Once again, the Utah Jazz worked out 100-plus players in preparation for the NBA Draft. Who were the best prospects to come through town?
The 2016 NBA Draft is finally on the horizon. Although the Utah Jazz reportedly had trouble getting potential draftees in for workouts given the number of talented young players on the roster, some high-level prospects did make the trip to Salt Lake City. One of which may even be the player the team ultimately selects during this Thursday’s draft.
While only a handful of those that participated in pre-draft workouts with the Jazz are legitimate possibilities with the No. 12 pick, the possibility remains that the team could trade down and select an unexpected player.
To that end, we’re looking at the best prospects to audition for Jazz brass during the pre-draft evaluation process. Both those who are considerations at the back-end of the lottery where the Jazz currently sit, as well as the late-first round, early-second round considerations that came through town.
In order to provide insight on each player, I’ve tapped Purple & Blues alum and NBA Draft maniac Spencer Wixom to share his thoughts on some of their strengths, their weakness and what they project to be at the next level.
So, without further ado…
Next: Ante Zizic
Ante Zizic, KK Cibona/Croatia
Age: 19, Height: 6’11.5″, Weight: 249 lbs.
Current Prospect Rankings–DraftExpress: 22, NBADraft.net: 36, CBS Sports: 14
Last Season: 26.6 Min,14.4 Pts, 8.5 Reb, 0.7 Ast, 1.3 Blk, .653 FG%, .724 FT%, 22.5 PER
Jazz VP of Player Personnel, Walt Perrin’s Post-Workout Comments: “We like that he plays hard, and that he rebounds. I think we saw what we needed to see. The best things that he does, he’s similar to a point guard in that he needs to be in a 5-on-5 setting. What he does best, he can’t show that individually.”
Spencer Wixom Analysis–
A lot of people haven’t heard Ante Zizic’s name before, but should come Thursday’s draft as he is likely to be selected in the mid-first round.
At 6-foot-11 with a seven-foot-three standing reach, Ante has the body of an NBA center. Zizic uses that body to rebound the ball better than a lot of the big man prospects in this class. He is tough as nails and is really aggressive.
Zizic can post up and play around the basket, but he has no jump shot right now. His 72.4 percent free throw shooting does give you hope that he could develop a 12-15 foot jump shot.
While there is a lot to like about Zizic’s game, there are some big concerns as well. He has little feel for the game at this point in his career. He is not a great passer and needs to improve that. Ante tries to rely on his strength too much right now, which he will not get away with in the NBA. He will have to learn to be a little more crafty around the basket. Because of those issues and his lack of above average athleticism, Zizic has limited upside.
I would compare Ante Zizic to Zaza Pachulia. He is a tough guy, but will likely be best served as a third or fouth big. Zizic would fit in Utah as they have a need for a backup center, though the Jazz would prefer to see someone who can shoot, defend the rim or has more athleticism.
I have a hard time seeing them picking him at 12, but if they trade back into the later first he could be a good target.
Next: Thon Maker
Thon Maker, Australia
Age: 19, Height: 7’1″, Weight: 216 lbs.
Current Prospect Rankings–DraftExpress: 41, NBADraft.net: 30, CBS Sports: 33
Last Season: HIGH SCHOOL
Walt Perrin’s Post-Workout Comments: “I thought he played pretty well. Considering he had a pro day yesterday, I was worried about him. But he was in good shape, he shot the ball well and he got through it. It was impressive that he was in shape. He’s gotten bigger and he’s figuring out how to play.”
Spencer Wixom Analysis–
Maker is a 19-year-old that is essentially coming out of high school. He moves well for a long, seven-foot-one guy. Shooting is a relative strength for Thon; he has shown that he can stretch the floor some, hitting the three at 31.6 percent.
The biggest strength that Thon has is his athleticism for his size. He can run and jump very well. This led to a lot of dunks and blocks for him at that level of competition.
Maker is a similar prospect to Bruno Caboclo, who was selected by the Raptors a few years ago. He is “two years away from being two years away.” Unfortunately, Thon is the victim of YouTube highlights. These highlights have led to a lot of fans thinking he is much further along than he really is.
