Utah Jazz: 5 options for pick No. 24 in 2017 NBA Draft
By Adam Coffman
3. Ivan Rabb
With Derrick Favors‘ future with the Jazz unknown for now, Utah could act proactively and recoup some semblance of his services in Cal sophomore big man Ivan Rabb.
Rabb pulled out of last year’s draft to return for another collegiate season, with mixed returns. He did not improve much on what he showed as a freshman, which has led to his stock flattening, but his strengths could still assist the Jazz.
More from Hoops Habit
- The 5 most dominant NBA players who never won a championship
- 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
- Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
- Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
- Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
At 6’10” with a 7’2″ wingspan, Rabb has the size to play either power forward or center in the modern NBA. However, depending on how his development goes, he could be a tweener stuck between the two positions. His positional future will determine on which direction he and his new team’s staff decide to focus his skills.
Rabb shot 40 percent from three last season, but did so on only 0.6 attempts per game. On free throws, which tend to be a predictor of overall shooting talent, he made just 66 percent of his shots.
If he’s to play center, he won’t be near the defender Favors is, but he shows promise as a heady, smarter player that could become a good team defensive player. His penchant for nice off-ball movement would also come more into play around the basket.
Rebounding is where he truly makes his mark, gathering 10.5 boards in 31 minutes per game. Thanks to his mobility and reach, he’s able to chase boards outside of a center’s normal radius.
We don’t know much about Rabb’s abilities as a roll man or in transition, as he wasn’t used very frequently in either of those capacities while at Cal. In college, he was used mostly as a post-up and dump-off offensive threat.
After stagnating in college, Rabb will be an interesting case to evaluate as he makes the transition to the next level. Whether or not the Jazz front office thinks he has more value to be discovered will determine his draft status.