Brandon Boston has shown he can do more than score but has not done so consistently to offset his lack of offense this season. (SEC Photo)
I have a feeling that ESPN NBA draft analyst Jonathan Givony and Kentucky coach John Calipari are not going to be exchanging Christmas cards any time soon. Givony, a long-time analyst, noted in an article that Kentucky freshman Brandon Boston’s draft stock has dropped and is probably going to drop more unless he turns around his 35.8 overall percent shooting from the field and 15.2 percent shooting from 3-point range.
The 6-7 guard was projected a potential top five pick in the 2021 NBA draft going into the season but has fallen to No. 15 in ESPN’s latest mock draft and is trending down even with the way former Calipari players Tyler Herro, Immanuel Quickley, Shai Gilheous-Alexander, Devin Booker, Keldon Johnson and Bam Adebayo have exceeded their draft values and turned into better pro players than college players.
“The hope among optimists is that Boston’s inability to show anything beyond small glimmers of what made him such a coveted prospect in high school lies more in Kentucky’s archaic offense, poorly constructed roster and his own lack of physical strength than deal-breaking talent shortcomings,” Givony wrote.
“Those same mitigating factors didn’t save Tyrese Maxey from dropping from the projected No. 6 pick around this time last year to eventually going No. 21 in the 2020 draft, meaning Boston certainly has more room to slide if he doesn’t find a way to be more productive.”
One NBA draft analyst once told me Calipari did a great job hiding players’ flaws, something the UK coach didn’t agree with. Recently NBA scouts have told me Calipari’s system prepares guys for the NBA but does not always give them freedom to showcase all their skills in college.
Givony noted the same thing almost every UK fan knows — Boston has to learn to take better shots and make better decisions on the court
“He’s looked predetermined and at times outright selfish jacking tough pull-ups and barreling into traffic for offensive fouls,” Givoney wrote. “His lack of strength has made it difficult for him to play through contact and will likely be an issue in the NBA early on.
“Boston has shown some feistiness crashing the glass, getting in passing lanes and chasing shooters around screens on the perimeter — demonstrating that he can make contributions when his shot isn’t falling — but he’s been inconsistent as a man-to-man defender.
Freshman teammate Terrence Clarke has dropped from No. 15 in ESPN’s mock draft to No. 26 and is on a downward trend Givony said due to a “barrage of turnovers, an inability to score from outside the paint and too many moments of selfish play.”
