NBA Mock Draft: DeAndre Ayton joins the Hawks
. C. Chalamette High School. Mitchell Robinson. 20. player. 89
Rod Walker of the New Orleans Advocate visited with Robinson before Christmas, and shed some light on the young big’s development process as he sits out the year in advance of the 2018 draft.
The most interesting quote of all was at the very end of Walker’s piece: “People feel I made a bad decision. It may have been kinda bad, but I really feel like I can make this happen. If I work hard enough and do what I have been doing, I can make this happen.”
Robinson really said “it may have been kinda bad” in reference to the strangest schooling decision anyone made, in a year that featured an actual FBI investigation into several schools across the country. Yes, it was kinda bad, but Robinson possesses enough potential as a modern rim-prowling big that it may not matter.
He plays with a smoothness that is extraordinary for a physical big man. It translates into touch around the hoop, and a jumper that just might take the top off his potential. And of course, anyone with his wingspan is going to be able to block shots. Now, we’ll wonder how much an entire season away from competitive basketball might affect his growth.