Second Round Gems: Jonathan Mogbo

Ceiling: 2018-19 Pascal Siakam

Floor: Jordan Bell

Jonathan Mogbo is, in my opinion, one of the most intriguing prospects not being projected as a first round pick. While he might not possess the most natural skill, he plays with an indomitable motor and is one of the best rebounders in his class with the potential to be an above average defender in the modern NBA. Being that his role at the next level will be most suited to playing the 4 with some versatility to play small ball 5, his height of only 6’6.25” without shoes might be a concern, but he makes up for it with an impressive 9’0.5” standing reach and 7’2” wingspan, according to his official draft combine measurements. His physical profile is nearly identical to Tari Eason who also has good positional versatility; however, it would probably be in Mogbo’s best interest to add some mass to play the 5 whereas Eason has the skillset which allows him to play down to the 3.

If there were one clear downside or red flag to Mogbo as a prospect it would be due to his lack of ability as a scorer. Currently he is going to be getting his points solely in second chance opportunities, due to his excellent offensive rebounding ability, or as a lob threat. He’s a non-shooter at this point with slow and deliberate shooting mechanics that will all but eliminate anything but wide-open jump shots from being attempted and his free throw percentage doesn’t inspire much confidence that he has the touch to become a shooter. He also doesn’t have very great arsenal of moves when he tries to initiate creating his own shot, it’s mostly straight-line drives to the basket where he can be a bit wild at times. He is, however a very good finisher, converting 64% of his 2P field goal attempts.

Where he really shines on the offensive end is in his excellent playmaking ability and potential in the pick-and-roll game as the short roll man. He very rarely forces things and consistently makes great reads and delivers the ball exactly where it needs to go with his passes. Mogbo is in the top 3 of this NCAA class as a rebounder in terms of Rebounds Per 100 Possessions as well as TRB% (along with Enrique Freeman and Zach Edey), but where he separates himself from this group is his offensive playmaking where he nearly doubles their AST% numbers despite having a lower usage rate. He’s also very good about pushing the ball up the floor with outlet passes and even has a bit of ability to initiate the break as a ballhandler (though he has some room to improve here). His skill as a playmaker in combination with his size and athleticism is reminiscent of Draymond Green or Pascal Siakam, although those are very big shoes to fill.

Mogbo is also a very springy athlete with solid lateral quickness to go along with his length that give him the physical tools to be a solid and versatile defender at the next level though, as I mentioned before, he will probably want to add some size and strength to his frame as he struggles a bit guarding bigger players in the post. He has decent weakside shot blocking instincts but will likely not be a guy racking up lots of blocks, his value on the defensive end will be his ability to switch in the pick-and-roll and guard multiple positions. One thing he will need to work on, however, is in the way he engages himself on defense. He is extremely active on the defensive end and often finds himself in the right spots due to his BBIQ but that activity at times presents itself with him being upright and constantly bouncing on his feet leading to him being beaten off the dribble. This is something that can be fixed with the right coaching to make sure he stays in a low defensive stance, keeping his ability to move laterally in either direction open. Aside from his rebounding numbers, his defensive game likely won’t translate into very much box score production, but he is a guy that still finds ways to makes an impact on that end by doing all the little things and playing with great energy. He is a magnet for rebounds with a knack for reading the ball off the rim and always looks to box out when a shot goes up.

Overall, I am very high on Jonathan Mogbo as a prospect and think he would be an excellent addition to any team as a second-round pick. I know the Pascal Siakam ceiling might seem crazy, and I don’t think he will ever be the scorer that Siakam is, but I think Siakam is the player and development path that Mogbo should be trying to emulate. If Mogbo ever develops a jump shot or the ability to create some scoring opportunities for himself, I can see him being a fourth or fifth starter level player that contributes to winning at a high level.