Willie Cauley-Stein
Position: C
Height/Weight: 7-0/240
School: Kentucky
Larry Bird knows a thing or two about basketball. So if Larry Legend says you’re a $100 million player, chances are you have been doing something right.
That’s the case for Kentucky big man Willie Cauley-Stein, who said Boston Celtics great and Indiana Pacers president, Bird, told him he would be worth $100 million at the next level.
With a premium being placed on just the type of athleticism and rim protection that Cauley-Stein provides by NBA teams these days, Bird could be on target with his prediction.
Strengths
Cauley-Stein’s positives start with the measurables. He’s a legit 7-footer with a 7-foot-3 wingspan. Plus, he weighs 240 pounds with the likelihood of packing on even more pounds to bang in the paint with NBA centers.
Then Cauley-Stein suits up and you realize the sort of special talent the 21-year-old really possesses on the court.
Even at his size, Cauley-Stein has the agility and fluid movements of a swingman on the floor. He’s simply an elite athlete, who can throw down a monster dunk on one end and sprint back to swat layup attempt at the other.
NBA
Speaking of that other end, Cauley-Stein will really make his name on defense in the NBA. The center is a willing defender with skills to stop players in the post and keep opponents at bay on the perimeter.
He recorded 2.2 blocks and 1.0 steal a game while helping to anchor those impressive Kentucky defenses over the past three seasons. Even with teammates such as Nerlens Noel and Karl-Anthony Towns at his side, Cauley-Stein was often in charge of containing opposing teams’ top scoring option in the post.
Weaknesses
For all of Cauley-Stein’s defensive brilliance, he is severely limited offensively. As in so severe that if he doesn’t get the ball on a lob pass or make a free throw, he’s not likely to score. He doesn’t boast much in the department of post moves and his jump shot is shaky at best.
Cauley-Stein also has another surprising deficiency in his game, which is rebounding. Despite his stature and athletic gifts, he averaged just 6.3 boards a game during his time at Kentucky.
How he’d fit with the Sixers
Cauley-Stein would fit in very well. He already has the experience of playing alongside Noel in college and could back up Joel Embiid to give the Sixers a three-headed monster in the frontcourt.
NBA comparison
Tyson Chandler or DeAndre Jordan. Cauley-Stein doesn't have the same physicality or rebounding instincts as those two. However, he's a force defensively and will need a quality point guard to get him involved on offense.
Draft projection
Lottery, likely in the range from No. 5 to No. 10.