Following 2021 Prospects:

[bajaden]

Normally about this time of the year, with the draft over, and free agency in full bloom, I would turn my attention to next years draft. Needless to say, this isn't a normal year, but being a creature of habit, and with next years draft looking like a strong one, I figured its never too early to introduce you to some of the top players. There are around 10 or 11 players, who if they were in this years draft, would likely be in the running for the number one pick in the draft.

So without further ado, lets start with the player who is currently thought of as the likely number one pick. We all know how that goes...

Cade Cunningham: PG/SG/SF, 6'7", 215 Lbs, 7'05" Wingspan, Freshman, Oklahoma St.

Cunningham is considered the best PG in the draft. Obviously everything is based on his high school play and one never knows for sure how that will translate to the next level. But from what film I've watched, he's a good athlete, but not an elite athlete. He has a quick first step with good hesitation and change of direction moves that allows him to get to the basket at will. He's also a good finisher with either hand. He's an excellent passer with very good court vision, plus his height allows him to see over, and shoot over whoever's guarding him.

At the high school level he was a very good defender averaging around 1.5 steals a game. He can score from anywhere on the floor, with his 3 pt shot being a little inconsistent. With Oklahoma St. being hit with some penalties there have been rumors that Cunningham might transfer to another school, with Kentucky being at the top of his list. So far, he's saying he's remaining loyal to Oklahoma St.

 

[bajaden]

Jonathan Kuminga: 6'8", 210 Lbs, 6'11" wingspan, SF/PF, Not committed.

Kuminga is a physical specimen. An elite athlete and already NBA strong. He may have the highest ceiling of anyone in the draft. He's already skilled with decent to good handles. He's a good passer and he has a decent to good jump shot. He takes a few too many contested shots, and he gets a little loose with the ball at times, but all correctable things. One area where he really needs to improve is in the rebounding dept. For an athlete his size with his athleticism, he should be a monster on the boards.

He has the potential to be a very good defender and potential as a shot blocker as well. He's an aggressive player on both ends, which is why I'm amazed he doesn't get more boards.. As of yet, he hasn't committed to any college so it will be interesting to see where he lands.

 

[bajaden]

Jalen Green: 6'5", 180 Lbs, 6'8" wingspan, SG, G-League.

When I stated that Kuminga might have the highest upside in this draft, some would argue that Green deserves that honor. Green is an explosive elite athlete that like Kuminga, just needs to be polished up a little. He's said to be ambidextrous doing everything with both hands other than shooting his jump shot. Like most players his age his 3pt shot needs to become more consistent, but his form looks good. He'll definitely be a slam dunk candidate once in the NBA. He can create his own shot and has an explosive first step that along with his jab steps and ball fakes makes him extremely difficult to defend. He has good handles, but they could be tightened up a little.

He's an excellent defender with great lateral quickness. He's certainly a player that projects to be a top defender some day. I have no doubt he'll be one of those considered for the number one pick.

 

[bajaden]

B.J. Boston: 6'7", 175 Lbs, 6'10.5" wingspan, SG/SF, Kentucky.

I'm extremely high on Boston. He's not quite as explosive as the previously mentioned players, but whatever he might lack by comparison, he more than makes up with skill. He's a very good 3 pt shooter and he comes with a lightning like release. I pity the defensive player that's assigned with keeping Boston in front of him. He has more shakes and bakes mixed with vicious crossovers, step backs and hesitation moves that he can be a nightmare to defend. His weakness is his lack of strength. He needs to add 10 to 15 lbs of muscle. Other than that, there's not much to dislike.

Despite his thin build, he was a good rebounder pulling down 7 a game. He also excels at the other end of the court where he's shown excellent instincts along with great lateral quickness. As I said, all he needs to do is get stronger and polish up his game a bit more. I think he's a top five player in this draft and could be in the running for the 1st pick.

 

[bajaden]

Isaiah Todd: 6'10", 215 Lbs, PF/SF, G-League.

Todd is more about potential right now. Some scouts think his game should be further along than it is, but at the same time, there's been no criticism of his work ethic. I don't know his growth background, but sometimes when a 6'2" player suddenly spurts up 5 or 6 inches, it takes him a little while to catch back up with his body. Todd is a very good athlete with explosive hops. Obviously he needs to get stronger but has the frame to hold another 20 or so pounds. Some have projected him as a SF, but I question whether his handles are good enough.

