POINT GUARDS / SHOOTING GUARDS / SMALL FORWARDS / POWER FORWARDS / CENTERS
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Power Forward / 6-10 / Louisiana State / Freshman
19.2 ppg, 11.8 rpg
How soon people forget. It was just months ago that Ben Simmons was taking college basketball by storm, having one of the best starts and first few months of any freshman of the past 20-25 years. Simmons had an unceremonious end to the season, failing to guide a young LSU team with chemistry problems and a horrific coach into the Big Dance. But his numbers on the year speak for themselves. And for all the negativity surrounding him in the media, scouts remain high on him. Was he a great student? No. Did he disrupt the "sanctity" of college basketball? Maybe in some minds. But does that mean he has character issues? No. Simmons comes from a strong family background, and his father played professionally in Australia, so Ben grew up with multiple advantages. The notion that he somehow has character concerns is pure propaganda. Simmons combines high-level athleticism and size with legitimate point guard vision and creativity. Ingram finished the year stronger, but Simmons' ability to impact games and greater chance to be a franchise talent ultimately makes him the pick. |
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Small Forward / 6-9 / Duke / Freshman
17.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg
Ingram came into the season as an intriguing prospect, but nobody figured he would challenge for the No. 1 overall pick, or develop as quickly as he did. He combines condor length (7-foot-3 wingspan) with a sweet stroke and a smooth floor game. While he may lack great explosiveness and quickness and has a frail body, he does show a willingness to fight through contact. The Curry factor has obviously helped him, with Ingram's stellar outside shooting ability. The key for Ingram will be how he's able to add muscle to his body in order to defend, and how that added muscle affects his speed and mobility. If the team that lands the top pick in the lottery can look past Ingram's flaws, namely lack of strength, explosiveness and speed, it could potentially talk itself into drafting Ingram for his shooting and upside. |
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3. Boston: Buddy Hield
Shooting Guard / 6-4 / Oklahoma / Senior
25.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg
Hield capped off a tremendous Senior year by not only winning a number of National Player of the Year awards, but guiding the Sooners to the Final Four. 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. His quick trigger and excellent ability to get shots off combined with a strong will to win and improve himself makes him a prospect with a lot of intrigue. He's on the small side at 6-foot-4, but has long arms, a strong build and sneaky athleticism. For a player that wasn't even on some pundits' first-round projections coming into the season, Hield helped his cause as much as anyone. |
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4. Phoenix: Dragan Bender
Power Forward / 7-0 / Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel) / 1997
2.1 ppg, 1.4 rpg
Bender couldn't have picked a better draft to be in with the success of Kristaps Porzingis and the lack of elite talent in the high lottery. While Bender lacks Porzingis' size, he may be an even better shooter. He built a big reputation in junior events in his age group. Unfortunately he hasn't been able to play much this season for his Israeli team. He played very well in an exhibition game before the season in Chicago with a lot of scouts in attendance. His competitiveness and scoring ability give him a lot of potential, however his body needs to get a lot stronger. With excellent size, quickness, shooting and determination, Bender figures to be off the board quickly despite not having a large sample size at the senior level in Europe. |
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Point Guard / 6-5 / Kentucky / Freshman
20.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg
Murray raised eyebrows before the season began flourishing at the Pan Am games in the summer while running the show for the Canadian National Team. He played very well as a freshman at Kentucky and improved as the season progressed. Playing alongside one of the top floor generals in the nation (Ulis) meant playing strictly off the ball. It may have stunted his point guard skills to a degree, but it has helped him at becoming better 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 potential ability to log minutes at the point also gives him intrigue. |
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6. New Orleans: Kris Dunn
Point Guard / 6-4 / Providence / Junior
16.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg
Dunn is a dynamic, true point guard with elite size and speed that steadily 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 one day. |
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Power Forward / 6-10 / Gonzaga / Sophomore
17.6 ppg, 11.8 rpg
Sabonis may not look like a lottery pick at first glance, but it's the heart and intangibles that he brings to the table that make 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 three-point shot in his repertoire down the road. 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 and guiding the Zags to a Sweet Sixteen appearance this year. |
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8. Sacramento: Ivan Rabb
Power Forward / 6-10 / California / Freshman
12.5 ppg, 8.6 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 No. 1 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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9. Toronto: Jaylen Brown
Shooting Guard / 6-7 / California / Freshman
14.6 ppg, 5.4 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 jump shot, 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 strength. |
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10. Milwaukee: Jakob Poeltl
Center / 7-1 / Utah / Sophomore
17.2 ppg, 9.1 rpg
