2019 Pre-Draft Primer: Five Possible Future Jazz Players

June 17th, 2019 | by John Keeffer

Herro is a shooter the Jazz may have an eye on. (via ESPN.com)

NBA Draft week is here, and the Utah Jazz are preparing to use their turn, the 23rd overall pick, to add talent. It’s by no means a sexy pick, as the career scoring average for the number 23 pick is a mere 6.8 points, per 82games.com. They also shared that there is just a 20% chance for the No. 23 pick to be a starter, and a 50% chance that they can be a role player. Which means there is a 30% chance that they are simply out of the league within 3-5 years.

I don’t want to say that in an effort to dash your high hopes, but to hopefully set expectations. The Jazz have actually had the No. 23 pick three times since 2000, and they have selected extremely well each time. 

  • 2014 – Rodney Hood
  • 2008- Kosta Koufus
  • 2000- DeShawn Stevenson

Each of those players lasted much longer than the traditional numbers would have suggested. That said, none of them were stars. At best, they were solid starters, but best served as rotational pieces off the bench. I think the hope would be that the Jazz can match that production by drafting a player who has the potential to contribute off the bench. In a draft that is not considered deep by most experts, that is going to be a tall order. There are always hidden gems to be found in every draft though, and if any team can find them, it’s the Jazz.

I wouldn’t be shocked if the they ended up trading this pick, but assuming they are going to keep it, there are 5 potential players that I would like to see the Jazz target in this years draft.

Tyler Herro – 6’6″ Shooting Guard, Kentucky

It might be a stretch to believe Tyler Herro will even be available for the Jazz to select at 23, but if he is, they should jump on the opportunity to draft him. The majority of mock drafts I have seen have him going in the 16-20 range. Stranger things have happened though, and depending on how things break on draft night, the Jazz could find themselves in a position to select one of the top shooters in the country.

In his lone season at Kentucky, he average 14 points while shooting 35.5 percent from three on nearly five attempts per game. He also shot an incredible 93 percent from the free throw line, which has always been linked to success at the next level. 

As evidenced in the video up above, he can shoot from anywhere on the court, and even has the ability to shot off the dribble. Even at the college level, he already had NBA range. Players who step into the NBA and can contribute immediate with an NBA ready skill are key when selecting this last in the first round. You are either going to swing for the fences with the pick, or you are going to select a player with the least amount of risk you can find. Herro’s shooting is the primary reason there is not a ton of risk to selecting him.

Herro has said that he is hoping to model his game after fellow Kentucky Alum, Devin Booker. That may rub many Jazz fans the wrong way, because their is an odd amount of hate for him on Jazz Twitter, but it should excite most. I would say his ceiling is likely just short of Booker’s. His lack of athleticism may stop him from getting to that level, and his defensive limitations may be a concern. His floor is extremely high due to his ability to shoot at the highest level though. If he were to slip to 23, I can’t imagine the Jazz would pass on him.

Keldon Johnson – 6’6″ Shooting Guard, Kentucky

Let’s just get all of the interesting Kentucky prospects out of the way, shall we? As a Freshman playing for the Kentucky Wildcats, you know you are getting a player who was a highly sought after recruit over the past few years. He may have under-performed to expectations in one-year at college, but in a way-too early look at the 2019 NBA Draft that Bleacher Report did during the summer of 2018, he was projected to be the number 8 pick. If you believe he is a Top-10 talent who simply under performed due to being miscast in a role that didn’t play to his strengths, then you could be getting a steal with the number 23 pick.

Here is an exert from that Bleacher Report article back in August:

Another great athlete with an obvious NBA physical profile (6’6″, 211 lbs), he’s going to turn heads with bouncy plays above the rim. Johnson’s game revolves around attacking and putting pressure on defenses with his driving and slashing.

His draft stock will be tied to how much progress he makes with his scoring skills, particularly around the perimeter. Johnson leans on his tools and explosiveness. He’ll have a chance to draw lottery looks if he can flash enough promise as a shot-creator and shooter.

He wound up averaging 13.5 points and 6 rebounds a game, while shooting 38 percent from three. Those are definitely respectable numbers, especially on a team loading with talent.

Even if he doesn’t turn into the Top 10 player that he was originally billed as, Keldon Johnson does fill a few important roles that the Jazz could use next season. He is 6’6″, and has a 6’9″ wingspan. He has solid measurables, and is known for playing with high energy and effort, which should lead to him being a solid defensive player throughout his career. Most rookies are negatives on the defensive side of the ball, but he looks to have the makings of a player who can hold his own right away.

Offensively, he would give the Jazz another player who has proven to be a capable shooter. He is not an elite scorer off the bounce who is going to fill the need of another player being able to create his own shot, but he is not inept either. He does a good job of catching passes and going hard to the basket, which can catch defenders off guard. He is also not an incredible finisher at the rim, but he made floaters at a very high level. So if he’s not getting open threes or can’t make it all the way to the basket, he still has ways to score the ball.

