feel and star personality make him the only other prospect in this draft who could possibly rival Zion's sky-high ceiling.
Jonathan, I think we both agree that Morant helped his cause as the No. 2 prospect in this draft with his play here. But how much of who goes No. 2 will come down to fit?
Givony: As impressive as Morant's performance was, I do think it is premature to anoint him the sure No. 2 player in this draft before the lottery is conducted on May 14. There is still plenty left to be learned about Barrett in the ACC and NCAA tournaments -- along with consideration for Morant's own tournament performance, which I believe will be scrutinized closely considering he has played only two games against high-major competition this season. A number of NBA general managers have told me they have some skepticism about Morant because he played in the OVC. While I do think that's overstated, it's important to keep in mind.
There are a few teams in the mix for the No. 2 pick that just drafted point guards in the top 10 last year, and they will likely be more interested in addressing other positions. The Hawks are certainly one of them, having taken Trae Young at No. 5 last year. The fact that we didn't see their executives in Evansville at all is probably a decent indication of their interest level in Morant. The Cavs' front office was here in full force, but that's not to say they wouldn't have a decision on their hands in weighing Morant's star power against the fact that they just drafted Collin Sexton (fourth among all rookies in scoring with 15 PPG) at No. 8 last year.
If you're in love with Morant, you pick him and figure the rest out later. But with three months left until that decision has to be made, I think we're still in information-gathering mode before anything gets set in stone. With that said, Morant's steady ascent is notable for what it says about the strength of this draft, and more specifically, the value of a top-3 pick in 2019. Not getting the No. 1 pick on lottery night might feel a little less painful now. Any team looking for a point guard likely will have to put more on the table in trade conversations if it wants to jump up and select Morant. I agree with you that Morant at No. 2 feels a lot more plausible today than it did on Thursday, but I think we need to see how things play out before coming to any conclusions.
Mike, besides Morant being a real candidate at No. 2, what else did we learn in Evansville?
Schmitz: Belmont's Dylan Windlerleft an excellent impression on NBA scouts, finishing his two-game tournament with 49 points, 33 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 turnovers while shooting 10-for-12 from 2 and 9-for-22 from 3. There were questions about Windler's performance in big games prior to this weekend, as his splits against winning teams vs. losing teams were somewhat alarming. While he did show some signs of that in the final game -- knocking down only 1-of-7 triples and misfiring on a few open looks -- Windler came up huge consistently, showing his all-around impact.
His clear NBA value is his ability to shoot the ball from the perimeter, which he has proved he can do in a variety of ways. He's dangerous in trail situations, he can sprint off screens and he's even able to make a lightly contested pull-up 3 moving in either direction. He shoots an easy ball with tremendous natural touch and projects as a high-level floor spacer at the next level. He's far more than just a standstill shooter, as he can attack a closeout while showing ambidexterity as a finisher. He can play some second-side pick-and-roll as well, and he has a sound feel as a facilitator in drive-and-kick situations. He moves well off the ball, competes on the offensive glass and works well next to more high-volume shot creators.
Despite a somewhat underwhelming frame, Windler also adds value on the defensive end. He's a competitive, instinctual rebounder. He knows where to be off the ball. He shows great anticipation and solid feet as the primary defender as well. While he figures to be tested by some of the NBA's most gifted wings, he's far from a liability. All in all, there's a lot to like about Windler and his fit as a role player at the next level.
Jonathan, how high could you see the 22-year-old lefty going?
Givony: As exhilarating as Morant's performance was, I think Windler's had just as much impact on his own personal draft stock. He came into this weekend as the No. 43 prospect in our Top 100, and I believe he left it as a very strong candidate to hear his name called in the first round. A number of NBA executives told me they didn't realize quite how big, long, athletic, smart, competitive and skilled he was prior to this. His fit in the modern game has never been more seamless considering his versatility on both ends of the floor.
Despite the loss in the championship game, Belmont should make the tournament. And even if the team doesn't, having opportunities to play high-major postseason competition in another setting will only strengthen Windler's case to earn a guaranteed contract on draft night.
ESPN PLUS ($ MATERIAL)
EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- Jonathan Givony: A huge contingent of high-level NBA decision-makers were in attendance for the semifinals of the OVC tournament between Murray State and Jacksonville State on Friday, especially from top lottery teams such as the New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliersand Chicago Bulls. Forty NBA scouts were credentialed, according to conference officials, but we counted quite a few more in the stands. (Curiously, very few NBA folks elected to stay for the championship game, perhaps having decided they saw enough in the semifinals.)
Mike, considering the importance of the stage and who was watching, what do you think top draft prospect Ja Morant showed here? And is time to start talking about him as the No. 2 pick in this draft?
Mike Schmitz: To me, at this stage of the process, he has leapfrogged RJ Barrett as the second-best prospect in the draft behind Zion Williamson.
With all the pressure on him, Morant put on an absolute show, displaying every trait teams look for in a franchise point guard. Before the tournament tipped off, Morant's father, Tee, told me, "He's built for these moments." Morant proved exactly that, dropping in the game-winning and-1 floater on Friday and shredding Belmont's defense on Saturday with electric drives to the rim en route to a 36-point night that punched Murray State's ticket to the NCAA tournament. Morant delivered in the Racers' two biggest games of the season, which has been a theme all season long for the 19-year-old sensation.
