2019 NBA Draft - Community Draft Board: Small School, Slick Shooter; Dylan Windler Nabs 26

Another day, another senior off the board for our community draft exercise. This time it’s Dylan Windler, a lefty sniper with a penchant for pulling up with a hand in his face.

Dylan Windler, the senior out of Belmont, is likely one of the elder players in this year’s draft class. After leading his program to the NCAA tournament in his final year, Windler’s stock has seemingly risen to a potential first round pick.

At 6’7.5” with a 6’10” wingspan, he has the length to project as a forward at the next level. He may be a tad undersized to work as a traditional four, in particular because he’s still boasting a slender frame that will need beefing up. That will be particularly necessary if any of his minimal penetration skills translate to the next level when he goes to the tin against contact. It’s likely he would get knocked off his spot going against bigger guys defensively too. However, his effort is there on the defensive end along with a decent penchant for sniffing out passing lanes. His 1.4 steals per game his senior year illustrates that much.

Let’s get to the meat and slightly over-cooked potatoes though. I give the last qualifier because while Windler’s senior year showed sparkling shooting stats (42.9% on threes, 84.7% on FTs), his prior years were well lower from the charity stripe. His junior year featured only six less free throw attempts, but he only converted at a 71.3% clip. It’s entirely possible though that his shot is for real though, especially given the volume of 3-pointers he shot too. Nailing 40.6% on 534 attempts is nothing to sneeze at.

He’s certainly adept at an array of shots though. The above clips feature step back triples, coming off screens, basic catch and shoots and working with his big man on a perimeter DHO. His release doesn’t seem all that fast to me, but he certainly isn’t shy about shooting it from deep. Defenders will have to respect him if his jumper translates to the next level. Off-ball, he seems to have an awareness of when to cut back door for simple slams at the rim. Part of that could be inferior competition though, and lengthy defenders could likely recover and potentially snuff out his attempts.

He won’t be the kind of defender who likely thrives within a switching system. He’s probably a little too thin and small to play as a four alongside and Giannis at center lineups too. I like the spacing ability in regards to his fit with the Bucks, but I’m a little dubious he will bring anything else to the table for Milwaukee. Maybe that’s a fine thing, but it feels like the Bucks have plenty of one-dimensional role players already. Perhaps Windler could develop under Bud’s tutelage, but I don’t see him growing much before hitting his head on the ceiling. We’re nearing the end, so let’s pick 27.

Brew Hoop Draft Board Rankings

1. Zion Williamson - PF, Duke
2. Ja Morant - PG, Murray State
3. Jarrett Culver - SG, Texas Tech
4. R.J. Barrett - SG, Duke
5. Darius Garland - PG, Vanderbilt
6. Coby White - SG, UNC
7. De’Andre Hunter - SF, Virginia
8. Cam Reddish - SF, Duke
9. Sekou Doumbouya - PF, Limoges CSP, France
10. Nassir Little - SF, UNC
11. Jaxson Hayes - C, Texas
12. Rui Hachimura - PF, Gonzaga
13. Brandon Clarke - PF, Gonzaga
14. Goga Bitadze - C, Mega Bemax, Adriatic Basketball Association
15. P.J. Washington - PF, Kentucky
16. Kevin Porter Jr. - SG, USC
17. Bol Bol - PF, Oregon
18. Tyler Herro - SG, Kentucky
19. Romeo Langford - SG, Indiana
20. Nickeil Alexander-Walker - SG, Virginia Tech
21. Cameron Johnson - PF, UNC
22. Ty Jerome - SG, Virginia
23. Keldon Johnson - SF, Kentucky
24. Grant Williams - PF, Tennessee
25. Matisse Thybulle - SF, Washington
26. Dylan Windler - SF, Belmont