At times he's shown some nice post moves, but likes to settle for his jump shot a bit too much. He has the length and athleticism to be a good post defender, but once again needs to get stronger. He elected to skip college and go directly to the G-League, which may help with his development. He has a lot of raw potential, and who knows where his chips may fall come draft time.

 

[CVKingsfan]

Jalen Green: 6'5", 180 Lbs, 6'8" wingspan, SG, G-League.

I have no doubt he'll be one of those considered for the number one pick.

I hope our esteemed @bajaden does not mind me responding to one of his posts in this thread. However, as a Central Valley (California) Kings and NBA fan, and one of a handful I believe on this forum, I feel a great sense of shock, and great pride, that a “Central Valley” kid is being referred to by many, including Bajaden, as a possible number 1 pick!
Jalen was born in small town Merced (Mercy in Spanish), CA (population 83,000+), which relies on agriculture and the Castle Air Force Base to sustain it’s economy. His family moved to Fresno, CA when he was three. He attended high school at San Joaquin Memorial in Fresno, CA ( as did Brook and Robin Lopez, Bucks; Cliff Pondexter, Bulls; Quincy Pondexter, Spurs).
He won three gold medals with the United States at the junior level and was named most valuable player (MVP) of the 2018 FIBA Under-17 World Cup.
He was the first high school player to go straight to the G league.
The Central Valley is not known as a hotbed for potential NBA players, and in particular, players who have the potential to be the number one pick in the NBA draft! (Since 1947, there have only been two players from the entire State who have been number one picks, Lew Alcindor out of UCLA in 1969, and Bill Walton in 1974 also out of UCLA).
As a Central Valley Kings fan, I am extremely proud of what Jalen has accomplished, and am honored Bajaden, and others, consider him so highly. I wish Jalen continued success, and I can’t wait to see him as an NBA player!
For more, see:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jalen_Green

 

[Capt. Factorial]

The Central Valley is not known as a hotbed for potential NBA players, and in particular, players who have the potential to be the number one pick in the NBA draft! (Since 1947, there have only been two players from the entire State who have been number one picks, Lew Alcindor out of UCLA in 1969, and Bill Walton in 1974 also out of UCLA).

Note that Lew Alcindor actually was born and went to high school in New York City, and only went to college in California. Michael Olowokandi also went to college in California (UOP!) and went on to be a #1 overall pick.

In terms of players who went to high school in California (like Jalen Green) and went on to be the #1 overall pick, I'm seeing only two on top of Walton:
DeAndre Ayton (Freshman/Sophomore years in San Diego)
Bill McGill (Los Angeles)

This actually really surprises me, as I'd never thought about it. There have been 73 #1 overall picks in the NBA draft thus far. Only three of those (Alcindor, Walton, Olowokandi) went to college in California. Only three of those went to high school in California, and only two graduated (McGill, Walton, Ayton). And only ONE of those was born in California (Walton).

 

[Sactown ExPat]

I hope our esteemed @bajaden does not mind me responding to one of his posts in this thread. However, as a Central Valley (California) Kings and NBA fan, and one of a handful I believe on this forum, I feel a great sense of shock, and great pride, that a “Central Valley” kid is being referred to by many, including Bajaden, as a possible number 1 pick!
Jalen was born in small town Merced (Mercy in Spanish), CA (population 83,000+), which relies on agriculture and the Castle Air Force Base to sustain it’s economy. His family moved to Fresno, CA when he was three. He attended high school at San Joaquin Memorial in Fresno, CA ( as did Brook and Robin Lopez, Bucks; Cliff Pondexter, Bulls; Quincy Pondexter, Spurs).
He won three gold medals with the United States at the junior level and was named most valuable player (MVP) of the 2018 FIBA Under-17 World Cup.
He was the first high school player to go straight to the G league.
The Central Valley is not known as a hotbed for potential NBA players, and in particular, players who have the potential to be the number one pick in the NBA draft! (Since 1947, there have only been two players from the entire State who have been number one picks, Lew Alcindor out of UCLA in 1969, and Bill Walton in 1974 also out of UCLA).
As a Central Valley Kings fan, I am extremely proud of what Jalen has accomplished, and am honored Bajaden, and others, consider him so highly. I wish Jalen continued success, and I can’t wait to see him as an NBA player!
For more, see:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jalen_Green

I have this small hope that he becomes our Lebron. Somehow, a generational talent emerges from the Central Valley, “miraculously” lands on the hometown team, and eventually carries that team and the entire region to glory.

