Disclaimer: This piece does not reflect the views of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
C, Kentucky, Junior
7’0.5" (2nd in draft class), 242.4 lbs
6.3% Body Fat
7’3" Wing Span
9’.3" Standing Reach (5th in draft class)
Stats In 2014-15:
39 games, 25.9 MPG, 8.9 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.7 BPG, 1.2 SPG, 1.0 APG, 57.2 FG%, 61.7 FT%
2014-15 Consensus All-American
Best Game:
In a Dec. 5 win over No. 6 Texas, Cauley-Stein finished with a season-high 21 points to go with 12 rebounds, five steals and three blocks. It was a perfect showing of what he’s capable of on both sides of the court. This game for WCS truly was “Trill”. In 33 minutes, he shot 6-of-11 from the field and 9-of-12 from the free-throw line, proving that he might be able to improve on his 61.7 percent clip that he shot from the charity stripe last season.
Where He’ll Go In The Draft:
Cauley-Stein is expected to be a top-10 pick.
After turning the NBA down after his freshman and sophomore seasons, Willie Cauley-Stein is finally going to the pros. The defensive-minded center took a gamble on himself and it paid off. Once expected to be a late first-round pick, now he’s being considered as a top-5 pick in the upcoming draft.
“I’m really talked about like that, that could be a top-5 pick,” Cauley-Stein said at the Combine. “That before was top-20 pick or top-15. Slowly moving down, but that’s great when you hear stuff like that.”
“The other thing about Willie that is as good in this draft as anybody is just his ability to defend everywhere on the floor,” said ESPN college basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla. “The NBA, as I mentioned, is a rim protection league, and it’s also a pick‑and‑roll league and Willie can not only be effective in pick‑and‑roll defense, he can switch on to good NBA guards and stay in front of them, and we saw that this year.”
For as good as his defense is, he’s a work-in-progress offensively. He’s limited offensively and is really only a threat to score off of a lob, an offensive rebound or in transition. He’s not a good jump shooter and isn’t a great passer.
With that being said, he is a solid offensive rebounder, which will give his team extra possessions.
He’ll turn 22 shortly after the draft, so Cauley-Stein is a bit older than some prospects, but that doesn’t seem like it’s turning teams off. The center does need to add more strength to his game and prove that he can bring energy consistently, something that was a bit of a problem at Kentucky.
Ratke's Take
Willie Trill Cauley-Stein was one of the better players to talk to during the Combine in Chicago. He seemed honest. He talked with his hands. Sometimes when answering questions, he was oozing with passion. Ironic being some questioned whether or not he had the passion for basketball to make it his career.
I really don’t see that being an issue. I mean, the dude went to Kentucky. It would be like working at Hormel and being a vegetarian.
He’s got the chance to best an elite defensive center and has already drawn comparisons with rim protector Tyson Chandler.
Like Chandler, Cauley-Stein isn’t going to carry your team offensively. If a team drafts him for that reason, well, they are going to have some problems. But he can hold his own inside and can average eight to 12 points per game off of offensive rebounds and lobs.
One thing that I think will help Cauley-Stein that other plays coming into the league will be the level of competition that he’s had in practice. He’s practiced against possible No. 1 pick Karl Anthony-Towns, possible first-round pick Dakari Johnson and last year’s No. 7 pick Julius Randle. Every practice was a battle.
“They’re all three different bigs, so that helps you. Now I’m playing against three different styles of pro people,” Cauley-Stein said. “… A lot of it is just so competitive. Going there, at Kentucky, you have to be a competitor. If you’re not, you’re going to look weak.”
Cauley-Stein should be a contributor for a team right away on the defensive end of the ball. With today’s high value to rim protectors, Cauley-Stein really couldn’t have entered the NBA at a better time.
Twitter Talk
Quotable
“I think Willie Cauley-Stein’s upside is Tyson Chandler. No one’s throwing Willie the ball in the low post and asking him to score when he gets to the league. The league is about length and rim protection, so his upside is Tyson Chandler.” – ESPN college basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla on Cauley-Stein’s potential.