Breaking Down Darius Garland’s NBA Draft Projection, Scouting Report, Strengths/Weaknesses, NBA Comparison, and Highlights leading up to the 2019 NBA Draft.
Measurables:
- Age: 19
- Height: 6’3″
- Wingspan: 6’5″
- Weight: 180 LBs
Strengths:
Very quick. Can beat most players off the dribble.
Best handles in the draft.
Projects as a very good shooter. Needs to be picked up at half court.
Quick hands on defense.
Very nice floater. Big offensive weapon for NBA guards.
Weaknesses:
Played only 5 college games due to injury. Very unknown.
Needs to add weight to defend at NBA level.
Turned the ball over a lot in limited minutes.
Not very explosive. May struggle to finish at the rim.
Pro Comparison:
Damian Lillard
Garland will need to add some strength, but his play-style and frame remind me a ton of Lillard’s days at Weber State. Their combination of quickness, handles, and ability to score at all three levels make them a tough matchup. Garland has shown his ability to hit shots from well beyond NBA range and hit floaters/running jumpers at a high rate. Both skills possessed by Lillard.
NBA Draft Outlook:
4-7 Range.
Ideal Fits:
Phoenix at 6:
Suns will likely be taking either Coby White or Garland with this pick and Garland would likely be the better fit. His quickness and ability to break down the defense would open up opportunities for the Sun’s young offense. Rather than take a back-seat on the Lakers (4), Garland would be given an opportunity to lead an NBA offense and get some valuable experience that he missed out in college.
Bulls at 7:
Bulls also have a big hole at the PG slot and could use a dynamic player like Garland. Similarly to Phoenix, Garland could be a Day 1 major contributor and get some experience leading an NBA offense on a young team. Pick-and-Pops with Markkanen would be very tough to guard.
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