1. Cade Cunningham | G | Oklahoma State | DOB: Sept. 25, 2001 (Age: 19) | 6-8 | 225 LBS | Hometown: Arlington, Texas Background Went wire-to-wire as the clear No. 1 prospect in 2021. Comes from a high-performing, athletic family. Parents are Keith and Carrie. Keith was a quarterback who went to Texas Tech but suffered an early injury that ended his career. Sister Kaylyn played low-level college basketball. Brother Cannen played basketball at SMU, where he retired as the school’s all-time leader in games played. Cannen is an assistant coach at Oklahoma State, hired in part to recruit Cade. Additionally, Cade has a 2-year-old daughter named Riley. Cunningham played football early in his life and was a quarterback like his father. Focused on basketball in high school. Was identified early as an elite prospect. Quickly achieved five-star status as a sophomore due to his length, feel for the game, scoring ability and willingness to defend. Took an enormous leap during his junior season of high school and emerged as an obvious top-three prospect in his class. Continued along that positive trajectory during the summer prior to his senior year and became the clear-cut No. 1 player. He won the Nike EYBL MVP award in 2019 and was Most Outstanding Player at Pangos All-American camp. Went to 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup and led USA to a gold medal. Was the best player for Team USA during the medal rounds. Went to Bowie High School in Arlington for his first two years, but transferred to Montverde Academy in Florida for his junior and senior seasons. Was the key player on what was arguably the best high school team of the last decade, featuring three other likely first-round picks in Day’Ron Sharpe, Moses Moody and Scottie Barnes. Played point guard and was one of the elite distributors in the country. Montverde went 25-0 and made its case as the best team in the country. Cunningham won the Naismith High School Player of the Year award, plus Mr. Basketball USA. Picked Oklahoma State over Kentucky, North Carolina and others as the No. 1 overall player in the class. Season at Oklahoma State went as well as it could have gone in many respects. Led an undermanned Oklahoma State team to a 21-9 record. Won first-team All-American honors, Big 12 Player of the Year, Big 12 Freshman of the Year and National Freshman of the Year awards. Led Oklahoma State on unexpected NCAA Tournament run to the Round of 32 before getting upset by Oregon State. As expected, declared for 2021 NBA Draft immediately after the season. Received an invite, but did not attend the 2021 NBA Draft Combine. Known to be a high-character guy. Great work ethic and has continued to improve parts of his game every season. Good leadership. Strengths Cunningham has elite-level size as a lead creator at 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan. He uses that size well, using his length to extend past defenders. Mixed with that, he also possesses high-level strength at 225 pounds that allows him to play through contact with ease and without bother. Extremely dexterous and fluid for his size. Not the typical 6-foot-8 person in regard to body control and understanding of his frame. Covers ground very quickly in transition, where his ability to push the pace under control creates easy, quick offense for his team. That combination of size, body control and length make him a real mismatch problem. If you guard him with smaller guards, he’ll shoot over the top of them or bully them down onto the block. If you guard him with someone bigger, he can really use a variety of tough moves off the bounce to get the separation he needs either going backward or forward. The best place that shows up is as a shot creator both for himself and for teammates. Cunningham is a good, creative ballhandler who does a terrific job with set-up moves to get away from his man on-ball. Plays with great tempo and patience. Very shifty with his hips in how he changes direction from the opposition. Entering college, his best skill was actually seen as his playmaking and passing. Only averaged 3.5 assists per game in college, but that was largely due to role. Sees the floor exceptionally well and plays an unselfish brand of basketball. Watch his tape from Montverde Academy, and you’ll see him whipping around one-handed live-dribble passes, cross-corner kickouts and advanced reads off pick- and-rolls to diving bigs. Profiles not just as a scorer, but as a true shot creator who will help his team run efficient offense. Has great feel for when to go for his own shots and when to get his teammates involved. Became a high-level shooter as a freshman in college, which fostered further development into becoming an elite scoring prospect. Early in his development, the jumper was a question. However, he has silenced those concerns. Tremendous touch, having hit 40 percent from 3 and 85 percent from the free throw line. Great mechanics, with a simplified shot. Great balance that showcases itself in variety of stepbacks that he takes. Loves to go right-to-left into a stepback. Occasionally pulls out a weird between-the-legs non-dribble crossover into the stepback. Can put defenders into the blender with a variety of between-the-leg dribbles, crossovers and pump fakes to get separation for the shot. Can score from all three levels off the bounce. Was well above average as a shooter off the catch this season too. Hit at a 64.9 effective field goal percentage, which shows how effective he’d be playing off the ball next to a true point guard sharing the load if a team wanted further creation on the court with him. Additionally, Cunningham is a tremendous finisher at the rim. He made 62.1 percent of his shots at the rim this past season in the half court this season according to Synergy, despite only one-quarter of his shots at the rim being assisted. As mentioned above, plays well through contact while maintaining balance throughout core. While not being a crazy explosive athlete, uses his length to extend and finish well. Also has a burgeoning little floater game, although he’s still ironing that out, having made just 27 percent of them. Still figuring out footwork into those shots, but his comfort level and touch projects well toward him acquiring the floater in the future. He’s not just a one-way offensive player. Cunningham is a genuine plus defender when he truly locks down on defense, especially late in games. His feel on that end is tremendous. He has great rotational instincts within a team construct and is a genuine playmaker with active hands. He uses his length exceedingly well to get into passing lanes, averaging 1.6 steals and a ton of deflections per game. He’s also solid as a weakside rim protector, rotating over and using verticality to contest shots inside with his length. Also uses his length well on the ball to bother opposing players. Finally, it’s worth noting that Cunningham was arguably the most clutch player in college basketball. According to Synergy, Cunningham scored 106 points in clutch moments as of March 21, nearly double the next best player in college basketball at 63 points. He shot 47 percent in the final five minutes of games when the score was within five points. He’s reliable and a trustworthy leader who wants the ball in the biggest moments.
