AJ Griffin a boom-or-bust prospect worth taking a swing on

AJ Griffin a boom-or-bust prospect worth taking a swing on originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

The Washington Wizards have the 10th-best lottery odds for the 2022 NBA Draft. Here is the latest in our series on draft prospects who could fall around where the Wizards will select….

2022 NBA Draft Wizards Prospect Profile: AJ Griffin

School: Duke

Position: Small forward

Age: 18 (turns 19 August 25)

Height: 6-6

Weight: 222

Wingspan: 7-0

2021/22 stats: 39 G, 10.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.0 apg, 0.5 spg, 0.6 bpg, 49.3 FG% (3.7/7.6), 44.7 3PT% (1.8/4.1), 79.2 FT% (1.1/1.4)

Player comparison: Jaylen Brown

Projections: NBC Sports Washington 8th, Sports Illustrated 10th, Ringer 6th, Athletic N/A, ESPN 8th, NBADraft.net 8th, Bleacher Report 6th

5 things to know:

– Griffin has top-five talent, but if you’re going to use a top-10 selection on a player that talented, you’d hope he’s a bit more NBA-ready than he is after one season at Duke. Injuries in high school limited his reps and stunted his development early on, making him one of the more raw prospects you’ll see taken in the lottery.

– He may be raw, but Griffin is already a good scorer and shooter with a reliable stroke that should translate to the next level. It’s a bit slow on the release and he’ll have to work on speeding it up, but Griffin shot over 49% from the floor, 44% from three and 79% from the free-throw line at Duke. For a young wing, those numbers are incredibly encouraging when projecting his future as an off-ball scorer.

– Griffin suffered two separate knee injuries in high school that caused him to miss nearly two years of game action. He also struggled with an ankle injury during his freshman season at Duke. For a player who needs more time and seasoning on the floor, he hasn’t been healthy enough to get those reps.

– With a 6’6, 220-pound frame to go along with a 7’0 wingspan and the athleticism he possesses, Griffin’s defensive potential is off the charts. He defends with effort as well, but the…