 

[bajaden]

I hope our esteemed @bajaden does not mind me responding to one of his posts in this thread. However, as a Central Valley (California) Kings and NBA fan, and one of a handful I believe on this forum, I feel a great sense of shock, and great pride, that a “Central Valley” kid is being referred to by many, including Bajaden, as a possible number 1 pick!
Jalen was born in small town Merced (Mercy in Spanish), CA (population 83,000+), which relies on agriculture and the Castle Air Force Base to sustain it’s economy. His family moved to Fresno, CA when he was three. He attended high school at San Joaquin Memorial in Fresno, CA ( as did Brook and Robin Lopez, Bucks; Cliff Pondexter, Bulls; Quincy Pondexter, Spurs).
He won three gold medals with the United States at the junior level and was named most valuable player (MVP) of the 2018 FIBA Under-17 World Cup.
He was the first high school player to go straight to the G league.
The Central Valley is not known as a hotbed for potential NBA players, and in particular, players who have the potential to be the number one pick in the NBA draft! (Since 1947, there have only been two players from the entire State who have been number one picks, Lew Alcindor out of UCLA in 1969, and Bill Walton in 1974 also out of UCLA).
As a Central Valley Kings fan, I am extremely proud of what Jalen has accomplished, and am honored Bajaden, and others, consider him so highly. I wish Jalen continued success, and I can’t wait to see him as an NBA player!
For more, see:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jalen_Green

I'm aware of where Jalen comes from. My son lives in Atwater, just a hop skip and a jump from Merced. It would be great to have a local kid be the number one pick, especially if he was a King, the latter being extremely unlikely. I don't want to lay too large a mantel on any of these players just yet, especially a local one. Its a long way between now and the next draft, but I have high hopes for Jalen.

The Capt brought up some good points that I've never thought about, or researched. With all the local talent in the state, one would think there would have been more number one's from California.

 

[bajaden]

I have this small hope that he becomes our Lebron. Somehow, a generational talent emerges from the Central Valley, “miraculously” lands on the hometown team, and eventually carries that team and the entire region to glory.

The hard part is having the opportunity, which is extremely unlikely in Green's case. But we once did have the opportunity to draft a great local talent and instead drafted Kenny Thomas. Thomas wasn't a terrible pick, but he wasn't Kevin Johnson.

 

[jiimbob]

The hard part is having the opportunity, which is extremely unlikely in Green's case. But we once did have the opportunity to draft a great local talent and instead drafted Kenny Thomas. Thomas wasn't a terrible pick, but he wasn't Kevin Johnson.

no biggie but kenny smith

 

[jiimbob]

My dad, originally from Nebraska, often took me to central valley games to watch local talent and sometimes he’d recruit for the Cornhuskers. Mostly football, but we hit a lot of basketball games as well. In the early 70’s Maryville High had a guard named Coby Harris, we‘d go up to see him and he did not disappoint.
I thought for sure he would become a NBA player...sounds like he did have a successful career as a California professor and played a lot as a non professional but you never know. It’s probably why I enjoy these prospect threads.

 

[bajaden]

no biggie but kenny smith

My bad, you'll have to excuse me, I mean't to say Smith. Kenny Thomas was a whole other story.

 

[bajaden]

My dad, originally from Nebraska, often took me to central valley games to watch local talent and sometimes he’d recruit for the Cornhuskers. Mostly football, but we hit a lot of basketball games as well. In the early 70’s Maryville High had a guard named Coby Harris, we‘d go up to see him and he did not disappoint.
I thought for sure he would become a NBA player...sounds like he did have a successful career as a California professor and played a lot as a non professional but you never know. It’s probably why I enjoy these prospect threads.

Your right about never knowing, but remember, the whole process has changed a lot since the 70's. Don't know about Harris, but maybe his desire to play wasn't has intense as it was to do something else. You never know, as you said.

