Napheesa Collier Could Find A Role Anywhere
Julian Andrews
March 1, 2019
This piece does not reflect the views of the Minnesota Lynx
Napheesa Collier: 6’2, F, University of Connecticut
College Stats in 2018-19 (as of Feb. 25, 2019):
27 games, 31.7 MPG, 19.6 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.5 BPG, 60.1 FG%, 22.6 3P%, 68.9 FT%
Where she’ll go:
Collier will likely be a first-round pick but could be selected anywhere from around pick No. 5 to pick No. 12.
The Rundown:
There might not be a more difficult task in this year’s draft than pinning down Collier’s potential in the WNBA.
On one hand, Collier could easily grow into a dynamic two-way power forward. She can score efficiently, she’s a good rebounder, a nice playmaker for a forward and a good defender. Collier will probably line up as an undersized power forward in the WNBA, but she’s quick enough to switch onto threes on defense. She’s a great shot blocker for her size. These things look favorable.
However, there’s one major flaw in Collier’s game. She can’t really shoot threes. She’s made eight of just 35 attempts this season from beyond the arc. In the modern WNBA, having a wing or power forward who can’t stretch the floor is a problem. Her lack of shooting ability essentially relegates Collier to the power forward position on offense where she will be undersized and have to work twice as hard against bigger players like A’Ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart.
Collier’s fans hope a good comparison is someone like Alyssa Thomas of the Connecticut Sun. Thomas doesn’t shoot threes, but she uses her scoring ability around the rim, defense and great secondary playmaking skills to carve out a role on the court. This is a completely reasonable comparison, and there’s a great chance that Collier will fit that mold and turn into a very productive player at the next level. However, whoever drafts her would need to factor in the fact that she may never be a productive floor spacer in the WNBA.
Then again, Collier isn’t even in the WNBA yet, and we’ve seen players add things to their arsenal. If a team is confident in their ability to help Collier become at least an average shooter from deep or help her nail down just a couple spots beyond the arc where she feels comfortable, they could find themselves with one of the best players in this draft. Collier is extremely versatile, and her ability to do almost everything on the court will come in handy for whoever ends up picking her. It’s a little tricky to see her on the Lynx because of Minnesota’s strong need for shooting, but she’s such a tantalizing prospect that it could be incredibly fun to see what a few years of Cheryl Reeve’s coaching does for her.
There’s little doubt that Collier will find a way to stick in the WNBA, the only question is in what role.
Check out the rest of our prospect profiles, plus more Lynx-related draft coverage at lynxbasketball.com’s Draft Central.