Giorgi Shermadini

[...] The pick makes no sense, for the simple reason that Majok has never shown anything, and is too old to ever really do so. He is too old to be a project, to be a draft-and-stash, to be anything that ever impacts the NBA after tonight. If the Lakers wanted to draft and stash a big man, there were candidates out there - Greg Smith, Michael Dunigan or Giorgi Shermadini all make far more sense. Shermadini in particular is the kind of player you draft and stash - he is playing in the Euroleague, stands 7'1 tall, and has a very high level of fundamentals. Instead, the international scouting process - which the ESPN panel are lauding due to a lack of anything else to say - has somehow ignored a promising Euroleague centre in favour of a disappointing Big East one, who is far too old and far too raw to ever matter.

Giorgi Shermadini - Shermadini is one of the most skilled and polished bigs in the draft, and he'd be a late first rounder were he a collegiate. He excels at no one facet of the game, but he also has few flaws, save for fouls. Shermadini is a high IQ and outrageously efficient offensive player, a 7'1 pure low post player with some decent jumpshot range who is smart, poised and polished, with some post moves, footwork, pick-and-roll play, good touch, and a very nice free throw stroke. On loan at Olimpia Ljubljana last season, the Shermanator shot better than 70% from the field and better than 76% from the line across all competitions, while also rebounding well. The defense is less impressive - he can't defend the perimeter, is not fast, reaches, and commits many silly fouls. But in a draft starved of true offensive interior players with genuine centre size - aren't all drafts starved of that? - we're about to overlook one of the few that there is. Even if he only ever mirrors the career of Ian Vougioukas, that's worthy of a pick in this draft. If he does not get drafted, we need to reconsider the entire draft process.