FanPost

PJ Washington - Draft Profile

This year I will be presenting a series of potential 1st and 2nd Round Draft candidates. There is no real rhyme or reason to the order in which they will be published, and the college players being profiled are those that I think are more likely to be drafted by the Spurs, or fall within the range they are drafting. The first draft profile for 2019 is PJ Washington.

College Team: Kentucky (Sophomore)

Position: Power Forward

Height: 6’8"

Wingspan: 7’3"

2018-19 Stats: Over 28 games (so far) in 29min per game, he averages - 15pts, 7.9reb, 1.1blk, 0.9 stl, 1.8ast at a rate of 52.8% FG, 44.8% 3P and 66.7% FT.

Projected Draft Spot: Mid-Late 1st Round.

Strengths:

PJ Washington is an interesting prospect at the offensive end. He has the speed to lead on fast breaks and coupled with his mid-level athleticism could be useful in a faster-paced offensive scheme. In the half-court game Washington can be an athletic finisher, who drives hard and attacks the lane strongly. At times he can put the ball on the floor and try to shift the opponents defence. When he drives to the lane, Washington, because of his size, is able to take contact and finish the play, or pick up a foul on his opponent. It also allows him to collect tip-ins or put-back dunks on second or third efforts. Closer in to the rim, Washington can back down his opponents regularly, although this may not be as prominent early in his NBA career due to the size and strength difference between NBA and college players. When close to the rim or diving down the lane, Washington has a soft touch and some low post moves that could translate well on undersized or slower opponents in the NBA. What will garner interest from NBA teams is his ability to play a stretch big role, as he has a good mid-range game and a steadily improving perimeter shot. Add that to fairly good court vision, where he can pass out to team-mates, and PJ Washington seems to be a versatile offensive player that could possibly play in the 3-5 spots. Washington could become a solid pick-n-roll/pop option.

Defensively, Washington has room to grow, but his size, and more importantly length could be the foundation of a solid defender. He averages 1.1 blocks per game, so there is some evidence that he could be an effective low-post defender in the pros. Much of that is due to his 7’3" wingspan rather than explosive elevation or height. Because of that length and his quickness, he is able to guard the perimeter effectively, and could be used to guard SF’s or stretch 4’s beyond the arc.

Washington works hard, plays with energy at both ends and that helps with his rebounding. At times he is very good in boxing out opponents to get rebounds (including times where he can grab boards with multiple opponents around him), or muscling him way in a contest to come out with the ball.

Weaknesses:

PJ Washington is a typical young player, who at times can look lost during plays, in particular offensive sets that break down due to opponents’ defensive pressure. At times he can push too hard into the paint which results in poor shot selection or turn-overs. Other times he may jack up a deep shot (even in coverage) too early in the play. On the defensive end he can lose opponents who are cutting along the baseline from the perimeter or from the corners. His 6’8" height and current build may not allow him to spend too much time at a small-ball 5 spot in the NBA.

NBA Player Comparison: Some have suggested David West or even Paul Milsap comparisons, but I think the more applicable comparison is probably JaMychal Green, who many Spurs fans would rather have seen in a Spurs uniform early in his career.

Fit with the Spurs:

PJ Washington could be a good fit alongside other bigs like Poeltl or Aldridge, as he could provide the spacing without losing the interior defence or rebounding. Alternatively, he has the athleticism to keep up with Murray, White and Walker. So a line-up of Murray, White, Walker, Bertans (or Gay) and Washington could be quite an interesting mix of inside-outside play, with the ability to turn on the run-n-gun. Under Pop and the Spurs coaching team, PJ Washington would get a very good chance to be a more well-rounded player than some commentators may give him credit for. If he ends up a JaMychal Green, David West type player, then for the 18-20th pick I think that would be a solid draft choice. Oh yeah, he’s from Texas too, so maybe being close to home might be good for the kid.

Highlights:

Double-double against Seton Hall

Sophomore Year Highlights

Victory over Tennessee

Training video with Lavoy Allen

Next Profile: Mattisse Thybulle (or however you spell it!!!)

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