So, Who Were the Biggest Steals of the Draft?
Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2019 1:38 pm
So, Who Were the Biggest Steals of the Draft?
Entering the 2025 season, there remains much speculation as to who the true "steals" of the draft were. In other words, which players were the most overlooked who will likely produce far beyond any expectation in the upcoming season, or the next few seasons for that matter? Let's take a look at some of the more notable players—the overlooked ones who were often deeper in the draft—and see what they're potentially capable of as we head forward. I intentionally excluded many of the top picks because we have a general idea of what kind of player they're going to develop into, so let's review the board and see which teams walked away with a diamond in the rough.
01. Ed Monix (SG), #8 (Cleveland Cavaliers)
For many, this selection came as somewhat of a shock, given that Monix is an orange/green potential player and there was one—and I repeat one—blue potential player still on the draft board, allowing him (Slim Jenkins) to fall to the Utah Jazz with the 9th overall pick. So, what was the mindset of the Cleveland Cavaliers when deciding to make this selection? Well, first and foremost, let's take a quick look at their current predicament. As of this current moment, the Cavaliers already have a shooting guard in Romeo Langford who, at still 21 years of age, has a lot of room to develop—especially given his blue potential. For a team that's already set at this position, why on earth would they select yet another shooting guard, regardless of how promising he may be? Let's take a quick look at Monix for a second here: His B-potential rating in INS, JPS, FT, 3PS, HND, PAS, and DRB makes him incredibly versatile as a dual guard. The only problem is that, by the time he fully develops (if he does), Dennis Smith Jr. should begin to decline. Essentially, this selection in the draft sets up a potential trade opportunity for the Cleveland Cavaliers since Monix can easily fill in as a pass-first point guard. Or, alternatively, if they're not confident in Langford, they could trade him as well. Whether or not this selection was worth it has yet to be seen, but it has given the Cleveland Cavaliers multiple options heading forward and I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if we saw a major trade on the horizon.
02. Slim Jenkins (SF), #9 (Utah Jazz)
With the Utah Jazz poised to select 9th in the PBSL Draft, they were [seemingly] out of luck if they wanted to draft a blue potential player. But alas, a miracle happen: The Cleveland Cavaliers went with Ed Monix with the 8th pick—an orange/green potential player. There's many reasons why they could have decided to draft Ed Monix, but alas, that doesn't change the fact that a blue potential player fell to the Utah Jazz, a team who was seemingly destined to luck out on such a valuable fortune. Whether it was divine intervention or just sheer luck, the Utah Jazz ended up with a player who fits perfectly in their rebuild. With prospects such as Glenn Irvine playing dual guard positions and Simon Phoenix slotted in at power forward, they desperately needed a small forward and that is exactly what they got in Slim Jenkins, a player who has immensely high offensive potential. Although his defense is lackluster and arguably immensely terrible, that can be worked on. Simply put: Slim Jenkins was a steal for the Jazz since he was seemingly destined to be selected 8th, and he fits perfectly in the Jazz's long-term plans.
03. Emory Wise (PF), #10 (Milwaukee Bucks)
Somehow, some way, the Milwaukee Bucks not only won the lottery, but they ended up with 8 picks. And with the 10th pick of the lottery, they selected Jarrett Allen, a 6'10", 273lbs power forward out of Clemson. As of right now, the Milwaukee Bucks are pretty stacked—not only in regards to the surplus of draft picks they've acquired—but also in regards to new players, which they continue to add just in case somebody takes a major hit during training camp. With their selection of Jarrett Allen, they found an incredibly strong power forward who has a lot of potential. He looks to be a scoring power forward of sorts, with a B potential in all 3 major offensive categories for his position: INS, JPS, and FT. Furthermore, he's going to be a player capable of grabbing many offensive rebounds. Defense is still something that needs improvement, at least in regards to post defense; but other than that, he'll be able to grabbing a lot of steals and blocking a lot of shots. Jarrett Allen was, by all means, a diamond in the rough, and the Bucks managed to draft a player who definitely fits into their plans heading forward.
04. Joseph Quiroz (SF), #12 (New Orleans Pelicans)
Much like the next player on this list, Joseph Quiroz is listed as a small forward but his current attributes and potential ratings prove that he is, most likely, a power forward at heart. Due to his current lack of a jump shot and 3 pointer, he isn't going to be much of an offensive threat unless it's in the post, where his inside scoring ability should allow him to thrive. In addition to this, his potential to rebound (offensive, C; defensive, B), defend in the post (A), and steal (B), suggests that he will be best suited as a power forward. His only downside, however, is his lack of strength (46), which will greatly limit his ability to have an impact in the post. However unlike many power forwards, he isn't the slowest on the court: His 50-rated quickness can allow him to beat around other defenders and score inside.
05. Dragan Bender (C), #14 (Atlanta Hawks
In a draft that was overloaded with big men, Dino Bentz stands out as a reliable center due to his potential to be an offensive threat as well as a rebounding threat. Currently, he's a great defensive rebounder, but with time and some work (see: training camp and player training), his offensive rebounding skills can most definitely improve to at least average. Despite currently having lackluster defense (39 rating), his strength (81) may more than make up for that, especially if he continues to develop into the player he's primed to become.