Poeltl showed a nice jump in development from his freshman to sophomore season. He may not be the most fluid player, but he has great length and speed in the open floor. Some question his upside and ability to become a star. But if you're looking for a solid big with character and work ethic, Poeltl fits the bill. His post skills show some signs of improvement, and his defense also shows a lot of promise. 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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11. Orlando: Furkan Korkmaz
Shooting Guard / 6-7 / Anadolu Efes (Turkey) / 1997
2.6 ppg, 0.9 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 to gain playing time this season, on powerhouse Turkish team Anadolu Efes. Regardless, European scouts are very high on him and feel that he is one of the top wing prospects available for this year's draft. Korkmaz should be able to compete for a lottery spot if he impresses teams in workouts. |
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12. Utah: Malik Beasley
Shooting Guard / 6-5 / Florida State / Freshman
15.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg
One of the surprise breakout freshmen, Beasley showed a smooth shooting strong along with polished floor skills. He can score in a variety of ways whether it be spotting up or pulling up and he also shows some ability to attack the rim. His poster dunk against Duke showed the athleticism he possesses. He's a high-level shooter and even displays high level ball handling and solid passing. He hit a bit of a freshman wall in the latter part of the year, but overall had a very strong body of work. |
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13. Phoenix: Dejounte Murray
Shooting Guard / 6-5 / Washington / Freshman
16.1 ppg, 4.4 apg
Murray is still a long ways from a finished product and like his teammate Marquese Chriss, the team that selects him will have to be extremely patient. But on talent he's among the Top 5-10 players in this year's draft. His blinding quickness and ability to play relatively under control while operating at a breakneck speed makes him extremely unique. Like Beasley, and Chriss for that matter, he was a kid that was somewhat overlooked in high school and leapfrogged many of his classmates into the top handful of prospects. While he shows some ability to run the show from the lead guard position, he appears to be better suited to play the 2. He shows a score-first mentality and brings added versatility with his handles and passing. His ball skills are truly elite, which along with his length and quickness allow him to terrorize opponents in ISO situations. |
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14. Chicago: Skal Labissiere
Power Forward / 6-11 / Kentucky / Freshman
6.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg
In a draft year with a lot of polarizing players, Skal gets the award for being the most polarizing. Some continue to point back to how dominant he looked at last year's Hoop Summit, while others feel that that was misleading considering the opponents he faced and him rising so fast into the top pick discussion was never legitimate. His season at Kentucky certainly did his draft stock no favors. He's an extremely sensitive kid. And the constant challenges from Coach Cal, which bring out the best in many kids, had the opposite effect on him. Regardless, the hype and expectations that have been placed upon him also did him no favors as many were as quick to dismiss him as they were to overhype him. Labissiere is still new to the game, and his feel and the speed of high-level competition is still something that he's adjusting to. There's a lot of talent here, with his tremendous shooting ability, along with high-level size and mobility. He doesn't seem to understand how to utilize his athleticism and may never fully realize his massive upside, but there's still a lot to work with and he could really thrive if the right coach believes in him and builds up his confidence. |
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15. Denver: Deyonta Davis
Power Forward / 6-10 / Michigan State / Freshman
7.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg
Davis looks like a future All-Star when you string together a highlight reel of his best plays. The problem is that those highlights were few and far between and much of the time he seemed content just to be on the floor instead of being an impact guy at all times. How much of his reluctance to shoot and be productive was due to him, his desire not to "rock the boat", or whether he was following the coaching staff's wishes, is the big question. He is very athletic and agile for his size at 240 pounds, and a huge 6-foot-10 frame with a 7-foot-2 wingspan. He also shows some nice touch with both hands around the basket. His confidence and feel for the game need some improvement. Davis becomes just the second one-and-done player under Tom Izzo with Zach Randolph being the first. With his upside, he figures to challenge for a late lottery spot, if teams are impressed with him in interviews and workouts. |
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16. Boston: Brice Johnson
Power Forward / 6-9 / North Carolina / Senior
17.0 ppg, 10.4 rpg
Johnson went from a role player to superstar in his senior season, putting together a season of consistency and dominance. He broke the North Carolina record with double doubles in a season with 23. So much for the idea that he can't rebound. While he lacks great strength and much ability to put weight on, his scoring and rebounding numbers in one of the top conferences speaks for itself. Johnson has had one the most impressive individual performance of the season, putting up 37 points and 23 rebounds against Florida State on January 4. 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 a face-up game and a jump shot that has become a weapon out to 15-18 feet. His emotional maturity will be the key to his success. In the title game he had a bit of a meltdown dealing with frustration, and that's something that could affect his stock some on draft night. He figures to be one of the Top 3-4 seniors off the board and should go anywhere from 10-20. |
