On Thursday night the Dallas Mavericks selected Isaiah Roby from Nebraska. Below is his scouting report with a recap and grade of the Mavericks’ 2019 NBA Draft:
Name: Isaiah Roby
Height/Weight: 6’8 ½ / 214
Wingspan/ standing reach: 7’1/ 8’10
Hand size: 10.5
Position: F
College/ country: Nebraska
Tools: Length, athleticism, versatility
Pros:
- Solid in transition
- Plus rebounder
- Versatile two-way potential
- Excellent athlete
- Great frame
Cons:
- Jump shot needs to become more consistent
- Poor finisher at the rim
- Needs to polish ball handling skills
- Must add more muscle
Overall: Isaiah Roby was selected with the 45th pick to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2019 NBA Draft. Roby poses intriguing upside with a mild floor due to his elite versatility and the ability to guard nearly every position on the floor. He has excellent length and moves well, which helps him guard both forwards and guards. If his jump shot can continue to evolve, which has passable form, he can become a small ball 5 in some lineups. Versatility is going to be Roby’s calling card, as he will be able to switch easily and cover virtually anyone on any given night.
Regarding Roby’s fit with Dallas, he is one of the more versatile players in the draft, being able to take an occasional three to stretch the defense while also being a severe off-ball threat as a cutter and dive man. If his pick & roll can evolve, he can play a similar role to Dwight Powell with better defensive upside. At his worst, Roby is an energy combo forward that can thrive in transition while being able to take the opposing team’s best player in a bench unit that can take a 3 every once in a while. His ceiling is a reliable and versatile role player that can shoot threes and defend at a high level. While shot creation likely won’t ever be a strength of his, Roby being able to create for himself in any capacity would be a win.
NBA Comparison: Floor: Hakim Warrick; ceiling: Marvin Williams
Overall draft grade: B
All things considered, this was a good pick. While not a flashy pick, Roby has a high floor and brings a lot of intriguing tools to the table. Additionally, the biggest win may have been in the Mavericks acquiring future picks to take their guy that they had pegged. Through the trade on draft night, the Mavericks now own two 2020 second round picks on top of their own 2020 1st round pick.
The Mavericks owe their own 2020 2nd round pick to Philadelphia as part of the Nerlens Noel trade in 2017, but get the more favorable pick of Houston or Golden State, as well as an unprotected 2020 Detroit 2020 pick. The 2020 NBA Draft projects to be stronger in the middle of the draft 15-35), and should have solid depth. While it likely will not have the bottom depth that the 2019 draft has, the 2020 draft is worth looking forward to with the Mavericks currently owning 3 picks in the draft.
