Chicago Bulls: Ranking Daniel Gafford alongside 2019 second round picks
Bruno Fernando. 125. Scouting Report. Center. Draft slot: No. 34. Pick Analysis. 6. player
This is the first case of the Chicago Bulls finding better value among big men that were selected in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft. Instead of picking Gafford with the No. 34 overall pick, the Atlanta Hawks elected to nab the former Maryland Terrapins 6-foot-9 and 230 pound center Bruno Fernando.
As was true with Gafford, Fernando had late first round draft pick projections and hype coming into the 2019 offseason. But he wound up as one of the earlier second round picks. He’s averaging 3.7 points per game, 3.1 rebounds, and one assist to go along with a 10.8 player efficiency rating and 0.4 win shares through his rookie campaign.
Pick Analysis. Nic Claxton. 5. Scouting Report. Center. Draft slot: No. 31. player. 147
With the first pick in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft, the Brooklyn Nets nabbed the former Georgia Bulldogs sizable 6-foot-11 power forward/center Nic Claxton (No. 31 overall). Claxton was a possible late riser in the 2019 NBA Draft class, but the Nets picked up him as part of their building efforts around head coach Kenny Atkinson.
Claxton is averaging 3.7 points per game, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists, to go along with a 12.4 player efficiency rating and 0.2 win shares through his rookie season so far. The Nets played him in 11 games, but Claxton will be more of a development project. Early flashes are a good sign for what’s to come with him, though.