One of the most compelling ways to quickly study any draft class is to look at the NBA comparisons for all of the prospects available.
One of the most compelling ways to quickly study any draft class is to look at the NBA comparisons for all of the prospects available.
Now that the 2020 NBA draft is less than two weeks ago, all of the folks looking for a crash course in learning more about the players that will be available for selection can use this as a guide for the potential outlook of each projected first-round draft pick.
This exercise is far from foolproof, of course, considering that outcomes for each prospect will depend heavily on the teams that draft them as well as the roles they are given and the development process that surrounds them.
But this does give a sense of the archetype that each top prospect fits in so casual fans can get a more succinct view of the next generation entering the league.
While our own opinion was also included, we also studied comparison models and surveyed other experts, including conversations with NBA scouts around the league, to give the best context available. The results included were the most common responses.
NOTE: All comparisons pulled from NBADraftcomp.herokuapp.com are based on statistics per 40 minutes.
Kansas Jayhawks guard Devon Dotson is considered the fastest end-to-end prospect in the 2020 NBA draft class. The numbers are showing why.
Kansas Jayhawks guard Devon Dotson is considered the fastest end-to-end prospect in the 2020 NBA draft class. The numbers are showing why.
Dotson, 21, also participated in the 2019 NBA draft combine when he was testing the waters last offseason. Since then, he has added 6.6 pounds while lowering his body fat percentage from 5.9 percent to 4.6 percent.
The following information, which was also sent to NBA teams, was obtained by USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s Bryan Kalbrosky.
ANTHROPOMETRY
There are some concerns about the consistency of measurements as it is unlikely that his hands have grown 0.5 inches wider or his wingspan has shrunk by 0.25 inches. But these are the official measurements that teams have received on Dotson in 2020.
Height (w/o shoes): 6’0.5″
Height (w/ shoes): 6’1.75″
Wingspan: 6’3″
Weight: 185.2 pounds
Body Fat: 4.6 percent
Hand Width: 10″
Hand Length: 8.25″
STRENGTH AND AGILITY:
Dotson improved his standing vertical (1.5″), max vertical (2.0″), lane agility (0.19s) and 3/4 sprint (0.2s) since last season. Dotson’s three-quarter sprint was the second-fastest time at the combine in the last decade, according to Draft Express.
Standing vertical: 31.5″
Max vertical: 40.5″
Lane agility: 10.44s
Shuttle (Left): 2.22s
Shuttle (Right): 2.39
3/4 sprint: 3.02s
NOTES ON SHUTTLE RUN
(via NBA.com/stats)
The shuttle time is particularly wild, though, considering the difference (0.58s) from last offseason. As noted by The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie, the “lack of singularly consistent entity” doing the measurements has produced some incredibly wonky results.
It is worth mentioning that Stanford’s Tyrell Terry (2.59s) and Grant Riller (2.45s) both would have also broken the record for the best score since the shuttle run was first recorded in 2013-14.
According to someone with knowledge of the situation who spoke to USA TODAY Sports Media Group on the condition of anonymity, RJ Hampton is also believed to have broken that record as well.
It is unlikely that the four fastest shuttle times in history all would have been from the same draft class, especially considering we have numbers from last year to compare for Dotson. It is also possible the shuttle run was measured in a different way this offseason.
Regardless, it is undeniable when watching his game film that Dotson has electrifying speed. NBA teams know that he is an incredibly speedy guard and that was confirmed long before the combine.
We ran the numbers for his measurements through the incredible database at NBAthlete.com, which helps compare and contextualize these numbers.
The two players with the highest similarities scores were Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard and Charlotte Hornets guard Devonte’ Graham.
Lillard, of course, is a five-time NBA All-Star who won the league’s Rookie of the Year in 2013. Graham, who plays for Dotson’s hometown team, was a finalist for NBA’s Most Improved Player of the Year in 2019-20.
This also provided context for realistic high-end and low-end predictions for the players most often included in mock drafts.