Weaknesses Cunningham is a good athlete, but not a great one. Not wildly explosive in his movements. Relies more on change of pace than anything. Doesn’t have a monster first step. Also, not a crazy vertical athlete. Turnovers remain the significant question. Cunningham averaged four per game. In part, this was situational. Every time Cunningham drove last season, the opposing team collapsed on him and tried to dig into his handle to strip the ball. His handle can get a bit high at times, but with the larger offensive area in college basketball, I’m not as worried about Cunningham’s turnovers getting stripped. It’s harder to dig down on a big player who can pass due to how big the recovery spaces are in the NBA. Also got a lot of terrible charge calls against him because the college game is shambolically officiated. He won’t have to worry about those at the NBA level. Could stand to be better at times at not putting himself in trouble by getting in the air before making a decision. Could stand to lock in a touch more throughout games defensively. Definitely does when it matters, but sometimes took some possessions off in college — likely due to load management given the offensive role he was asked to lead. Summary Cunningham is one of the more complete prospects to come through the draft process in a while. There aren’t many holes to his game. He’s a three-level scorer now because of his shooting improvement. He hits 40 percent from 3 and finishes at the rim. He can make high-level passing reads and plays unselfishly. He defends at a high level. He’s a high-character player. He’s clutch and loves the biggest moments, with a proven track record of success during them. He has elite size for the role he’ll play. There is a case that he is the most bust-proof prospect to enter the NBA in a long while. The worst-case scenario for Cunningham is high-level wing creator who can shoot and make high-level passing reads while defending. It’s reasonable to quibble with his upside athletically, as he may struggle more against elite-level NBA defenders with size and length to match his own. But there aren’t a ton of those guys in the NBA. If you wanted to say a different player in this draft has the highest upside, I wouldn’t agree, but I’d at least understand. But there is no higher floor in this class, and Cunningham’s upside is legitimately being a top-five player in the league at some point given how complete his game is.
2. Jalen Suggs | G | Gonzaga | DOB: June 3, 2001 (Age: 20) | 6-4 | 205 LBS | Hometown: St. Paul, Minn. Background Parents are Larry and Molly. Family has a long track record of success in athletics in Minneapolis and St. Paul area. Most prominent family member is former NFL pass rusher Terrell Suggs, a cousin. Former NBA All-Star Eddie Jones is a cousin. Father Larry was a standout in both football and basketball. Larry coaches at Minnehaha Academy, where Jalen went to high school. Has two younger sisters — one of which, Jennica, is a high-level high school player in Minnesota. Suggs has been a standout athlete at seemingly everything he’s ever tried to do. Played both basketball and football at an exceedingly high level. Was a star quarterback, earning recognition as a four-star dual-threat prospect. Led team to a state championship and was named Minnesota Mr. Football in 2019. Earned high-major offers across the map, although his recruiting never totally took off due to how good he was at basketball. Due to that athletic prowess, was immediately recognized as a freshman in high school as an elite-level hoops prospect. Consistently ranked as a five-star, top-15 player in the 2020 recruiting class throughout his entire career. Led Minnehaha Academy to three straight state championships, with the chance at a fourth one being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Won Minnesota Mr. Basketball in 2020, becoming the first player to win both the Mr. Football and Mr. Basketball awards in state history. He was named a McDonald’s All-American, a Nike Hoop Summit participant, and a Jordan Brand Classic selection. Also won multiple gold medals playing with Team USA in youth-level competitions, including the U17 and U19 World Cups. Chose Gonzaga over a bevy of high-major offers in January 2020 in large part due to