For no NBA Draft prospect are the pre-draft workouts more important than for Baylor's Quincy Miller. If you haven't heard of Miller or don't know much about him, maybe it is because you saw him but just assumed he was Perry Jones III. There is no way one college team, much less the Baylor Bears, could have two 6-foot-10 super athletic wings who can shoot, right?
In all seriousness, the reason that Miller has flown under the radar is probably because most people think he should have gone back to Baylor for his sophomore season. Miller walked onto Baylor's campus as top-10 pick type of talent, but he was coming off a senior year in high school where he tore his ACL. And it was evident – Miller was good as a freshman, but not great. He averaged 10.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game for a loaded team that was ranked in the top 10 all season long.
If Miller's knee was still recovering throughout the season, he has a chance to really skyrocket up draft boards by showing it in his workouts. Miller has a lanky 6-foot-9 frame and a ridiculous 7-foot-3 wingspan. Normally when you think of a guy like that, you think project – but that isn't Miller. Miller is a polished player who has a high basketball IQ.
While Miller shot over 34 percent from three at Baylor, making NBA threes shouldn't be on his agenda just yet. Miller's mid-range jumper is strong and that is how he can attack defenses early in his career while he works on his long-range technique. He holds the ball lower than he should on his jumper which could hinder his ability to get off his shot in traffic in the NBA. But his feel is there so a few tweaks and he has the ability to turn into a long range weapon for his size.
Miller is athletic and a good ball handler for his size. He is a capable rebounder and his length makes him a natural shot blocker, even allowing him to frequently alter jump shots. How much athleticism he gets back while his knee approaches 100 percent will be a big factor in his ceiling.
Miller can eventually be very versatile in the NBA. His natural length and height is his best attribute, but he desperately needs to put on bulk. Right now he isn't strong enough to play the 4 in the NBA. If he can bulk up so he can play 3 or 4 it would just make him more valuable.
Quite frankly, the more I look at Miller and the more intrigued I get. He is going in the late 20s in most mock drafts and that sounds like a steal for a guy with this combination of skill and potential. Draft Express has him ranked 17th on their top 100 prospect list (which sounds more like it). They have his worst case scenario as Austin Daye and his ceiling as a poor man's Kevin Durant. If I am a team in the late 20s, that is a gamble I am willing to take all day. There are several teams with a second first round pick between 16 and 24 – Houston, Boston and Cleveland – for whom it would make sense to gamble early on Miller assuming they're willing to take on a little more risk than the team's with only one selection. The reward could be franchise changing.
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