2022 NBA Draft: #37 Jaden Hardy (6' 3", 6' 9" WS) to DAL | two 2nds to SAC

[Kammrath]

Liddell is touted in this forum as a NBA center prospect. I'm incredibly skeptical. I think it is not smart to plan him switching to a position where he will be playing at a significant size handicap, and imo he's certainly not going to be NBA-ready anytime soon if that's the plan. He's much more likely imo to be used as a PF in the NBA, and even there he will be undersized.

A few thoughts on Liddell from me:

1) I have indeed been pushing him as a "small ball center" candidate. When I use that language I am NOT suggesting him in that role full-time. I classify him as a wing as well. I can imagine him in the long run splitting time between those, similar to Draymond Green.

2) He is undersized as a center (hence the nomenclature of "small ball center"). But I do not think Liddell is undersized as a wing at all. He has NBA ready strength and athleticism (ELITE). That alone makes him immediately play "bigger" than he is. If you have length and no strength it often doesn't matter because you get bumped into a position where you can no longer use your length as an advantage. Liddell will not be "displaced" easily and therefore plays "bigger" than he is.


3) I think Liddell is the perfect candidate for a team wanting to play an "all switching" defense. In that scenario who the "center" is doesn't even matter. Liddell in my opinion fits perfectly into that and is very capable of defending 1-5 (though yes he will be undersized against many 5s, but in an "all switching" defense you are already accepting that fate).