NBA Draft 2019: The 5 Prospects Who Will Have The Most Successful Careers
By Chris Kern
Jarrett Culver
Jarrett Culver is another prospect who has continued to rise up draft boards as the college season went along. He didn’t end it on a good note as he really struggled in the national championship game loss against Virginia, but he has still established himself as a likely top-five selection.
He has continued to improve his game and he has become a very good all-around player who has a chance to be a great two-way player at the next level. During his freshman season he took a backseat to guys such as Keenan Evans and Zhaire Smith, but this past season he was the one leading the way.
He improved his game in so many ways, but his three-point shooting was one area that he really struggled in. During his freshman season he made 38% of his 3.9 attempts, but this past season he made just 30% of his 4.2 attempts. A lot of that has to do with the quality of the looks he had, but he will need to be able to create his own in the NBA so he’ll need to improve in that area.
This past season at Texas Tech, he averaged 18.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.4 steals per game on 46% shooting from the field. His three-point attempts weren’t much different, but he did take twice as many two pointers as he continually imposed his will by attacking the basket and hitting mid-range jumpers.
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Culver is a guy who should benefit greatly on the offensive end from more spacing. He doesn’t have an extremely quick step so it was pretty easy for teams to be physical and trap him on drives to the basket. They did have good shooters around him though which is a big reason why they were able to advance all the way to the title game.
His streaky shooting is a concern to watch going forward, but he has all the physical tools to become a very good player. His college play reminds some of Kawhi Leonard during his time at San Diego State. They both were inconsistent shooting the ball, but they both showed at lesser programs that they have what it takes to succeed in the NBA.
Culver might struggle some early on, but after the big leap he made from year one to two in college he should continue to do the same at the next level. It might take a few years before he shows out, but he has what it takes to make an all-star appearance or two before it’s all said and done.