Adrian Griffin Jr.

Draft Notes

Son of the former NBA player by the same name, Jr. is a powerful wing/big guard who plays with intensity and brings it on both ends of the floor. After an elite shooting display this season AGJ is projected as a mid lottery to mid first round pick.

He has solid athleticism, a very strong frame and a ton of natural talent. Griffin is built like a linebacker with thick shoulders and sort of a low center of gravity.

One of the concerns with Griffin Jr. is that he doesn’t appear to have the same level of explosiveness as he had in high school, after suffering through a few injuries. He’s still a good athlete but not as twitchy or bouncy as he looked in the past.

Perhaps he can regain his form in the coming months/years as he puts those injuries in the rear view mirror.

One thing that stands out with Griffin is his high level understanding of the game (thanks NBA dad). His awareness on the defensive end is impressive and he can defend many positions on the floor. He’s solid on the ball, although doesn’t have great lateral quickness and can sometimes get taken off the bounce. He also struggles to get through screens and can loose his man.

On offense he’s able to use his strong body to carve out space in the lane and does a good job of initiating contact and scoring against length. He’s got solid handles and good touch.

Griffin showed an elite ability to score from perimeter, hitting about 50% from 3 on the season and showcasing a silky smooth shot. He’s got somewhat of an awkward set-up on his shot with an extra wide base but his shot goes in at an incredible clip.

Although he wasn’t a main ball-handler or offensive creator this past season he did show some nice flashes with the ball in his hands, hitting defenders with combo moves and shaking free for jumpers.

Comparisons

• Jordan Hamilton++
• Jimmy Butler
• a jumbo Gary Trent Jr.

Draft Projection

top 15 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft

2022 Small Forwards

1. Ousmane Dieng – 6-10 – France
2. Adrian Griffin Jr. – 6-6 – Duke
3. Tari Eason – 6-8 – LSU
4. Kendall Brown – 6-6 – Baylor
5. Wendell Moore Jr. – 6-6 – Duke
6. Caleb Houstan – 6-8 – Michigan (Canada)
7. Josh Minott – 6-8 – Memphis
8. Dereon Seabron – 6-7 – NC State
9. Justin Lewis – 6-7 – Marquette
10. Jared Rhoden – 6-6 – Seton Hall
11. Aminu Mohammed – 6-5 – Georgetown
12. Gabe Brown – 6-8 – Michigan State
13. Payton Watson – 6-9 – UCLA
14. Jordan Hall – 6-8 – St. Joe’s
15. Julian Champagnie – 6-8 – St. Johns
16. Jabari Walker – 6-8 – Colorado
17. Vince Williams Jr. – 6-6 – VCU
18. Johnny Juzang – 6-7 – UCLA
19. Jermaine Samuels – 6-7 – Villanova
20. Hyunjung Lee – 6-7 – Davidson (South Korea)
21. Gui Santos – 6-8 – Brazil
22. Luke Travers – 6-7 – Australia
23. Fanbo Zeng – 6-9 – G League Ignite (China)
24. Landers Nolley II – 6-7 – Memphis
25. Keyontae Johnson – 6-5 – Florida