Brooklyn Nets: 4 options with the 19th pick in the NBA Draft
Who should the Brooklyn Nets target in the NBA draft?
Prospects: Draft-And-Stash
Each of Leandro Bolmaro, Aleksej Pokusevski and Theo Maledon are potential draft-and-stash candidates and are therefore unlikely to contribute next season. The 6’7″ Bolmaro is a wing, the seven-foot Pokusevski is an interior player and Maledon is a point guard. Each could potentially Brooklyn down the road, but given that the focus is on contributors for next season, none of them make the cut.
Target List: 0
Prospects Remaining: 17
The @BrooklynNets have the #19 pick in the upcoming draft. Four recent mocks project 20 different players in the 14-24 range (+/- 5 picks) #Nets #nbadraft pic.twitter.com/nJEQul36mL
— Jacob Zinkula (@jacobzinkula) November 1, 2020
Prospects: Not top-20 quality
Five prospects have an average draft ranking >= 26.0, and none are likely worth a pick at No. 19: Vernon Carey Jr., Malachi Flynn, Nico Mannion, Tre Jones and Jahmi’us Ramsey. As discussed, Brooklyn could use a young big if Jarrett Allen gets moved, but Carey isn’t the answer. The 6’10” big out of Duke is a talented offensive player but has defensive limitations that will make it difficult for him at the next level.
As also discussed, the Nets aren’t in need of another ball-handling guard either, which takes Mannion, Jones and Flynn out of consideration. Mannion is skilled offensively but isn’t a great interior scorer and will struggle to become even an average defender. Jones was one of the stingier defenders in college basketball last season, but his offensive limitations (particularly as a shooter) will significantly hinder him. Flynn is the best of this trio and can contribute on both ends of the floor. He projects as a solid backup guard, but given Brooklyn’s current roster construction, Flynn simply isn’t the right fit.
Ramsey is worth keeping an eye on, particularly if Brooklyn trades down in the draft. He hit 42.6 percent from downtown last season, and at 6’4″, might be able to play some wing. Still, given that he’s not an elite athlete, 6’4″ might be a bit too small for an NBA wing. There are also concerns about his defense and whether his college shooting will translate (was only 64.1 percent from the foul line).
Target List: 0
Prospects Remaining: 12