The basketball IQ of Maker is really minimal at this point. He has little understanding of defensive or offensive systems. This was evidenced by his 5.2 percent assist rate compared to his 16.4 percent turnover rate. He gambles a ton of defense and the highlights of blocks have led people to think he is a better defender than he is. Maker also only weighs 216 lbs. and will be manhandled by NBA big men.
No player in this draft has a bigger pendulum of outcomes than Maker. I personally think that he is an unsafe gamble to make any time before the late first round. The Jazz could use a shooting big, but I think they will want one who understands the game better than Maker.
Many think that Maker could be a star, I see him closer to a Anthony Randolph type.
Next: Deyonta Davis
Deyonta Davis, Michigan State
Age: 19, Height: 6’11”, Weight: 237 lbs.
Current Prospect Rankings–DraftExpress: 11, NBADraft.net: 19, CBS Sports: 9
Last Season: 18.6 Min, 7.5 Pts, 5.5 Reb, 0.7 Ast, 1.8 Blk, .598 FG%, .605 FT%, 23.9 PER
Walt Perrin’s Post-Workout Comments: “For a one-on-zero, he did well. He showed some stuff in our workout that you don’t see at Michigan State. He had a pretty good workout. He’s got a pretty good shooting touch from 18 and in, very good. He showed an ability to maybe get out to the NBA three. It’s one of the things that we liked that we saw here.”
Spencer Wixom Analysis–
Davis is this year’s Rudy Gobert. He had an incredible workout and really blew the Jazz away. As an athletic specimen, Davis has nice upside. Standing at 6-foot-11 and weighing 237 lbs., he will likely be able to play the four or five.
The Michigan State big man has some of the best rebounding and block stats in the class. What I saw from Davis leads me to believe that he has great potential as both a rebounder and a rim protector.
Davis actually has a decent mid-range jumper, and could likely develop it out further over time. His offensive game is raw, but he does have good touch around the rim. The excitement of Davis is that there are few prospects with his athleticism, defensive potential and offensive potential.
While he has great potential, Deyonta still has work to do to become a great player. Davis needs to develop his offensive skills, which could take some time. He has a great frame, but also needs to add a lot of strength. The biggest concern I have with his game is his consistency. He seems to lose focus and will need a good, patient coach to help him with his defense.
Deyonta Davis has been compared to Utah Jazz big, Derrick Favors. I like this comparison. I’ve heard that the Jazz actually think Davis is further along offensively than Favors was at this point. However, Davis does not have the fully developed body that Favors had.
Davis would be an excellent fit on the Jazz. Because of his athleticism and defense, he would be a great fit next to Lyles. You could also play Davis next to Gobert or Favors at times. He would need a year or two to really develop, but his upside is excellent.
Davis is my favorite player of these mentioned here in this article, and I believe he is the most likely player to be draft by the Utah Jazz if they keep the 12th pick.
Next: Demetrius Jackson
Demetrius Jackson, Notre Dame
Age: 21, Height: 6’2″, Weight: 194 lbs.
Current Prospect Rankings–DraftExpress: 17, NBADraft.net: 38, CBS Sports: 27
Last Season: 35.9 Min,15.8 Pts, 3.5 Reb, 4.7 Ast, 1.2 Stl, .451 FG%, .331 3PT%, .813 FT%, 21.0 PER
Walt Perrin’s Post-Workout Comments: “Good, strong–he was able to get to the basket pretty well. I know he shot it well during drills; three-point shooting was a little above average. So he played well.”
Spencer Wixom Analysis–
The Notre Dame junior is often forgotten in this class because of some other attractive prospects at the position. However, Jackson is very intriguing.
The 21-year old will likely be able to make an impact from day one in the league as a backup and be able to develop into a starter in the right situation. He is athletic, quick and has a good first step. Jackson logged the fourth highest max vert in combine history with 43.5 inches.
Offensively, Jackson is a well-rounded player. He has a high basketball knowledge, makes good decisions and is a good passer. Though he had a down season from beyond the arc, Jackson is a pretty good shooter.
Demetrius is not an elite defender, but he will be above average at the next level.
Jackson has some work to do on his handle. At six-foot-one, he is only average for point guards these days. Demetrius is a streaky shooter and will need to learn to be more consistent. Jackson does need to learn to be more creative as a passer. He also has the tendency to pick up his dribble too early.
