2019 NBA Mock Draft: Learning from the playoffs
6. player. 142. . G/F. Texas Tech. Jarrett Culver
One of the reasons this draft may not ultimately be as disappointing as we worried when we originally saw players take the court in October is the depth of wings and forwards, a position that is less important in college but vital in the NBA. Culver is one such player, valuable on both ends to the point hipster draft blog The Stepien has the Texas Tech wing second overall, ahead of more hyped prospects like RJ Barrett and Ja Morant.
As Washington flops around, held down by the weight of John Wall’s albatross contract and searching for a new general manager, they need to focus on upside. The team has cycled through veteran role players for years to no avail. Starting with last year’s top pick, Troy Brown Jr., the Wizards have a chance to finally build a young core to fill out the rotation alongside Wall and Bradley Beal.
Take the Celtics, a team led by Kyrie Irving and Al Horford. Those two veterans lead the way but the role players are almost all young guys, apart from Gordon Hayward, whose limitations sort of turned him into a younger version of himself at times this season. That’s the type of blueprint the Wizards ought to be looking at here — two star shot creators who trust their younger teammates to make shots and give effort.
Brown shot just 31 percent from deep as a rookie but had 80 turnovers to just 30 assists, showing that the former high school point guard can be a positive force as a jumbo playmaker in the future.
Instead of Markieff Morris or Jeff Green, the Wizards can use young, versatile players to better compete with the NBA’s elite.