coaching and style of play. Also considered multiple professional options but ultimately decided to stick with Gonzaga. Ended up being the right decision. In conjunction with others, led the Bulldogs to an undefeated regular season and a national title game berth, where they fell short against Baylor. Suggs was named second-team All-American, first-team All-WCC, WCC Freshman of the Year and won the WCC Tournament Most Outstanding Player award. Hit what will go down as one of the most famous shots in college basketball history, a 30-plus foot buzzer beater in the Final Four to defeat UCLA and send Gonzaga to the title game. Declared for the draft following standout season. Received an invite, but did not attend the 2021 NBA Draft Combine. Strengths Ideal size for a lead guard creator. Powerful frame at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds. Above all, Suggs is a remarkably explosive athlete. Suggs has a terrific first step with real quickness that allows him to blow past the first line of defenders. And once he does that, he has the rare ability to transition that speed into power in the way that he absorbs contact and powers up through it around the basket. Has real bounce off two feet. Plays an attack-oriented brand of basketball while maintaining control. Fearless driver but patient while waiting for defenders to react in help. Most effective on drive-off hesitations and in-and-out dribbles but has some crossover and change-of-direction skill. Pressures the defense with real speed off those change of pace moves and can generate that downhill force from a standstill coming directly off a ball screen. Also provides constant pressure out in transition with that quickness and power. Scored about 36 percent of his points out in transition. Grabs and goes with decisiveness, then tries to force the issue. Love the way he gets to the rim and finishes. Made 56.4 percent of his shots at the rim in half court, per Synergy. Changes the angle on rim protectors in mid-air well. Takes over three shots there per game. Also took nearly three shots at the rim per game in transition. Drew fouls in the games where he was aggressive and took over. Took under four free throws per game but showed upside there when the moment called for it (which it didn’t always given how good Gonzaga was). In the half court, he’s great out of ball screens but can also create out of isolation in a mismatch. Understands his athleticism and uses it to his advantage. Great at flying around screens and driving to the paint but also knows how to keep the defender on his hip while assessing and diagnosing where to put the ball. Also really uses the hard jab step well, knowing the defense must account for his quickness. Knows how to freeze defenders, then get to his stepback. Very comfortable pulling up for 3 behind a ball screen. Have to respect his pull-up going to both his left and his right when coming off a screen. If you don’t, he’ll confidently pull up. The other place he excels out of ball screens is as a passer. He has terrific vision and can hit just about any pass in the book. Loves to jump stop in the paint then hit either the cross corner or cross-wing kick-out for 3. Paired particularly well with Corey Kispert in these settings, dishing out 43 assists to him over the course of the season. Also dished out 43 assists to Drew Timme, with 15 of those coming out of ball screens to Timme as the roller, according to Synergy. Also good with the skip pass across the court. The place where Suggs has made most of the highlight reels is as a transition passer. Loves the Hail Mary, one-handed home run pass off rebounds to streaking teammates. His sense of how to weigh long bounces to get them to their target in stride is unbelievable. When Suggs is engaged on defense, he’s a monster defender with sub-All-Defensive Team upside. Extremely aggressive on-ball, using his strength to absorb contact and fight through screens, as well as his quickness to slide to cut off opposing players. He also has tremendous off-ball defensive IQ. He shoots passing lanes and gets a ton of deflections and steals. That leaping ability off two feet also allows him act occasionally as a back-side rim protector. Rotationally, when he’s locked in, he’s also a terrific scramble defender.