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17. Memphis: Denzel Valentine
Small Forward / 6-6 / Michigan State / Senior
19.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg
Valentine won National Player of the Year over Buddy Hield and impacted games as much as anyone all year. He had an unbelievable season, despite Michigan State's shocking first round upset loss to Middle Tennessee State. The senior was extremely classy in defeat, showing true heart and leadership in taking responsibility and not pointing any fingers. He's a difficult player to project as his ability to affect the game in college with his immense ball skills may or may not translate to the next level due to his below average size, speed and athleticism. His knee required arthroscopic surgery forcing him to miss a few weeks of action this year. While he lacks a great first step, he's become a knockdown shooter and his best attribute is his great vision and passing. He's got a tremendous basketball IQ and his maturity and attitude should allow to contribute to a winning team, no matter what level of player he becomes. |
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18. Detroit: 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 its toll on his draft stock. Many teams have him projected in the second round, so this is clearly going out on a limb putting him in the top 20. His foot ended his season and if it doesn't check out in team physicals, he will slide. He's an unselfish, versatile two-guard with a smooth mid-range game and excellent vision. While he lacks elite athleticism, he shows a great feel for the game, cerebral decision and the ability to make those around him better. How well he checks out in physicals and tests athletically will be crucial for his draft stock. |
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19. Denver: Henry Ellenson
Power Forward / 6-10 / Marquette / Freshman
17.0 ppg, 9.7 rpg
Ellenson had a standout freshman season, as Marquette's top player and will look to parlay that into being a mid-first round pick. He's a quality kid, who seems to put the team first. And while not the most demonstrative of personalities, he's young and extremely coachable. For his size, he has versatility with his ability to handle the ball in the open floor and shows 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. He also shows solid feet with good balance and will surprise you by making plays attacking the rim, despite any real explosiveness. 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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20. Indiana: Marquese Chriss
Power Forward / 6-9 / Washington / Freshman
13.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg
Chriss probably should be returning to Washington and working on his game, but when you blow up with the type of freshman season that he had, and are a projected first rounder, it's hard to fault his decision. He is a candidate to spend the next 2-3 years in the D-League before being able to contribute to an NBA team. His upside is considerable, as he shows good touch out to 15 feet and is a superb run-jump athlete with NBA power forward size at 6-9 with a 7-1 wingspan. His poor rebounding numbers also drops him in some scouts minds. His body language on the floor and interactions with refs expose his lack of maturity, though he's in fact a bright kid who was studying engineering. |
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21. Atlanta: Stephen Zimmerman
Center / 7-0 / Nevada-Las Vegas / Freshman
10.5 ppg, 8.7 rpg
A "finesse big", Zimmerman had an up and down, inconsistent freshman season at Nevada-Las Vegas, having lost two weeks in mid-February to a knee injury. But he remains high on scouts' lists due to his size (7-foot-3 wingspan), soft touch and ability to rebound. In limited minutes, his rebounding and shot-blocking numbers were solid. 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. It would be nice to see more fire and intensity out of the kid, but big men often take the longest to figure things out. His upside is likely too much to pass on in the late teens early 20s, despite some fears that "what you see is what you get" with him. |
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22. Charlotte: Cheick Diallo
Power Forward / 6-9 / Kansas / Freshman
3.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg
Diallo is another high risk/reward guy after barely seeing the court at Kansas as a freshman. Scouts absolutely rave about this kid's character saying those around the team (coaches, trainers, medical staff, etcetera) consider him the best kid in 15-20 years. He's unorthodox, and is another guy that a team will need to be especially patient with. But there is a lot of talent and potential to be intrigued with. He was a near unanimous Top 5 player in his high school 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 was the odd man out. Whether becoming eligible to the team late, lack of readiness, or ulterior motives were responsible for his lack of playing time is open to debate. Diallo has been working hard on his shot and with his high motor and character, he becomes too enticing to pass up at some point. |
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23. Boston: Damian Jones
Center / 7-0 / Vanderbilt / Junior
13.9 ppg, 6.9 rpg
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. His lack of a great feel for the game and intensity could scare teams and cause him to slide on draft night. |
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Shooting Guard / 6-6 / Syracuse / Freshman
13.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg
Richardson has a dilemma on his hands regarding his draft decision. On one hand, the iron is hot after a strong tourney performance, with a 21-point second half to knock out No. 1 seed Virginia and put a Syracuse team that many had out of the tournament field into the Final Four. He's another long-term play as he isn't likely to contribute much for a few seasons. Combine the fact that he shows the ability to shine in big situations, the fact that he is a great kid with a developing skillset, and the fact that he has a 7-foot wingspan, and you can see why teams feel he has a good chance to be a first rounder this year. Regardless, most scouts would like to see him return to school and improve his shooting and all-around efficiency. |