 

[jiimbob]

Your right about never knowing, but remember, the whole process has changed a lot since the 70's. Don't know about Harris, but maybe his desire to play wasn't has intense as it was to do something else. You never know, as you said.

maybe your right. I just looked him up and see he passed last year but had received a doctorate from UC Berkley, also attended university in Nairobi where he cofounded a basketball team, and was a professor at San Jose St. An academic first but what a pleasure to watch on the court.

 

[bajaden]

maybe your right. I just looked him up and see he passed last year but had received a doctorate from UC Berkley, also attended university in Nairobi where he cofounded a basketball team, and was a professor at San Jose St. An academic first but what a pleasure to watch on the court.

When your scouting a player, all you can see are the talents your looking for, or the lack of them. What you can't see is whats in that players mind and heart, which are just as important. I'm reminded of a book that I read, later made into a movie staring Anthony Perkins titled, Fear Strikes Out. It's the true story of the star baseball player Jimmy Piersall, whose obsessive father wanted his son to be a major league baseball player from the moment of his birth.

I won't go into the details, but finally, one day while at bat in a game, he snapped and ended up in a mental institution for a period of time. To us fans, he looked liked a shinning star. In reality he was a tortured man living his life through the eyes of another.

 

[jiimbob]

When your scouting a player, all you can see are the talents your looking for, or the lack of them. What you can't see is whats in that players mind and heart, which are just as important. I'm reminded of a book that I read, later made into a movie staring Anthony Perkins titled, Fear Strikes Out. It's the true story of the star baseball player Jimmy Piersall, whose obsessive father wanted his son to be a major league baseball player from the moment of his birth.

I won't go into the details, but finally, one day while at bat in a game, he snapped and ended up in a mental institution for a period of time. To us fans, he looked liked a shinning star. In reality he was a tortured man living his life through the eyes of another.

Its why I like listening to player interviews. In recent times I think the one player that interested me most based on apparent talent and interviews was Jaylen Brown. Jaylen had many interest outside of basketball, which some might see as a negative but I see it as healthy and well rounded. I thought highly of Fox too. Most players know how to say the right thing but some are exceptionally insightful.

Jimmy Piersall has an interesting story. He experienced bipolar disorder. A bit before my time but I understand the talent was there but a lot of mental struggles on and off the field. I’ll see if I can find the movie.

 

[bajaden]

Its why I like listening to player interviews. In recent times I think the one player that interested me most based on apparent talent and interviews was Jaylen Brown. Jaylen had many interest outside of basketball, which some might see as a negative but I see it as healthy and well rounded. I thought highly of Fox too. Most players know how to say the right thing but some are exceptionally insightful.

Jimmy Piersall has an interesting story. He experienced bipolar disorder. A bit before my time but I understand the talent was there but a lot of mental struggles on and off the field. I’ll see if I can find the movie.

The movie is worth a watch. I think his father is played by Karl Maldon. The book is better!

 

[bajaden]

Jalen Suggs: 6'5", 200 Lbs, PG/SG, Gonzaga.

This is a kid to keep your eye on. He's started playing basketball at age 7 and was the starter on the varsity highschool team when he was in the 8th grade. He can shoot it, drive it, defend it and has terrific handles. Add in that he's an above average athlete and you have a hell of a player. What I love about him is the confidence he plays with. He knows he's good and he plays like it. Right now he's considered the 4th or 5th best player in this class, but he might argue that he's the best.

He's a terrific defender. His junior year he averaged 24 pt's, 6 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 3.4 steals. He can play the point or play off the ball at the two. He has ankle breaker handles and can get his own shot anytime he wants it, and if you leave him even a crease of a lane, he'll blow right by you to the basket. I think the sky is the limit for this kid.

Have I mentioned that this is the best draft in a long time, not just for the top players, but for it's depth. Your looking at interchangeable players from number one all the way down to the 15th player in this class. Of course that's now and it will change, but the point is, there's a lot of talent in this class.

 

[Sactown ExPat]

Jalen Suggs: 6'5", 200 Lbs, PG/SG, Gonzaga.

This is a kid to keep your eye on. He's started playing basketball at age 7 and was the starter on the varsity highschool team when he was in the 8th grade. He can shoot it, drive it, defend it and has terrific handles. Add in that he's an above average athlete and you have a hell of a player. What I love about him is the confidence he plays with. He knows he's good and he plays like it. Right now he's considered the 4th or 5th best player in this class, but he might argue that he's the best.