Jackson has a fairly safe floor, but his ceiling is not as high as other point guards in this draft, i.e. Baldwin, Murray or Dunn. Demetrius plays similar to Reggie Jackson in Detroit. I don’t think he will ever be as good as Reggie Jackson, but he could get close if all goes right for him.
I don’t see the Jazz drafting Jackson. They already have three small point guards on their roster, and while Jackson would likely be better than all of them, they seem to want big guards. If the Jazz were to take Jackson I believe it would be in a scenario where they trade down.
Next: Malachi Richardson
Malachi Richardson, Syracuse
Age: 20, Height: 6’6″, Weight: 200 lbs.
Current Prospect Rankings–DraftExpress: 35, NBADraft.net: 15, CBS Sports: 29
Last Season: 34.4 Min,13.4 Pts, 4.3 Reb, 2.1 Ast, 1.1 Stl, .370 FG%, .390 3PT%, .720 FT%, 13.8 PER
Walt Perrin’s Post-Workout Comments: “I think his skill is going to be shooting, although his numbers don’t dictate that from what he showed last year. But he was a pretty good shooter going into Syracuse, so I think that’s going to be his NBA skill.”
Spencer Wixom Analysis–
Richardson received an invitation to the green room, so the wing from Syracuse is expected to go around where the Jazz are picking. This freshman is athletic and adds versatility to a team.
The appeal to Malachi is that he has the tools to become a coveted three-and-D player. Richardson has a good shooting stroke and thrived as a catch and shoot player where he averaged 1.08 points per possession.
While he is best as a spot-up shooter, Richardson did show the ability to create on offense. He uses the pump fake to open driving paths for himself. Syracuse put the ball in his hands a lot, and he created off the pick and roll and in iso situations.
Richardson, however, showed very little feel for the game. He is a terrible passer, has bad shot selection and was not an efficient scorer. Richardson is a freshman, but he is fairly old for that class at 20.
He was a streaky shooter and while he has athleticism, he has not figured out how to really use it within the game. He has the physical tools to be a defender, but he does not seem to understand how to play within a defensive system.
Malachi is a player that I am much lower on than the general consensus. Many people see him as a three-and-D player, but that is mainly projecting potential, not actual skills. I look at Richardson and see someone similar to James Young. Jazz fans will remember him as a player drafted before Rodney Hood based off of similar hopes on potential.
Richardson has a long way to go and, while he could put it all together, it is more likely that he becomes the next Nick Young. I don’t think Richardson will be drafted by the Jazz and have heard that he does not want to come to Utah due to the competition on the roster.
Next: Dejounte Murray
Dejounte Murray, Washington
Age: 19, Height: 6’5″, Weight: 183 lbs.
Current Prospect Rankings–DraftExpress: 30, NBADraft.net: 10, CBS Sports: 32
Last Season: 33.5 Min,16.1 Pts, 6.0 Reb, 4.4 Ast, 1.8 Stl, .416 FG%, .288 3PT%, .663 FT%, 16.8 PER
Walt Perrin’s Post-Workout Comments: “He looked good today. Real good. He shot the ball better than I expected.”
Ryan Aston Analysis–
I got this, Wix! After all, for yours truly, Dejounte Murray is one of the more exciting prospects in the 2016 NBA Draft. At six-foot-five with a 6-foot-10 wingspan and an eight-foot-seven standing reach, Murray has elite measurables for a guard at the next level. He also has a wide frame that should allow for him to build some strength.
Offensively, he likes to play with contact despite being slight of build and has a nice floater. While not an explosive leaper generally, he can get up there and will finish above the rim, specifically in the open court.
He also has a shiftiness with his handles–he’ll cross you over–and will give you good movement off the ball as well. Moreover, that size allows him to see lanes and make passes that smaller guards cannot; he has the perfect size and length to play as a high-level combo guard in the NBA, and has potential as a defender.
The bad news–his shot leaves something to be desired. His form is generally OK and the potential for growth exists, however he’s wildly inconsistent currently and his release isn’t as quick as you’d like it to be.
Murray’s decision-making, both in terms of passing and shot selection, are also suspect.
If he can put it all together, get his shot going and add some strength, he’s got the combination of size, length, athleticism and scoring instincts to be a quality guard at the next level. Jamal Crawford-esque.