Weaknesses Sometimes gets a bit wild. Turned it over three times per game despite having a role where he shared the offense with Joel Ayayi and Andrew Nembhard. Makes some choices that had to make Mark Few pull his hair out, particularly regarding high-wire-act passes. It’s good to see him pushing the bounds of his game, but there are times where he needs to rein it in a touch more. Wouldn’t say he’s a particularly crafty ballhandler either. A lot of high-looping crossovers. Could stand to tighten his dribble a bit to help cut down on those turnovers. The big question for Suggs moving forward is regarding the jump shot overall. He’s made improvements and strides over the last year as a shooter, but he’s still pretty streaky outside of the jumper coming around a ball screen where a defender goes under to try to cut off his driving angle. He’s not particularly good off the catch, in part because his mechanics waver a bit. Particularly gets a bit wild with his balance. Needs to improve out of spot-ups to play occasionally off the ball so that his team can get more creativity on the court. Also, hasn’t really showcased himself as a three-level scorer right now. Doesn’t have much of an in-between game yet. Only took 17 midrange jumpers the entire season and didn’t look particularly comfortable from that range when he took them. He had a good feel for what a good shot was, and oftentimes in Gonzaga’s offense, surrounded by Timme inside and guys like Kispert outside, the midrange jumper wasn’t the best one available, so part of the reason he didn’t take them was largely because of who he was surrounded by. Still, he’ll need to prove he can take and make those shots as a lead ballhandler at the next level, because those often end up being the available end-of-shot-clock looks. Finally, on defense, Suggs can get a bit gamble-prone. He’ll try to shoot passing lanes that aren’t there to be aggressively attacked. He’ll also occasionally disengage a bit on that end and get beat for backdoor passes or stand up a bit straighter in his stance on the ball. This happened most during Gonzaga’s run in WCC play where the Zags weren’t really challenged, and he was largely good in the big games. Still, he’ll need to prove he can lock in consistently over a larger schedule despite his winning mentality. Summary Few things are more valuable in the NBA than a lead creator. Suggs has potential to be just that given his athleticism, power, vision and basketball IQ. It’s not easy to find players with this blend of tools who also have this much of a productive track record. He has an undeniable history of winning games, from high school championships to his run with Gonzaga. And that mentality showcases itself in his game too, with Suggs typically stepping up in a big way in the biggest moments. The flashes from Suggs this past season, particularly in the biggest moments, exceeded those of 2020 No. 1 overall pick Anthony Edwards. I’d comfortably take what we’ve seen from Suggs over what Edwards was as a prospect last season. His vision is a real differentiator for him as a prospect in addition to the scoring. Suggs profiles as an All-Star-caliber initiator if his development as a shooter continues to go right.
3. Evan Mobley | C | USC | DOB: June 18, 2001 (Age: 20) | 7-0 | 215 LBS | Hometown: Murrieta, Calif. Background Parents are Eric and Nicol. Eric played college basketball at Portland and is a former corrections officer who worked with a few different AAU teams in the Southern California area. He’s now an assistant with the USC men’s basketball program. Nicol, a former center on a state championship team in California, is now a schoolteacher. Evan has one brother, Isaiah, who is also a former McDonald’s All-American who plays for USC. Isaiah also is a legitimate draft prospect going forward as a 6-foot-10 forward. The duo combined to form one of the best frontcourts in the country. In AAU with the Compton Magic, they also paired with Onyeka Okongwu to form the best frontcourt in prep hoops. Didn’t start to truly focus on basketball until the eighth grade but developed very quickly as he matured. Emerged into a five-star prospect by the time he was a sophomore at Rancho Christian School. Played with brother Isaiah for his first three high school years, where the team was very successful. Evan won the Gatorade California Player of the Year award in back-to-back seasons as a junior and senior, becoming the second player to do so, along with Jrue Holiday. As a senior, he also won the Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year award. He won McDonald’s All-American, Nike Hoop Summit and Jordan Brand Classic selection honors even though those games did not occur. He finished the cycle as the No. 3 player in the 2020 recruiting class and committed to USC in what was considered fait accompli upon his father’s hiring in 2018. His lone collegiate season went off without a hitch. He won the Pac-12 Player of the Year, Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and Pac-12 Freshman of the Year awards, becoming the first player to sweep all three in a major conference since Anthony Davis in 2012. Ended up as a consensus second-team All-American, leading USC to its most successful season in nearly seven decades. The team went 25-8 and went to the Elite Eight. Mobley declared for the draft after this dominant season. Considered a high-character guy. Quiet and humble but does want to be great within basketball. Received an invite to and attended the 2021 NBA Draft Combine. Strengths Terrific physical tools for the modern center position. At 7-foot tall with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, Mobley’s movement skills really stand out. His lateral quickness and hip flexibility are remarkable for someone who is 7-foot tall. He can bend and drive off his back foot as a ballhandler. He moves like a wing. And his coordination and fluidity are terrific, allowing him to have great hand-eye dexterity as well as strong reaction times to what happens around him. That bears itself out best on defense right now. Mobley is a monster defensive prospect with genuine All-Defense upside in the modern NBA if things break right. His rim protection is elite. USC had the best 2-point defense in the country this past season as the 7-footer shut down the paint. Mobley is an ambidextrous shot blocker who often prefers to block shots with his left hand. Despite his lack of bulk, Mobley is a real hindrance around the basket because he knows how to contest vertically, getting every inch of contest out of his frame. He’s also terrific at not fouling. He