What They're Saying About The Poole And Brazdeikis NBA Draft Selections
The 2019 NBA draft has come and gone, and Michigan saw two more of its players selected in Jordan Poole (No. 28 overall to the Golden State Warriors) and Ignas Brazdeikis (No. 47 to the Sacramento Kings, before being traded to the New York Knicks).
The Maize and Blue have now seen 11 of their athletes come off the board since 2011 (eight in the first round), which are the most in the Big Ten during that span.
With that being said, both U-M selections last night garnered mixed reviews from the critics, with seemingly everyone acknowledging there is plenty of risk involved in each (especially in Poole).
Here's a look at what's being said around the nation about both former Wolverines' new landing spots.
Jordan Poole — No. 28 overall
"Jordan Poole is a bold guy and a bold first-round choice for the Warriors.
"I won’t pretend to be an expert on prospects, but I know a few such people, and not one of them had Poole as a first-round pick. Sam Veccine had Poole as his No. 54 prospect in this year's draft.
"'He’s a skilled offensive player, even if he does need substantial work on the defensive end,' wrote Veccine.
"While Poole might have been a reach for Myers, ultimately, that won’t matter if he’s a success.
"That said, in my limited exposure to the prospect, he doesn’t strike me as a plug-and-play, high-floor kind of guy, despite him coming from a great program like Michigan. And his ceiling doesn’t seem sky-high either.
"Myers said he likes Poole’s playmaking, his shotmaking, and his versatility. It doesn’t take an NBA scouting job to see that Poole also has a bit of that all-important 'shake,' too.
"But at first glance, Poole strikes me as a smaller Nick Young. I suppose there are some positives to be gleaned from that — Young played 11 NBA seasons — but let’s be honest, that’s not exactly the best endorsement.
"Poole is by no means a finished product — that shake might turn into something special. The Warriors need to hope that their culture and player development program can tap into the former No. 51 high school prospect’s potential, harnessing and improving that super-valuable shooting ability while teaching him some new, less predictable moves with the ball in his hand (he’s an adept dribbler) and at least a semblance of defense.
"Do that, and the Warriors might have something here. But that’s no doubt a big ask."
Jonathan Tjarks, The Ringer: Grading the 2019 NBA Draft
"Poole has more talent than he got to show in college. He’s a great 3-point shooter who can also put the ball on the floor and make plays on the move.
"The big question for him is his defense, but his well-rounded offensive game should allow him to quickly jump Evans in the pecking order in Golden State. The injury-ravaged Warriors will need a lot from Poole next season. He could be up for it."
"You can really get a sense of the mood about the Golden State Warriors' selection of Jordan Poole with the 28th pick of the 2019 NBA Draft by checking out The Ringer’s perspective in their pre-draft profile compared to that of their draft grades.
"'The top line of their draft profile for Poole, who they passed as the 47th pick in their mock draft, was, 'Highlight-reel scoring wing who looks the part, but frustrates as much as he excites.' That was followed by backhanded compliments like 'solid passer when he wants to be' that barely softened the blunt assessment that he could be held back defensively by 'his laziness, lack of awareness, poor fundamentals, and lack of discipline.'
"Poole very well could end up being better than Jacob Evans, the guy the Warriors acquired with last year’s 28th pick. Yet that’s a really low bar: Evans’ 26.7% 3-point percentage for the season limited him to mostly garbage minutes in 30 NBA games that were supplemented by multiple stints with the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G-League.
"Poole may very well end up being better than the player selected with the same pick at this time last year, but would that make him a rotation player or just another late first round project whose flaws temper whatever excitement he brings to the court."
Golden State Warriors: D+
"The Warriors reached in taking Michigan wing Jordan Poole at No. 28. Poole should add shooting to the roster, but his lack of defensive acumen spells trouble for his ability to stick in the NBA.
"Golden State did get a pair of nice pieces in the second round, landing Alen Smailagic and Eric Paschall. Smailagic is a young G-Leaguer the Warriors have already been invested in, and Paschall was thought to be a first-round talent by many. A different first-rounder could have swung this grade fairly significantly."
Ignas Brazdeikis — No. 47 overall (second round)
Zach Braziller, New York Post: NBA Draft Grades 2019: Breaking Down all 60 Picks Team-by-Team
"Barrett was a no-brainer, the third pick in a three-player draft who wanted to be a Knick and should be able to score at a high level immediately.
"Brazdeikis was a surprising pick, a player many projected not to get selected, and not at a position of need."
Chris Peterson, GBMWolverine: Michigan Basketball: Ignas Brazdeikis is Perfect for the Knicks
"When it comes to Ignas Brazdeikis and destinations in the NBA, there are few places that fit the former Michigan basketball star better than New York.
"After all, Iggy loved the bright lights while in Ann Arbor and it doesn’t get much brighter than Broadway and the Big Apple, which is where Iggy will play next season after the Knicks orchestrated a deal that landed the Big Ten Freshman of the Year with the 47th overall pick.
"At 6-foot-7 and change, his size might be a slight detriment, as he is a bit of a tweener, but in today’s NBA, he could probably get by at times as a stretch four. He also shoots the ball well enough to play on the wing and has decent athleticism, although his defense isn’t necessarily a strength.
"New York is a really open situation and Brazdeikis will join fellow Canadian RJ Barrett of Duke, who went to the Knights with the third overall pick. The two have played on the national team together and this will reunite them."
Ray Ratto, DeadSpin: All NBA Draft Grades are Useless: Here are my NBA Draft Grades
"SACRAMENTO Grade: Ignas Brazdeikis. This pick screamed Vlade Divac, right up to the moment he was banished to KnickWorld. 'Banished from the Kings to the Knicks' is not a sentence one types often.
"Other than that, the Kings did what you would expect with the 40th and 60th picks—nothing worth raving about."
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