Welcome to the NBA, Cedric Coward!

ESPN's latest Mock Draft (maybe paywalled?) is up, and has Cedric as the last first round pick at #30. They interestingly seem not quite as enthusiastic about his prospects as other sources:

There has been plenty of buzz around Coward of late, with signs out of Chicago pointing to him remaining in the draft, despite a transfer commitment to Duke for next season. Many NBA teams we spoke with are hesitant about his surprising rise, given the fact that he played six games at Washington State before a shoulder injury ended his season. But his unusual trajectory from Division III to Eastern Washington to what appears to be guaranteed-contract territory is fascinating.

Though his lack of film against high-level college competition is a concern for NBA teams, Coward is the type of wing teams love draft, and it matters that he was efficient and productive at Eastern Washington.
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Actually speaking to NBA teams is certainly more reliable intel than your average blogger doing a mock draft. Something tells me Duke knows this, and more, and is relaying it actively to Cedric. Perhaps he's fine being a late-first/early-second round pick with a guaranteed deal, although this is one data point indicating that there's still room to rise if he chooses to come to Duke.
 
scottdude8 said:
ESPN's latest Mock Draft (maybe paywalled?) is up, and has Cedric as the last first round pick at #30. They interestingly seem not quite as enthusiastic about his prospects as other sources:



Actually speaking to NBA teams is certainly more reliable intel than your average blogger doing a mock draft. Something tells me Duke knows this, and more, and is relaying it actively to Cedric. Perhaps he's fine being a late-first/early-second round pick with a guaranteed deal, although this is one data point indicating that there's still room to rise if he chooses to come to Duke.
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What incentives do NBA teams have to tell ESPN their evaluation of Coward?
 
MChambers said:
What incentives do NBA teams have to tell ESPN their evaluation of Coward?
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It depends on where they draft. If the Philadelphia 76ers (picks #3 and #35) are interested in selecting Cedric Coward, then they are less inclined to give him a first round evaluation. But if we're talking the Miami Heat (#20), they might say that he's a late first rounder. I guess teams could be honest, but if an honest evaluation works against their drafting interests, I don't see why they would share.

And it's up to the ESPN reporter (or other insider) to consider the source and their motivations. Denver has no picks, while Dallas has the #1 pick and no others, so you'd think they would have a neutral, disinterested take on Coward. However, if either team secretly wants to trade their way into the draft, they can't entirely be trusted either.
 
Givony’s mock draft is a bit eye opening. I thought Coward would be firmly in the 18-25 range with the momentum he carried out of Chicago. While I still think he will stay in the draft, this is intriguing.
 
CajunDevil said:
Givony’s mock draft is a bit eye opening. I thought Coward would be firmly in the 18-25 range with the momentum he carried out of Chicago. While I still think he will stay in the draft, this is intriguing.
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Interestingly, picks 18-30 are below. My thought on Cedric has been that he would be very attractive to a contender in the 20-30 range that could afford to give him time to develop. But because of trades, there are very few contending teams picking in that range. Most will be looking for picks that can make an immediate impact, or at least be counted on as rotation players at some point during their rookie seasons. Indiana (23), OKC (24), Boston (28) and maybe the Clippers at 30 might be possibilities for Cedric, but that is a smaller pool than I would have assumed. And of course there could be more trades between now and the draft.

18. Washington (from Memphis)

19. Brooklyn (from Milwaukee via New York, Detroit, Portland, and New Orleans)

20. Miami (from Golden State)

21. Utah (from Minnesota)

22. Atlanta (from the Los Angeles Lakers via New Orleans)

23. Indiana

24. Oklahoma City (from the LA Clippers)

25. Orlando (from Denver)

26. Brooklyn (from New York)

27. Brooklyn (from Houston)

28. Boston

29. Phoenix (from Cleveland via Utah)

30. LA Clippers (from Oklahoma City)
 
John Hollinger weighs in from the Combine in a piece for the Athletic and confirms the buzz about Coward:

Duke commit Cedric Coward might never show up on campus after teams see his measurables. His 7-2 1/4 wingspan is shocking for a 6-5 1/4 height — a “plus-9” in NBA terms, in a league where the average is about plus-4 — and he no-step jumped 32 1/2 inches. The cherry on the sundae was his making 72 of 105 shots in the shooting drills.

www.nytimes.com

NBA Draft Combine confidential: What we learned about Cooper Flagg and others in Chicago

Who shined in scrimmages? Whose measurements were a surprise, for one reason or another? And who may be headed back to school?
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com
 
It is interesting to compare videos where every shot is made. Coward has a high release point but has a timing hitch in his shot; every time he catches the ball he dips it down before going up to shoot. As a result he has a slower release than someone like Kon. I don’t know if that reflects not playing against as many high level defenses and defenders but his shot might be subject to disruption if you can get a hand into his shot pocket.

Too bad if we won’t get to monitor improvement in his shot speed in a Duke uniform. Seems like a solid young man. I hope it goes well for him.
 
Travis said:
It is interesting to compare videos where every shot is made. Coward has a high release point but has a timing hitch in his shot; every time he catches the ball he dips it down before going up to shoot. As a result he has a slower release than someone like Kon. I don’t know if that reflects not playing against as many high level defenses and defenders but his shot might be subject to disruption if you can get a hand into his shot pocket.

Too bad if we won’t get to monitor improvement in his shot speed in a Duke uniform. Seems like a solid young man. I hope it goes well for him.
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It's not a hitch. It's called "the dip" in the shooting motion. Gathering the ball near the waist to start the shot. Virtually all great shooters do it - including Kon. Some do it quicker than others to the point where it's not as noticeable. I'd give Cedric an A+ on his shooting form but agree he may need to speed it up.
 
We really could have used his senior leadership next year.

It kind of sucks that he went parabolic in the draft. Hopefully he is getting good advice and not getting hoodwinked by the pros.

If he weren't a first round lock, he should seriously consider committing back to Duke. I like Sarr, but he won't provide the same readiness and maturity that Coward would bring.
 
Dukehk said:
We really could have used his senior leadership next year.

It kind of sucks that he went parabolic in the draft. Hopefully he is getting good advice and not getting hoodwinked by the pros.

If he weren't a first round lock, he should seriously consider committing back to Duke. I like Sarr, but he won't provide the same readiness and maturity that Coward would bring.
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I'm not so sure about that. He is younger and less physically mature but has been playing and practicing against grown men in the Spanish League. Which is better competition than Coward generally faced in his college career, not to mention relative to the typical incoming freshman.
 
luvdahops said:
I'm not so sure about that. He is younger and less physically mature but has been playing and practicing against grown men in the Spanish League. Which is better competition than Coward generally faced in his college career, not to mention relative to the typical incoming freshman.
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Sarr is 3 years younger and only played significant minutes in 6 games in his young career. I think his ceiling is very high, and he shouldn't have a problem with the physicality of CBB, but his play will likely be uneven and need some polish.
 
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