averaged just 2.1 fouls per 40 minutes, a ridiculously low clip given how active he was as a shot contester inside. His rotational instincts are terrific from the weak side, and he’s almost always there to provide a difficult look to the driver inside. Beyond that on defense, Mobley is a terrific pick-and-roll defender too. You can run a switch-heavy defense with him because he can go out and deal with quick guards (although he’s not necessarily elite at it, a la Bam Adebayo or anything). Those flexible hips showcase themselves well here, as he can flip and drop his hips as necessary to cut off opposing guards and drivers. He’s also really smart in drop coverage settings, where his quick reaction times allow him to cut off gaps and angles with ease. His limbs allow him to simultaneously guard diving bigs as well as driving guards. He defends both away from and at the rim at an exceedingly high level for a center. Offensively, he does a lot of what teams are looking for. He has a very versatile skill set that teams are going to be able to use in a variety of ways. Very few players have as diverse a shot portfolio as Mobley. Per Synergy, he took 18 percent of his shots out of rolls, 15 percent out of post-ups, 15 percent out of spot-ups, 12 percent out of cuts/dump-offs, 11 percent on offensive rebounds, 9 percent out in transition and 7 percent out of pure isolation. He also ran 15 pick-and-rolls as a ballhandler this season, scoring on seven of them. He’s a strong roller to the rim, taking about three shots per game in those scenarios and making them efficiently. He’s a significant threat as a finisher at the rim, making 69.1 percent of his attempts in the half court, which was a strong number this year. His footwork is terrific, as he has light feet and great speed, while also possessing good touch on layups and a great dunking radius due to his length. He also made 54.5 percent of his floaters. Good offensive rebounder and finisher. Even beyond there, Mobley can handle the ball. He loves to handle with his left hand, getting good bend as a driver. Genuinely an ambidextrous driver, which is rare for someone this size and age. He’s comfortable spinning backward fluidly while staying in control of his limbs. Can legit grab and go on the break and lead his team out in transition, attacking and creating real advantages for his team. And once he does that, he can make high-level passing reads after creating open passing angles. Can play out of dribble handoffs both as a ballhandler and as the big who makes the initial exchange read. Not just a standstill passer either. Can make passing reads off a live dribble with one hand after creating. Real potential as an initiator from the perimeter.
Weaknesses Mobley is still very skinny, and his frame isn’t exactly ideal for continuing to add a ton of strength. If you initiate contact with him, he doesn’t play through it well. Strong offensive players can displace him pretty easily due to his high center of gravity and lack of bulk. Uses his length well on post-ups, but he was largely bigger and longer than everyone whom he dealt with in college. That won’t be the case in the NBA, where guys such as Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid would be able to bury him underneath the basket right now with relative ease. Someone like Arizona’s Azuolas Tubelis kind of buried him with relative ease at the rim. Drew Timme caused him a lot of issues in the NCAA Tournament for Gonzaga as a short-roller who could get downhill with body control as a driver. This also caused Mobley issues on the glass. Mobley is a good offensive rebounder because his second jump and ability to high-point the ball is good but can get pushed around positionally on the defensive glass. Grabbed just 18.9 percent of available defensive rebounds for USC, a low rate for high-level center prospect. Needs to get better at finishing possessions on the defensive end to meet his true potential. That inability to play through contact while getting displaced is a big reason why he often looked passive at times. He could get pushed off his driving or his post line relatively easily. I don’t think it’s that Mobley didn’t want to try to score, something often thrown at the feet of young big men. He largely couldn’t get to the spots he wanted in certain matchups and didn’t force the issue to take poor shots just to take them. And because of that lack of strength and high center of gravity, he’s not exactly the kind of guy you just throw it to on the block to get him an open look. Had five games where he took six or fewer shot attempts this past season, something that shouldn’t theoretically happen given his tools. Mobley’s shooting will also play a big role in where his final offensive role ends up settling. I wouldn’t say it’s a weakness, but it’s not a strength yet, so I tossed it here. Made just 30 percent of his 3s this year and under 70 percent from the line but has clearly solid, developable touch. Has a bit of a long release and needs some time to get it off. However, he made an awful lot of midrange jumpers this past season. Mobley took 56 midrange jumpers this past season, making 50 percent of them and showcasing real comfort in that area. Needs to iron out his consistency in this regard. Mechanics can get sped up if you closeout heavily on him, and sometimes has a bit of a wavering release point that results in his shot rhythm getting knocked off occasionally. Summary Mobley has all the tools to be an All-NBA big man. He has potential to be one of the few guys in the league who can be real shot creators and offensive initiators along with providing All-Defense-level skill. He’s one of the most skilled big-man prospects to enter the league in a long time. Ultimately, his future as an All-Star will be determined by two factors. First, where does he settle in terms of strength? Is he able to put on 20 or so pounds, or at least add a significant amount of core strength so that he doesn’t regularly get blown off his spot. Second, does he develop as a shooter? If both of those things come through, Mobley has a real shot to make a lot of All-NBA teams. If they don’t, he’ll settle more as a top half of the league starting center due to the variety and flexibility of his skill set mixed with his feel for the game. The former is absolutely worth a top-three pick in this draft. The latter is worth more of a mid-tier lottery pick. Obviously by rating him here, I’m more willing to bet on the hope that he can get stronger, and his athletic upside shines through at the next level due to his coordination and quickness.
