Think Derik Queen's rough night on the big stage hurt his NBA Draft stock? Think again
The Maryland basketball star freshman's NBA Draft stock didn't take the hit some might've expected.
If you assumed Derik Queen's rough night on the big stage hurt his NBA Draft stock, think again. Multiple draft analysts moved Queen up on their boards this week. The Terps freshman is increasingly looking like he'll be picked in the lottery
John Fanta of FOX Sports projected Queen to go No. 5 to the Toronto Raptors, seemingly the highest he's appeared in any mainstream mock draft this season.
"Averaging 16 points, nine rebounds and two assists per game, Queen recently went for a combined 53 points in back-to-back wins over Rutgers and Nebraska. He has some Moses Malone in him with the style he plays with. He's a total throwback," he wrote.
The Athletic draft's Sam Vecenie ranked Queen No. 8 on his latest big board on Thursday, the highest he's been projected by any major outlet this season.
Averging a team-high 15.6 points per game on 53.6 percent shooting, along with 9.1 rebounds, 2.1 rebounds, one block and one steal per game, Queen didn't get going on Wednesday in Maryland's groin-kick 58-55 loss to Michigan State, shooting 2 for 11 for 10 points along with 10 rebounds. He also missed three free throws in the three-point loss and struggled with MSU's physicality and pace. But Vecenie, one of the most reliable scouts in the space, remains higher than on Queen than he was a month ago, no surprise given his starring play; an eight-rebound game against Ohio State is the only thing between him and eight consecutive double-doubles.
Fans have questioned Queen's status as a high pick because of his poor outside shooting and intermittent energy lapses. But the scouts think those things can be fixed because of his coachability and room to improve his body. More important: this is an era of positionless basketball, big men making guard-like plays and freewheeling Euro-ball style. So, they're infatuated with his ability to play like a guard. Queen arrived at the perfect time in the sport's evolution.
"Queen is a fantastic ballhandler and shot creator from the perimeter for a big man. He can really control the ball at a level that most guys over 6-10 just can't. He loves to face up and size his man up before hitting crossovers with some suddenness and hesitation, using shot fakes or pass fakes well to get his man off-balance. Beyond that, he really seems to understand how to use his frame to maintain advantages," Vecenie wrote.
"What makes Queen particularly interesting is his passing. He has terrific vision, but moreover, he really can pass on the move in the way NBA teams love to see. He passes off a live dribble with both his left and right hand which, again, is quite rare for a player this big. That gives him the ability to have quick reactions to double teams or to see mismatch advantage situations; he processes all of this quite rapidly and can manipulate defenders with his eyesight or his passing angles. Then, he'll hit passes from creative overhead or underarm angles to find windows. This year, he's averaging 2.1 assists per game, but that undersells his ability. If he proves he can stay on the court defensively and play 30 minutes per game, he could easily average five assists per game in the NBA."
Another respective evaluator, CBS Sports' Adam Finkelstein, went in-depth Queen on Thursday.
"I think one of the advantages of having scouted Queen for multiple years, even with as good as he's been this year at Maryland, is that you have a better appreciation for his feel and passing level if you saw him in high school. I really believe he's going to be able to pass ... That left-handed pass off the dribble there while leading the break, guys who are 6'10 don't do that."
Finkelstein also made the Sengun comparison, along with former Phoenix Suns forward Boris Diaw.
"I first saw this kid when he was a freshman at St. Frances Academy in Baltimore. Had a 50-point game as a freshman," he said, adding that Queen's defense is a primary concern.
"They hide him yes skillfully. There's a lot of pre-switching going on, there's a lot of, they're very proactive in making sure he ends up on who they want him to end up on. And at the end of the day, that's good coaching, but it makes the evaluation a little bit trickier."
It's been difficult to find a pinpoint NBA comparison for Queen because of his unique package. Vecenie dropped three names: Alperen Şengün, Domantas Sabonis, and Naz Reid. (Shout out to my son Jacob, who made the Reid comparison a couple of weeks ago.)
Vecenie also pushed back on Willard's comment that Queen would be the top pick were he white and European.
"He's got elite hands ... I think the other variable is the shooting. So, defensively, [the question is] are you a five? Because if you're a five, you don't provide the rim protection that we're looking for here. If you're a four, are there just sometimes where people are going to hunt you because it's not a great matchup for you from a footspeed standpoint?" Finkelstein said.
"Offensively, I think the biggest variable is, can you shoot it? I mean, right now he's a 77% free throw shooter and he's made two threes on the season. He's two for 22 from three on the season. So, the shooting is not there just yet, but he's got such good hands and such natural touch. If the shooting ever comes on, and listen, I've said this since he was a freshman in high school: if the shooting ever comes on, it changes it changes the upside I think so he's unique."
