Brooklyn Nets: 5 options for pick No. 29 in 2018 NBA Draft

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5. Moritz Wagner, PF/C — Michigan

Height: 6’11.5″
Weight: 241 lbs
Age: 21 (Junior)

Possibly the best player of the entire NCAA Tournament, Moritz Wagner was a dominant force offensively. His exceptional footwork, timely playmaking, and smooth shooting stroke made him the engine of an offensive juggernaut at Michigan.

His production backs up his skills. With 14.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, a 52.8 percent field goal efficiency and 39.4 percent shooting from downtown, Wagner was incredibly valuable to the national runner-up.

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For as huge of a human as Wagner is, his footwork is great. He can take small-ball centers to the works pretty well, which will force NBA teams to deploy a more traditional big against him.

That plays right into Wagner’s hands — literally. He’ll hit a pick-and-pop with ease if the opposing big-bodied center doesn’t step up on him, and with his athleticism, he can blow by that lumbering post player. Wagner has several layers to his offensive game that will make him useful for years to come.

It’s his defense that deters other teams. With his size and athleticism, he should at least be a capable rim protector. However, he seems too slow laterally to keep up with the quicker bigs of the modern NBA. Instead of going big against Wagner, teams loaded with larger wings will just run him off the court with small-ball.

Luckily for Wagner, not every team has the personnel to regularly take such extreme measures. He will likely get his work as an offensively talented 5 in the modern game. In Atkinson’s multi ball-handler offense, Wagner’s point-center abilities will fit beautifully when Jarrett Allen takes a seat. There is even a possibility of the two coexisting for spurts if both he and Allen can improve their lateral agilities.

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