Hidden Gems: Josh Minott’s Raw Talent is Worth Risk
The Oklahoma City Thunder have two picks near the middle of the draft with pick No. 30 to round out the first and No. 34 early in the second. If these picks aren't packaged in a trade, they could look to take a swing on a project.
One prospect who could ultimately become a legitimate NBA contributor with time and development in the right system is Josh Minott.
A one-year player at Memphis, he was often overshadowed by teammate Jalen Duren and the storyline of Emoni Bates. However, Minott quietly put together a quality season and will now be an interesting player in the upcoming draft class.
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While it will likely be a few seasons before Minott is able to get real minutes at the NBA level, he could be a solid defensive player early in his career. Regardless, it'll be his offense that ultimate determines the type of player he can be in the long run.
At 6-foot-8 with solid perimeter feel, he's got the ability to facilitate but is not a good shooter. Last season at Memphis, Minott shot less than 15% on his 3-point attempts. Additionally, he didn't take many shots from beyond the arc which allowed defenses to play off and clog the lane.
If Minott is able to at least become a respectable 3-point shooter, he could evolve into a great role player off the bench.
[Joe Rondone-USA TODAY Sports]
What's most intriguing about Minott is what he could look like in an expanded role. As a freshman in college, he played in only 14.6 minutes per game. Per 100 possessions, he was able to generate 25.3 points and 14.5 rebounds. While statistics in that lense don't often mean much at the college level, this does show that Minott was productive in the limited action he got.
Thunder GM Sam Presti loves players that have length, make plays and are smart on the court. Minott checks all of these boxes and has the physical tools to improve at the next level.
It might be a reach to take him at No. 34 overall, but Minott could end up being worth a late first or early second round pick with the upside he possesses.
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