Grade The Pick: Gary Trent Jr. (37th Overall)

[Cheese22]

Possesses good size for a shooting guard. Measured 6’5.75 in shoes with a 6’8.75 wingspan at the NBA Draft Combine. More strong than explosive as an athlete, but runs the floor well and can play above the rim with a head of steam and room to elevate.

Defensive Analysis

• Held his own defending on the ball for stretches when dialed in and has solid tools with good length and strength for his position. Very early in his development as a defender away from the ball

Per David Aldridge at NBA.com.

Not that DA is never wrong but he can't be too far off on Trent's defense.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

He's built like a bull in the Bonzi Wells type of mold.

Afflalo-esque talent tier, IMO.

 

[Cheese22]

I could make a case of saying Trent may be a better pro than college player. His strength is not creating. He'll depend on Dame and CJ (and someday Simon's) to draw attention and create open looks for him. Something he did not benefit from at Duke.
Defensively, he'll be able to use strength and not foot speed to improve. He has the absolute perfect guy to learn from in ET. Say what you want about ET but he can defend and GT2 has a very similar profile physically.
GT2 is a good rebounder and has very good intangibles...and he's 19. Pretty good starting point for a second rounder.

 

[Gronk Brady]

He's built like a bull in the Bonzi Wells type of mold.

Afflalo-esque talent tier, IMO.

If he is already that big at 19, this guy could be a monster in 3 years... how often do you see an elite shooter with a physique like that

 

[kjironman1]

We are trying to grade a #37 pick in the draft? Watch him light up summer league and all you guys will do the same thing you did last year with Swanigan.
Just about everyone of you were calling Biggie the next Zach Randolph. It's freakin comical sometimes.

 

[kjironman1]

I watched him play quite a few games with Duke and didn't see any of these deficiencies you're talking about...he's a team player, not a showcase ISO guy..doesn't get winded and stays focused..has a great shooting touch

That's the thing. Giving a kid who was picked 37th in the draft an "F" grade before he even puts the uniform on is crazy talk.

 

[kjironman1]

If you're going to try to pose an argument, bring substance instead of making false accusations of me "not watching games".

I watched Duke a lot. Trent was merely a shooter that didn't stand out in any other way, who's defensive deficiencies were hid within the zone defense they played. What advanced stat have I brought to an argument about a college prospect? I never have... And measurements aren't the end all, be all... I've posted a lot about his game and skills (or lack thereof).

Krzyzewski is known for his zone. Not sure how you get that they were playing it because of Trent? They play it every year. They made some changes to it last year but they play quite a bit of zone defense every year.

 

[JoshuaHall]

So you spun him not being able to do anything with the ball or attack the rim into a positive because that makes him a "team guy"? Haha. Guys can play within a system and be a team player while still possessing the ability to attack which keeps defenses off balance.

He was told not to attack.
Grayson Allen
Marvin Bagley
Wendell Carter
Trevon Duval

He was the only shooter. Also, it’s pushing it to say he can’t do anything with the ball or attack the rim. He certainly can. The issue is he will shoot it if he does attack, resulting in some pretty poor results at times, but once again... he was essentially locked behind the 3pt line. He’s also pretty adept at posting up for a guard.

 

[kjironman1]

I'm saying it's possible. His height+wingspan combination usually leads to a higher standing reach, and I dont see him as having a 39 inch vertical.. They've done it in the past with Pat.
http://www.nbadraft.net/2015-nba-draft-combine-measurements

Compare Pats measurements with Devin Bookers, DeAngelo Russell's, and other 6'5/6'6 guards with similar wingspans. It's obvious it's wrong.

Read through this.

Really really reaching now. Everything from the way your body is built to the way your feet lift at the arch come into play. Even the length of your fingers have an impact in standing and vertical. This is a crazy conspiracy theory type thing you have come up with.

 

[calvin natt]

37th pick I have Zero expectations. He’s a shooter with NBA bloodlines who played for Coach K. I give it an A

 

[oldfisherman]

I have not done enough research on Trent to vote yet. But...

I did find something interesting while going through very early 2019 mock drafts.

One 2019 mock draft had Trent picked @ #15.

Sadly, I can not find any early 2019 mock drafts that even list Simons, let alone as a lotto pick. Where is all the talk coming from where he would be a lotto pick if he stayed in for another year? Or even drafted? I can not find it.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

 

[RR7]

I have not done enough research on Trent to vote yet. But...

