Josh Minot isn’t the only typical NBA draft prospect.
The Boca Raton, Florida native is not highly recruited outside of his small high school (St Andrews). Memphis picked out less than a dozen realistic options, including Baylor, Florida State and Stanford. Part of that is not just about where he went to school but the fact that he hasn’t played for a very high-profile AAU team – thanks in large part to COVID-19.
During Minot’s transition from high school to college, he started causing quite a stir. His size (6-8), athletic performance and versatility helped him stand out during the 2021 Iverson Classic, which also included the likes of Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero, AJ Griffin, Hunter Sallis and Peyton Watson.
But, as part of his star-studded 2021-22 roster, he finished 6.6 points per game seventh and his average rebounding 3.8 was fourth. When Memphis had major injury problems mid-season, Minot was invaluable. As the team got healthier, he returned to the bench and his role was greatly reduced.
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But this did little, if anything, to harm Minott’s NBA Draft stock.
Josh Minot
phantom draft height: Round 1 (#29 overall) for the Memphis Grizzlies
Low dummy project: Round 2 (No. 49 overall) for the Sacramento Kings
commotion: The 19-year-old Minot was nicknamed “Baby Giannis” from his Memphis teammates before the Tigers played a game last season. His ability as a high-flyer was on full display first at Memphis Madness, where he won the dunk contest, and then multiple times during the season. Minott is expected to be almost exclusively in the second round. CBS Sports’ mock draft is the only notable one he’s featured in in the first round.
What makes more sense
Today’s NBA revolves largely around the concept of a lower position. The Minot is the perfect choice for that. He can handle and distribute the ball and score in all three levels. He plays with a great deal of intensity and has a high IQ. The upside is what interests the NBA teams the most. While not exactly a project, Minot has work to do. What he was allowed to do along the ocean in Memphis didn’t produce huge returns and he sometimes struggled defensively. Minot will do best in a system that can bring him in slowly enough to support his weaknesses.
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While Minot has mostly earned second-round predictions, there are those who consider him to have some of the most positive aspects of anyone in this year’s draft.
“…the analytics at Minott are really impressive, with a very high big forward steal rate (3.6 per 100 titles in AAC play), positive assist turnover rate and 14.4 percent bounce rate despite often pushing alongside a lottery position,” he wrote. Former vice president of basketball operations for the Memphis Grizzlies, John Hollinger, who ranked Minot as a potential No. 10 eligible for enlistment. “History says it would be foolish to ignore a player who passes this so brilliantly and gets his hands on so many balls at the defensive end.”
Hall of Famer Larry Brown, who spent last season as an assistant in Memphis, impressed Minot during a recent interview with the New York Post.
“If you recruit him, it will be like picking the lottery in two years,” Brown said. “He’s a young, tall, fast athlete. He just has to grow and get better. He grew 2 inches when I was there. He’s that very picky athlete. A lot of NBA members have called me about him. Two years later, you might have a diamond.”
Connect with sports writer Jason Munz at [email protected] or on Twitter @unzly.