The 2021 NBA Draft is this week and it’s set to be one of the most talented drafts in a while.
For most people, this is a 4 player draft, meaning the 4 players at the top, Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, Jalen Suggs, and Jalen Green, are the ones you want and you were lucky if you got into the top 4. Most of the year it was a 5 player draft with Jonathan Kuminga joining those 4.
It has now kind of turned into 6 player draft with some having it 7. Florida State’s Scottie Barnes and James Bouknight have entered the tier with the aforementioned 5 guys and now there might be a little shakeup in the top 7 with teams wanting to move back because they like someone else.
If you follow the game, you know who these guys are. They’ve been the most talked about guys this year. However, like I said, I think this is one of the most talented drafts in a while and there are plenty of guys you might not know enough about.
With that being said, here is a spotlight series on some of this years’ prospects that don’t get talked about as much.
Next up?
Arkansas guard Moses Moody.
I’m higher on him than most but Moody is a little slept on as a prospect even though he’s a projected lottery pick. He could very well be one of the steals of this draft. He could go as high as 6th but will more than likely fall to around 10. Moody is 6’6″ 205 lbs. and has a wingspan of 7′ and is an athletic and skilled young man. He’s simply built for the NBA. His versatility will have him playing for a long time in the league.
How good is he as a prospect?
I’ve listed his measurements and talked about how he’s athletic and skilled but there’s much more to his game. He doesn’t rely on his athleticism to get the job done and you can tell he puts in a lot of work on his game. He’s one of the best scorers in this draft averaging 16 points a game in his one year at Arkansas and is a 3 level scorer. He’s also one of the best shooters in the draft, also moves without the ball really well, and is a good playmaker. There aren’t many offensive weaknesses in his game but if you thought he was just worried about offense, you’re wrong. He’s also one of the best defenders in the draft and with his size he will be able to guard multiple positions.
What are his weaknesses?
I know I talked about him like he’s a perfect prospect but he isn’t. That doesn’t exist just like the perfect basketball player doesn’t exist. Moody has some things he will certainly need to work on if he wants to be a great player. One of the main things is consistency. There were times during the year that he wasn’t consistent with his shooting, his defensive effort, and overall effort on offense. That could have very well been due to the lack of talent around him but it will still need to be corrected.
Where should he get drafted?
As mentioned before, I’m higher on Moody than most and have him going 6th to the Thunder in my mock draft. I don’t think he’ll land there though. He could land with the Warriors if they keep their pick, could land with the Kings, or he could be a new member of the Magic. My guess would be he lands with the Magic at 8 or Hornets at 11.
Who would be his NBA comparison?
There have been lots of people that say his NBA comparison is Suns Mikal Bridges and that’s not terrible, but I’m thinking bigger given his skillset. I see a little Bradley Beal and a little Khris Middleton. Will he ever become as good as those guys or better? Who knows but he definitely has the skills to be as good or better.
How has the draft process been for him?
While speaking with Moody during the pre draft process, I asked him how the draft process was for him and how he’s enjoying it and he gave my favorite answer from anyone during the process saying he feels like a rockstar on tour going to a different city every night. He was joking *a little* but it was a perfect answer. He is having fun during the process and why not? He will get to live out his life dreams this week so him having fun during this process is what he should be doing.
Flip the page to see his highlights.