Next: Domantas Sabonis
Domantas Sabonis, Gonzaga
Age: 20, Height: 6’10”, Weight: 231 lbs.
Current Prospect Rankings–DraftExpress: 18, NBADraft.net: 8, CBS Sports: 10
Last Season: 31.9 Min,17.6 Pts, 11.8 Reb, 1.8 Ast, 0.9 Blk, .611 FG%, .357 3PT%, .769 FT%, 29.3 PER
Walt Perrin’s Post-Workout Comments: “We had him shoot a couple threes and he looked comfortable shooting them. He’s pretty crafty around the basket with his footwork and his shot-making. He had a pretty good workout going against himself.”
Spencer Wixom Analysis–
Many Jazz fans know Sabonis closely, as he played for Gonzaga and squared off against both BYU and Utah. This 20-year-old big man is extremely skilled and has one of the highest basketball IQs in the draft. Domantas is also an excellent passer for a big man.
He is crafty around the basket and knows how to score. Of the big men in the range of the Utah Jazz’s 12th pick, Sabonis has the best motor. This kid does not give up on a play. Due to that motor and his strength, Sabonis is one of the best rebounders in this draft class.
While he did not really shoot the three at Gonzaga, there is a belief among scouts that he can extend his shot to the three. This will be crucial for Sabonis as he is not a great athlete and is not a good defender. A lot of this Bulldog’s defensive issues come down to his lack of agility.
He is a smart player, but will likely never be an above average defender because of those physical limitations.
Sabonis may be the safest pick in the range that the Utah Jazz are picking. However, his ceiling is not much higher than his floor. If Domantas cannot stretch his game out to the three-point line, he could be in jeopardy of not fitting in the new NBA. Domantas reminds me a lot of Luis Scola. He is also similar to Greg Monroe, who is currently being shopped on the trade market as his team cannot figure out how to use him in today’s electric game.
Domantas could be picked by the Jazz, but I do not really see it happening. Because of his athletic and defensive limitations, he is not a great fit next to the frontcourt players on the Jazz. I actually think Sabonis will be picked before the Jazz are on the clock, but that may be a good thing.
Next: Denzel Valentine
Denzel Valentine, Michigan State
Age: 22, Height: 6’6″, Weight: 210 lbs.
Current Prospect Rankings–DraftExpress: 25, NBADraft.net: 21, CBS Sports: 19
Last Season: 33.0 Min,19.2 Pts, 7.5 Reb, 7.8 Ast, 1.0 Stl, .462 FG%, .444 3PT%, .853 FT%, 29.7 PER
Walt Perrin’s Post-Workout Comments: “He would fit with our team structure and how we play and how he plays. He’s a pretty good shooter and I think he’s going to become better. He does pass the ball extremely well, which [head coach Quin Snyder] likes. And I think he would fit Thonin Salt Lake City.”
Spencer Wixom Analysis–
Denzel Valentine is a senior wing out of Michigan State. Valentine was one of the better college players this year, and was in the running for player of the year. Unfortunately, Valentine’s game may not be as good of a fit for the pro game as it was for the college game.
Valentine’s basketball IQ is off the charts and he uses his length to make some incredible passes. Denzel has a great handle for his size and will likely play with the ball in his hands at the next level due to his elite passing ability. Shooting was a strength for Valentine this year and last year, though he did not shoot well in his first two years.
He also adds some versatility to a team because of this passing and length. You could play him at point guard, shooting guard or small forward in different situations.
Valentine’s game could suffer at the next level due to his lack of athletics. He likely cannot beat most NBA defenders off the dribble and will be limited to spot-up shots and facilitating. Due to the lack in athletic ability, he will have a hard time defending wings in the NBA.
His game actually has splashed of Greivis Vasquez and Lance Stephenson (without the crazy). He is a wing who can spot up and run the team’s offense to create mismatches.
Right now, Valentine is falling because of medical concerns about his knees. One NBA team even went as far to say that he could have knees like Danny Granger‘s. Due to all these issues, I do not think the Jazz will draft Valentine unless they trade down. I actually think there is a chance that the league shocks us and Valentine falls to the second round.
Next: Interview: Stu Jackson Talks Utah Jazz, No. 12 Pick
Follow Spencer Wixom on Twitter @JazzJargon. For his complete draft rankings, click here.