Getty Javin DeLaurier #12 of the Duke Blue Devils who has been playing his way into NBA Draft talk.
Although Javin DeLaurier primarily comes off the bench for the loaded Duke Blue Devils, however, has shown flashes of being an incredibly effective low-usage big man. A springy 6’9″ big man with an incredibly high motor, DeLaurier understands and plays his role very well as he puts up some of the best advanced stats on the team despite his limited role.
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His combination of size, athleticism, and feel for the game have him on the radar of NBA scouts and he has the opportunity to play himself into NBA mock drafts with continued strong play and improvement.
Javin DeLaurier NBA Draft Profile: Latest Mocks & Projections
Despite already being a junior, DeLaurier has shown the distinct ability to drastically improve from year to year. This bodes well for his future draft stock as NBA executives are notoriously wary that older players have already reached their fullest potential. DeLaurier is the exact opposite as he has seen his numbers take steep jumps up across the board in each and every year. Especially taking into account the defensive impact DeLaurier is able to have on a game (87.6 Drtg, second only to Zion Williamson), DeLaurier becomes a very intriguing prospect at the NBA level.
However, due to his lack of a well-rounded offensive game and limited role at Duke, DeLaurier is not mentioned on any mock drafts for the 2019 or 2020 NBA drafts. That said, DeLaurier could certainly work his way into a second round pick in 2020 with another strong year during his senior season and will at the very least get an opportunity to show himself off at the NBA Summer League when his time comes.
Javin DeLaurier NBA Draft Profile & Player Comparison
Javin DeLaurier profiles to be a similar style player to Jordan Bell at the NBA level. Especially if DeLaurier can show any form of competence from deep, his skill set will be one that is highly valued and sought after by NBA executives. While Jordan Bell was a bit more of a natural shot blocker compared to DeLaurier, DeLaurier is undoubtedly sufficient in that regard and is probably a little quicker and more adept at jumping passing lanes compared to Bell at this stage.
.@OregonMBB junior Jordan Bell dominated the interior in his 8 block performance vs. #kansas
DX Scouting Profile > t.co/i4ZuGINTMf
That said, both are low-usage players who can impact the game with their ability to rebound the basketball, run the floor in transition, and make huge defensive plays. Bell showed incredible improvement across his three years at Oregon and left prior to his senior year where he has continued to improve at the NBA level year over year. It isn’t unrealistic to see a similar trajectory for DeLaurier (given his similar track record of improvement), with him simply going to the league after his senior year rather than his junior year like Bell.
While DeLaurier (and Bell) will never develop into All-NBA type talents, they are instrumental to the success of a team and the unselfish nature coupled with a high motor that both players share is something that you cannot teach players.