Jake Laravia 6’8” 227 lbs

Jake Laravia rose up draft boards at Wake Forrest through doing so many things right subtly that it became a loud crowd behind him as he excelled in many categories that produce winning basketball, including cutting without the ball, swinging the ball on time, spot up shooting, rebounding and versatility on the defensive end. Laravia positively influences winning and is synonymous with the term connector that is floating about draft analysis. Laravia should be a solid NBA shooter, thriving in the standstill catch and shoot opportunities in the half court who presents a bigger body who can defend a few positions as a solid athlete and rebounder. That archetype of player is coveted and is helping Laravia’s case as a potential first round pick. If sizable wings with upside as a shooter, rebounder, defender who is a heady player was a coveted thing, the Celtics made it even more desirable and Laravia should be a first round pick if he is able to shoot it well in workouts.

Strengths: Shot well in catch and shoot and hit 38% overall. Very aware with and without the basketball. Great cutter Good passer, ball mover who wants to and makes the right play. Active defender and rebounder

Concerns: Not a terribly explosive athlete Does not attack off of the bounce on closeouts with too much aggression.

Jake Laravia is a heady connecting piece to any good team that excels at catch and shoot shooting, timely cutting, passing and rebounding. Though he isn't a phenomenal athlete, he is a good functional one who can guard on the perimeter and can handle physicality down low. Laravia does not project as more than a solid role player but that is desirable for good teams who will be drafting in what I imagine is in his range. Laravia should be at least a league average shooter with good intangibles and may never score more than 12 points per game but he should be an NBA player for some years and that is a success in this range.

LaRavia can handle the ball, and do a little bit of everything. His playmaking chops are legit. He isn't an elite prospect, but there is no reason for him not to succeed. He is also younger than many originally thought.

Comparison: Cameron Johnson

Projected Draft Range: 20-40

Height 6'9

Weight 228 lbs

Wingspan 7'0

DOB 11/3/01 (Draft Age: 20)

Pre-Draft Team Wake Forest Deacons

Offense

• While not a guard flashes of guard skills.

• A playmaker for others.

• Tremendous finisher around the rim who will get his fair share of attempts at the line.

• 44% from deep this year so far. Not a quick release, but it looks nice.

• Gets his team a couple extra possessions a game on the glass.

• A potential modern big. He doesn't quite have the burst or lateral movement to be considered a wing.

• Has a bag of tricks around the rim.

Defense

• Excellent defensive stance with strong engagement.

• Against Duke held his own defending Banchero and Griffin.

Swing Factors

Role

• LOW:

• HIGH:

Player analysis

Jake LaRavia is one of the most versatile players in the draft and will most likely be a solid role player almost immediately, he just finished his Junior year at Wake Forest where he emerged as a swiss-army knife prospect. Jake is a solid shooter, passer, and playmaker, he lacks on defense but his plethora of other skills easily makes up for it. For a majority of the season he was seen as a mid to late second round pick but as he played well at the combine and scouts continued to look into him he began to fly up draft boards. LaRavia has great size at 6’8 and he combines that size with touch to gain a three level scoring repertoire, he shot almost 40% from three and was nice from the midrange. Many don’t think he can slash to the basket in the NBA but he has proven many wrong on every level so I wouldn’t doubt his work ethic and resilience when it comes to his proven skill set. Jake is a weak defender but isn’t anywhere close to awful, all he needs to do is use his size somewhat effectively in order to be close to average in the NBA and his IQ on the rest of the court leads me to believe he can at the very least be that. Jake looks to be a great role player for teams that want to add a versatile forward that can boost and fit into any offense.

Projection

Draft range: [ 23 - 34 ]

Comp: [ Kyle Anderson ]

Strengths:Spot up Shooting and Post Defense Weaknesses: Creation and Athleticism

High Side Comp: Maxi Kleber Low Side Comp: TJ Leaf

Ideal Fit: Stretch 4/ Small ball 5

Draft Range: 18-40

Result: 19- MEM

Athleticism: 6/10 Size: 3/5 Defense: 5/10 Strength: 3/5 Quickness: 4/10 Creation: 2/5 Jumpshot: 7/10 Finishing: 3/5 NBA Ready: 4/5 Ball Handling: 4/10 Passing: 6/10 Intangibles: 4/5 Potential: 6/10 TOTAL: 57= Early Second

Pros:

• Very active defender: quick hands, good rotation as a help defender, has the size and physicality to guard strong 3s and 4s in the NBA

• Great Catch & Shoot threat: good form, has shown he can knock down 3s on high volume when in rhythm

• Overall high IQ player: quick reads on offense, accurate and creative passer, great cutter

Cons:

• Won't be able to switch much in the NBA: slow feet, can't handle quick guards

• Can't really create his own shot off the dribble

High IQ players like Jake are highly touted at the next level. The shooting will be his calling card, but the passing could really elevate him. The inability to switch on to smaller guards is a pressing issue though and I can't see him improving much on that.

smart player that does a lot of things well, including shooting, passing, and defensive rotations. should be a very solid role player for a long time. however, his lack of athleticism limits both his defensive ceiling (doesn't really have versatility defensively) and offensive ceiling (can really only punish mismatches in the post atm and can hit c&s 3s). don't see him as anything more than a very solid bench piece.

Tier 7 Ends

Highly skilled, well-rounded player with good feel for the game. Efficient scorer who favors the paint and avoids lower percentage mid range attempts. Promise as a three point threat (.384). Active defender with a strong motor and some switchability potential.

Not a movement shooter. Lacks the handle to create from the perimeter at the next level. Good, but not great athlete. Success will depend heavily on team situation and role.