I did find something interesting while going through very early 2019 mock drafts.

One 2019 mock draft had Trent picked @ #15.

Sadly, I can not find any early 2019 mock drafts that even list Simons, let alone as a lotto pick. Where is all the talk coming from where he would be a lotto pick if he stayed in for another year? Or even drafted? I can not find it.

I think it was draftexpress, before season started, and weren't sure if Simons would be in this draft, they had him going 5th overall for 2019.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Draftexpress from last year had him in the top 5

 

[oldfisherman]

I think it was draftexpress, before season started, and weren't sure if Simons would be in this draft, they had him going 5th overall for 2019.

Thanks for the help guys.

They must of updated the list, but not sure when. Simons was dropped from the list, but Doncic was still projected to be drafted #3 in 2019.

 

[BonesJones]

Really really reaching now. Everything from the way your body is built to the way your feet lift at the arch come into play. Even the length of your fingers have an impact in standing and vertical. This is a crazy conspiracy theory type thing you have come up with.

Length of fingers have an impact on wingspan too?

Portsmouth is a very reputable camp and Pat had a 8'3.5 standing reach there before the combine. So ONE of them is wrong. And if you're telling me a guy with a 6'5.25 guy with a 6'8.25 wingspan only is more likely to have an 8ft standing reach than 8'3.5, then you're lying. Find another guy like that in the combine's database.

 

[HailBlazers]

That's Awesome

 

[RR7]

Length of fingers have an impact on wingspan too?

Portsmouth is a very reputable camp and Pat had a 8'3.5 standing reach there before the combine. So ONE of them is wrong. And if you're telling me a guy with a 6'5.25 guy with a 6'8.25 wingspan only is more likely to have an 8ft standing reach than 8'3.5, then you're lying. Find another guy like that in the combine's database.

Seems kind of lame to accuse someone of lying who is going off of official measurements . If you wanna question them, great. But then don't knock a draftee as being undersized specifically off of standing reach, let's take all of the measurements in to question.

 

[BonesJones]

Seems kind of lame to accuse someone of lying who is going off of official measurements . If you wanna question them, great. But then don't knock a draftee as being undersized specifically off of standing reach, let's take all of the measurements in to question.

Standing reach is more important than height, IMO. I've just never heard someone that has that short of a standing reach compared to other measurements, and he says I'm reaching by questioning it, even though I have proof that there's an error in his measurements somewhere...

 

[BonesJones]

That's the thing. Giving a kid who was picked 37th in the draft an "F" grade before he even puts the uniform on is crazy talk.

I'm not giving him an F. I'm a different situation he could be a B.

 

[BonesJones]

After doing some research, I've concluded that Gary Trent's reach was inaccurately reported at the NBA combine. Hear me out:

http://ukrecruiting.bloginky.com/2016/06/18/official-measurements-for-uk-basketball-targets/
Here Trent is listed with an 8'4 standing reach. Trent also measured as .75 inches shorter.

Going back through previous combine data, I could not find a guard that was 6'5 or taller, with a wingspan that was 6'8 or taller, that didn't have a standing reach 8'3 or taller

Compared with the rest of combine measurements, his standing reach is abnormally short compared to his height:

Gary's Reach to Height measurement is 1.26, which would put him in the bottom 1% of combine participants in terms of that ratio. Of course, that doesn't take wingspan into account, so that's possible if a player has an abnormally short wingspan for his height... but Trent doesnt. He has a 6'8.75 wingspan (which is also .75 inches longer than his 2017 measurements).

How can you add 3/4 of an inch to both height and wingspan and standing reach falls 2 inches, too an extremely abnormal point for a player with any wingspan, let alone one that's 3 inches more than height?

I think that's impossible, and I estimate Trent's standing reach at 8'5-8'6ish, not 8'2, which makes me more enthusiastic about him as a pick, as he would be a much better fit at SF than I previously thought.

 

[Sarni]

That's the thing. Giving a kid who was picked 37th in the draft an "F" grade before he even puts the uniform on is crazy talk.

Indeed. I don’t think a second round pick can ever be an F. This is a grade you reserve for players who vastly underperformed their drafting position and there’s no such thing as underperforming for a second round pick as hardly anything is expected from them.

I thing anything below #20 you shouldn’t be expecting much from. #1 to #5 you expect a starter and a potential franchise building piece. #6 to #10 you expect a potential starter or a good rotation player who can play 20-25 mins a night and help you. #11 to #20 you expect a fairly decent rotation player who will not hurt you when he’s on. Below that you just take a punt and if it works out then great. If he’s out of the team in 3 years it’s nothing particularly surprising.