In a vacuum, Johnson looks the part of a player who can stick in this league for a long time as an 3-and-D wing player. With the 23rd pick in the draft, that would be a major get for the Jazz.

Admiral Schofield – 6’6″ Small Forward, Tennessee

Alright, let’s start by getting the number one reason you draft Admiral Schofield out of the way. From the first second he steps on the floor, he’ll have the coolest name in the league. Admiral Schofield? That’s right up there with World B. Free, Magic Johnson, and Speedy Claxton.

He is also build exactly like you would expect someone to be built with a name like “Admiral.” He is a tank of a player. At 6’6″, 240, he has the body to absolutely handle the NBA. The Tinger’s Kevin O’Conner wrote, “Sports a physique that would make a bodybuilder blush…Not to be superficial, but he plays like he looks: tough, intense, and musclebound.” When he started at Tennessee he was recorded as having 11 percent body fat, as a senior, that was down to 5 percent. “The Admiral” has turned into a gym rat, which should bode well when projecting his future.

Not just a physical specimen, Schofield is an extremely talented player, and an high level athlete. He averaged 16.5 points per game as a Senior, grabbed 6 rebounds, and shot nearly 42 percent from three. He did this on one of the best basketball teams in the Country last season, leading the Volunteers to a 31-6 record.

Unlike Herro and Johnson, Schofield is a little more ready made to step into the NBA and contribute right away. He is a 22 year old man. That may limit his upside, but for a team like the Utah Jazz, it may be the preferred option. They are looking to contend now, so they don’t have time to wait for a 19 year old to progress over the next 2-3 seasons. If the Jazz are going to target Tobias Harris or another stretch four this off-season, it wouldn’t surprise me if that led to a Jae Crowder trade. In that scenario, Schofield could fill that void admirably…no pun intended. 

Dylan Windler – 6’8″ Small Forward, Belmont

Not enough people are talking about Dylan Windler. A big part of that is going to be because he played for Belmont, and there are definitely going to be concerns that his success came because competition can’t be high in the Ohio Valley Conference, but this is a 6’8″ wing who might just be the best shooter in this draft class. Oh, and Ja Morant just happened to play in that same conference.

Windler led the Belmont Bruins to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011. He is a sweet shooting lefty, who attempted 7.1 threes per game (8.5 per 40 minutes), and made an incredible 42 percent of those attempts. His effective field goal percentage was the seventh best in the country. He averaged 21.3 points and a surprising 10.8 rebounds per game his senior season. The 10.8 rebounds per game took me off guard, and was actually good for 10th in the entire country. He did that as a small forward.

Offensively, he will be able to contribute right away to any team who drafts him. He can play on or off the ball. Even as the primary options for Belmont, he did most of his damage running off of screens and dribble hand-offs. It seems silly to compare him to one of the greatest shooters off all time, but it is very Klay Thompson-es. The Utah Jazz could really use a shooter like Windler, especially with Korver potentially retiring. 

Even defensively, it appears that Windler would fit right into the Jazz culture. Here is what The Ringers Kevin O’Conner had to say about his defense:

High-effort on-ball defender with solid fundamentals and nimble foot speed moving laterally against wings. He’s a competitor who will take a charge or dive for a loose ball…Reliable off-ball defender who makes proper rotations and doesn’t ball-watch. His awareness is top-notch, which shows in his instincts jumping passing lanes for deflections and steals.

Like most young players, he’ll have to adjust to the size and speed of the NBA game, but Windler seems like a player who is destined to last in the league. He may never be a star, but his size, shooting ability, and smarts give him a very high floor. If he can hit the weight room and add some more size and strength, he could turn into a solid starter in the future.

Ty Jerome – 6’5″ Point Guard, Virginia

I mentioned earlier that the number 23 pick definitely isn’t a sexy pick. Well, selecting Ty Jerome would just compound that lack of intrigue. That doesn’t mean it would be the wrong pick though.

One of the biggest areas of question for the Utah Jazz is going to be at the point guard position this off-season. They can help to sure up that position through the draft if they were to select Ty Jerome out of Virginia. Jerome almost reminds me of a taller Raul Neto. He is 6’5″, and always seems to be under control. Similar to Joe Ingles, he’s never going to be the most athletic player on the court, but he will often be the smartest. 

Despite limitations as an athlete, he had a solid career at Virginia, and was one of the key cogs in helping lead them to a National Championship. He averaged 13.6 points, 5.5 assist, and 4. rebounds during his Junior year. He also increased those averages during the NCAA Tournament, where he averaged 16.5 points, 6 assist, and 5.2 rebounds. 

Jerome would provide the Jazz with a solid floor general who can also play either one of the guard positions next to Donovan Mitchel or Dante Exum. Defensively, he was a part of one of the most consistently great defensive teams in the country. If he’s left on an Island to defend a great isolation player, yeah, he might struggle. He is a great team defender, however. He can contribute in a positive way to an effective team defense. If you want the Jazz to go for safety with the number 23 pick, you may not find a safer option.

Comments are closed.

© 2024 Salt City Hoops. All Rights Reserved.