4. Jalen Green | G | G League Ignite | DOB: Feb. 9, 2002 (Age: 19) | 6-6 | 180 LBS | Hometown: Merced, Calif. Background Mom is Bree Purganan. Stepfather is Marcus Green. Mother is a nurse and has Filipino heritage, and Green has an enormous following in the Philippines because of it. Has a younger sister, Jurnee. Played with EBO on the Adidas AAU circuit along with UCLA forward Jaime Jaquez, a future NBA Draft prospect. Was a clear five-star prospect immediately upon starting high school. Was a freshman All-American in his first high school year, then really blew up as a sophomore. Green averaged more than 27 points per game and helped lead San Joaquin Memorial to a section division title on his way to winning the national MaxPreps Sophomore of the Year award. Continued his ascension as a junior. As a senior, transferred to Prolific Prep in Napa, Calif., leading his team to a 31-3 record. He averaged more than 30 points per game and earned multiple accolades, including McDonald’s All-American status, a selection to the Nike Hoop Summit team and a Jordan Brand Classic berth. Also has an extensive Team USA track record. Won the gold medal with Team USA at the U17 World Cup in 2018, the U19 World Cup in 2019 and the U16 Americas Tournament in 2017. He was named MVP of the U17 World Cup event in 2018 while averaging more than 15 points per game. Played a significant role as an underage player in the 2019 U19 World Cup, averaging double figures. Green was the consensus No. 2 prospect in the 2020 recruiting class, the only player consistently ranked in the top three from late 2017 onward. He considered both the college and professional pathways throughout his time, with Memphis and Auburn being considered the two most likely colleges to receive his commitment. Ultimately, he decided to go with the G League and cleared seven figures between his G League salary and a shoe deal. The pandemic ended up creating a strange set of circumstances where it became somewhat unclear if a G League season would happen, but it did in a bubble setting in February and March. Green got better as the season went forward, including an elite finale with a 30- point outing in the team’s playoff loss to Raptors 905. Received an invite to and attended the 2021 NBA Draft Combine. Strengths The most explosive athlete of this class. All sorts of bounce and quick twitch. A powerful leaper off both two feet and one foot, while also maintaining body control and fluidity to maneuver in mid-air. A monster high-flyer who has a chance to win a dunk contest one day. His first step with the ball is ridiculous. Extremely fast in the open court without the ball, constantly leaking out into transition lanes to try to get easy dunks. Given those tools, he’s also gotten better at moving off ball and cutting for easy shots at the rim. Uses those tools to an exceedingly high level as a scorer. Has a genuinely high chance to be a 25-point-per-game guy. Green will occasionally settle too often on the perimeter, but when he decides to play attack-oriented basketball, he’s an elite scoring prospect due to those athletic tools. He has a pretty vicious handle due to the quick twitch mixed with elite body control. Does a great job of using little change of pace moves like hesitations and hang dribbles to freeze defenders, then can blow by with a reactive first step or separate backward with very quick crossovers into pull-ups. Strings moves together with ease to set up defenders, then blows by. From there, can get into his pull-up game from a variety of different angles, directions and foot positions. Loves the right-to-left crossover into side-step pull-up. But can left-plant, right-align pull-up footwork going to his right with ease. Good in isolation or out of ball-screen actions. He has real potential to be a three-level scorer. Unsurprisingly, given those tools, he’s a very good finisher at the rim. Excellent at changing at the angle on rim protectors, going up one way, rearranging in the air and finding a different way to finish. Drastically more comfortable going off two feet than leaping off one foot, he will need to find some differentiation in the way he takes off. But Green made 57.8 percent of his shots at the rim in half-court settings, which was an above-average mark in the G League bubble – an impressive accomplishment given his youth and lack of weight. Was also the second-most effective finisher out in transition in the G League, making his shots there at a ridiculous 78.3 percent clip per Synergy. A lot will come down to Green’s shooting. He’s a solid shooter right now who takes and makes a ton of high-degree-of-difficulty looks. But he’s very streaky. He has a smooth one-motion jumper with a high arc and low release point that is out in front of his face a bit. On occasion, the release point wavers. And while he can get the shot from a variety of different angles and foot positions, he often doesn’t get himself turned into total alignment with the rim. But this is a typical young player going through the process of improving his shot. The shot looks very similar from both the midrange and from beyond the arc, which gives some confidence that he should be good from all three levels. I would venture Green will shoot it at a high enough level to be an All-Star-caliber scorer by the time he’s in his early to mid-20s. But it’s not a sure thing, and he’ll need to work at it. Has shown real flashes as a passer when he wants, as well. When focused on making plays, he makes some creative live-dribble passes out of ball screens that show he could be able to continue growing into a role as a primary playmaker for a team. He’ll always be focused more on scoring because that’s what he’s best at, but in the same way that Zach LaVine handles the ball a ton and acts as a primary initiator, Green could do the same.
