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Our series of 2019 NBA Draft prospects continues as we write about prospects whom the Wizards may want with the ninth overall pick. The Draft will be held on June 20, 2019, just two days from now!
Today, we look at Coby White, one of the top point guards available in the draft. He will also work out later today for Washington.
Coby White, Point Guard, North Carolina Tar Heels
Where is he from? — Fernando is from Goldsboro, N.C. It’s about a 90-minutes southeast of Chapel Hill.
How did he do in college? In 2018-19, White averaged 16.1 points and 4.1 assists per game for the Tar Heels, who advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Strengths
White comes to the NBA with plenty to offer
- Fearless scorer and willing passer— With point guards, all must toe the line between scoring points or setting points for others. White does that quite well.
- Speed — White will have little issue adjusting to the NBA style of play thanks to his first step and his ability to push the pace.
- Size — White is listed at 6’5 and can comfortably play point guard or shooting guard depending on situations.
Weaknesses
Well, no one’s perfect.
- Turnover prone — White averaged 2.7 turnovers per game in the 2018-19 season. So he has room for improvement considering his rather mediocre assist-to-turnover ratio.
- Must improve shooting efficiency — White only shot 42.3 percent from the field as a freshman. In the NBA, his numbers are almost certain to decrease.
What was White’s best game as a college player?
On Jan. 21, White scored 27 points on 9-of-16 shooting and made 5-of-11 threes in a 103-82 win over then-No. 10 Virginia Tech.
Fit for the Wizards
White is among the best point guards available in the 2019 NBA Draft. In past seasons, the Wizards would pass on him just because John Wall is there. However, Wall has an Achilles injury and doesn’t figure to be the same when he returns. And there’s no guarantee that Tomas Satoransky will re-sign with Washington because he is entering free agency.
I believe the Wizards will just have to pick who they determine is the best player available and answer questions later. And White has many of the same qualities that Wall does. Over the long term, he could be the Wizards’ starting point guard longer term.
If you want White on the roster, it will be an uphill battle. He is listed as the No. 4 prospect on NBADraft.net’s board and No. 5 in Sports Illustrated’s as of June 14. Therefore, it’s more likely than not that he’ll be gone when the Wizards are on the clock with the No. 9 pick.
That may also play a part as to why the Wizards held an individual workout for Jordan Bone on Saturday, June 15. Washington didn’t hold individual workouts in the previous two weekends, so why now?
Still, if White is the best player available at No. 9, Washington should strongly consider drafting him now and worry about balancing out the roster later.
Do you like Coby White? Should the Wizards trade up to get him or hope he falls down to No. 9? How would the Wizards figure out Tomas Satoransky’s free agency and addressing this with John Wall over the next few seasons? Let us know in the comments below.