Jean Montero is a raw, somewhat unknown international prospect that is the first Overtime Elite NBA Draft prospect. As of February 28, Montero’s stats were: 16.7 PPG, 5 APG, 6.2 RPG, 3.5 SPG, and 2.7 TOPG on shooting splits of 40/28/75. Below is his full scouting report:
Name: Jean Montero
Height/Weight: 6’2 ½ / 172
Wingspan/ standing reach: 6’4 ½ / 8’1 ½
Hand size: 9
Position: Guard
Pre-Draft team: Overtime Elite
Tools: Scoring
Pros:
- Deep range on his jumper
- 3 level scoring upside
- Excels at drive & kick
- Quick, tight handles with good creation moves going both to the basket and for off the dribble shots
- Learning to separate on drives with strength
- Good shooter off the dribble
- Crafty around the rim
- Projectable floater
- Quick first step
- Good rebounder
- High-level speed with a head of steam
- Strong change of direction
- Wins most 1-on-1 matchups against other guards
Cons:
- Undersized with mediocre frame
- Needs to add weight/get stronger
- Limited defensive upside
- Needs to be more polished at off-ball scoring
- Slows down on drives at the rim too much
- Will need to become more efficient; still raw
Summary:
Jean (pronounced like John) Montero is a pass/score guard with high upside on the offensive end. While the Overtime Elite (OTE) experiment didn’t get to showcase his abilities to the fullest, there is previous tape on him from Spain, as well as me having seen him in a private pre-draft environment, running full-court games with other NBA prospects in Dallas.
Offensively, Montero’s playmaking got overlooked with OTE. When I saw him scrimmage in Dallas against other NBA Draft prospects, he was a playmaker first that had strong instincts in when to pass out of drives and when to finish drives, which every guard needs. Adding strength will help him in this department a lot, helping him finish through contact and be able to pass through contact.
As a shooter, Montero thrives at creating his own perimeter shot. He has a variety of tough shot-creation moves, including side-step and step-back jumpers with incredibly fast handles. His deep range makes his jump shooting easy to project as translating to the NBA. However, there is room for adjustment and improvement as he enters the NBA. First, his adjustment to the NBA pace will not be quick, which makes him an early non-factor in his career, which teams will have to accept as a long-term prospect. Secondly, Montero wasn’t asked to play much as an off-ball player, rarely receiving cuts or set play movements into spot-up 3s. A big question for Montero’s translation to the NBA is his ability to play multiple roles, which will be key for him as a potential 3 level scorer. Montero struggled with spot-up shooting production despite good form, so that combined with finishing consistency may hinder his performance early in his career. Once he adapts to NBA spacing and tempo, with an improved physical form and growth in being both an on-ball and off-ball player, Montero should be a positive scorer.
As a playmaker, Montero doesn’t stand out as an elite playmaker, but he is good at manipulating defenses on drives and finding teammates. In the scrimmage I saw against in Dallas Drew Timme, Hugo Besson, Anthony Black, and other future NBA players, he did a great job of quickly getting to the rim, putting the defense in a tough spot, and finding cutters or shooters with ease because of that. If Montero can creep towards even 5 assists per game with his scoring upside translating, Montero could be a complete offensive player, likely being a top 3 option on the team.
Montero should thrive offensively against other guards in 1-on-1 situations, and be able to score or find scoring opportunities for others as he matures. Look for Montero to be a project teams want to invest in as a high-upside prospect in the mid/late first round.
Similar to: Anfernee Simons, Brandon Knight
Projected draft range: 17-39
Expected role: All-around offensive guard
Unplayable if: Off-ball ability never develops, making him hard to stick into multiple guard lineups. Additionally, if his strength and physical development fall short, he will struggle to be his best offensive self.
Exceeds expectations if: Playmaking, particularly out of pick & rolls, scales up to a high level, with 3 level scoring becoming consistent.
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