So far we’ve previewed the top four prospects (among others) in the 2015 NBA Draft, who have separated themselves from the other prospects in most regards. However, if the Lakers find themselves tempting fate with the fifth pick, there are a number of different players and positions they could address. Let’s first look at another Kentucky center in Willie Cauley-Stein.
Name: Willie Cauley-Stein
School: Kentucky
Position: Center
Height: 7’0″
Weight: 244 pounds
Draft Position: Top 10 pick
Overview: I’ll start by offering full disclosure: I absolutely love Willie Cauley-Stein (for simplicity, we’ll call him WCS further on). He has a beautiful mix of athleticism, leadership, strength, and a good feel for the game that has positioned himself as Kentucky’s leader on and off the court this season. WCS shocked many last year by returning to school despite both being projected a lottery pick and the great recruiting class that Kentucky had coming in. But on that loaded roster this year, he’s stood out above all the rest this season, highlights by his SEC Tournament MVP award.
That being said, great college play doesn’t automatically translate to the pros (just ask Adam Morrison). But WCS should have no worries about that. The best comparison for him is a DeAndre Jordan, but with more lateral quickness (which we’ll discuss later). While he has a limited offensive game, his ability and skill on the defensive end put him very high on this list.
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Why The Lakers Should Be Excited: Well, the list is long. Quite simply, he provides a great defensive presence, which is direly needed with the Lakers right now. He is a solid rim protector, averaging 1.6 blocks per game in 25.5 minutes a night. As is the case with all Kentucky players, evaluating their stats must come with a grain of salt given the platoon system/depth of talent they have, which means a lack of playing time. To get a better idea of his defensive impact, you can look at the fact he’s second in the nation in defensive rating behind teammate Karl-Anthony Towns and tied for second in defensive win shares.
WCS’ defensive contributions don’t stop at the rim. One of the most fascinating aspects of his game is that, with his athleticism and lateral quickness paired with his length (7’2″ wingspan), he can step out and guard perimeter players. We aren’t talking about switching off a pick and roll and containing a point guard. No, John Calipari will assign him to defend guards for multiple possessions at a time.
Against Auburn in the SEC tournament this past weekend, WCS defended the Tigers’ K.T. Harrell, a 6’4″ shooting guard who had been having a memorable, hot-shooting tournament up to that point. Cauley-Stein shut him down and set the tone for his team from the start, leading to a blowout victory. Along the same lines, on the rare occasions Kentucky implements a zone defense (typically a variation of a 1-3-1 zone), it’s WCS positioned at the top, using his massive wingspan and jumping ability to disrupt offenses.
This isn’t just WCS being athletic, quick, and able to guard perimeter players. He averages 1.3 steals per game and only commits 2.0 fouls per game. That’s a noticeable drop from the 2.6 fouls he committed per game last season, something he made a concerted effort at this year. The emphasis on less fouls dropped his blocks/game down from 2.9 a contest last year to the 1.6 mark per game this year. However, it has kept him in more games as well. Eight times this year he’s played an entire game without committing a foul, something he never accomplished last year.
His 3.15 seconds three-fourths court sprint is a number you see point guards put up. His lane agility speed of 10.22 seconds would be hard to wrap your mind around for a point guard. This is a 7′ center.
Anyone who has watched a Kentucky game this season will have heard announcers mention that Cauley-Stein was a football player in high school. While it’s terrifying to envision a 7’0″ wide receiver, this past experience translates to his game on the basketball court. His soft hands and great jumping ability (37″ vertical) allow him to catch lob passes and finish with authority. For comparisons sake, DeAndre Jordan’s NBA pre-draft combine measurements had him at 6’11 and a 30.5″ vertical. While Jordan has an extra four inches on his wingspan, you get the idea of how freakishly athletic Cauley-Stein is.
But the athleticism keeps going. His 3.15 seconds three-fourths court sprint is a number you see point guards put up. It’s faster than Trey Burke, Dante Exum, and Zach Lavine did in recent years. His lane agility speed of 10.22 seconds would be hard to wrap your mind around for a point guard. This is a 7′ center.
I know, workout warriors do not necessarily make great players, but we aren’t talking about the NBA’s version of Darius Heyward-Bey here. This is a very talented player with insane workout numbers. He’s done a solid job of learning how to harness that athleticism each season, with this year being his most impressive yet. His offensive game from a back-to-the-basket standpoint, but, again, think of him as a Jordan type player. Jordan doesn’t have a post-up game, but is still a double-digit scorer and an effective player who very well might be a max-contract player this off-season.
Why The Lakers Should Be Wary: Well, for the very reasons I started to hint to at the end of the previous section. WCS is still raw offensively. He has a very limited offensive game, having not shown an ability in-game to knock down jumpers and having little to no post-up game. His plays are going to come from lobs, put-backs, and plays essentially set-up for him. This isn’t someone you can dump the ball down to the post in and let him get you a basket.
All U Can Heat
He also still is small given the players he’ll have to do battle against. He’s added weight/muscle each year since landing in Lexington, KY, but his long frame makes it hard to bulk up. He’s listed at 244 pounds and could still likely use another 15-20 pounds of muscle. Bigger NBA centers (Dwight Howard, Al Jefferson, or even Jahlil Okafor) could body him up and out-strength him.
And as physically gifted as he is, it takes more than athleticism alone to make an impact in the NBA. He’s going to have to harness it even more to become an impact NBA player. As a result, Cauley-Stein is going to be a project player. He’s not going to make the instant impacts of Okafor or even Towns and is going to need some time to adjust.
Final Say: WCS has that magical thing that all NBA GMs love: potential. His athleticism and physical frame will have teams more than interested. If he can develop that potential, his ceiling is scary hard. Envision a more athletic, quicker DeAndre Jordan with a higher leaping ability.
To finish, I’ll leave you with this,
this,
this,
and finish with the murder of a man