Omari Spellman is a Villanova big man who has the potential to be one of the biggest 2018 NBA draft steals.
After winning an NCAA Championship, Omari Spellman is looking to enter the NBA Draft and be a low-first round prospect, possibly treading in the second round territory.
Luckily the Minnesota Timberwolves have both a first round and second round draft pick this year, finishing with the 20th and 48th pick. Unfortunately, Spellman is projected to be somewhere in between those picks, possibly around the 32nd slot.
The Timberwolves need depth at every position, some mock drafts argue that a guard is necessary due to scares of Jimmy Butler’s health. Others believe that Karl-Anthony Towns needs more help at the big man position, now that Gorgui Dieng has become a liability on the court.
Spellman has a lot of potential for a high ceiling as a great stetch-four off the bench, or even an above the rim threat in the starting unit down the road. Possibly Spellman’s biggest attraction as a player is the winning culture he’s coming from with Villanova, which is something Minnesota is in dire need of.
Omari Spellman joins Donte DiVincenzo and will remain in NBA Draft. Villanova, rumored to be in the running for Stanford grad transfer Reid Travis, now has a place for Travis to fit in immediately.
— Dana O'Neil (@DanaONeilWriter) May 30, 2018
Much like Donte DiVincenzo, there is a certain higher ceiling from Championship caliber players. Luckily, Spellman and DiVincenzo will most likely both be available for the Wolves’ first pick in the draft for the first round.
Either of these players would be the perfect fit for a team that is surrounded by humble guys and a coach like Tom Thibodeau.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Height: 6’9″, Weight: 250, Age: 20
Statistics: 10.9 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 43.3% 3FG
Just from this video you can see the amount of potential that Spellman has compared to his counterparts in the draft. He can be seen throwing passes half court to his teammates for easy 3’s, almost mirroring a Draymond Green type player. He also showed his diversity in his game by catching alley-oops with ease from his teammates.
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Spellman’s stat line of 24 pts, 21 rebs, and 7 asts, was the best line of the game from any player, and his team winning the game was the cherry on top. Although, his defense obviously needs work, but most of that is due to his lack of being able to stop the taller players above the rim.
Omari Spellman is the steal of the draft, and could be a dangerous stretch-four to come off the bench for Karl-Anthony Towns. Only time will tell what the Timberwolves will do with their picks, but a trade to move down wouldn’t be a terrible idea moving forward.