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2019 NBA Mock Draft: Fallout from Zion Williamson’s injury gives others a chance to shine

By Brendon Kleen

SYRACUSE, NY - FEBRUARY 23: Cam Reddish #2 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts to a made three-point basket against the Syracuse Orange during the first half at the Carrier Dome on February 23, 2019 in Syracuse, New York. (Photo by Rich Barnes/Getty Images)
SYRACUSE, NY - FEBRUARY 23: Cam Reddish #2 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts to a made three-point basket against the Syracuse Orange during the first half at the Carrier Dome on February 23, 2019 in Syracuse, New York. (Photo by Rich Barnes/Getty Images) /
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LUBBOCK, TX – JANUARY 05: Jarrett Culver #23 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders brings the ball up court during the game against the Kansas State Wildcats on January 5, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech defeated Kansas State 63-57. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /

125. . G/F. Texas Tech. Jarrett Culver. 5. player

We dove back into Culver’s game watching his performance against Kansas on Saturday night in Lubbock and came away intrigued with the results. He scored 11 points in the first half and 26 overall, leading Texas Tech to a huge conference win over Kansas to surge to No. 11 in the nation.

Culver is the heartbeat of the Red Raiders’ no-middle defensive scheme that will have them switching, playing zone and locking down in man coverage all over the course of a few minutes. The sophomore’s ability to read and react is a big part of why it works. The mobility in Culver’s hips and his lower body strength allow him to rotate in and out of the paint to condense the floor for the opponent and still recover back out to the perimeter to corral a ball-handler. As you see in the sequence above, he can finish plays out on defense by staying attached on drives and reading opportunities for blocked shots and deflections.

The talent isn’t as natural on offense. Culver has a solid handle for his size but is not a natural playmaker. The handle in its current state wouldn’t be functional for a lead ball-handler in the NBA and most of Culver’s playmaking comes as a result of his size, which allows him to pass over and around the defense rather than a step ahead of it. In the clip above, you see he also is very right-hand dominant on his drives and lacks the explosion and handle to finish consistently in the paint.

However, he is growing, and coming back to school under Chris Beard looks like the right decision for Culver, who last year was a spot-up shooter and transition finisher with no playmaking responsibility. As you see above, Culver’s footwork is improving and he’s getting more confident taking 3s off the bounce. Transitioning to the NBA, Culver will likely slot down as a role player early on but if he can develop his handle and shooting ability we could see an exciting jumbo playmaker in time.

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