2019 NBA Mock Draft: When simulating the lottery gets wonky
G. Vanderbilt. Darius Garland. 4. player. 66.
As the top of the lottery wiggles around in this week’s simulation, Phoenix ends up with the other top point guard in this year’s class — not Ja Morant, but Garland. This provides an interesting jumping-off point for talking about the freedom that moving on from coach Igor Kokoskov gives the Suns, perhaps the only sliver of sunlight in what otherwise seems like a rash move.
Garland is a pick-and-roll demon, someone you can’t afford to lose concentration on in the half court. Particularly with the performance Damian Lillard has put on for us in these playoffs thus far, Garland will be the apple of many scouts’ eyes as they watch what he can do navigating the most common NBA action — the screen and roll.
However, Lillard is not the comp we like for Garland. It’s Kyrie Irving. Whereas Lillard uses force to get through the defense, finish and bounce back up for the next possession, Irving’s finesse game matches Garland’s more concretely.
Garland’s operation runs through his shooting and his handle. He can navigate attention from multiple defenders at once by dribbling between or around them and get to the rim by sheer force of creative patience.
That’s when he runs into trouble. If Garland can’t pull up for a deep 3 or scoot past the defense for an open layup, he struggles. His lack of size makes it difficult for him to find lanes for kick-out passes, and he is pretty bad right now finishing at the basket through contact.
All that said, Garland’s offensive game is more suited to play off of Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton in Phoenix than Morant, even if his upside is lower because of his size and mentality.