He's a terrific defender. His junior year he averaged 24 pt's, 6 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 3.4 steals. He can play the point or play off the ball at the two. He has ankle breaker handles and can get his own shot anytime he wants it, and if you leave him even a crease of a lane, he'll blow right by you to the basket. I think the sky is the limit for this kid.

Have I mentioned that this is the best draft in a long time, not just for the top players, but for it's depth. Your looking at interchangeable players from number one all the way down to the 15th player in this class. Of course that's now and it will change, but the point is, there's a lot of talent in this class.

Nice prospect. Doesn’t appear close to the listed 6’5”, just judging off film. Might be a shade over 6’3”. Probably a 1 at the next level, but could definitely fit in a McCollum/Lillard style backcourt. But, if a team is hoping to find a Harden-ish type, this is their guy. Not many defensive highlights, but I’ll trust he competes on that end.

 

[bajaden]

Nice prospect. Doesn’t appear close to the listed 6’5”, just judging off film. Might be a shade over 6’3”. Probably a 1 at the next level, but could definitely fit in a McCollum/Lillard style backcourt. But, if a team is hoping to find a Harden-ish type, this is their guy. Not many defensive highlights, but I’ll trust he competes on that end.

I gave up a long time ago trying to determine a players height by watching video. I've been wrong as many times as I've been right. No depth perception. Two players that appear to be standing right next to one another could easily be 1 foot or two feet apart, making the one in front appear taller when in fact he might be shorter. I wait till the combine when they're actually measured. There are some exceptions like Duke and Kentucky, who do all the NBA testing prior to every season. There are others as well. Since were talking highschool players that hasn't happened, but those who might have played in the Nike tournaments or the Jordan Brand tournaments would have been measured and tested.

 

[Telemachus]

Here's an interesting write up on the top 15 players in the 2021 draft. This is by a former NBA scout.

https://www.babcockhoops.com/post/a-look-ahead-to-the-2021-nba-draft

 

[bajaden]

Here's an interesting write up on the top 15 players in the 2021 draft. This is by a former NBA scout.

https://www.babcockhoops.com/post/a-look-ahead-to-the-2021-nba-draft

I see you've tapped into one of my sources, a very credible source by the way. Read those short analysis and you understand why I'm so high on this next class. I wish I could subscribe to his service, but for non NCAA folks it costs around 4 thousand dollars a year. Just a bit out of my price range. What makes him unique is that he scouts mostly highschool players which he can as a private enterprise.

 

[Sactown ExPat]

This thread now seems extremely relevant. Given the nuances of this next evaluation year, can we expect current ratings to adjust like we would normally see, or will these prospects’ evaluations remain pretty static?

Still not sure who I’d want at #1 but lean heavy on Jalen Green. I just love him as a prospect—measurements look accurate, sweet shot, nice handle, competes on D, stratospheric athlete. I think Cade has the most to lose next year—agree with baja that he’s a great but not elite athlete. Not sure what he’ll face in the Big12, but there’s a chance he gets a little exposed athletically. I want to see Kuminga work on his left—if you watch, he won’t even penetrate in the half court if given his left; he just pulls up. Not great. Suggs is too short—no longer an option with Haliburton and Fox. Todd’s fine; not interested. I like Boston a lot. I’d probably go Green, Boston, Cunningham right now for the Kings draft board. My thing with Cunningham is, I think he’s going to have to pound the rock a lot at the next level, to be effective, and I don’t think that jives with Fox/Haliburton/Bagley.

 

[SacTownKid]

I'm still on the BJ Boston bandwagon at the moment. I did see some workout video of Jahmi'us with Jalen Johnson in it. He's an eye catching athlete at his size for sure.

 

[Tetsujin]

Having spent way more time looking at video footage of bad high school games than I should have over the past week (the only remotely interesting actually game I saw was that match up between Emoni and Chet but that's more a discussion for the 2022 thread), here's how I'd rank the top guys in terms of how I'd want the Kings to pick them. It's also sorta hard to figure out how these guys would do off the ball when they're all pretty much the centerpieces of their high school squads.

