2015 NBA Draft: International Men of Mystery

Courtesy of Dan Glassberg

@OffTheGlassberg

Emmanuel Mudiay

First, he was being talked about as a shoo-in top-3 draft pick. Then, he fell to barely in the top-5. Now he’s rising again. One thing has been consistent, he’s always been among the most coveted players in the draft.

Emmanuel Mudiay is Russell Westbrook.

Strengths

Mudiay isn’t the fastest point guard, but he is quick, and he is especially strong. His ability to get into the lane with his quick first step and blow by defenders with significant explosiveness make him Westbrookian on offense. He’s got good size at 6’5″ and sees the court well, making him a viable point guard who can be trusted to run an offense.

His physical profile also lends itself well to defense, allowing him to stay in front of his man and not get backed down by stronger players. Westbrook.

Weaknesses

His jump shot needs some work, but that’s about it. There are some questions as to how his playing professionally in China instead of playing college ball may affect his NBA fortunes, but Brandon Jennings walked into the NBA and had scored 50 points before his tenth game. Mudiay is miles above Jennings in talent, I think he’ll be okay.

He could go anywhere between Philly at #3 and Denver at 7.

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