Fansided

2019 NBA Mock Draft: Learning from the playoffs

By Brendon Kleen

AUSTIN, TEXAS - MARCH 02: Jaxson Hayes #10 of the Texas Longhorns defends Talen Horton-Tucker #11 of the Iowa State Cyclones at The Frank Erwin Center on March 02, 2019 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TEXAS - MARCH 02: Jaxson Hayes #10 of the Texas Longhorns defends Talen Horton-Tucker #11 of the Iowa State Cyclones at The Frank Erwin Center on March 02, 2019 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images) /
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CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA – MARCH 09: Coby White #2 of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after a play against the Duke Blue Devils during their game at Dean Smith Center on March 09, 2019 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA – MARCH 09: Coby White #2 of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after a play against the Duke Blue Devils during their game at Dean Smith Center on March 09, 2019 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

211. . G. North Carolina. Coby White. 8. player

You know as much about the Grizzlies as the folks who cover this game for a living. They just promoted a 30-year-old to run their basketball operations, demoting their general manager to a scouting role and moving basketball stats godfather John Hollinger to an advisory position. After putting first-year head coach J.B. Bickerstaff in front of the media at end-of-season availability, Memphis fired him. It’s a mess — measuring their likelihood to do any one thing is a fool’s errand.

However, we know they have one core piece with All-NBA talent. Jaren Jackson Jr. was a top-two prospect in the loaded 2018 draft class in some folks’ eyes and backed up that reputation with a stellar start to his rookie season. Unfortunately, a deep right quad bruise forced Memphis to shut JJJ down at the end of February. It would have been fun to see Jackson progress over the course of the year but Memphis can move forward knowing it has a potential Defensive Player of the Year who also can shoot 3s and create off the bounce. You go ahead and put a ceiling on that guy, we’ll wait here to the side.

White matches Jackson’s strengths perfectly. Pairing the two, Memphis would be able to create a fantastic transition offense, using Jackson’s ability to score with the ball in his hands as well as White’s shooting and passing vision. If the Grizzlies truly are changing their identity, it would serve them well to adapt more capably to modern basketball by finding shooting and versatile defenders and giving them time on the court.

They started doing so when they drafted Jackson. They can keep it going with White.

Check out our full scouting report on Coby White.

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