Baylor’s Johnathan Motley
2016-17 season: 33 games played, 17.2 points on 53.7 percent shooting inside the arc (25.8 percent from 3 on 0.9 attempts per game), 9.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.1 blocks per game
The Baylor basketball program doesn’t have glitz and glam of blue-blooded programs like Duke, North Carolina, Kansas and Kentucky, but Johnathan Motley might be one of the best players to ever come through Waco.
At almost 6-foot-8 (without shoes) and 238 pounds with a 7-foot-4 wingspan (!), Motley is one of the true specimens in this year’s draft class. He’s coming off MCL surgery this past April, hence why his stock isn’t as high as it could’ve been, but he’s a power forward that could shift over to center in smaller lineups. He’s not an elite athlete, but he’s got the versatility to play multiple positions and alter shots and passing lanes inside the arc. (His nine-foot standing reach should tell you how long he is.)
(Best-case scenario) comparable players (via The Ringer’s NBA Draft Guide): Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam and Charlotte Hornets center Cody Zeller
During his two seasons at Indiana, Cody Zeller made a true name for himself and eventually became a top-5 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft because of his ability to run up and down the floor. This comparison from The Ringers seems spot on, being that Motley ranked in the 98th percentile of transition scoring this past season for Baylor (per DX). He’s got the physical profile of Pascal Siakam and although he’s not going to win any 100-meter dashes any time soon, he utilizes long strides like Usain Bolt would in Lane 4.
What does Draft Express think of Motley?
"Although somewhat caught between the four and the five and a shade undersized at 6’9, Motley has a tremendous 7’4 wingspan to go with a 9’0 standing reach (which may be even higher as 9’0 is the lowest of the four measurements we have in our database). Motley certainly has the length and frame to play the ever popular small-ball center position in today’s NBA, even his explosiveness and height aren’t quite elite for the position. The Houston native does, however. have the defensive agility and budding skill set to play the four in more traditional lineups. (Ryan Thomson, DX)"