Weaknesses Two big questions. First comes on defense. Green was a pretty terrible defender in the G League. He shot passing lanes for steals and was pretty engaged for the most part on the ball, but his overall technique leaves a lot to be desired. He was also a consistent gambler, which is part of why his steal rate was so high. When he got home, it looked great. When he didn’t, it often resulted in buckets for the opposing team. His footwork and slide technique are bad right now, and he doesn’t get the most out of his quick-twitch athleticism because of it. He looks at times like a player who lacks lateral quickness, and we know from his overall athleticism level that he doesn’t. In scramble situations, he’s a consistent fly-by guy on closeouts and needs to work on taking shorter, choppier steps as opposed to flying out of control toward the shooter. Getting through screens both on and off ball is a significant problem right now too. He has no idea how to navigate them yet. Often ends up running into them. Doesn’t do a good job of trailing and needs to get skinnier at the mesh point to avoid the contact of the screen better. Wasn’t particularly good in recovery despite his athleticism, either, because while he would give effort through the initial action, he often didn’t really work to fight to get back into the play. He has so much work to do on this end of the floor in terms of awareness and instinctual development that it’s really hard to project him as anything but a negative long-term. Finally, while Green has shown real flashes as a passer and playmaker, he needs to do a much better job of making decisions and quicker reads. He loves to stop the play and hold the ball before making a shot. Rarely catches and fires directly after receiving a pass. Always surveys to see if he can attack first, even when he has an open 3. Negative assist-to-turnover ratio this past year in part due to an occasionally loose handle, and in part due to decision-making as a passer. Has a tendency to occasionally lock in on one guy, allowing defenders to read where he’s going. Also jumps before passing a lot, putting him in vulnerable decision-making situations. I’ll also note the jumper again because it is streaky and needs some work. Summary I was really impressed with what I saw from Green in the G League. Early on, I thought it might take him some real time to improve his decision- making and defense, and I still feel that way. But the scoring ability translated in the best possible way it could have. He was about as elite in that regard as could have been expected for a teenager. He got much better as the season went on, really improving his patience as a driver and becoming so much more comfortable with what the defense was presenting to him away from the ball. He’s about as projectable a 20-point-per- game scoring guard as has entered the draft in a while. The combination of his skill level, handle and elite-level athleticism is going to allow him to get buckets at an exceedingly high level. How he’s able to round out the rest of his skills in terms of his passing and defense will be the difference between him making just one or two All-Star teams as a scoring guard or becoming a real potential All-NBA player.
Thanks man, good stuff! I hope teams take it to heart and let him drop to Rockets. Jalen Johnson too.
Love Deuce McBride but would take JT Thor in this scenario. Jalen Green Kai Jones JT Thor That is a damn good draft. But Kai Jones not falling to 23.
It is, I would be happier if Garuba fell to 23 or 24. Kai is better than JT, they are similar in some ways. Garuba will go higher too, unfortunately.
@ApacheWarrior Do you think Garuba is carrying excess fat? I feel if he loses junk in the trunk, he will get quicker and become somewhat explosive. Perhaps he might fall to 23 after all.
