Eyes are turning toward Tallahassee for talent
Florida State not always a hotbed, but Seminoles Vassell, Williams both have a chance to be chosen among top 10
(Third in a five-part positional series in advance of Wednesday’s NBA draft)
There was a point when searching for NBA talent meant looking somewhere other than Tallahassee.
There was the occasional Al Thornton, Toney Douglas or Chris Singleton to emerge, but little that would make you pay constant attention to Leonard Hamilton’s program at Florida State.
Nowthe league can’t look away, not only because of the recent pipeline with Malik Beasley, Jonathan Isaac and Dwayne Bacon, but because of what is about to followin Wednesday’s NBA draft.
Not only are forwards Devin Vassell and Patrick Williams expected to emerge as lottery picks, but both could wind up among the first 10 selections, Vassell for what he already has produced, Williams for the intrigue presented by a player whose lone season as a Seminole came off the bench.
“It’s been a blessing to go through this with Devin, to go through the whole season with Devin,” Williams said this week during his NBA pre-draft media session, “and at the end of the year, to be on the same page, have the same opportunity.”
It has, in fact, been 27 years since Florida State had two players selected in the first round of the NBA draft. That was when Doug Edwards went No. 15 to the Atlanta Hawks and Sam Cassell at No. 24 to the Houston Rockets in 1993.
This time around, Vassell and Williams are expected to be selected ahead of those slots.
Not, Vassell said, that it is in anyway a competition.
“Patrick Williams is a great talent,” Vassell said this week. “He’s probably one of my closest friends I’ve had at Florida State. We talk pretty often, and I think this is a great and unique opportunity for both of us to go through.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a competition at all. I’d be just as happy if I went before him or hewent before me.”
While the school is the same, the games are different, with Vassell far more polished as a 3-and-D prospect and Williams raw but versatile.
Williams said he has taken some of his cues from the game of Miami Heat forward Andre Iguodala, and, in fact, pointed to the Heat’s recent playoff success for optimism for his potentially NBA success.
“I think we saw it a lot with the Miami Heat, in the playoffs,” he said of his position-less game. “You had pretty much all guards on the floor.”
A breakdown at small forward in advance of
Wednesday’s NBA draft:
Top 5
1. Deni Avdija, 6-9, 19 years old, Israel: The comparisons are to Luke Doncic, which certainly is an encouraging place to start. The concerns about the outside shot have some shying, but there is a polish in place despite the youth and questions about athleticism.
2. Devin Vassell, 6-7, sophomore, Florida State: There are NBA-ready skills on the defensive end enhanced by a nonstop motor. His off-the-dribble gamed has improved, but the outside shot remains a concern. Will need to bulk up to NBA standards.
3. Patrick Williams, 6-8, freshman, Florida State: A unique blend of efficient and creative scorer who doesn’t suffer from being a ball-stopper. Turnovers and defensive agility are concerns, but not enough to offset overall skill set.
4. Aaron Nesmith, 6-6, sophomore, Vanderbilt: Put aside that shooting guard might be the NBA position, and instead consider the shooting skill that comes at distance, off the right reads, with an ability to attack closeouts.
5. Saddiq Bey, 6-8, sophomore, Villanova: Where he goes in the draft could be a referendum on howmuch teams value 3-and-D prospects who fill most of the boxes in terms of intangibles. The smarts outdistance the skills. Could wind up as best of the bunch.
Sleeper
Josh Green, 6-6, freshman, Arizona: Appears to have recovered from 2019 shoulder surgery to re-emerge as a 3-and-D threat willing to put in the effort on both ends. Likely needs to further upgrade handle to NBA wing standards.
Rating the field
There is nothing necessarily dynamic at the position, but rather an eye-of-the-beholder class when it comes down to finding complementary skills, especially from a 3-and-D standpoint. There is plenty of plug-and play talent here, just not necessarily elite talent.
Heat need
The free-agency approach with Jae Crowder and Derrick Jones Jr. will have a significant impact here. There is something to be said about looking in a 3-and-D direction as a successor for Andre Iguodala. As it is, the Heat already have KZ Okpala in the pipeline.