POINT GUARDS / SHOOTING GUARDS / SMALL FORWARDS / POWER FORWARDS / CENTERS
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Power Forward / 6-10 / Louisiana State / Freshman
19.5 ppg, 11.9 rpg
Despite LSU's collapse and imminent absence from the NCAA tourney, Simmons remains the clear cut #1 pick for this year's draft. It's been a frustrating season for Simmons with the team failing to live up to expectations, but credit him for staying positive and playing hard through the turmoil. While some in the media have begun to question whether Ingram has or could surpass him, scouts remain adamant that the Aussie is the obvious choice at 1. Simmons has a strong family background and combines high level athleticism and size with legitimate point guard vision and creativity. Is it blasphemous to compare anyone to the most dynamic athlete in any sport over the past decade? Yes. But Simmons is probably the closest thing we've seen to LeBron, and there really isn't a better choice. Simmons isn't as explosive, but his superior size makes up for some of the athleticism differential. Is he going to be LeBron? Of course not. Can he be a top 3-5 player in the league at his peak? Yes. |
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Small Forward / 6-9 / Duke / Freshman
17.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg
Ingram is a very unique prospect in his own right, combining freakish length with a sweet stroke and a smooth floor game. The Stephen Curry factor has obviously tipped this debate in his favor, with Ingram's superior shooting ability. His tremendous play has added some debate about the #1 pick, and while it's still probably a long shot, the team that lands the top pick will have to at the very least consider him. With length and shooting ability reminiscent of Kevin Durant, Ingram has played even better than expected. Showing a level of focus and determination that has made him a highly effective player, on top of being such a high level prospect. A kid who grew up as a skateboarder, Ingram has become one of Duke's most consistent performers and leaders very quickly. Ingram has made it a conversation for who should go first and also giving two apparent franchise talents in this year's draft. |
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3. Phoenix: Dragan Bender
Power Forward / 7-0 / Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel) / 1997
2.1 ppg, 1.4 rpg
Bender is drafting in Kristaps Porzingis' wake, with teams looking to duplicate the Knicks recent draft success and find the next sweet shooting Euro stretch four. While Bender lacks Porzingis' size, he may be an even better shooter. He built a big reputation in junior events in his age group. His competitiveness and scoring ability give him a lot of potential, however his body needs to get a lot stronger. Through 15 games with Maccabi, he's averaging 13 minutes, 5.7 ppg, and hit a very impressive 14-of-27 three point attempts. |
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4. Boston: Jaylen Brown
Shooting Guard / 6-7 / California / Freshman
15.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg
Nicknamed 'Old man' by his Mom, Brown does everything very deliberately. He moves slow, talks slow and walks slow, and actually likes the nickname given by his mother. But on the floor, he's anything but slow. Brown is a terror in the open floor, utilizing his superior speed, athleticism and raw power to get to the rim. His jumpshot, despite average percentages, is underrated. His floor game continues to progress, and he's begun to put together moves to get by opponents, which makes for a deadly mix. Brown is a thoughtful, introspective kid with high character and superstar upside. He possesses the same elite athleticism as Jason Richardson, only with more size and the potential to be better. |
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Point Guard / 6-4 / Providence / Junior
17.0 ppg, 5.9 rpg
Dunn is a dynamic, true point guard with elite size and speed and has improved upon his weaknesses, namely decision making and shooting. Those are areas that continue to need honing, however he's got "something special" as one scout put it. His defensive intensity and potential have drawn comparisons to players such as John Wall and Gary Payton from scouts. He still must become much more consistent as a shooter to reach that level, however. Dunn has a charisma and confidence about him that can carry him to becoming a great player in the league someday. |
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6. Denver: Jamal Murray
Point Guard / 6-5 / Kentucky / Freshman
19.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg
Murray has improved as the season has progressed, embracing the role of go to scorer with clutch play. Playing alongside one of the top floor generals in the nation, in Ulis, has meant that he hasn't been able to develop in the role, however he's been excellent playing off the ball. There's no questioning Murray's leadership and maturity. He's proven over both his high school and Canadian National team performances that he's an extremely composed and a clutch performer. While he played solely at the shooting guard position at Kentucky, his ability to log minutes at the point give him intrigue. After a slow start to the season, Murray has fulfilled the early season projections as a top 10 pick. |
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Shooting Guard / 6-4 / Oklahoma / Senior
25.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg
For a player that wasn't even on some pundit's first round projections coming into the season, Hield has helped his cause as much as anyone. As a near lock to be National Player of the Year, he has become a likely lottery pick, and should get looks in the 5-10 area. He's improved considerably as a shooter and shot creator but can still improve his handle. He is a kid with a terrific attitude and a polished skill set. Buddy is a dangerous offensive player, showing the ability to score in a variety of ways as well as facilitate. He's on the small side at 6'4, but has long arms and a strong build. |
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8. Toronto: Jakob Poeltl
Center / 7-1 / Utah / Sophomore
17.7 ppg, 8.9 rpg
Poeltl has been the most impressive center prospect this season, with steady improvement as the season has gone along. He's become a strong candidate for Conference POY honors. He struggled to some degree over the Summer at the Nike Academy event, but has shown excellent improvement in his post skills. He's added an effective up and under move and really commands the ball in the half court, when isolating against his man. He's good at finishing plays in the open floor as he's very fluid and has great feet. He still has a ways to go in polishing his offensive game, but his potential as a two way player and ability to be a rim protector makes him very intriguing. |
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Power Forward / 6-10 / California / Freshman
12.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg
There are athletes and there are basketball players, as one scout put it when describing him, with Rabb being the latter. Not that he's not a high level athlete as well, but his feel for the game and basketball acumen is truly what gets scouts excited when projecting him to the next level. Rabb has a calm presence and steadiness to his game that you rarely find in a 19 year old. His maturity and intelligence are that of a college senior. In fact, senior teammate Tyrone Wallace observed that the conversations between Rabb and roommate Jaylen Brown are "not normal freshman conversations". He's worked hard on his body since arriving in Berkeley, and while he still can be pushed around by the strongest of college opponents, he fights hard for rebounds and position inside. His gait running the open floor is not the smoothest, but then again former #1 overall pick Andrew Bogut had severe leg issues affecting his running form as a freshman. His legs appear to be improving slowly but steadily. |
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10. Sacramento: Brice Johnson
Power Forward / 6-9 / North Carolina / Senior
17.0 ppg, 10.6 rpg
Johnson has gone from role player to superstar in his senior season, putting together a season of consistency and dominance. While he lacks great strength and much room to put weight on, his scoring and rebounding numbers in one of the top conferences speak for themselves. Johnson has had one the most impressive individual performance of the season, putting up 37 points and 23 rebounds against Florida State on January 4th. When teammate Kennedy Meeks got injured early in the year, Johnson got a chance to show what he could do as the featured offensive weapon, and never looked back. He's a long, lean jumping jack with excellent scoring when facing the basket. |
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11. Orlando: Stephen Zimmerman
Center / 7-0 / Nevada-Las Vegas / Freshman
10.6 ppg, 9.0 rpg
Zimmerman has had an up and down, inconsistent freshman season at UNLV, having lost two weeks in mid February to a knee injury. But he remains high on scout's lists due to his size (7-3 wingspan), soft touch and ability to rebound. In limited minutes, his rebounding and shot blocking have been very productive. He has a good understanding of the game and should be able to put weight on and become stronger and more effective in the post. |
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12. Phoenix: Furkan Korkmaz
Shooting Guard / 6-7 / Anadolu Efes (Turkey) / 1997
2.8 ppg, 1.0 rpg
Korkmaz is a wiry guard with an advanced offensive game for his age. He's a good leaper, having won dunk contests and shows solid explosiveness. He's not incredibly quick, so defense and creating shots against high-level athletes could be a challenge. He has struggled some with playing time and productivity this season. |
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13. Denver: Domantas Sabonis
Power Forward / 6-10 / Gonzaga / Sophomore
17.3 ppg, 11.8 rpg
Sabonis may not look like a lottery pick at first glance, but it's all of the little things that he brings to the table that makes him such a valuable player. Sabonis lacks the elite run, jump athleticism generally associated with standout players, yet his ability to impact games with his strength, toughness and basketball IQ make him a sure bet to have a successful NBA career. He's a much better shooter in practice than he's shown in games to this point, and could potentially have a NBA 3 point shot in his repertoire down the road. He lacks a great "ape index", with his wingspan divided by height being close to even. He proved himself as a clutch, tough nosed competitor in the NCAA tournament, getting the upper hand on Jahlil Okafor in the freshmen match up last season. |
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14. Detroit: Skal Labissiere
Power Forward / 6-11 / Kentucky / Freshman
6.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg
Skal has had a rough season to say the least. Labissiere has struggled to get playing time at Kentucky, as his feel for the game and strength are still lacking. He thoroughly impressed scouts during the Hoop Summit and was universally projected as a top 3 pick coming into the season. While his rough season has certainly hurt his stock, he's still considered a probable lottery pick. He's viewed as more of a project than he was going into the season. |
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15. Utah: Diamond Stone
Center / 6-10 / Maryland / Freshman
12.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg
Stone isn't the most explosive athlete but combines great length with a sturdy frame and solid body control. He has been one of the Nation's most productive freshmen and playing on a top 5 team has given him a good deal of exposure. His 39 point, 12 rebound outburst to help Maryland pull out their win against Penn State showed the type of explosive scoring ability he possesses. |
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16. Portland: Denzel Valentine
Small Forward / 6-6 / Michigan State / Senior
19.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg
Valentine was the frontrunner for National Player of the Year honors, with numerous triple doubles having lead Michigan State to an undefeated record, a month and a half into the season. But his knee required arthroscopic surgery forcing him to miss a few weeks of action. While his upside is limited due to his lack of size and athleticism, he's a highly skilled player with a good chance to find a spot in the first round and league despite his athletic shortcomings. |
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17. Boston: Demetrius Jackson
Point Guard / 6-1 / Notre Dame / Junior
16.4 ppg, 4.9 apg
Jackson is small point guard but has long arms to make up for it. He also has good speed and athleticism. He hasn't shot the three ball as well as he did last year playing alongside Jerian Grant, but his leadership and point guard skills have made solid progression. Scouts like his leadership and point guard ability and feel he could end up in the mid-late first round with solid workouts. |
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18. Charlotte: Henry Ellenson
Power Forward / 6-10 / Marquette / Freshman
16.7 ppg, 10.0 rpg
Ellenson has turned into a star in his freshman season at Marquette. He is extremely versatile with his ability to handle the ball in the open floor and his face the basket and post skills. While he's a below average run/jump athlete, his 7-foot-2 wingspan gives him the length to make up for his lack of speed defensively and on the boards. His shooting efficiency still needs work, but he's developed a reputation for being a quality shooter and should find a role in the league as a stretch four. |
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19. Chicago: Malik Beasley
Shooting Guard / 6-5 / Florida State / Freshman
16.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg
Beasley is a sweet shooting freshman who has been every bit as productive as teammate Dwayne Bacon, only with more efficiency. He's a superior shooter and even displays some combo skills, with great ball handling and solid passing. While not as big or athletic as Bacon, there are some scouts who prefer Beasley for his great versatility and aforementioned jumpshot. He's hit the freshman wall in the latter part of the year, but remains one of the draft's top shooters. His poster dunk against Duke showed the athleticism he possesses. |
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20. Atlanta: Grayson Allen
Shooting Guard / 6-5 / Duke / Sophomore
20.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg
Allen has picked up right where he left off in last year's National Championship game, in which he came in and rescued the Blue Devils, when their backs were against the wall. Allen has been a star on the college level, becoming extremely efficient in his sophomore season both shooting and scoring on drives to the basket. He's a confident athlete and plays with a sense of urgency and competitiveness. His lack of size and speed limits scout's projection for him to the NBA level. |
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21. Indiana: Cheick Diallo
Power Forward / 6-9 / Kansas / Freshman
3.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg
Diallo is said to have a one track mind regarding the draft, that being he's gone. But his lack of playing time has put doubt into scout's minds about his whether he's worth taking in the mid to late first round. He was a near unanimous top 5 player in his class and dominated practices in front of scouts, not to mention receiving MVP in multiple high profile High School All American showcase games. With Kansas' stable of frontcourt horses, Diallo has been the odd man out. Whether or not he could have contributed more and seen more playing time is open to debate, but his status as a top 25 pick has become a fluid situation. |
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22. Boston: Caris LeVert
Shooting Guard / 6-7 / Michigan / Senior
16.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg
LeVert was seen as a guy with lottery talent going into the season, but having a second injury plagued year has taken it's toll on his draft stock. He had done a solid job of bouncing back after the foot injury which sidelined him last season. He's an unselfish, versatile 2-guard with a smooth mid range game and excellent vision. While he lacks ideal athleticism, his feel for the game and cerebral decision making help him to be an effective player. How well he checks out in physicals and tests athletically will likely factor into his draft stock. |
