No reason not to draft him in the mid-2nd round. Great shooter who can get shots off in different situations. His ability to take a side-step helps him at his size. He'll spot up and be a good release-valve shooter.
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Following Potential 2020 draftees
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No reason not to draft him in the mid-2nd round. Great shooter who can get shots off in different situations. His ability to take a side-step helps him at his size. He'll spot up and be a good release-valve shooter.
Tyrell Terry and Theo Maledon for sure. Tre Jones and Malachi Flynn in all probability as well. Pritchard is a bit of a sleeper. Not sure what I think about Dotson.
Handlogten's Heros
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He's not the same player... like it isn't a comp. Its more of a this older guy can shoot the **** out of the ball so we should draft him thing.
His defense seems solid and he has ball handling and passing... He's pretty interesting. Maybe Shamet is a better comp.
You're our resident MSU guy, aren't you? A couple of questions if you don't mind:
- How do you see Woodard's defensive potential compared to Okoro? I take it that Okoro must have better defensive instincts if he can be that high without a reasonably certain high offensive outcome. Is there an NBA player you think Woodard compares in terms of likely defensive outcome?
- A few things that worry me from Woodward's offensive stats are low usage rate (for an NBA prospect), low assists, and pedestrian shooting percentages (aside from a possibly anomalous 3% as a soph.). Do you think there's much hope for improvement here in the NBA environment? Any chance at all of him developing into something of a playmaking 4 (or at least someone who won't bog down the Jazz's offense)?
- What do you make of Woodward's rebounding (including drop as a soph from a freshman)? Would Woodard with minutes at the 4 help our rebounding?
I mean, he'd certainly be a better rebounder than Bogey or Niang, so I guess he would help? The Jazz are already a very good rebounding team, so it would probably be marginal.
He's a very non-skilled player at this point. You are getting a jacked athlete who has shown potential to shoot the ball, and he seems to be pretty high character/work ethic type. I can't really project him to develop into any kind of playmaker, but I guess it's possible. I would bet that his offensive feel never develops past that of a guy like Jae Crowder.
I think he could flourish in NBA spacing as a 4. MSST was a very poor shooting team without any spacing and he often played the 3 next to two true bigs (one of which could only kind of shoot). I think it's possible he can even play the 5 like a PJ Tucker.
I would say Woodard has a higher defensive versatility ceiling than Okoro, but Okoro is more likely to be a "lock-down" type defender on perimeter players. Woodard is a guy who could possibly guard 2-5 and switch onto PG's.
I'd be surprised if Woodard ever gets to Crowder's feel on offense, some positives as a cutting target above the rim. I think folks forget how much Crowder did at Marquette. Looks like a higher level athlete though.
Very very interesting looking defender though. I'd just need to send him through a bunch of shooting drills and see how real the shot is (catch and shoot promising, but sample pretty small in college).
Very very interesting looking defender though. I'd just need to send him through a bunch of shooting drills and see how real the shot is (catch and shoot promising, but sample pretty small in college).
I'm thinking of Woodard as something of a poor man's OG Anunoby (not quite as long, not quite as skilled, not quite as efficient/productive). Anyone else buy the comp? Why or why not? Seems like an OG-like career would be the realistic best-case scenario (there's plenty of worse possible cases, of course), though that would require some good fortune/hard work, as Woodward's likely less skilled than OG was at this point.
jom2003
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I like the Duncan Robinson comp for Merrill because both possess the ability to square their body as the shot is being released from their hands, the exact trait you want in a NBA caliber volume shooter. Reddick, Korver, Klay, etc. It basically saves them 0.5 seconds on every catch n shoot and makes them impossible to guard. The opposite of that would be Niang, who can only sustain his % when he is made wide open with no one within 5 ft from him because he can't shoot in any other motion.
I think Woodard has much better shot mechanics and pull-up mechanics than Anunoby. OG was a more fluid athlete and had a better attacking feel. OG's defensive ceiling is higher because I think he has more lock-down potential than Woodard along with the high level switching potential. OG really hasnt developed into an offensive talent yet, he's mostly a 3&D spot up/transition/cut guy. I dont see why Woodard couldnt do exactly what OG has done currently, if not more, on the offensive end come Year 3.
