2021 NBA Draft: 3 Bigs the Washington Wizards could draft at #15

No. 2 – Usman Garuba

If you follow the Washington Wizards in any capacity, then you already know how much GM Tommy Sheppard loves his International players. He drafted Deni Avidja out of Maccabi Tel Aviv last year with the 9th pick and Rui Hachimura (born in Japan) out of Gonzaga the year before. Sheppard understands that International players tend to come into the league a little more experienced since they usually start playing professionally at an early age. And Usman Garuba just happens to fit the bill perfectly.

At the young age of 16, Garuba made his debut for Real Madrid becoming the youngest center in ACB history. His career averages in 3 years with Real Madrid are 4.7 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 0.8 APG. These numbers don’t jump off the stat sheet but Garuba more than held his own against top-level competition. The Liga ACB is the first-tier league in Spain, and it’s helped him get a jumpstart on his transition to the NBA. Garuba already has 3 years of professional experience and he hasn’t even heard his name called on draft night yet!

The biggest challenge Garuba will face as he enters the NBA is having to guard centers on a nightly basis that are mostly taller than him. At 6’8″, he lacks the ideal size of a true center but he makes up for it in other ways. Weighing almost 230 lbs, Garuba is strong as an ox and his outrageous 7’3″ wingspan makes it even tougher for opponents to score on him. He’s the perfect small-ball five for today’s game because he’s able to stay in front of guards on switches and not get blown by.

His length, agility and strength are key to why he’s so effective on the defensive end. In Spain, he often overwhelmed opponents with his tenacity and relentlessness. Garuba has all the makings of a future 1st or 2nd Team All-Defensive player but he just has to continue to put it all together. Washington’s team defense as a whole would elevate immediately if they end up selecting him with the 15th overall pick on draft night.