Please note that the range included for each player is not based on our own reporting or intel and it only reflects the data pulled from the various mock drafts.
The full list of our latest aggregate mock draft rankings can be found here. HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report.
This also provided context for realistic high-end and low-end predictions for the players most often included in mock drafts.
Please note that the range included for each player is not based on our own reporting or intel and it only reflects the data pulled from the various mock drafts.
The full list of our latest aggregate mock draft rankings can be found here. HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report.
Charleston guard Grant Riller is reportedly a player to monitor if the Lakers are on the clock with the 28th overall pick in the NBA draft.
[jwplayer IRXMuIJa]
Fresh off of winning the NBA championship, the Los Angeles Lakers now turn to what should be an important offseason with several players set to hit free agency. The Lakers have just five players currently on the books next season with plenty of moves to be made in the coming weeks to fill out the roster.
The Lakers do not project to have cap space available once they re-sign Anthony Davis and other players but will have the $9.3 million mid-level and the $3.6 million bi-annual exceptions to use once free agency opens. L.A. will be an attractive destination for veterans looking to compete for a title and they should be in play for several free agents.
The organization also has the 28th overall pick in the NBA draft they can use to upgrade the roster. The belief is the Lakers will look to use their draft pick to acquire a veteran player that can contribute now. However, if the Lakers keep the pick, they could target Charleston guard Grant Riller, according to Bryan Kalbrosky of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group.
According to someone with knowledge of the situation who spoke to USA TODAY Sports Media Group on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, someone to monitor if they do use the pick is Charleston’s Grant Riller considering he is one of the most pro-ready plug-and-play prospects as a scorer in the backcourt.
Riller has been touted as a great scorer with a quick first step. He averaged 21.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.6 steals in 31 games played last season, while he shot 36.2% from 3-point range. Riller ranked seventh-best among Division I players in total isolation scoring, averaging 3.2 points per game, and shot 70.4% within five feet of the basket.
The 23-year-old projects to be one of the most NBA-ready players and figures to be able to make an immediate impact at the next level. Riller is most commonly projected to be a late first-round to early second-round pick so he could be available when the Lakers are on the clock.
The 2020 NBA draft is scheduled to take place on Nov. 18.
Check out the work Boston Celtics pre-draft interviewee Grant Riller has been putting in ahead of the 2020 NBA draft.
Earlier this fall, the Boston Celtics reportedly interviewed College of Charleston guard prospect Grant Riller (presumably virtually) ahead of the 2020 NBA draft.
Riller, a 6-foot-3 combo guard from Orlando, Florida is an efficient scorer, solid shooter and above-average rebounder for his position, spoke about what he’s been working on in terms of his game in the video embedded below while there’s no basketball to be played.
He’s put in work on his mid-range game, his 3-pointer — particularly deep treys — shooting mechanics and other areas he’s gotten feedback on where he needs to improve to succeed at the next level.
The Floridian floor general put up 21.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and a healthy 1.6 steals per game in his final season with Charleston, enough to get him noticed by scouts ahead of this draft.
Watch the video embedded above to see the workout clip of Riller put together by the folks at Draft Express.
Guard Grant Riller of the College of Charleston has reportedly met with the Boston Celtics – would he make sense on their roster?
With the usual process of the NBA Draft Combine disrupted due to the pandemic, it’s been harder than usual to divine which teams have interest in which players, but little by little we are learning from players themselves which prospects have spoken to which clubs.
Fortune Sport’s Chris Grenham has been pounding the virtual pavement to get the goods on who the Celtics have been speaking to ahead of the 2020 NBA Draft — currently slated to take place on November 18th — among prospects as varied as Michigan State’s Xavier Tillman and TCU’s Desmond Bane.
On Monday evening Grenham relayed Boston has interviewed Charleston product Grant Riller.
The Celtics have met with College of Charleston guard Grant Riller, per source.
Riller is seeing a lot of interest in the 20-38 range. Boston currently owns picks 14, 26, 30 and 47.
