As the 2021 NBA draft approaches, LSU star TrendonWatford has continued the process of drafting and interviewing numerous teams. This week, Watford partnered with the San Antonio Spurs to further increase its draft stocks.
Including the Spurs, Watford has held private workouts with the New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz to show off his underrated skills, which are improving day by day. During a meeting with the pelicans in town, Watford had the opportunity to meet with Will Wade to discuss the process up to that point.
“Trendon was in town, he was training for the Pelicans,” said LSU trainer Will Wade on the Jordy Culotta Show. “I saw Trendon and we went to dinner. I spoke to Ja’Vante, he trained in Atlanta. We talk to these guys every day and try to help them get feedback to see where things are. ”
With most of the mock designs having Watford as a prospective selection in the middle to the end of the second round, it will be interesting to see which team takes a chance on the versatile big man with tremendous odds.
After training with a few teams, this is where he could fit into their rotations:
New Orleans Pelicans
Watford, a team that lacked depth on the forwards position in the 2020-21 season, could bolster the Pelicans bank under the roster of newly appointed head coach Willie Green. With tremendous versatility, Watford’s offensive play has the ability to take a competitive jump shot and a sturdy framework to ricochet contact in the paint.
For the pelicans, Watford has the ability to deliver important minutes from the bank and give buckets in the blink of an eye. As the NBA shifts towards “stretching tall men,” Watford could fill that role wonderfully for a Pelicans team that couldn’t shoot, to say the least.
Utah Jazz
Watford is a Swiss Army Knife that can score on all three levels, with growth shown on the defensive end. Since the Jazz have a championship list with a stable bank rotation, Watford has the option to give them extra depth at the front position.
Watford is a cerebral player who can read the floor at either end of the court. He moves aggressively into the open space to create pass paths for ball handlers, while apparently always coming to the open space. Defensively, he has exceptional judicial awareness and rotates very well to wreak havoc on misdemeanors. For a jazz team that could add a seasoned striker to their arsenal, Watford could be their man in the middle of the second round.
San Antonio spurs
With LaMarcus Aldridge out of the picture for the Spurs, they urgently need to add a great man to their roster. Under coach Gregg Popvich, the Spurs were always successful when they used their big ones, where Watford was able to fill that gap almost instantly.
The Spurs have all the tools to make their way back into playoff competition next season and the inclusion of Watford could ease the strain on the rest of their young core pieces. His ability to succeed in the game of pick and roll could be the perfect complement to her young stars Keldon Johnson and Dejounte Murray.
Final thoughts
In a loaded 2021 NBA draft, it’s easy to look like prolific players like Trendon Watford who traditionally don’t show any noteworthy athleticism or who do the highlight RPG on a nightly basis. Watford is a gamer who does the dirty work for a franchise while giving buckets in the blink of an eye.
For Watford, a man who earned All-SEC in a talented conference, he has the opportunity to get a bargain in the second round. With the NBA draft less than a week away, the LSU draft has a chance to be a hidden gem in one of the most talented drafts of recent times.
