The Rundown:
It is at this point that this draft really begins to differ from its predecessors. Most years, I wouldn’t fault teams for star hunting at 15; based on the position of your franchise drafting at 15 it seems that another all star contributor would obviously be the goal. However, 2022 is different. I do not believe there are any legitimate star options that would make sense at this point, but there are a fair few of very high level role players. Enter E.J Liddell. I watched a lot of E.J last year and I must say, this jump in production and development of a clear NBA fit isn’t something that I expected at all. While it feels fair to say that E.J will never be a star player at the next level, for a game that rewards winning it only makes sense to get someone who consistently and effectively increases your odds of success.
To start, the offense. It is necessary to explain how role is such an important thing to understand in the NBA draft scouting process. E.J is really good at midrange jump shots, and battling in the low post, and based on his skill level there it seems that it wouldn’t make sense to force him out of that role at the next level. However, to truly understand role you have to understand the immense talent barrier that must be crossed for efficient offence to be produced in the same ways from the collegiate sphere to that of professionals. For this reason, I think that Liddells role will be fairly simple in the pros. He will be expected to hit three pointers from the corner, and lots of them. Fortunately, his shot is fairly projectible, albeit not without a few hitches. It is lacking a little bit of arc, and sometimes it requires a bit of a load up, but he hits them at a high percentage, has good touch around the rest of the court, and has confidence. I could see this shot developing to an extent that he can hit a 1 to 2 dribble pullup three, but any team requiring him to be a half court isolation maestro will be sorely disappointed. On the other side of this offensive coin, he does have some interesting skills to pair with his shooting. He will be able to make the extra pass, in spite of his assist numbers. He has shown that his processing speed is more than adequate, and in the high level and high pace offenses of today where a decision must be made by the player with the ball within .5 seconds, Liddell will fit in nicely. Another one of his skills can be seen when taking a look at Bojan Bogdanovic; while you would never ask Bojan to be a primary post up hub, when the chaos of an NBA court has it so a guard is trying to stick with him, Bogdanovic is more than willing to turn his back to the basket and enforce his will. Liddell is great as a post up threat, and while he won’t be efficient enough to do this against strong wing defenders, when a guard is stuck on him, his combination of size, shooting, and passing vision will result in some great things. It can be expected for him to attack a closeout at a high level as well, overall Liddell will be a capable offensive player who can fill a multitude of roles.
Defensively is where E.J really shines. When browsing Liddells sports reference page, his block numbers immediately stick out, with close to 3 per game. What makes this all the more impressive is how he isn’t physically gifted like a Koloko or a Mark Williams; he’s a thick 6’7 with a respectable but unexceptional +3 or +4 wingspan. It is with his timing that he makes his presence felt in the interior. He reads the incoming offensive player like a book and perfectly situates himself to put himself in the best position to defend, before jumping at the perfect time; he rarely if ever falls for pump fakes. While I do not project him to be a full time 5 at the next level, this intriguing development of rim protection gives him a whole new defensive world to explore in a small ball lineup. It does make sense to assume that most of his defensive work will occur on the perimeter however, where his improvements are about to improve his bank account. He is significantly faster sliding his feet than last year, and has done a great job in a multitude of star matchups this year, against players of all shapes and sizes. He is relatively mistake free inside the paint or out, and should be a switchable and gritty fundamental defender at the next level that can do whatever his coach asks of him. At the end of the day, every NBA team will want the flexibility E.J can bring into lineups and matchups with his quick hands and quicker brain, so even if it isn’t the flashiest pick, no team will say no to someone that can easily project to be a starter in the NBA finals.
Synopsis:
A good three point shooter that can become great, with some good mismatch post up equity that will above all else make good decisions, he shines on defense where as a small ball 5 or powerful 4 he will use his quick feet and reflexes to make good things happen.
Shades of:
A splice of Bojan Bogdanovic, a pinch of Jae Crowder, a good helping of Marcus Morris, a pinch of Hawks Millsap
