#13. Miami Heat — PJ Washington
After an exceptional second season with the Kentucky Wildcats, sophomore PJ Washington will now ply his trade in the NBA – continuing a long line of John Calipari recruits to take the plunge at the next level.
Though Washington isn’t the best of Calipari’s recruits in recent years or the most highly valued in draft circles, Washington has a proven skill set and showcased vast improvement year-over-year after a fairly underwhelming freshman campaign.
Washington certainly looks the part of an NBA player, as his chiseled 6-foot-8, 235-pound frame could be slotted onto most teams in the NBA from day one as a rookie. Combine that with a 7-foot-2 wingspan and utterly inspiring athletic gifts, and you have a fairly sure thing.
He may not be a “sexy” pick (hence why he falls in this 2019 NBA Draft mock-up to the Miami Heat at 13), but Washington’s floor is quite high and his ceiling is similarly impressive as a prospect.
Washington is a good enough defender that he should be able to switch across multiple positions and he has the size, length and athleticism to be capably serve as a stopper on the less glamorous end.
Most notably (especially if the Atlanta Hawks want to take a swing on Washington at #10), PJ showcased a vastly improved jumper in his sophomore season, which saw him make 20 of 44 NBA-range triples per The Stepien’s shot chart tool – an impressive 45.5 percent clip.