Adam Morrison on Gonzaga's Anton Watson: 'I think he’s a legitimate pro prospect'

The Spokane native will look to carve out a role in the NBA after a unique collegiate career

Anton Watson will go down as one of the most versatile Zags ever. / James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

To try to put into perspective how important Anton Watson has been to the success of the Gonzaga men’s basketball program over the last five years is almost impossible.

The Spokane native went down as one of the winningest players in program history, while compiling a career stat line that no player has ever put together before. Watson finished with over 1,400 points, 700 rebounds, 200 assists and 215 steals, the second-most behind John Stockton. His postseason resume alone is impressive — four Sweet 16 games, three Elite Eight games, a Final Four and a National Championship appearance while setting the program record for steals in the NCAA Tournament with 21.

The list of accolades and stats don’t quite indicate just how many hats Watson wore throughout his career, or the sacrifices he made for the betterment of the team. From a starter as a freshman to a role player the next season, a defensive specialist to a two-way starter, the 6-foot-8 forward was Mark Few’s problem-solver on both ends of the floor. Watson never complained about future NBA talents Corey Kispert, Jalen Suggs, Julian Strawther, Chet Holmgren and Drew Timme getting all the limelight — he just won games his way.

This past season, Watson was thrust into a bigger role offensively. He had six 20-point games, including two 32-point outings, and averaged a career-high 14.5 points on 10.0 field goal attempts per game. The ball found his hands more often in isolation down in the post and out on the perimeter, as he posted a career-high 20.8% usage rate.

Being more involved on offense didn’t limit Watson on the defensive end, as he averaged 1.5 steals and grabbed 7.1 rebounds as the primary defender against the opponent’s best offensive player. 

Here’s an analysis of Watson's final season with Gonzaga.

Watch the full season recap episode of Talking Zags on Gonzaga Nation's YouTube channel.

WHAT WENT WELL

Anton Watson was the only senior on Gonzaga's roster. / Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

Watson waited a long time before it was his turn to take on a larger role within the offense. He wasn’t always the go-to guy like some thought he would be heading into the season, though his number was called for big moments time and time again against UCLA, Santa Clara and Kentucky. Overall, Watson’s high basketball IQ, his understanding of spacing, his ability to play multiple positions and his improvements as a passer were what really stood out when looking back at his final season.

Watson was often the decision-maker on offense when the ball wasn’t in the hands of Ryan Nembhard or Nolan Hickman, often setting up Graham Ike in the post through high-low actions. He made some of the entry passes from the top of the arc look easy, with a certain back-spin or curve that made sure the ball went right into Ike’s breadbasket over 20 feet away with a defender in the way. Those types of plays were a big reason why Watson averaged a career-high 2.6 assists.

Measuring Watson’s impact through traditional box scores doesn’t paint the full picture, but a look at advanced metrics can indicate just how important he was on offense for the Zags. Per basketball-reference.com, Watson’s career offensive rating of 126.8 is the highest in West Coast Conference history and ranks ninth all-time in NCAA Division-I men’s basketball history. Some of that has to do with his effective shooting percentages, but overall it measures his ability to consistently make the right basketball play time and time again.

Per Evan Miya, Watson had the fourth-highest Bayesian Performance Rating of any player in the country in 2023-24. BPR is a measurement of a player’s overall value to a team and takes into account one’s offensive and defensive performance rating. The three players with a higher BPR than Watson were named All-Americans: Purdue’s Zach Edey, UConn’s Donovan Clingan and Houston’s Jamal Shead.

“The last 2.5 years he’s been one of the better Zags we’ve had, especially locally, in a long time as far as the totality of his game,” said Adam Morrison of Watson on Talking Zags. “He improved his shooting, he improved his ability to take guys off the dribble. I think he’s been one of the better Zags in the last 5-10 years, and it’s cool it’s a local kid.”

WHAT HE NEEDS TO IMPROVE

The list of weaknesses in Watson’s game is slim. If there was one area for growth that could boost his NBA Draft stock, it’s his improvement as a 3-point shooter.

Watson shot an efficient 41.2% from downtown this season on low-volume attempts (21-of-51). He won’t need to be a 40% 3-point shooter to succeed at the next level, but he’ll need to at least show that he can be near that efficient with more attempts, particularly as a catch-and-shoot stretch forward who can spot up in the corners and knock down shots consistently.

“I got to be able to knock down open 3s,” Watson said on Gonzaga Nation. “I think that's the biggest thing; corner 3s. No wing 3s, just be a spot-up shooter.”

OFFSEASON EMPHASIS

This will be the second time Watson will go through the pre-draft process, including the workouts and scrimmages leading up to the 2024 NBA Draft on June 27. Until then, he’ll have opportunities to show scouts just how far his game has come since they last saw him nearly a year ago, when he posted one of the highest body fat percentages of any player to come through the draft combine.

“I think just getting stronger, getting my body right. That's the biggest thing,” Watson said. “That's a lot of feedback that I got from last year is you got to be in the best shape. You got to pass the eye tests.”

Scouts admire Watson’s feel for the game and his decision-making when the ball is in his hands. Outside of those areas, much of his pro career will weigh on his conditioning and ability to knock down 3-pointers.

“I think he’s a legitimate pro prospect,” Morrison said. “I think he has legit 3-and-D potential. He’s got to be able to make corner 3s. He’s got to be willing to guard Kevin Durant and have him score 35, play every possession like it’s your last. So I think he has that chance 'cause he moves well enough, he’s big enough and there’s other guys with his frame and skillset that are playing in the league.”