November 19, 2020

Dok got drafted 🤩 and Dot didn't 😡

At about midnight EST last night, I was glancing up at the NBA Draft broadcast in between pages of Deacon King Kong, resigned to the fact that Devin Dotson wasn’t going to be selected. At that point in the draft, in the late 40s, you almost don’t want to be drafted—you’d rather pick your situation, based on how every team’s new roster shakes out. That Dotson got to do that—in his hometown, no less!—may turn out to be a fortunate break.

But his non-selection is still a big bummer. To see all sorts of bigger, but lesser, point guards go ahead of Dotson was a distressing feeling, one that kicks up the anxiety about college success translating to pro scouts. It reignited Jayhawk fan paranoia that UK and Duke guards like Tyrese Maxey and Tre Jones get the benefit of the doubt, while KU guards do not. Dotson is small. He will have to perform almost perfectly to be an impact player—that’s the burden of all undersized players. But Dotson was the most important playmaker and creator on the country’s best team. Shouldn’t that count for something?

In a draft where defensive switching versatility was en vogue—Patrick Williams, a long-framed wing who didn’t start at FSU, went #4—Dotson might have fallen victim to trends. It’s hard to say. The NBA’s second round is funky, given that those contracts aren’t guaranteed, and teams with eyes toward their salary cap number might be picking guys to stash them overseas or in the G League. But I can’t remember a time where I felt more emotionally raw that a Jayhawk standout was not validated by a Draft selection. Justice for Dot!

Anyway, I felt a quick newsletter was in order so I could recap the picks, scribble some thoughts down on each players’ situation, and grouse even more about Dotson. Onward!

Udoka Azubuike, pick #27, Utah Jazz

I like this.

In the NBA, Quin Snyder is known for his gifts with defensive rotations (outside of the bubble series with Denver) and Doke’s selection strongly suggests confidence that Dok can be a game-changer on that end of the floor. If Utah’s roster holds—Gobert is a favorite puzzle piece for Trade Machine types due to Donovan Mitchell fallout and a juicy expiring contract—Dok will get a chance to watch and learn from the Frenchmen, a strikingly similar player type who outgrew early career offensive deficiencies and turned into a good pick-and-roll big. Dok’s ceiling isn’t as high, probably, but he could serve to be an affordable replacement if Utah decides to move on.

KU hoops internet was having fun with the Ostertag/Jazz connection, but Dok is not Ostertag. Ostertag couldn’t move, even at the peak of his powers. Dok is underrated in his abilities to switch onto smaller and quicker players, having made enormous strides after a full-blown Omari Spellman-based rotisserie in the 2018 Final Four. I anticipate he’ll continue to grow on defense, and whatever you get on offense is a bonus. Him sneaking into the first is a big deal.

I like this!

Also: Dok published the sponcon of the year. Papa Murphy’s is underrated in the canon. I’m glad they cut the check.

Devon Dotson, undrafted, Chicago Bulls

Anyone can pick designer off of a rack. That Dotson went with the custom Indochino—with that invincible inscription, go off king!—tells you all you need to know about his savvy. The dude knows value like he’s been boarding on StyleForum for decades!

I have four or five of these left, hmu!

Anyway, personal disappointments aside, Dotson’s draft night was unfortunate but not necessarily impossible to understand. If you watched the broadcast, you might have noticed that no analyst ever discussed combine numbers. That’s because everyone thinks those results—which were recorded independently due to COVID and submitted to the NBA by third parties, generally—were bogus. This hurt Dotson, who tested well, if one presumes his results to be accurate. Additionally, rumors of “red flags,” floated by writers like John Hollinger, probably didn’t help things:

Up top, I made the argument that if you’re not in the 30-40 range, you don’t want to be drafted. That is not an argument a draft eligible player wants to hear. But, in this case, I think it worked out quite well for Dotson. Chicago doesn’t have a lead guard with a playing style quite like Dotson, and both of the Bulls picks last night were big, mobile wings. In a draft where teams loaded up on PGs and C’s, the Bulls current team construction likely gives Dotson the best chance to make a 15-man active roster. They have a new coach, Billy Donovan, and a new GM, Artūras Karnišovas, who will carve out their own style with their first draft class. By playing his ass off in a purely basketball setting, I have faith in Dotson’s ability to show that he can be a plus player in Chicago.

I predict that this year will be a wash for rookies. Almost all rookies, with few exceptions, suck, not to mention rookies who won’t get a chance to play Summer League and will have to head to training camps right away due to the Dec. 22 league start. Dotson’s feel could help him here; it might not take him much time to pick up coverages and reads, compared to those with less high level competitive experience. He deserved better in the Draft, but he’s in a good spot under new but promising management. Also, he didn’t get drafted by the Kings or the Knicks. That’s all you can really hope for.

RCJH. Here’s to hoping some ball happens safely and soon.