06. John Woodard (SF), #18 (Brooklyn Nets)
I know what you're all thinking: Why on earth would the Brookyln Nets select a red "project" player in John Woodward—who is listed as a small forward—when they already have Joseph Kight, a blue/blue small forward who continues to dominate in the league? Well, the answer is simple: John Woodard isn't actually a small forward like he is listed. Due to his height and potential to score in the post (as well as with a jumper), he also has high potential to defend in the post. Furthermore, his strength (77) and ability to steal and block shocks proves to me that he's secretly a stretch forward, meaning he can play both the small forward and power forward positions. If you ask me, his versatility makes him incredibly valuable, especially for an 18th overall pick.
07. Richard Kowalczyk (C), #19 (New York Knicks)
Before the draft even began, the Utah Jazz were actually intrigued with this prospect because with a healthy training camp and some player training, he could become a reliable defensive player. Although his potentials don't stand out as impressive as other players, it's difficult to deny the value they got in this "project" prospect, especially with the 19th overall pick. He has potential to be an offensive threat in the post, though he'll likely never develop a reliable, consistent mid-range jump shot, which is funny because he's primed to have a reliable 3pt shot. In addition, he's going to grab you a decent amount of offensive rebounds, which is important for a center who has a penchant for putbacks in the post. His defense is average at best, but his ability to block should be great as well, which may make up for mediocre defense. Unfortunately, he isn't really athletic: His quickness is rated at 16 and his vertical (see: jump) is only 23, so his slowness may prove to be detrimental. Nevertheless, with some work and with some luck, he can prove to be a reliable back-up center in this league.
08. Ronald Jackson (SG), #22 (Los Angeles Lakers)
Ah, finally, a pick that isn't a big man! What I really like about the value of this pick is Jackson's potential to become a great outside shooter. He won't be able to drive the ball to the rim like a lot of guards, but he most definitely has the potential to become an outside threat that can provide some valuable minutes off the bench. He already has a reliable jump shot (79), free throw rating (74), and a 3-pointer (61). It also doesn't hurt that he can already handle the ball like a true pro (71) and can actually pass the ball to an extent (45). He isn't the most athletic, but for a player who's destined to become an outside threat, that's just fine. Defensively, he isn't going to provide much aside from stealing the ball, but his offensive abilities make this a great pick, especially for the 22nd selection in the draft.
09. Henry Griffith (C), #23 (Toronto Raptors)
I'm going to continue this list with another center, who by all means probably shouldn't have fallen as far as he did. There isn't much to say about Henry Griffith other than that he has the potential to be a very good center, which is fantastic news for the Toronto Raptors who need a reliable back-up for Kristaps Porzingis. Griffith's main strengths, like many others on this list, is his ability to rebound the ball. But unlike them, he'll be able to do it on both ends of the court at a high rate. Additionally, he should eventually develop some reliable defensive whilst blocking a lot of shots, which we all know is a good sign of a reliable center. All in all, I think this was most definitely a steal for the Toronto Raptors.
10. Marlon Ellsworth (SG), #27 (Sacramento Kings)
If it hasn't already been made blatantly obvious, this draft was loaded with a lot of reliable big men who can develop into decent role players for their respective teams. Coincidentally, Marlon Ellsworth may have been the biggest steal of this draft given he dropped as far as the 27th pick. Marlon Ellsworth isn't going to develop much further, but he's already prepared to be a reliable back-up in the league. Despite his lack of a jump shot and 3-pointer, he can score inside the post with proficiency. And due to his potential to be both a rebounding and defensive threat, all signs point to him being a back-up center as opposed to a power forward—especially when you take a look at his quickness (15), strength (68), and lack of verticality (18). I have faith that this guy will make an immediate impact for the Kings, who were lucky to end up with such a reliable talent.
Honorable Mention: Charles Petree (C), #30 (Brooklyn Nets)
With the last selection of the first round of the draft, the Brooklyn Nets selected Charles Petree. Although Petree isn't likely to develop much further, what stands out about him is how average he is for a center, and that's pretty impressive for the last overall pick of the draft. He should develop to become a fantastic inside scorer (he already has a rating of 77!) as well as a good free throw shooter. It also doesn't help that he can efficiently handle the ball in the post, which should amplify his offensive numbers to a degree. As for everything else, he's average at best. His offensive rebounding, post defense, and blocking attributes all have C potential. He needs to work on his defensive rebounding but it's not impossible for him to improve on this. However, like previously stated, that's perfectly fine for the last overall pick. Kudos to the Nets for getting some value out of this pick, who could actually develop into a fairly decent player if he puts the work in.
And there you have it. If you didn't get the memo already, this draft was loaded with a lot of big men and, due to their potential talent, makes them quite valuable as future (or in some cases immediate) back-up role players for their respective teams.