Riller is a high-floor if older point guard with good upper-body strength and defense to use it with when he puts in the effort, shoots from deep well and often (36.2% on 4.2 attempts per game) with solid distribution skills and rebounding for his position.
He needs to limit turnovers and foul less as his game matures, and could do better at finding teammates open, but that may have been in part a product of playing at a mid-major program with few elite options to pass to.
Riller might not be too far from his ceiling already, but if Boston wants to find a prospect able to contribute immediately with a low bust factor late in the first round, Riller might be their guy.
There are some point guards in the 2020 NBA Draft who could help the Philadelphia 76ers right away.
The Philadelphia 76ers have the 21st pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and they should be able to use this pick to the best of their ability. That means examining all of their options with the pick and that includes a couple of different routes they can go to.
They can focus on bringing in a deadeye shooter who will certainly help the spacing on the offensive end of the floor. They can also look at trading the pick in order to acquire a win-now guy or even move up in the draft. Then, there is also the need of a point guard now that the team has moved Ben Simmons off the ball to the power forward position.
We are going to focus on the point guards for their pick in this latest draft preview for Philadelphia and there are three who make sense for them. Let’s get into the list!
We take a look at a potential draft prospect for the Philadelphia 76ers in the form of Grant Riller.
As the NBA continues to push forward with the offseason and the Philadelphia 76ers continue to prepare for the 2020 NBA Draft, it is time to break down some potential prospects at 21 overall.
One popular choice for the Sixers in a lot of mock drafts is Charleston point guard Grant Riller. He ticks off a lot of boxes for the Sixers in terms of their immediate needs which is shooting, a ball-handler, and a real point guard to run the offense. If Philadelphia really wants to move forward with Ben Simmons off the ball at power forward, they will need a point guard to run the pick-and-roll offense.
Bryan Kalbrosky over at our sister site, Rookie Wire, raved about Riller for the Sixers in his mock draft:
Grant Riller is a ridiculously productive scorer who might have the best first step of any prospect in the class. He ranked seventh-best among Division I players in total isolation scoring, averaging 3.2 points per game. He is also an incredible interior finisher who shot 107-of-152 (70.4%) within five feet of the basket in 2019-20. That was second-best among all high-volume finishers who were 6-foot-3 or shorter.
There are plenty of options the Sixers could go with at 21, but Riller makes a lot of sense here. They really need a true point guard if they are going to go with Simmons off the ball now. It’s not like they will need Riller to be a star, but if they can get some solid performances out of him, then he can certainly deliver. [lawrence-related id=37610,37607,37602]
Charleston guard Grant Riller has been mocked to the Philadelphia 76ers with the 21st overall pick.
The Philadelphia 76ers have size, too much size in all honesty, but they don’t have any shot makers or creators. That is something that general manager Elton Brand and the rest of the staff must focus on as they get the offseason underway.
One way to add talent is the draft which will take place in October and the Sixers own the 21st pick in the draft thanks to the success of the Oklahoma City Thunder. The pick was top 20 protected, but the Thunder won just enough games to have the pick convey to Philadelphia.
For the Sixers, they now need to focus on adding those aforementioned shot makers and creators off the dribble. A mock draft done by CBS Sports has Philadelphia selecting Charleston point guard Grant Riller.
The 76ers clearly need playmakers and 3-point shooters, and their financial obligations to several players will limit their free-agency options, so Riller is a solid choice for them at this point the draft. The 23-year-old with an NBA frame is ready to jump right into a team trying to contend for a title, and his scoring package should allow him to provide an instant offensive boost. His playmaking and decision-making leave something to be desired, but he can score out of the pick-and-roll and has the mechanics to become a good NBA 3-point shooter both off the catch and off the dribble.
Riller averaged 21.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in his senior season and he shot 36.2% from deep. He is incredibly efficient around the basket and he would give the Sixers an option out on the perimeter offensively to be able to give some offense. He can be a guy who will be a solid value pick at 21 overall. [lawrence-related id=37340,37337,37333]
