NBA Draft 2019: Player comparisons for all projected first round picks

9. Jaxson Hayes, C, Texas (7-0, 7-4, 219lbs) 

Player Comparison: Willie Cauley-Stein + Clint Capela

If Jaxson Hayes looks like he moves with the fluidity and coordination of a wing, that’s because he was one only 6-7 not too long ago, making a name for himself as a star wide receiver and not a near seven-foot-tall center. Sudden growth spurts launched the Ohio native all the way up to his current height, and in miraculous fashion, didn’t sap him of much mobility. As such, his measurements and graceful athleticism compare favorably to the like of Willie Cauley-Stein (7-1, 7-3, 240 pounds) and Clint Capela (6-11, 7-5, 220 pounds), two mobile centers that operate best as rim-runners and lob-finishers on offense and rim-deterrents on defense.

Hayes has the rare mobility of Cauley-Stein and the shot-blocking potential of Capela, with some playmaking and shooting upside mixed in as well. He’s pretty raw at this juncture and needs to add significant strength (he was a poor defensive rebounder as a result), but he has the frame that could allow for added bulk, similar to Capela, who also entered the league as a slender big man.

8. Jarrett Culver, G/F, Texas Tech (6-7, 6-10, 194lbs) 

Player Comparison: Caris LeVert, Jimmy Butler-lite

The similarities in skill set, play style, personality, and physical profile between Jarrett Culver and Caris LeVert is honestly quite comical. Both are smooth players with crafty, above-average playmaking feel at their position with so-so shooting and above-average defense, but it’s the measurements that are truly striking:

• LeVert: 6-7 height, 6-10 wingspan, 8-5 standing reach, 191 pounds
• Culver: 6-6.75 heigh, 6-9.5 wingspan, 8-4.5 standing reach, 194 pounds

Wow.

There are some difference, such as LeVert’s superior ball-handling and shooting stroke and Culver’s superior defense and functional strength, but they’re fairly similar all-around, and their measurements are quite uncanny. Some wishful thinkers suggest that Culver could be the next Jimmy Butler (6-7.75, 6-7.5, 8-5.5, 222 pounds), as both players are strong, defensive-minded wings with playmaking skill and a liking of the mid-post, and that’s certainly within the realm of outcomes for Culver, but that’s a lofty comparison nonetheless. He could hit it, no doubt, but that’s unquestionably his absolute ceiling, which he has a slim shot of reaching.

7. Coby White, G, UNC (6-5, 6-5, 191lbs) 

Player Comparison: Jamal Murray (6-4, 6-7, 205lbs), tall Eddie House

Murray is evidently more craft than sheer speed, but their usage in an offensive scheme is relatively similar. Both aren’t pure lead guards, instead operating better as secondary creators whose primary responsibilities are scoring and shooting within the flow of an offense. Ideally, players like Murray play alongside bigger creators, such as Nikola Jokic — the same can be said for White, who would benefit from playing in a free-flowing system where he’s not relied upon solely as a primary playmaker. If White fails to reach his upside as a starter (which hinges on his ball-handling and vision as a playmaker), he could fall into a super-sixth man type of role as a bench spark plug, similar to long-time NBA journeyman Eddie House, a combo-guard who made a career out of getting buckets off the bench.