WALTHAM, Mass. — To 6-foot-8 NBA draft prospect Jordan Mickey, height is just a number. And he’s more interested in another number: 3.65.
That’s the number of shots Mickey blocked per game during his sophomore season at LSU, a mark that ranked first in all of Division I. It’s also what the 20-year-old big man pointed toward when asked how he’d respond to critics who say he’s too short to thrive as a rim protector.
“I would say I led college basketball in blocked shots this year,” Mickey said Wednesday after completing a pre-draft workout with the Boston Celtics. “That’s 7-footers, 7-foot-2, 7-foot-5 — all of that. I led the country in blocks, so I feel like height really isn’t a big difference to me.”
Despite his relatively small stature, most draft experts have Mickey pegged as a late first-round pick. With the Celtics owning the 28th overall pick and in the market for shot blocker, it’s no surprise Boston brought him in for a visit.
Celtics director of player personnel Austin Ainge, for one, didn’t seem overly concerned about Mickey’s height when questioned about it after the workout.
“He can guard multiple guys, he’s athletic, he’s long,” Ainge said. “I think a lot of times height is overrated. We see Paul Millsap’s a great player, I think he’s 6-foot-6. Draymond Green is 6-foot-6, (and he) plays a lot of center. Ben Wallace was the NBA Defensive Player of the Year at 6-foot-7. So, I think a lot of that is overblown. Guys are good at it or they’re not, whether they’re 6-foot-9 or they’re 7-foot-1.”
Mickey named both Millsap and Green as influences, as well as 6-foot-9 Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson. He said he’s been working on the offensive aspects of his game this offseason — “shooting the mid-range jump shot, my ball-handling, getting to the rim, finishing around the basket” — but knows his defense is what makes him a valuable commodity.
“I feel like I can make a great impact,” Mickey said. “That’s something I do: I play defense and block shots. That’s kind of what got me noticed at the collegiate level, so I feel I could do that (in the NBA).”
Thumbnail photo via Jim Brown/USA TODAY Sports Images
