With the 2017 NBA Draft just a few days away, the Brooklyn Nets begin to evaluate what could be at the 27th overall pick, Adelaide 36ers small forward Terrance Ferguson.
The 2017 NBA Draft is upon us, and while the internal mock drafts are being finalized by all front offices, teams are ramping up trade offers, concluding pre-draft workouts, and getting ready for a wild next couple of weeks with free agency right around the corner.
For the Brooklyn Nets, one potential option may be 6′7″ Tulsa, Oklahoma native Terrance Ferguson, who opted to play a year of professional basketball in Australia for the Adelaide 36ers‘ instead of playing at a major college basketball program with the likes of Jayson Tatum, De’Aaron Fox, Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball.
The 19-year-old prospect is seen by many as a 3-and-D player, someone who knows his role within an offense and is willing to make the extra pass, something head coach Kenny Atkinson looks for in his dynamic wing players.
Both Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz of Draft Express recently found that, in their analysis, Terrance Ferguson has those tools to step into a carved 3-and-D role in the NBA.
"“Offensively, Ferguson is mostly a spot-up shooter, which has always been his strong point, and will almost certainly continue to be his role at the NBA level as well. What’s impressive is how mature of a team player he’s been so far, as he rarely tries to do things outside of his comfort zone, and has been a very willing ball-mover looking to make the extra pass.”"
Ferguson is an intriguing prospect, who, according to Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders, was brought in for a Brooklyn Nets group workout on Sunday along with Semi Ojeleye of SMU, Chance Comanche of Arizona, and JaCorey Williams of Arkansas.
Sources: Brooklyn Nets brought in Terrance Ferguson, Semi Ojeleye, Chance Comanche and JaCorey Williams as part of a group workout Sunday.
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) June 19, 2017
The Nets certainly have interest in Ferguson, who, in both Draft Express‘ and ESPN‘s Chad Ford’s latest mock drafts, have the 19-year-old going 27th overall to said Nets.
“Ferguson has watched his draft stock drop in recent weeks after struggling a bit in workouts against players like Luke Kennard,” Ford said in his evaluation of the young wing player. “ a good shooter and a great athlete, but the rest of his game needs a lot of development.”
So the question becomes if Terrance Ferguson could be a good fit for the Brooklyn Nets? Possibly, but the rawness of his game, along with currently a one-dimensional set of skills offensively could have Nets brass a bit underwhelmed.
But, according to general manager Sean Marks in an interview on Good Day New York, he’s looking for three players (with the 22nd, 27th, and 57th overall picks) to help now and in future — players who the Nets can develop and nurture their biggest upsides.
Could that mean the Nets like Ferguson’s unique athleticism and would utilize it in transition and around the three-point line?
One scout told NBA.com’s David Aldridge:
"“He’s mostly a spot-up shooter. You can play him off of screens a little bit. And surprisingly, he posted a little bit in Australia, which is surprising for a guy who’s light in the [rear] like that. But he wasn’t bad. He’s a project because he’s young — not a project like you’d think of a big. It’s just going to take some time.”"
One thing the Nets definitely have is time on their side. With lots of teams looking to load up on young talent to wait out the current Golden State Warriors era and prime LeBron James, the Nets are in a unique situation to take on a project and leave him in the hands of Kenny Atkinson’s development-focused coaching staff.
Next: Nets - 5 options for pick No. 22 in 2017 NBA Draft
We’ll see how it all shapes out on Thursday night at the home of the Brooklyn Nets, Barclays Center.