Luckily for Johni Broome, his draft position won’t rely entirely on his recent performance at the Draft Combine after he went viral for all the wrong reasons.
Broome was mocked by online fans after a video showed his standing leap at the Combine, which was underwhelming to say the least:
Fans had a go at Broome’s age and athleticism after his 5th season in college, as he is set to turn 23 in July.
He’s off a monster season for Auburn, but the most recent ESPN Mock Draft had him falling to the Detroit Pistons with the 37th pick.
Aside from his less than stellar debut on NBA social media, what does Broome bring to the table as a draft prospect for the Pistons?
Johni Broome Draft profile: A banger who plays below the rim
Broome has good size for a forward at 6-foot-10, 235lbs. something the Pistons could use at the four spot. As you saw in his Combine video, he’s not a highflyer who is going to blow you away with athleticism.
He’s more of a banger who grabs rebounds and has a nice touch around the rim. He shot just 27 percent from 3-point range and a brutal 58 percent from the line, which doesn’t bode well for him as a floor stretcher at the next level.
If Broome makes it in the NBA, it will be though his defense and rebounding. He blocked over two shots per game in his last season at Auburn and grabbed 10.8 rebounds, 3.7 on the offensive glass.
Rim protection and rebounding are how he’ll make an impact in the NBA. He’ll also need to get stronger and in better shape, things that were knocks against him in college. He has the body for it, as Broome is already very strong, so some added muscle would help his chances.
He has good hands and a knack for the ball, which you can see in his tournament highlights, and he’s one of those players who finds ways to make an impact and get buckets around the rim off put backs. He’s reminiscent of Paul Reed, as he causes a bit of chaos, has quick hands and finds a way to get buckets around the rim without jumping much.
We’ll likely see more players like Broome (super seniors) taken in the second round, as lower level prospects are sticking around to get that college NIL money, which Trajan Langdon talked about in a recent press conference.
He’s older and has a lower ceiling but may be able to contribute on the right team as a deep rotation guy.
The Pistons need depth behind Tobias Harris, as they didn’t have another real four on the roster, so we could see them look to address that in the second round.