 

[kjironman1]

I'm not giving him an F. I'm a different situation he could be a B.

Soooo You didn't give the kid an F?

I hate this pick for many reasons.

The fact that we gave up two future 2nds is crazy, IMO. But aside from that, there were many players I liked on the board. Alize Johnson was the best high-upside pick. Khyri Thomas was the best ready-now pick, and both are two-way players that were being extremely underrated during the draft.

Based on Trent himself, he's undersized (tall, but his height rounds up and he has short arms), he doesn't have basketball athleticism, and he's a horrible defender (who was partly to blame for Duke playing a lot of zone last year) who doesn't have the wingspan to contest shots. I don't see him sliding to SF, and we didn't need a worse version of Allen Crabbe in the lineup. I don't see the upside, or the reasoning.

Grade: F

Big BOLD GRADE F right there for all to see......

 

[kjironman1]

Indeed. I don’t think a second round pick can ever be an F. This is a grade you reserve for players who vastly underperformed their drafting position and there’s no such thing as underperforming for a second round pick as hardly anything is expected from them.

I thing anything below #20 you shouldn’t be expecting much from. #1 to #5 you expect a starter and a potential franchise building piece. #6 to #10 you expect a potential starter or a good rotation player who can play 20-25 mins a night and help you. #11 to #20 you expect a fairly decent rotation player who will not hurt you when he’s on. Below that you just take a punt and if it works out then great. If he’s out of the team in 3 years it’s nothing particularly surprising.

This is exactly why Pat C has been such a huge win. He was a second round pick at #41. Not only that but Portland traded Steve Blake for him and Mason Plumlee. Funny how Olshey never gets credit for that move???? Turns Pat C into a regular rotational player and of course Plums turns into Nurkic.

You never expect that kind of production from a guy picked 41st in the draft. You can't give a guy picked 37 an F.

 

[kjironman1]

I think that's impossible, and I estimate Trent's wingspan at 8'5-8'6ish, not 8'2, which makes me more enthusiastic about him as a pick, as he would be a much better fit at SF than I previously thought.

Dude???? Beings Deandre Jordan has a wingspan of 7'-6" i would indeed be very optimistic about a guy having a eight and a half foot wingspan.

 

[CupWizier]

Indeed. I don’t think a second round pick can ever be an F. This is a grade you reserve for players who vastly underperformed their drafting position and there’s no such thing as underperforming for a second round pick as hardly anything is expected from them.

I thing anything below #20 you shouldn’t be expecting much from. #1 to #5 you expect a starter and a potential franchise building piece. #6 to #10 you expect a potential starter or a good rotation player who can play 20-25 mins a night and help you. #11 to #20 you expect a fairly decent rotation player who will not hurt you when he’s on. Below that you just take a punt and if it works out then great. If he’s out of the team in 3 years it’s nothing particularly surprising.

Anything in the mid 20's and later a team is lucky if the player sticks beyond 3 years as the odds show that most don't make it.

 

[CupWizier]

Dude???? Beings Deandre Jordan has a wingspan of 7'-6" i would indeed be very optimistic about a guy having a eight and a half foot wingspan.

lol, that's definitely a long wingspan.

 

[SheedSoNasty]

As someone who only watched a few games of Duke basketball this year during the tournament and wasn't specifically paying attention to Trent, I'll give him an incomplete.

I wonder how many posters actually watch these players extensively before making all these opinions. I get it, it's part of the forum. But some just seem so hell bent on sounding like they know what they're talking about.

 

[JoshuaHall]

As someone who only watched a few games of Duke basketball this year during the tournament and wasn't specifically paying attention to Trent, I'll give him an incomplete.

I wonder how many posters actually watch these players extensively before making all these opinions. I get it, it's part of the forum. But some just seem so hell bent on sounding like they know what they're talking about.

I only watch Duke, Creighton, and Nebraska (yeah yeah don’t ask). So it’s funny to see people throwing all this stuff out about Trent and Khyri.

On the flip side, if I find an interesting player, I’ll watch about 30 seconds of tape and I’ll be able to decide if that person is the next MJ or Adam Morrison, I’m the next great scout.

 

[Hobbesarable]

I'll watch Duke's archived games rather than grading Trent on his stats or short youtube videos.