‘He’s gon na have an opportunity to be unique’: College coaches

Unlike the 2022 NBA draft, which saw the top three choices swap positions continuously in the hours prior to the Orlando Magic were formally on the clock, there was absolutely no drama with the No. 1 choice in the 2023 edition. Victor Wembanyama’s name had actually been written in pen because spot for years.Where there was a level of argument was with the No. 2 choice. Still, in reality, there was no suspense; Charlotte had actually zeroed in on Alabama’s Brandon Miller and chose him to G League Ignite’s Scoot Henderson for much of the process.Was that the ideal

choice?Following what was eventually a relatively straightforward NBA draft, we reached out to a dozen college coaches around the country to get their handles excellent picks, bad choices and everything in between. They were fairly divided on the Miller vs. Henderson dispute, but there was little question Miller was the very best NBA possibility in the guys’s college game last season.”He made shots at an elite level. Had fun with significant poise, impacted the game. A huge part of it is he does not force things. He can go four or 5 minutes without getting a shot or touch, then score 6 or eight points genuine fast,”one coach stated.”Early in the year, he had a hard time going to his left, but did an actually good task ending up with his right. Then he got better in that location. He’s a three-level scorer, a high free-throw-attempt guy. “He needs to improve on the defensive end of the flooring. However on the offensive end, he ought to have the ability to be available in and have an effect right now. He has to continue to get stronger, but that’s going to feature time.” Editor’s Picks 2 Related Another coach with understanding of both players’ games thought Henderson might have been the slightly better possibility, but Miller simply was a better suitable for

the Hornets– although there are some concerns about his ability to get his own shot.”Scoot is possibly a more dynamic player with his athleticism and physicality at a position that is so considerable in the NBA nowadays,”he stated.”I actually do think he could have a Russell

Westbrook sort of impact in his career at some point. In a vacuum, he’s most likely the selection at 2. [But] with [LaMelo] Ball existing and the method the lineup is constructed, it makes sense to go with Miller. He has fantastic size, big-time shooting– something that everyone really values. A man who is going to be a foundation player for them.”To be a main scorer– guys that can get 18 to 22 points per game– you need to have some offensive adaptability, some ability to put it on the flooring a bit. That’s not truly a part of Miller’s game– people can get beneath him and press him and trouble him. His greatest influence on the game is his capability to shoot it. Capture and shoot it. Offensively, he can be like a Paul George or a Khris Middleton. George has more diversity to his game, but I believe that’s the sort of vision they have for him. And with an excellent passer like LaMelo, he’ll make the game much easier for everyone else.”One coach who enjoyed Henderson in high school believes his fit in Portland– on a lineup that still consists of Damian Lillard– will help him early.”

I believe Scoot is going to a perfect scenario next to guards like [Anfernee] Simons and Dame; that’s going to allow for him to focus more on specific

tasks and a role instead of trying to do whatever at one time,”he said. “His immediate effect on winning is going to be seen on the first day. He’s also the type that, regardless of being a novice, he can help on the protective end thanks to his motor, length and instincts. As long as he can reveal prospective as an off-ball threat and a determination to be that guy, he’s gon na have a chance to be special.”One coach who searched Miller in high school and faced him this previous season echoed some concerns about Miller’s capability to handle protectors troubling him with physicality and likewise

raised the questions about Miller’s consistency and motor prior to he got to Alabama.”It’s going to be about simply how athletic he is and how capable he is of playing through contact and amidst physicality,” he said.”Can he show consistency at the NBA level against higher athletes

and length and size? I think he’s the best plug-in type that can make shots and start offense, however he’s been cluttered with consistency issues his whole life and didn’t precisely do fantastic in the NCAA competition. So was Alabama a one-off, or is he a new male?”Here are college coaches’observations on a few of the other big stories from Thursday’s draft: The greatest news of the first round was Whitmore’s drop from forecasted top-10 choice– and top-five choice previously in the draft process– all the way to

Houston at No. 20. A five-star possibility coming out of high school, Whitmore was obstructed by injury to start his Villanova profession and after that fought inconsistency in what was eventually a disappointing project for the Wildcats.