2021 NBA Draft: Patience Required
Not every drafted player is going to be able to help an NBA team right away. Some might never get there at all. But the draft is a time for hope, where all the raw skills in the world can draw a franchise in. The allure of what could supersedes the reality of what’s there, and teams tend to think that they can have the next big thing if they can just get a player into their development program.
We’re going to take a second and spotlight some players who could be considered “projects,” with an abundance of skill that could be channeled into big upside down the line.
Jonathan Kuminga, F, G League Ignite
Length, strength and athleticism are the name of the game here. Kuminga is 6’7″ with a 7’0″ wingspan and can explode past opponents, though he also has the strength to go through them and absorb contact if he needs to. On offense, he was mostly used as a cutter and transition threat for the Ignite, as his shooting still has a long way to go. And for all of the physical tools, Kuminga was prone to bouts of lazy defense as well, hoping that he’d be bailed out by his natural abilities rather than working hard or staying disciplined.
Decision-making is the other area of concern, but it’s still early. Kuminga is 18 and teams are going to bet on his feel for the game and shooting improving as he learns the ropes. Coming off a season where he shot .387 from the field and .246 from deep, they’d better hope so. Physically, it’s easy to look at Kuminga and see an athletic marvel who will provide a team with strong two-way play for years to come. That will take some time and care, however. Kuminga’s almost certain to go in the lottery, and perhaps as high as No. 4, even, but teams should know that there will be growing pains. There’s a lot of tools but you need to squint to see the total package at this point.
Keon Johnson, G/F, Tennessee, Freshman
Johnson is a gamer and an explosive leaper but his game is pretty straight-line, figuratively and literally, at the moment. He’s a good cutter and uses his athleticism well on defense, but Johnson’s shot is funky (to be diplomatic — .271 from deep last season) and doesn’t really have any variability to his offensive attack. Johnson doesn’t change up the pace to create space and has a hard time shaking defenders, which should be less of a problem as his handle improves. That lack of creativity, for lack of a better term, also forces Johnson into tougher shots than he would otherwise find, especially at the rim, which leads to him looking like a lackluster finisher — relative to other players with his athleticism, at least.
That’s all stuff that teams will try to work out as Johnson develops because his competitive fire and athleticism will certainly keep him on the floor as a defender. There are also some burgeoning playmaking abilities here that could allow Johnson to blossom as a more versatile guard threat. As it stands he’s a high-motor guy who can make waves in transition but teams are obviously hoping that that becomes his floor and not his calling card.
Ziaire Williams, F, Stanford, Freshman
Williams had an incredibly trying season last year, forced to live out of a hotel for much of the schedule and then leaving the team twice following deaths in his family. As such, it’s hard to take his on-court results too seriously, though they weren’t anything special: 10.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists (to 2.6 turnovers), 0.9 steals and marks of .379 from the field and .291 from distance. At 6’9″ with a 6’10” wingspan, though, it’s clear to see how Williams fits a modern wing mold.
With high-level athleticism and bursts of elite tough-shot-making, Williams is going to capture the hearts and minds of organizations that want a lanky, dynamic wing scorer. He’ll need to add strength (and lots of it) to his frame, especially if he wants to improve as an at-rim finisher, but that’s something that he should be able to do under the watch of an NBA program. That might be a gradual process, however, as a big jump might sap his quickness or mess with his mechanics. There’s a lot to like about Williams if he checks a couple developmental boxes but that won’t happen overnight.
JT Thor, F, Auburn, Freshman
Thor looks like the stuff of fantasy managers’ dreams after one season at Auburn, where his length, quickness and burgeoning 3-point ability speak to a long-term outlook as an elusive stretch center. That’s if everything goes right, which means there’s a lot of work to do. Thor is 6’9″ with reach for days (read: a 7’3″ wingspan) but needs to bulk up and will require some seasoning to understand the finer points of NBA-level hoops. He averaged 0.8 steals and 1.4 blocks per game last year but racked a lot of those numbers up in bursts where his frame did the work. Thor’s grasp of team defense is shaky at best, and while that’s not rare for incoming rookies, it’s easy for guys with his physical gifts to cheat and chase numbers when the better play may not be exciting.
On offense, Thor will need to become a more consistent shooter at minimum. It’s good that he’s confident with his threes, but improvement is necessary. His other offensive skills are currently lacking, as Thor isn’t really capable of doing more than finishing above the rim right now. The strength comes into play here too, as he’s going to struggle with contact. G League time is a given but if everything pans out, Thor could be fantasy gold.
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