Regardless of positional need, Zion Williamson has solidified himself as the best NBA prospect in the upcoming 2019 NBA Draft. Who comes next is a conversation of much debate.
R.J. Barrett was a highly recruited prospect coming out of high school and flashed great potential as a dominant wing during his only year at Duke. Ja Morant stuffed the stat sheet; posting multiple triple-doubles over the course of the season on his way to captivating college basketball fans. These two players have mostly been the quick answers to the question: Who goes second in the draft?
The praise Barrett and Morant have earned is well-deserved, but another player has quietly entered his hat into the conversation. Texas Tech sophomore wing Jarrett Culver continues to rise on draft boards. Culver has just as strong of a claim to being the best non-Zion draft prospect in the world as any other player.
The 20-year-old Big-12 Player of the Year had some impressive numbers himself averaging 18.9 PPG, 6.4 RPG, and 3.7 APG. He is a bit of a “does it all” type of prospect with a litany of offensive and defensive strengths in his arsenal. Let's begin with the latter of those categories.
Culver's Defense
Compared to Barrett and Morant, Jarrett Culver is the far superior defender. While defense is a weakness for the other two prospects, Culver can tout his defensive skills as a legitimate strength. Among all of the guards and wings currently projected to get selected in the top-14 picks of this draft, Culver boasts the best defensive rating (85.9), defensive win shares (.117), and defensive box plus/minus (5.7).
He does an excellent job of utilizing his length and athleticism to irritate his opponents and prevent scoring opportunities. In an increasingly open and high-scoring NBA, there is now a premium on guys who have a chance to be stoppers. Players who can defend multiple positions have become even more important. Culver has the potential to fill in as one of these players early on in his career.
Culver's Offense
Offensively, Jarrett Culver can offer a lot of things. He has great decision-making and passing skills for a guy his size. He'll probably never be a Luka Doncic type. He likely cannot act as a team's primary facilitator and creator at the next level. However, winning basketball requires numerous guys to be able to make plays with the ball in their hands—Culver can do just this.
As a secondary option, Culver is an excellent fit for just about any team. In addition to his passing skills, Culver has a talent for attacking the rim and finishing at an efficient level. He has an NBA-ready body that will allow him to finish through contact against professional centers.
He has continued to grow physically since arriving at Texas Tech. Rumor has it that he still may not be done growing. Listed at 6'5″ coming out of high school, Culver is closer to 6'7″ now and another inch or two would do wonders for his NBA potential.
Culver still needs work on his outside shooting. His shooting mechanics are a bit rough at the moment. While Culver did shoot an impressive 38.2% from deep as a freshman, it was most likely due to him not being the focus of opposing teams' defenses. This season, as the primary option at Tech, Culver's three-point percentage dropped to just 31.6%. Continuing to grow as a three-point shooter could be the key to unlocking Culver's game.
Culver's Rapid Improvement
Finally, by all accounts Jarrett Culver is a team-first guy. He works extremely hard and has had no off-court red flags. Just look at the man's ascendance over the last three years. Culver went from a three-star high school recruit, to a freshman contributing off the bench, to a freshman starter come conference play.
He was selected as a preseason All-Big 12 honorable mention honoree yet finished as the conference's MVP, an AP All-America 2nd team selection, and the unquestioned leader of a team headed to their first Final Four in school history. All the kid has done so far is exceed expectations. There is no reason to expect he will do any differently on an NBA team.
Texas Tech is about to take on Michigan St. this Saturday in the Final Four. Jarrett Culver will be able to show the world on the biggest of stages why he is deserving of being the second overall pick in the draft this coming June.
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