2022 NBA Draft Breakdown - Josh Minott
A key "pre-draft" guy. Just how high will Josh Minott's stock go?
Last season, the San Antonio Spurs turned heads when they selected Josh Primo with the 12th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Primo was a beneficiary of a great pre-draft process, with teams rating him higher and higher as the weeks leading up to the draft continued to pass. However, Primo wasn’t anything outstanding in college. The Spurs took him for a combination of his character, elite physical traits and the ability to get Primo in their development system as soon as possible. There are several guys like that in this class but no one has quite as many fans as Memphis’ Josh Minott, a near 6-foot-9 forward with a 7-foot wingspan.
Minott’s stats look poor on the surface, averaging just 6.6 points per game. However, Minott was buried on a stacked Memphis roster and played just over 14 minutes per game. Per 40 minutes, Minott put up 18 points, 10.3 rebounds and four stocks per game, shooting 52.2% from the floor.
The selling points with Minott are partially told by those expanded stats: rebounding, as well as scoring and defensive upside. What makes Minott so appealing is his elite athleticism, capable of getting up and above the rim with ease and using long strides to run the floor quickly. Minott flashed an ability to handle the ball and if that comes around at the next level, he could be one of the most threatening transition players in the league.
Like some of the other players I’ve talked about, Minott is able to turn defense into offense by disrupting passing lanes and he looks comfortable being the type of guy to guard multiple positions at a high level. Minott can swat shots and snatch the ball from unsuspecting offensive players, as evidenced by his stats, and that versatility is coveted by fans, scouts and teams alike. As for rebounding, Minott is a great energy guy and always competes, which translates into a nearly 50/50 split between offensive and defensive boards — a completely insane mark. Again, Minott is able to turn that energy into instant offense with putback dunks or layups, he’s an omnipresent force on the court that you can’t afford to ignore.
Of course, the biggest pause with Minott is the fact that the team that selects him is essentially punting on him playing in year one. Minott needs extreme development in order to actualize his game at the next level. Good traits are one thing but Minott is especially raw, fouling at a silly clip and pacing his assists with turnovers. Minott needs time at the lower level with the ball in his hands to cut down on those mistakes.
Outside of that, there are questions about Minott’s role offensively, especially considering the fact that he can’t shoot right now. That’s another area teams are going to have to work with him on at the G League level and completely revamping a shot form is no small task. And Minott really needs a revamp, his range doesn’t extend to even 15 feet out, he lives exclusively at and around the rim.
Minott’s good basketball traits drew plenty of attention from scouts over the course of the season and even led to some extremely high praise from professional writer and former front office member John Hollinger of The Athletic, who had Minott at No. 11 on his final big board. Minott stood out at the NBA Combine by participating in the scrimmage games, unlike many of the other “pre-draft” guys, and demonstrating his sleek and NBA-made frame.
I don’t blame anyone that has Minott in the first round. I’m going to end up with him right outside the first because of the sheer amount of work a front office and coaching staff is going to have to do to get him NBA-ready. I won’t be surprised if a team takes him far higher than expected if they truly believe in their system and are looking to take a big swing on talent. Hey, it worked for San Antonio last year.