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2016 NBA Draft: Brooklyn Nets Select Seton Hall Isaiah Whitehead

By Kenneth Teape

Mar 12, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Seton Hall Pirates guard Isaiah Whitehead (15) celebrates against the Villanova Wildcats in the second half of the championship game of the Big East conference tournament at Madison Square Garden. Seton Hall won, 69-67. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 12, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Seton Hall Pirates guard Isaiah Whitehead (15) celebrates against the Villanova Wildcats in the second half of the championship game of the Big East conference tournament at Madison Square Garden. Seton Hall won, 69-67. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports /
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2016 NBA Draft: With the 42nd overall pick, the Brooklyn Nets selected hometown product Isaiah Whitehead out of Seton Hall.

The 2016 NBA Draft has seen a flurry of trades, and the Brooklyn Nets made yet another one. After trading into the first round and selecting Caris LeVert, the Nets traded up in the second round as well. The Nets traded up to the No.42 spot, sending the No.55 pick and cash considerations to the Utah Jazz according to The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

With that selection, the Nets selected Isaiah Whitehead out of Seton Hall University. It is a homecoming for the local product, as Whitehead attended Lincoln High School in Brooklyn before moving onto the college ranks.

Whitehead is an intriguing talent for the Nets, as he can score off the dribble with excellent vision. He led the Pirates in points, assists and blocks per game with averages 18.2, 5.1 and 1.4. He also added 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game as he did a little bit of everything for Seton Hall, leading them to victory in the Big Easy Conference Tournament over eventual National Champion Villanova.

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He is one of the best scorers available in the draft, as he is relentless getting to the basket. Despite being listed as a shooting guard, he has a knack for passing the ball and could play some point guard. He has an NBA body to hold up at either spot with solid size, standing 6-feet-5 inches and weighing 210 pounds.

But, as with many second round picks, Whitehead has some things to iron out in his game. He plays a little bit out of control at times, averaging 3.5 turnovers per game. He can also be very inefficient at times.

While he is a gifted scorer attacking the basket, his jump shot is not at the same level. He shot only 37.9 percent overall from the field and 36.5 percent from the three-point line. But, he was solid at the charity stripe, making 76 percent, which shows there is potential for his jump shot to come around.

If he can continue improving that jump shot, Whitehead has a chance to develop into a capable scorer at the NBA level. He already finishes well around the basket, so if he can make teams respect his jumper he can be onto something.

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With how thin the Nets roster currently is, especially in the backcourt, Whitehead has a chance to earn minutes right away. He needs to improve upon his decision making some, which is limiting his chances of playing point guard, but the talent is there for Whitehead to stick around. How nice that would be for him to do, especially in front of his friends and family in Brooklyn.

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