S-Tier (Pretty much guaranteed superstar/generational talent, though with that word being attached to multiple players over the past couple of years, who the hell knows what that means)
Cade Cunningham - What would happen if Luka and Ben Simmons had a lovechild. A lot of the defensive skillset of Simmons with the subtle wiggle of Luka. Do I think he'll wind up as good as Luka overall, probably not, but I think he'll be a better NBA defender than Luka from day one. Shooting is a slight concern but he's not hopeless/scared of shooting like Simmons is and according to reports has used his quarantine time to work on it. Without a doubt, unless he really struggles out of the gate. he's the number one overall pick. Most of all, I think he can defend small forwards all the way up to most power forwards with no real issues. The kid's good. (BTW, watch those U19 games where he and Tyler Haliburton and Kira Lewis played together but imagine Swipa in there instead of Kira). Still mad about passing on Luka, best not pass on Cade.

A-Tier (Star-class with superstar potential)
Johnathan Kuminga- The dude is long, athletic, and probably going to be the best defender of all the wings in this class. Offensively, he'll probably end up being a solid outside shooter but he can create for himself and is super aggressive. I'm looking forward to how he potentially develops in the G-League (he's skipping college).
Ziare Williams- I'm probably higher on him than a lot of people but the dude really moves in transition and is probably the second or third best defender in this class. Even though he's skinny, he tries to drive through defenders like he's RekeROY, which I sorta love. Despite that, he moves well off the ball and doesn't seem to be a ballhog even though he probably should have been. Also he's going to Stanford so we know he's smart.
Evan Mobley- Even though this is a becoming known as a wing class and the 2022 draft becoming known as the one with the league's next great big men, I think Mobley has a chance to be the best player of the draft if his frame fills out right. While he's not AD out there on defense, he really tries, has solid instincts, and will probably get better, especially at USC. Offensively, though, is where I think he has a chance to be special. Like AD, he's got good instincts out there and has a pretty consistent jumper that doesn't quite reach the 3-pt line yet but probably will in a few years. I know we're all talking about drafting wings but I would not be mad if we're not number one overall and come out of the night with Mobley in hand.
Brandon Boston- Ziare's teammate at Sierra Canyon. I didn't think he was that great two years ago but he's gotten way better since. His shot has really improved and he can score just about any way possible. I don't think he's as good as Ziare at defense or some of the off the ball stuff but offensively he is probably the best player Calipari has had at Kentucky since Devin Booker (as long as he actually uses him right).

There are tons more but for the sake of the argument, I went into this assuming we had a top four pick. Jalen Green is probably my third or fourth favorite player in this draft but since he's a guard, I sorta left him off.

 

[King in England]

Having spent way more time looking at video footage of bad high school games than I should have over the past week (the only remotely interesting actually game I saw was that match up between Emoni and Chet but that's more a discussion for the 2022 thread), here's how I'd rank the top guys in terms of how I'd want the Kings to pick them. It's also sorta hard to figure out how these guys would do off the ball when they're all pretty much the centerpieces of their high school squads.

S-Tier (Pretty much guaranteed superstar/generational talent, though with that word being attached to multiple players over the past couple of years, who the hell knows what that means)
Cade Cunningham - What would happen if Luka and Ben Simmons had a lovechild. A lot of the defensive skillset of Simmons with the subtle wiggle of Luka. Do I think he'll wind up as good as Luka overall, probably not, but I think he'll be a better NBA defender than Luka from day one. Shooting is a slight concern but he's not hopeless/scared of shooting like Simmons is and according to reports has used his quarantine time to work on it. Without a doubt, unless he really struggles out of the gate. he's the number one overall pick. Most of all, I think he can defend small forwards all the way up to most power forwards with no real issues. The kid's good. (BTW, watch those U19 games where he and Tyler Haliburton and Kira Lewis played together but imagine Swipa in there instead of Kira). Still mad about passing on Luka, best not pass on Cade.