While Barrett has had an outstanding freshman campaign and remains a high-floor top-3 prospect thanks to his physicality at 6-foot-7, scoring instincts, playmaking potential and competitiveness, it's going to be hard for teams to pass on Morant's upside. His ball-on-a-string handle and ability to change speeds and directions on a dime -- along with his excellent court vision and creativity -- will make him a nightmare cover with NBA spacing, especially if he's surrounded by shooting. He shifts gears violently to the rim going left, putting defenders on skates and bigs on posters with his springs. He has serious pop off one or two feet, he embraces contact impressively given his frame and he has added several finesse finishes to his game that we didn't see early in the season.
There are certainly questions about his turnover-prone nature, off-the-dribble shooting and defensive consistency. We also should take his OVC showing with a grain of salt given the level of competition. He's flash over substance at times as a decision-maker. He dies on screens defensively and doesn't always play with enough urgency on that end. He has nice touch but still will have to prove himself from the NBA line against the pick-and-roll under coverages he's bound to face. But his ability to break down a defense without a ball screen along with his skill level, feel and star personality make him the only other prospect in this draft who could possibly rival Zion's sky-high ceiling.
Jonathan, I think we both agree that Morant helped his cause as the No. 2 prospect in this draft with his play here. But how much of who goes No. 2 will come down to fit?
Givony: As impressive as Morant's performance was, I do think it is premature to anoint him the sure No. 2 player in this draft before the lottery is conducted on May 14. There is still plenty left to be learned about Barrett in the ACC and NCAA tournaments -- along with consideration for Morant's own tournament performance, which I believe will be scrutinized closely considering he has played only two games against high-major competition this season. A number of NBA general managers have told me they have some skepticism about Morant because he played in the OVC. While I do think that's overstated, it's important to keep in mind.
There are a few teams in the mix for the No. 2 pick that just drafted point guards in the top 10 last year, and they will likely be more interested in addressing other positions. The Hawks are certainly one of them, having taken Trae Young at No. 5 last year. The fact that we didn't see their executives in Evansville at all is probably a decent indication of their interest level in Morant. The Cavs' front office was here in full force, but that's not to say they wouldn't have a decision on their hands in weighing Morant's star power against the fact that they just drafted Collin Sexton (fourth among all rookies in scoring with 15 PPG) at No. 8 last year.
If you're in love with Morant, you pick him and figure the rest out later. But with three months left until that decision has to be made, I think we're still in information-gathering mode before anything gets set in stone. With that said, Morant's steady ascent is notable for what it says about the strength of this draft, and more specifically, the value of a top-3 pick in 2019. Not getting the No. 1 pick on lottery night might feel a little less painful now. Any team looking for a point guard likely will have to put more on the table in trade conversations if it wants to jump up and select Morant. I agree with you that Morant at No. 2 feels a lot more plausible today than it did on Thursday, but I think we need to see how things play out before coming to any conclusions.
Mike, besides Morant being a real candidate at No. 2, what else did we learn in Evansville?
Schmitz: Belmont's Dylan Windlerleft an excellent impression on NBA scouts, finishing his two-game tournament with 49 points, 33 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 turnovers while shooting 10-for-12 from 2 and 9-for-22 from 3. There were questions about Windler's performance in big games prior to this weekend, as his splits against winning teams vs. losing teams were somewhat alarming. While he did show some signs of that in the final game -- knocking down only 1-of-7 triples and misfiring on a few open looks -- Windler came up huge consistently, showing his all-around impact.
His clear NBA value is his ability to shoot the ball from the perimeter, which he has proved he can do in a variety of ways. He's dangerous in trail situations, he can sprint off screens and he's even able to make a lightly contested pull-up 3 moving in either direction. He shoots an easy ball with tremendous natural touch and projects as a high-level floor spacer at the next level. He's far more than just a standstill shooter, as he can attack a closeout while showing ambidexterity as a finisher. He can play some second-side pick-and-roll as well, and he has a sound feel as a facilitator in drive-and-kick situations. He moves well off the ball, competes on the offensive glass and works well next to more high-volume shot creators.
Despite a somewhat underwhelming frame, Windler also adds value on the defensive end. He's a competitive, instinctual rebounder. He knows where to be off the ball. He shows great anticipation and solid feet as the primary defender as well. While he figures to be tested by some of the NBA's most gifted wings, he's far from a liability. All in all, there's a lot to like about Windler and his fit as a role player at the next level.
Jonathan, how high could you see the 22-year-old lefty going?
Givony: As exhilarating as Morant's performance was, I think Windler's had just as much impact on his own personal draft stock. He came into this weekend as the No. 43 prospect in our Top 100, and I believe he left it as a very strong candidate to hear his name called in the first round. A number of NBA executives told me they didn't realize quite how big, long, athletic, smart, competitive and skilled he was prior to this. His fit in the modern game has never been more seamless considering his versatility on both ends of the floor.
Despite the loss in the championship game, Belmont should make the tournament. And even if the team doesn't, having opportunities to play high-major postseason competition in another setting will only strengthen Windler's case to earn a guaranteed contract on draft night.