With the 2019 NBA Draft set for Thursday this week (June 20), we’re rolling out a new, quick-hitter series that will focus on the plethora of ACC prospects heading into the event. For each player, we’ll keep it simple: one number to know, a signature highlight, the projected draft range, an attribute to know and one quick thought on how they project to the next level.
After starting out with Duke, we move a few miles down 15-501 to another Tobacco Road basketball laboratory: the North Carolina Tar Heels. First up is Coby White — with Nassir Little and Cameron Johnson, two other likely first-round talents, to follow.
Coby White, G
Per 40 Minutes: 22.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.4 blocks
- 9.3 3PA (35.3 3P%, 67 eFG% on catch-and-shoots), 5.2 FTA (80 FT%)
- 27 3P% off-dribble 3PA (94 3PA)
- According to Adrian Atkinson
- 27 3P% off-dribble 3PA (94 3PA)
- 66.7 FG% at the rim (5 dunks)
- 26.1 percent usage rate, 51.6 eFG%
Number To Know:
- 1.43 points per possession (71.6 eFG%) on no-dribble jumpers from spot-up possessions, according to Synergy Sports
Highlight:
Projected Range:
- Middle of the lottery, 6-10
Attribute To Know:
- Speedy/twitchy shot creation
Quick Thoughts:
- White is a special offensive player. His handle is a little high and loose, which causes turnover issues at times (3.7 turnovers per 40 minutes); he made not quite have the ability to be a team’s primary initiator. However, White’s a demon shooting off the catch (41 3P%, per Atkinson) and he has plenty of shot-making craft in his bag, too. When it comes to splitting ball-screen traps, White is a whiz. With his combination of speed and range shooting, White looks like a player who can score efficiently at all three/four levels. He will have more opportunities to attack closeouts in the NBA as well; right now, he plays more to that his step-back jumper, though. Defensively in the half court, White was sound guarding ball screens, which should serve him well on the next level.
Good @BuzzBeatPod listen with @FreeportKid on Carolina's draft prospects: https://t.co/hbhSKQHrjL
Bananas tidbit comparing deflections per 40 for previous Tar Heel point guards:
Ray Felton 🥇 7.8 (2005)
Joel Berry II 6.1 (2017)
Ty Lawson 6.5 (2009)
Coby White 3.9 (2019) pic.twitter.com/amnzhDiAFS— chris (@dadgumboxscores) June 17, 2019
Nassir Little, F
Per 40 Minutes: 21.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.2 blocks
- 3.2 3PA (26.9 3P%, 38.7 eFG% on catch-and-shoots), 6.1 FTA (77 FT%)
- 68.3 FG% at the rim (35 dunks)
- 24 percent usage rate, 50.5 eFG%
Number(s) To Know:
- 3.3 percent block rate, 9.2 percent offensive rebound rate
Highlight:
Projected Range:
- Late lottery to middle of the first round, 11-20
Attribute To Know:
- Hard worker who offers length (7-foot-1 wingspan) and athleticism
Quick Thoughts:
- Similar to Cam Reddish, another of the draft’s more polarizing prospect. Little has plenty of athletic gifts, which translated into some decent stocks numbers (3.5 percent block rate in ACC play) and spikes at the rim. There are obvious concerns with how he processes the game — will the speed of the NBA bother him. His jump shot is a concern, to some extend; however, his form is mostly fine. This could be a growth area for Little. He also had issues picking up UNC’s half-court motion system, and had to vacillate between roles in the team’s primary and secondary offensive actions. Will simply playing more basketball — or finding alternative, new ways to better his development — help in this regard?
Cameron Johnson, F
Per 40 Minutes: 22.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.4 blocks
- 7.8 3PA (45.7 3P%, 71.6 eFG% on catch-and-shoots), 4.1 FTA (81.8 FT%)
- 71.3 FG% at the rim (9 dunks)
- 20.7 percent usage rate, 62 eFG%
Number To Know:
- 72.4 eFG% coming off of screens last season, according to Synergy
Highlight:
Projected Range:
- Late first round, 21-30 (starting with OKC at No. 21)
- Outside of Paul George, the Thunder are low on efficient/spot-up wings
Attribute To Know:
- Movement shooting
Quick Thoughts:
- The thought process with Johnson — finally healthy this season — as a prospect is simple: how much does your team need shooting? Johnson enters the draft as perhaps the best off-ball movement shooter in the class. Defensively, Johnson is mostly fine; he’s not a stopper by any means, and his stocks numbers are low-ish. But Johnson isn’t a sieve on that end, and with his jumper and size he looks like a functional NBA wing.
(Reminder: Hats off to Adrian Atkinson for his work tracking UNC Basketball, and the statistics he distributes to the public. Make sure to follow his work with the Carolina Charting Project.)
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