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Power Forward / 6-8 / SPO Rouen (France) / 1995
9.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg
Yabusele is having a solid season in France for Rouen with 9.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg and knocking down 53.3 percent from the floor, 41.3 percent from 3 and 75 percent 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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Small Forward / 6-7 / Baylor / Senior
15.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg
Despite being a senior, Prince has 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 percent clip and shows a versatile all-around game. He showed some fire and willingness to fight (even teammates) in Baylor's first round loss to Yale. He made some great plays at the end of the game including put backs and step back threes, which certainly helped his cause. He'll look to cement a position in the first round in workouts and interviews with teams. |
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27. Toronto: Diamond Stone
Center / 6-10 / Maryland / Freshman
12.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg
Stone isn't the most explosive athlete but combines great length with a sturdy frame and solid body control. He's obviously a talented player, having been among the Top 5 kids in his age group since he was a freshman. 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. Regardless, there are concerns with maturity and work ethic. He has developed a reputation for not giving his all in practice and there are also body language concerns on the floor that point to a lack of maturity and competitiveness. He can really perform well in stretches when he puts his mind to it, but his lack of a consistent motor is concerning. |
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28. Phoenix: Thon Maker
Power Forward / 7-0 / Australia / 1997
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Thon is the draft's ultimate wild card as he gathered a lot of hype during his high school career. Is he a guy that peaked at 15 years of age? Is his listed age even legitimate? These questions must be at the very least considered. A year in college may have been positive for his development, but it also may have exposed his weaknesses. Is he the ultimate sleeper or the ultimate tease? We tend to subscribe to the latter in terms of his outlook. He's a good kid, despite a general consensus that he has questionable advisement. To his credit, he has shown a lot of resolve through everything. He moved to the U.S. from Australia, then from a U.S. high school to Canada, graduated last year without announcing it and then declared for the draft after saying he was 100 percent going to college. This entire scenario was actually quite predictable when you realize that every move that has been made with the sole purpose of preserving the hype around him. He did have a dominant NBPA camp last year, but was he even eligible to play there? And how much older actually is he than the kids that he was facing? He hustles down the floor and will battle you for rebounds. He shows face-up potential with an adequate mid-range J. The main issue for him is his lack of body strength. He has a body that just cannot seem to add weight in a constructive basketball sense, in particular his lower body. There are major concerns about his body holding up, as his legs and hips are extremely stiff. He does not get much lift when he faces contact, and the added strength to his upper body has noticeably slowed his mobility and explosiveness. At one point, there was some unrealistic hype surrounding him with "best prospect in high school" being thrown around. Thon intrigues with his determination, length and skill level, but it would have been nice to see him actually prove it against legitimate competition, particularly since his development has stagnated. Thon figures to find a spot in the first round, but major question marks exist regarding his body holding up to the strength, speed and athleticism of the NBA. |
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Point Guard / 6-2 / North Carolina State / Junior
23.5 ppg, 4.6 apg
Barber was one of the most improved players in the nation this year. He led the entire ACC in points per game, becoming one of the deadliest scorers in the country. He has become adept at utilizing his speed and shiftiness to score on pull ups or get to the rim, and is extremely difficult to stay in front of him defensively. 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. He has been polishing some go-to moves including a lightning quick drive and step back J that is nearly indefensible. There will be stiff competition from the likes of Demetrius Jackson, Tyler Ulis, and Wade Baldwin. All of whom he figures to go up against in individual workouts. 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, as the talent is clearly there. |
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30. Golden State: AJ Hammons
Center / 7-0 / Purdue / Senior
15.0 ppg, 8.2 rpg
Hammons is a smooth big with very good size, strength and offensive skills. He failed to play up to his ability in his first three seasons at Purdue. Coaches complained that getting him to work hard was like pulling teeth. However, he seemed to turn over a new leaf in the summer leading into his senior year. His work habits and intensity showed improvement. And his play in his senior year was significantly better. Was he just an older kid beating up on kids 2-3 years younger than him? Maybe. But his ability to knock down outside shots, along with his NBA level size and athleticism will give him plenty of looks in the 20's. |
Key: (*) Standard salary for players selected with that pick in 2016-17.
from HoopsHype http://ift.tt/1r7pWMn
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