2021 Draft Position Preview: Bigs
Breaking Down the Bigs with Draft Day Less Than a Month Away
by Joe Gabriele (@CavsJoeG)
6/30/21 | Cavs.com
Just when it looked like the NBA center was on the brink of extinction, the 2021 season rolled along and produced the first MVP for a pure big man in Nikola Jokic – (with Philly’s Joel Embiid second in voting) – since Shaquille O’Neal won the award at the turn of the century.
Yes, dominant centers still roam the earth – albeit with new-and-improved skillsets. Embiid attempted 158 triples this past season; Jokic had 28 games of double-digit assists.
The Cavaliers underwent a massive transformation at the center spot last year. They began the season with veterans Andre Drummond and JaVale McGee in the middle and ended it with Jarrett Allen and Isaiah Hartenstein, both of whom just turned 23 years old (and are both restricted free agents).
Every incoming Draft class produces a new collection of big men who will continue to shape the position – and one of this year’s best, USC’s Evan Mobley, could be there when the Wine & Gold are on the clock at No. 3.
Unless the Cavs brass jumps back in the Draft, the other big men on today’s list won’t be on Cleveland’s radar after it makes its top selection.
But anything can happen on Draft Night, here’s the lowdown a group that includes a rugged defender who can score on the perimeter, a prolific shot-blocker, a throw-back international guy who plays bully-ball and a guy named J.T. Thor – (but only partially because his name is J.T. Thor; he’s also been labeled this year’s most intriguing prospect).
Left to Right: Alperen Sengun, JT Thor, Evan Mobley, Isaiah Jackson, Kai Jones
Photo by Andy Lyons via NBAE/Getty Images
ISAIAH JACKSON – 6-10, 205 – Born: January 10, 2002 – (Detroit, MI) – College: Kentucky – fantastic natural athlete and one of the best rim-protectors in the country last year, Jackson averaged an SEC-best 2.6 blocks per game; was named to SEC All-Defensive and All-Freshman teams; played alongside LaMelo Ball for a season at SPIRE Academy; instinctual shot-blocker with either hand; can impact the game without scoring; outstanding above-the-rim finisher; full 7-2 wingspan; fluid, runs like a guard; will need to work on back-to-the basket skills; solid face-up game with quick first step; good but not great passer; excellent motor, loves to get out in transition, runs the floor well; very good rebounder on both ends; knows who he is offensively – shot 54 percent the floor but only attempted two triples in single season at Kentucky; rangy, can cover a lot of ground on the defensive end; will need to get stronger at the next level and work on shooting touch to create space, but potential to be an elite defender.
KAI JONES – 6-11, 220 – Born: January 19, 2001 – (Nassau, Bahamas) – College: Texas – explosive, end-to-end athlete with a non-stop motor; true stretch-5 who can drift out on the perimeter and hit the three (39 percent on 3pt-FG, 10 points higher than his freshman year); excels in the open floor, runs really well for a big man; outstanding on the offensive glass; extremely effective in the pick-and-roll game, cuts hard to the rim, tremendous two-handed finisher when he gets there; will need to develop some back-to-the-basket post skills at the pro level; late-bloomer who didn’t start playing organized basketball until age 15, which sometimes slows down his decision-making; like many bigs, will need to pack on weight to battle in the paint; unparalleled work ethic; doesn’t have great hands; extremely versatile on the defensive end, has the speed and athleticism to switch 1-through-5; strong defender in space; can generate his own shot; might be more suited to a power forward role in the NBA; still with some good upside, Jones can be a true difference-maker at the pro level with some work.
EVAN MOBLEY – 7-0, 215 – Born: June 18, 2001 – (Murrieta, CA) – College: USC – true 7-footer who can be both a true-rim protector but also has the athleticism to guard off switches on the perimeter; first player since Anthony Davis to win a Conference’s Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year; a go-to big man on the offensive end – has a sizeable arsenal including jump-hooks with both hands; heady, controlled player who’s not prone to careless fouls or turnovers; winning pedigree, led USC to Elite 8 as a freshman; more a quiet, non-vocal leader; is a powerful finisher around the rim and has excellent touch around it; has great length, but will need to add a few pounds to tangle with league’s bulkier big men; praised as an unselfish player and outstanding passer who likes to get teammates involved; can score at all three levels, has a fluid shooting touch that should allow him to improve on three-point shooting (30 percent, 12-40, at USC); not a true banger down low, Mobley has the overall skillset to be a dominant two-way NBA big man.
ALPEREN SENGUN – 6-9, 240 – Born: July 25, 2002 – (Giresun, Turkey) – Team: Besitkas – big-bodied Turkish big man who began his athletic career as a swimmer; at 6-10, 240, he likes to use his big frame to create space; has competed with grown men since his early teens; beast in the low post but also mobile enough to run the floor; questions on how his game will translate, but overseas production has been off the charts; gets to the stripe frequently and a solid shooter when he gets there (also talks to the ball between free throws); excellent footwork and underrated strength; good defensive rebounder; lacks lateral speed, could be victimized in the pick-and-roll in the Association; good back-to-the-basket scorer; will need to work on strength and conditioning in the NBA; accurate and willing passer with high basketball IQ; has the entire European arsenal in the post – drop-steps, fade-aways, spin-moves, up-and-unders – and has drawn comparisons to some of the best bigs to come across the pond; will probably make his impact at the next level on the offensive end, but could struggle to stay on the floor if exposed defensively.
J.T. THOR – 6-10, 205 – Born: August 26, 2002 – (Anchorage, AK) – College: Auburn – intriguing lefty from with Auburn, started all 27 games for the Tigers and notched double-figure scoring in 10 of his last 15 appearances; excellent length with over a 7-2 wingspan and 9-2 standing reach; high IQ player with tremendous motor; wowed scouts at pre-Draft Camp in Chicago; excels in the open floor; has the creativity of a guard; can struggle against pressure; offensively, his outside shot needs work – shot under 30 percent from deep – but has the natural stroke to improve; not a strong ballhandler and can be turnover prone; son of Sudanese immigrants, Thor grew up in Anchorage, AK before moving to West Virginia at 14; strong help defender; outstanding shot-blocker – rejected at least one attempt in 17 of his last 22 games and had 12 outings with at least with two swats; still a work in progress, Thor has all the measurables that scouts love, but will need to turn it into consistent production in the major leagues.