NBA Draft 2022: Final Big Board of top 60 overall prospects

29. Josh Minott – Memphis – Wing – 6’8, 205 lbs – January 2002 – Freshman

Minott is somewhat of an odd-ball prospect. He didn’t get much playing time early, but when utilized he was clearly effective and made Memphis a better team. Minott measures well in analytics with a +6.8 BPM, a block rate over 5 and a steal rate over 3. He’s skinny, but has the frame to add weight. Minott is a springy leaper, with good body coordination and flexibility.

Defense is what should help him early in his career. He can potentially slide across a few positions and has good instincts and the length to be a disruptor. The offensive projection isn’t linear. Minott was a complete non-shooter at Memphis (going 2-14 from deep). I thought his shot looked a bit better at the combine but it needs work.

Minott is a willing and creative passer who could thrive with more spacing in the NBA. He was a guard in high school until a growth spurt, so some of those ball skills and court processing have come with it. Even if he doesn’t shoot, Minott could be an interesting roll-man and play finisher in a Derrick Jones Jr.-esque roll. He’s not as young as I’d like someone as raw as him to be, but the athletic tools and defensive upside make him an interesting gamble, especially if a team is patient with him.

30. David Roddy – Colorado State – Forward – 6’6, 260 lbs – March 2001 – Junior

Maybe the funkiest prospect in the draft, Roddy thrived as an undersized big in college, putting up huge counting stats. His versatile offensive skill-set should help him from the jump. It’s always a little concerning when a player takes a huge shooting leap as an upperclassman, but Roddy shot 43% from deep last year and has a clean-looking shot. I think his finishing is underrated too.

While he’s not the best vertical athlete, he’s got a good understanding of timing and angles to make up for his lack of physical tools. Roddy saw a handful of double-teams and was able to carve them up as a passer. He should be a good connecting piece and a willing ball-mover.

Defense is the obvious drawback here. Roddy is only 6’6 and won’t have the foot speed to contain handlers or some actions in front of him. His 6’11 wingspan should help and gives me some hope Roddy can guard fives and slower fours. He’s got a noticeably strong frame and while he’s not an elite shot-blocker, he should alter shots that come right at him with his length.

The P.J Tucker comparison is going to get thrown out there, and while I don’t think Roddy has the same defensive tenacity, if he can be 75% of Tucker on defense then he should make it. A smart, skilled, funky player that can help space the floor, Roddy is the kind of player that we see succeed in the playoffs.

31. Nikola Jovic – Mega Mozzart Basketball – Forward – 6’11, 222 lbs – June 2003

The idea of Jovic is better in theory than the actual player on the court right now. A lanky forward with ball skills, Jovic’s shooting also improved over the course of last season. Jovic’s on-ball could best be used as a connecting/stretch four-piece right now, with the ability to run some offense later in his career. If he tightens up the handle, he could be a mismatch problem for other bigs.

The defense though right now is wildly concerning. He’s a sub-par athlete, who seems to lose interest on that end. He will get pushed around on the glass early in his career by other bigs and doesn’t have the foot-speed to guard on the perimeter. It’s also fairly concerning how unproductive and inefficient Jovic was in the Adriatic League, which is not a great league. History says players with his type of season don’t translate well to the NBA, especially early on. But bigger prospects with some dribble-pass-shoot ability are coveted, and Jovic is still young, making him an intriguing gamble around this range.

32. Christian Koloko – Arizona – Center – 7’0, 221 lbs – June 2000 – Junior

One of the most improved players in college last season, Koloko proved his value as a stout defensive anchor and rim-protector. He still over rotates quite a bit and while he’s less foul-prone, that will be an issue early on in his career. His foot-speed isn’t great, but he could excel in drop-coverage and in isolation post-up scenarios with his frame and length.

I think there is some more low-hanging fruit with his offense than he’s given credit for. Koloko had a few flashes of short-roll passing and processing. He didn’t make any threes but had good touch around the rim and free throw shooting percentage. His shot looks fundamentally sound mechanically and I think he could eventually be a stretch five. He needs to improve his handling physicality around the rim but has a good catch-radius as a lob threat.

I don’t value centers super highly, given the issues staying on the floor in the playoffs, but Koloko’s other offensive flashes have me a little optimistic. While he is a junior, Koloko is another late-bloomer who wasn;t highly recruited out of high school. I think he still has more room to grow compared to other 2000 born players.