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NBA Draft: 5 Potential Second-Round Steals

By Colby Giacubeno

Mar 18, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; Weber State Wildcats forward Joel Bolomboy (21) celebrates during the second half of the game in the first round against the Xavier Musketeers in the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 18, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; Weber State Wildcats forward Joel Bolomboy (21) celebrates during the second half of the game in the first round against the Xavier Musketeers in the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 22, 2014; Norman, OK, USA; Weber State Wildcats forward Joel Bolomboy (21) dunks the ball against Oklahoma Sooners forward Khadeem Lattin (12) during the first half at Lloyd Noble Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 22, 2014; Norman, OK, USA; Weber State Wildcats forward Joel Bolomboy (21) dunks the ball against Oklahoma Sooners forward Khadeem Lattin (12) during the first half at Lloyd Noble Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

Joel Bolomboy, Weber State

Joel Bolomboy will try to be one of the mid-major prospects of this year’s draft who can continue to prove folks wrong that you don’t have to play for a powerhouse school to become a productive NBA player.

Luckily for him, Damian Lillard literally paved the way, as he too came out of Weber State and is now considered one of the best point guards in the league.

The 6’9″ big man won Big Sky Player of the Year for the 2015-16 season with averages of 17.9 points,12.8 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game.

During his time at Weber State, he also was named Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year twice, an AP Honorable Mention All-American (2016), and led his team to the NCAA Tournament two times.

At Weber State, he worked many times on offensive with his back to the basket in the post, and was quite efficient at doing so.

However, that is a skill that has quickly disappeared in today’s game and even though it doesn’t hurt to have that in your repertoire, big men are expected to be able to stretch the defense by shooting outside.

That part of Bolomboy’s game is still a work in progress, but at the NBA Combine, he showed the potential to be a decent shooter once the the training staff works out kinks in his form.

By the eye test, Bolomboy looks like he could be a dominant force defensively. He certainly has the tools to become an elite defender in the paint, but like his jump shot, some work is needed in regards to protecting the rim.

As seen by his averages, he is a man on the glass and can rebound with the best of them.

For any team in the second-round that is struggling with depth in the frontcourt, Bolomboy definitely shows the tools to become a dependable player within the right rotation.

Next: A Breakout Prospect

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