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23. Philadelphia: Damian Jones
Center / 7-0 / Vanderbilt / Junior
14.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg
Jones is one of the biggest enigmas in this year's draft. When he's engaged, he appears to be a future NBA starting center. When he's not, he looks like a D-League bench warmer. He has obvious NBA run/jump athleticism and intriguing potential as a shooter. His biggest obstacle has been his lack of consistency and focus. He too often disappears for stretches of games, apparently forgetting that he's the most talented kid on the court and it's his duty to kick everyone's butt. He's got a great attitude off the floor and is certainly coachable, but may be a kid that requires constant motivational support to maximize his abilities. He has lottery talent, but there's a good chance his happy-go-lucky nature and lack of intensity may scare some teams. |
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24. Denver: Dwayne Bacon
Shooting Guard / 6-7 / Florida State / Freshman
15.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg
Bacon is an explosive, dynamic athlete with a growing all around skill set. He has been one of the ACC's top performers in his freshman season and appears set to parlay that into becoming a one-and-done first round pick. He still needs to improve upon his outside shooting, but proved he could hit shots in the clutch with his game winning bucket against Florida on December 29th. Bacon's level of play fell off as he seemed to his the proverbial freshman wall. His shooting numbers have severely dipped and he has struggled to score with the same efficiency. |
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Small Forward / 6-7 / Mega Leks (Serbia) / 1995
15.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg
Luwawu has had a breakout season playing, scoring 15 ppg in Serbia for Mega Leks and proven that he can knock down the 3 ball consistently at 38% on a high volume. He still needs to improve his mid-range game and consistency, and cut down the turnovers (3 per game) but he's a wing with promise as a defender due to his athleticism and length. Luwawu remains a bit of project, as a player in need of expanding his floor game, but a wing teams could bring over immediately or possibly target to draft and stash. |
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Power Forward / 6-8 / SPO Rouen (France) / 1995
9.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg
Yabusele is having a solid season in France for Rouen, with 9.4 PPG, 6.0 reb, and knocking down 57.4% from the floor, 40% from 3 and 77% from the line. He has surprising ball skills and outside shooting ability. For a player with such tremendous body strength, he's actually quite nimble. He shows good anticipation playing passing lanes and surprising body control to stop and start and not bowl over opponents when attacking. While lacking ideal power forward height, his 7-foot plus wingspan allows him to play bigger. |
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Power Forward / None / Estudiantes (Spain) / 1995
5.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg
Juancho Hernangomez has risen up draft boards this season with consistent play. He's a versatile forward with ability to play both positions and draft stock. Starting on a team, Estudiantes, in the second best league in the world, the 20 year old is averaging 10.6 ppg, and 6.4 rpg, while shooting efficiently from all three levels (76% FT, 54% FG, 34% 3P). |
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28. Phoenix: Anthony Barber
Point Guard / 6-2 / North Carolina State / Junior
23.5 ppg, 4.6 apg
Cat Barber has been one of the most improved players in the nation. He's also become one of the deadliest scorers, utilizing his speed and shiftiness to score on pull ups or get to the rim. While he came into college with some major concerns about his attitude and character, his play has proven a high level of dedication and reports of negative attitude and behavior have dissipated. Interviews with teams are likely what will ultimately determine whether a team will be willing to give him guaranteed money with a first round pick. |
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Small Forward / 6-7 / Baylor / Senior
15.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg
Despite being a senior, Prince retains intrigue due to his energy and ability to shoot. While his three point numbers have fallen off from previous years, he knocks down free throws at a plus 80% clip and shows a versatile all around game. He'll look to cement a position in the first round in workouts and interviews with teams. |
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30. Golden State: Wade Baldwin
Shooting Guard / 6-3 / Vanderbilt / Sophomore
14.4 ppg, 4.9 apg
Baldwin possesses tremendous length for his size with a 6-10 wingspan at 6-3, and aggressively attacks the rim whenever possible. He has shown the ability to hit the three ball consistently over two seasons, though scouts remain somewhat skeptical about his shooting stroke, and ability to effectively run a team. Regardless, he's an intriguing prospect due to his length and potential to develop into a point guard. |
Key: (*) Standard salary for players selected with that pick in 2016-17.
from HoopsHype http://ift.tt/212Hjbz
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