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NBA Draft 2018 Prospect Watch: Melvin Frazier

By Jordan Treske

CHICAGO, IL - MAY 15: NBA Draft Prospect, Melvin Frazier Jr. poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Combine circuit on May 15, 2018 at the Intercontinental Hotel Magnificent Mile in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - MAY 15: NBA Draft Prospect, Melvin Frazier Jr. poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Combine circuit on May 15, 2018 at the Intercontinental Hotel Magnificent Mile in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, IL – MAY 15: (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – MAY 15: (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) /

What the experts say

(as of 5/25/18)

ESPN (Jonathan Givony): 37th

The Ringer (Kevin O’Connor, Jonathan Tjarks, Danny Chau): 24th

Sports Illustrated (Jeremy Woo): 30th

Sporting News (Chris Stone): N/A

The Athletic (Sam Vecenie): 30th

The Stepien (Cole Zwicker): 51st, Tier 7

The Step Back (Brandon Kleen): N/A

Quotes:

Before his standout showing at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago last week, The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie wrote about why he views Frazier as a first round pick, based on the versatility he brings and the set of skills he’s growing into offensively:

"“An elite-level athlete with superb length, Frazier is coming off of a terrific season at Tulane, where he established himself as a very interesting NBA prospect because of his diverse skill set. With a 7-2 wingspan, Frazier has become one of the toughest perimeter defenders in the country with the versatility to slide down and check 4s. Offensively, he moves well away from the ball and can really keep the ball moving with passes — although he can get a bit turnover prone because of a rudimentary handle and occasional poor decisions. The swing skill on whether or not you believe Frazier should be selected in the first round is his jump shot. If a team trusts that they can iron out his jumper’s consistency, then he will be a worthwhile investment. If they don’t, he’ll be a tough player to keep on the floor offensively. Still, Frazier will likely be a top-30 player on my board by the end of the process, simply because of positional need and versatility.”"

While acknowledging he could be in line for significant minutes on the G League level right away, Trevor Magnotti of The Step Back believes that Frazier could end up being a diamond in the rough in the years to come, provided he lands on a team that is committed to seeing out his development process:

"“He’s likely going to need significant tutelage in the G League to harness his capabilities, as he tries to iron out his shot, continue to improve as a driver and gets his footwork sorted out defensively. However, if a team is willing to put in the time and resources to work with him in this way, he could easily be a valuable role player that can be stolen as a projected late-first or early-second round pick.”"

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