JazzP
I could certainly see it for Goldin, I definitely want to see how the pre-draft process works out. I think he has the size and frame for the NBA for sure and I think especially with him picking up 3pt shooting rather well and quickly, he’s got a good skillset for it. I don’t think the NBA needs a guy to dominate in college to stand out as a role player at that level, which is something I have always felt about Goldin. But also, there are a lot of good C prospects in this draft and he really never was dominant in college. I wonder if him not being super fast or a great shot blocker matters (he isn’t terrible by any means at rim protection and while it’s great for being a rim running offensive threat, I don’t think anybody expects the 7 foot guy to show up ready to win a track meet anyways).
I just don’t see him as much of a standout, either.
I know some teams will absolutely be willing to draft a guy who’s more of a “I will likely be able to contribute as a 10th man and I probably won’t ever be much more than that” in the late 2nd round, though I do think more teams are interested in a guy who’s more of a “I will very likely not be able to make the cut but there’s a distinct possibility I could become a 10 year starter” type of guy (like Jalen Pickett’s profile or what Fred VanVleet became, even if he wasn’t actually drafted himself).
IMO Goldin is almost certainly a safer bet than like Kadary Richmond, though, who I tend to favor myself. I really don’t know what to make of him- a guard who absolutely can’t shoot and could really only barely create his own offense at a college level (though he did develop a decent if not spectacular interior game), but also a really good true PG playmaker at 6’7″ who rebounds well for his size and is probably one of the best defensive players in the entire draft (and who also was a HUGE difference maker in the success of the programs he played for– though the same argument could possibly be made for Goldin too.) As a tangent, maybe Richmond winds up being a sort of extreme version of Delon Wright?