Memphis Grizzlies: NBA Draft Prospects RJ Barrett, Zion Williamson’s College Careers Come To An End

The college careers of RJ Barrett and Zion Williamson ended without a title. As these NBA Draft prospects prepare for the next level, the Memphis Grizzlies need to target both in this summer’s draft.

The Memphis Grizzlies are still trying to convey their pick, but it seems unlikely that will happen. They have been playing good basketball so the future is looking much brighter than it was a couple of months ago. If they want to continue moving in the right direction they need to make a good selection in the 2019 NBA Draft and both RJ Barrett and Zion Williamson should be high on their list.

These two had amazing seasons at Duke and will likely be top three picks in the draft. It may be unlikely for the Grizzlies to get a chance to draft either of these guys, but anything is possible in the lottery. Also if they want one of these players badly enough, a trade is always possible, though a trade for Williamson would be nearly impossible.

Barrett came into the season as the favorite to be the top pick in this year’s draft and while that isn’t the case anymore, he certainly is still one of the most coveted prospects in this class. Through the 37 games prior to the loss to Michigan State, he averaged 22.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists.

He showed the ability to fill up the stat sheet which certainly will translate to the next level. His ability to attack the basket and score is elite and he should be able to do that against a lot of the NBA guards who he will match up with. His three-point shooting is a concern as he shot just 30% this season so he will need to improve in that area going forward.

In this game against Michigan State, he showed a lot of his strengths, but the weaknesses were also on display. Barrett finished with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists which is a good stat line, but it is below his season averages which aren’t enough to win an Elite Eight game. He’s certainly not to blame for the loss, but he did have ways he could’ve played better.

One area he did well in is his 3-6 shooting from three-point range which was big for them, but he did settle for one late in the game instead of attacking the basket. You don’t want to just nitpick his game because he is a tremendous player, but when you’re evaluating prospects you want a future franchise star to be reliable in every way.

The seven turnovers were very concerning. The Spartans did a good job battling inside and making it tough on Duke and that was one of the ways they were able to get this win. Michigan State won the turnover battle 17-7 while also attempting 70 shots to Duke’s 57 which was why they were able to come out on top.

Barrett has had a good season, but Zion Williamson has established himself as the grand prize in this year’s NBA Draft. His season has been unreal as he averaged 22.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game. He impacts the game in so many ways and he really doesn’t have much of a weakness.

His obvious weakness is his shooting, but he certainly improved as the season went along. He was a 34% three-point shooter this season which is certainly good enough as a spot to build off of at the next level. We’ve seen many NBA players become superstars without a good three-point shot so he should be successful even if he doesn’t develop a shot from the NBA three-point line. His free-throw shooting was just 64% which will need to be improved upon at the next level.

With his size and physicality, he certainly will be shooting a lot of free throws. He shot over six per game this season and I would expect him to shoot at least that many in the NBA as well. If he can get that above 70% that could be very beneficial to him going forward.

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Against Michigan State, he was absolutely dominant at times, but the five turnovers were crucial. Him and Barrett both turned the ball over too much which was a big reason they lost. The turnovers were tough, but he was still fantastic as he finished with 24 points, 14 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 blocks, and 2 assists.

He also made two three-pointers which were big as they were laying off of him at times. If he can knock down open shots at the next level that will make him nearly impossible to defend one on one. His ability to make plays on both ends of the floor is why he has nearly locked up being the top pick in this year’s NBA Draft.

We do need to give a shoutout to Cam Reddish. His season at Duke wasn’t as productive as it was expected to be, but he still showed why he will be a top pick in this year’s NBA Draft. He still has a chance to go in the top five and will make whatever team that drafts him very happy in the long run.

This NBA Draft class is thought of as a relatively weak class, but that couldn’t be more false. It may not be as deep as some, but the top of the class is full of potential superstars, and RJ Barrett and Zion Williamson are two of the guys to keep an eye on, as future all-stars.