Tier: Long-Term Starter

Player Comparisons: Jarrett Allen, Lamarcus Aldridge

Kel'el Ware is an extremely skilled center with a good post game and can stretch the floor due to his greart 3-point shot. He's a great athlete and stands at 7 feet tall. He has a great frame and has room to add muscle. His handle and passing ability are good for his size. He has a high ceiling but will need to work high to reach it.

Projected draft range: 12-22

Projected NBA rookie role:

Strengths: Great size at 7ft, good rim runner, lob threat, good shot mechanics, has shooting potential, good defensive instincts, great shot blocker, decent on switches, and great hands

Weakness: does not project to be an offensive option in the nba, needs to improve 3pt shoot, struggles to score with his back behind the basket, not quick laterally, and too skinny

Shades of/comp: Jarret Allen with shooting potential

Best outcome: one of the best defenders in the NBA, maybe DPOY, great 3pt shooter at the 5

mid outcome: great shot blocker, but only on the court for that

worst outcome: too weak to be as good of a defender in the nba

Kel'el Ware has one of the ceilings in the whole class. At 7', he has great shooting and has good touch around the rim. He is a great athlete. He has good ball handling and passing for a 7 footer and is a prime example of the new era of bigs.

Comparison: James Wiseman

I hesitate to slot Kel'el Ware onto any spot on my draft board. I have arguments that he is a lottery player and arguments that he is a second rounder at best. The size and potential is undeniable but how many different players have we said that about over the last decade. I am getting more and more turned off by 7 footers with "unusual mobility and athleticism for their size" by the year. We run into these guys every single draft and how many of them have tangibly panned out in the NBA so far. With that being said, Ware remains a fringe first round prospect for me as of now. He is a very smooth and mobile player with a ton of length. He seems to be a good shot blocker and rim runner already which has a spot in the league still. His shooting touch is promising and far past what you typically see from someone with his physical gifts. He hasn't overwhelmed at Oregon this year and I would like to see him impact the game more tangibly before I am ready to bump him back up.

Player Comps: Nerlens Noel with jumpshot potential, Myles Turner with pogosticks

Player Archetype: Rim Protector, Mobile/Athletic Big NBA Comparison: Taller John Henson/Jarrett Allen with some shooting

Strengths:

• Top-notch rim runner for a 7 footer

• Great lob threat with really good hands

• Pretty good shot mechanics and should force defenders to respect his 3-pointer from day 1

• Defensive instincts are impressive

• Looks okay on switches; should be able to hold his own if he gets caught on a guard

• Huge wingspan and excellent hands make him a menace in passing lanes and as a rim protector

Weaknesses:

• Doesn't project as a top 2 option on an NBA offense

• To reach his offensive potential he needs to improve his 3pt shot quite a bit

• Even when he has a size advantage he struggles to score back to the basket

• Not the quickest lateral mover

• Very slender at this point, will need to add weight to be most effective

Final Thoughts: At this point, I am expecting Ware to be the 2nd Center off the board come draft day. He has shown flashes of just about everything you want from a modern big man. I have confidence in his shot being very good in a few years, which is huge for his two-way ability. His defense looks great and I expect him to be very good on that end immediately.