And Ill wait and see what Woodard's official measurements are. I see 7'1 wingspan cited everywhere, but I can't tell where that measurement is coming from. He measured with a 6'11.5 wingspan when he was 15 at a USA camp, so for all I know it could be 7'2 (OG's) by now.
I think its a near certainty he gets drafted unless he explicitly tells teams not unless they intend on giving him a contract (wont accept 2-way, similar to how Terrence Davis went undrafted).
At this point I think he has a higher chance of going in the 30's than going undrafted.
Utah will certainly be able to buy into the 2nd round, but it might not be early enough.
If I had to make a case for Woodard having more potential than the consensus thinks, it would be because of his shot mechanics.
If he ever develops into a player who you trust offensively, he has a super high release point on his midrange jumper. Kind of reminiscent of Hood's jumper. Obviously not that fluid going into his pull-up, but I don't think it's completely outside the realm of possibility that he develops that kind of game.
If he ever develops into a player who you trust offensively, he has a super high release point on his midrange jumper. Kind of reminiscent of Hood's jumper. Obviously not that fluid going into his pull-up, but I don't think it's completely outside the realm of possibility that he develops that kind of game.
Say the Jazz were able to trade the #23 pick to the Knicks for #27 & 38 (maybe we'd have to add in something extra, such as Tucker -- I'm not really up on how these types of swaps are valued). And say the Jazz ended up with Woodard and Merrill. Would you consider this a win?
Or maybe the better way to ask this is: who would have to be on the board at #23 for you not to consider this a win?
Now obviously with any trade, you can't guarantee who will be available at 27 & 38, but I'm also curious as to whether you think it's likely that Woodard and Merrill will be available there. (Of course this all ignores the question of whether Woodard and Merrill are even high enough on the Jazz's board to think about this.)
Or maybe the better way to ask this is: who would have to be on the board at #23 for you not to consider this a win?
Now obviously with any trade, you can't guarantee who will be available at 27 & 38, but I'm also curious as to whether you think it's likely that Woodard and Merrill will be available there. (Of course this all ignores the question of whether Woodard and Merrill are even high enough on the Jazz's board to think about this.)
If RJ Hampton, Tyrell Terry or Aleksej Pokusevski were on the board at #23, I'd draft one of them and not trade back.
At #27, I'd want Leandro Bolmaro, Jaden McDaniels, Tyler Bey or Paul Reed.
At #38, several guys would be in play for me, including Malachi Flynn, Reggie Perry, Elijah Hughes and maybe Jay Scrubb. Maybe Merrill is in that mix too.
Still have no idea why you like Perry when he's a significantly worse prospect than Morgan or Brantley.
Game6Conley
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OH MY GOODNESS... DUNCAN ROBINSON WAS SO MUCH BETTER THAN SAM MERRILL..
Game6Conley
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If u go back years in these threads there was no greater advocate for Duncan Robinson than me....
Game6Conley
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I used to say that out of any player in the nation if i needed a 3 at the end of the game i'd choose duncan robinson to shoot it.
I'd say "this guy is the same quality of shooter as Steve Novak, he's not gonna get drafted but he's easily g-league material"
I'd say "this guy is the same quality of shooter as Steve Novak, he's not gonna get drafted but he's easily g-league material"
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Game6Conley
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The thing about this comp is id say it's matchup based; Exactly how tall is Robert Woodard? I've known (and posted) about him here since he was 6'5" maybe 6'6ish, is he a legit 6'7" these days? idk.
OG is a legit 6'8" and looks the part when he's defending powerforwards, thats why I really say it's matchup based, vs smaller PF's I think Woodard can function like that, as the matchups get taller is where i think the comp will deteriorate.
Robert Woodard is not likely less skilled than OG at this point though.... I dont agree with that sentiment. Robert Woodard is a player who for most of his careers position was Swingman, that sorta between a SG and SF thing. OG always been much more of an obvious combo forward.
Officially NBA Draft season.