A-Tier (Star-class with superstar potential)
Johnathan Kuminga- The dude is long, athletic, and probably going to be the best defender of all the wings in this class. Offensively, he'll probably end up being a solid outside shooter but he can create for himself and is super aggressive. I'm looking forward to how he potentially develops in the G-League (he's skipping college).
Ziare Williams- I'm probably higher on him than a lot of people but the dude really moves in transition and is probably the second or third best defender in this class. Even though he's skinny, he tries to drive through defenders like he's RekeROY, which I sorta love. Despite that, he moves well off the ball and doesn't seem to be a ballhog even though he probably should have been. Also he's going to Stanford so we know he's smart.
Evan Mobley- Even though this is a becoming known as a wing class and the 2022 draft becoming known as the one with the league's next great big men, I think Mobley has a chance to be the best player of the draft if his frame fills out right. While he's not AD out there on defense, he really tries, has solid instincts, and will probably get better, especially at USC. Offensively, though, is where I think he has a chance to be special. Like AD, he's got good instincts out there and has a pretty consistent jumper that doesn't quite reach the 3-pt line yet but probably will in a few years. I know we're all talking about drafting wings but I would not be mad if we're not number one overall and come out of the night with Mobley in hand.
Brandon Boston- Ziare's teammate at Sierra Canyon. I didn't think he was that great two years ago but he's gotten way better since. His shot has really improved and he can score just about any way possible. I don't think he's as good as Ziare at defense or some of the off the ball stuff but offensively he is probably the best player Calipari has had at Kentucky since Devin Booker (as long as he actually uses him right).

There are tons more but for the sake of the argument, I went into this assuming we had a top four pick. Jalen Green is probably my third or fourth favorite player in this draft but since he's a guard, I sorta left him off.

I'm interested why you left him off as he's a guard? The way I see it is we have 3 young pieces potentially set for our roster of the future: 1 Centre, 1 PG and 1 combo guard. If we're talking about team need, the only position we hopefully don't need is PG, as all those minutes would be taken by Fox/Haliburton. I believe Jalen Green projects to be a SG so I think there's room for a SG, no?

 

[Tetsujin]

I'm interested why you left him off as he's a guard? The way I see it is we have 3 young pieces potentially set for our roster of the future: 1 Centre, 1 PG and 1 combo guard. If we're talking about team need, the only position we hopefully don't need is PG, as all those minutes would be taken by Fox/Haliburton. I believe Jalen Green projects to be a SG so I think there's room for a SG, no?

He's a SG and size-wise probably a SG/PG only at the NBA level. He's extremely athletic. Defensively, he'd probably work next to Fox but he, Haliburton, and Fox together is, in my opinion, something that probably wouldn't work against teams with even moderate size on the wing, certainly not for long stretches. Of course, there's the whole aspect of not passing up the best player available but I honestly don't see a big enough gap between he and the other non-Cade players in the draft at this point for me to ignore his position in comparison with the other bigger players in the draft. (This is all subject to change when NCAA and G-League basketball starts up again.)

 

[King in England]

He's a SG and size-wise probably a SG/PG only at the NBA level. He's extremely athletic. Defensively, he'd probably work next to Fox but he, Haliburton, and Fox together is, in my opinion, something that probably wouldn't work against teams with even moderate size on the wing, certainly not for long stretches. Of course, there's the whole aspect of not passing up the best player available but I honestly don't see a big enough gap between he and the other non-Cade players in the draft at this point for me to ignore his position in comparison with the other bigger players in the draft. (This is all subject to change when NCAA and G-League basketball starts up again.)

I wasn’t really suggesting a 3 guard starting lineup but rather a 3 guard rotation of Fox, Haliburton and a Sg could work. Just give them all the backcourt minutes. The coach would obviously have to manage the ego of whoever’s not starting but i wouldn’t rule out a SG just for that reason.
I definitely agree on the taking BPA approach and there will be a lot more to change between now and next years draft, I was just interested in your thinking tbh.

 

[Tetsujin]

I wasn’t really suggesting a 3 guard starting lineup but rather a 3 guard rotation of Fox, Haliburton and a Sg could work. Just give them all the backcourt minutes. The coach would obviously have to manage the ego of whoever’s not starting but i wouldn’t rule out a SG just for that reason.
I definitely agree on the taking BPA approach and there will be a lot more to change between now and next years draft, I was just interested in your thinking tbh.

Yeah, honestly, I think it’s still too early to know. Ideally, Tyrese is good enough that he’s a starter, in which case drafting Green becomes a bit of an issue. Come next draft season if Haliburton doesn’t seem to be panning out I’ll have no issues with us drafting Green.