NBA scouts critique the top 2021 Draft prospects The world is getting back to normal, but Finch’s world is still out of sorts. Next Thursday is the NBA Draft — his biggest night of the year — and yet it has only been nine months, instead of the usual 12, since the last draft night. Normally the draft happens in late June, but this year it’s happening in late July. And instead of spending last winter jetting around the country, driving countless rental cars and staying in reasonably priced hotels, Finch spent most of his time sitting in front of his flat screen, hovering over his computer, and working the phones in an effort to give the best advice to the folks in his organization who will make the final calls. So it was a different kind of road to get here … but here we are. And Finch is ready. For those of you who are uninitiated on the concept of Finch, allow me to initiate you. Over the last two weeks, I asked five NBA scouts their opinions on 50 of the top prospects who will be considered for selection on July 29. In exchange for their candor — brutal, in many cases, as you’ll see — I granted my quintet of sources full anonymity. Then I condensed their opinions into a paragraph as if they were uttered by a single person named Finch. That nom de guerre was invented by my former Sports Illustrated colleague Alex Wolff, who chose it because Finch is the surname of the protagonist Scout from “To Kill A Mockingbird,” the greatest novel ever written. It was a huge detriment for Finch to be unable to attend college games for most of last season. It robbed him of the chance to eyeball players from courtside, and then chat up coaches, trainers, reporters and other bird dogs to get a sense for how a player acts away from the games. “You can get a lot of information just by showing up early and hanging around the court before a game,” Finch told me. “I only went to a couple of games this season, and they wouldn’t let me on the floor.” So yeah, it’s been different, but a welcome sense of familiarity will return next Thursday. Before we unveil the Finch 50, some hoop thoughts on what follows: • Since college basketball is my bailiwick, I once again did not include the top international players on my list, although I did ask Finch about three of the 19-year-olds who played for the NBA G League’s Ignite team. • There were, of course, differences of opinions amongst the five scouts, but the quotes below represent the best possible consensus. If a scout proffered an opinion that felt like an outlier, I did not include it. • In some years, there is a modicum of dissent as to who the number one pick should be. This year there is no modicum. None of my scouts remotely suggested that anyone but Cade Cunningham should be selected first. • Drafts usually feature a top tier of players, followed by a considerable dropoff. Some years that tier consists of just one player. Some years it’s two or three. This year it’s five. Cunningham will go first, and the next four players are set (in whatever order): Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Evan Mobley and Jalen Suggs. • The most dangerous place to pick — and be picked — is the second half of the lottery. The top four or five players every year are pretty close to can’t miss, and if they don’t pan out it’s usually the player, not the team, who gets blamed. But that label of being a “lottery pick” can be an albatross, much like being a “McDonald’s All-American” can ruin a kid when he gets to college. Better to be selected at the end of the first round, develop under the radar, and then get labeled a “sleeper” if things go well. • Assets that Finch values most, in order: 1. Efficient 3-point shooting 2. Elite athleticism 3. Defensive versatility • In Finch’s parlance, young is good, old is bad. And only in an NBA draft is 24 considered “old.” And now, on to Finch’s 50, in alphabetical order: Joel Ayayi, 6-5 junior guard, Gonzaga. “Swiss Army knife, does a lot of things well, but I don’t think he processes the game like a point guard. I don’t see him running a team. Physically he’s a little weak. He’s been around for a while, and his game isn’t very different from what it was when he came in. Downhill attacker. He was able to blend in with good players at Gonzaga, which is mostly a good thing. But you wonder if he’s capable of being a front line guy, or will he just be a career backup? I’m not convinced he can gain the weight he needs. He’ll be a good second-round pick for somebody.” Scottie Barnes, 6-9 freshman forward, Florida State. “Love Scottie. Freak body. Defensively he can guard one through five. If he can become a shooter he’ll be an all-star. But if he can’t then it’s a problem because no one will guard him. A kid who works that hard at everything else, I don’t doubt that’s going to come around. He can’t shoot like Draymond Green yet, but everything else he does reminds me of Draymond. He’s shown he’s willing to be a good complementary player.” Charles Bassey, 6-11 junior center, Western Kentucky. “He’s not an elite athlete but he’s big, he’s strong, he rebounds, he can make a free throw. Kind of knows who he is. He could be a capable backup center. It was good to finally see him healthy. His skill set is not great. Not much of a playmaker at his position. I don’t know how much his outside shooting improved. He didn’t have anyone at Western Kentucky who could get him the ball. He fights pretty hard on the boards. His rebounding is going to translate.” Brandon Boston Jr., 6-7 freshman guard, Kentucky. “I don’t know what he’s doing sometimes. I was expecting a lot more from him this year, but he’s got some offensive potential. His strength and feel are a problem. He couldn’t finish at the rim. Good size and length, gets to his spots, just didn’t make shots for whatever reason. I know he’s saying he hurt his finger. He looks the part, but he doesn’t engage. Definitely not a high-motor kid. He’s not an explosive, high twitch guy. He has more functional athleticism. He seemed like a decent kid in his interview.” James Bouknight, 6-5 sophomore guard, UConn. “He killed it at his pro day, made every shot, but I’m not buying him as a shooter. He could be a good scorer like Jordan Clarkson. Shot the hell out of it at the Chicago pre-draft camp. He’s going to be a pretty good rebounder. You can’t make it in our league if you can’t create your own shot. He didn’t shoot it well from 3 in college and was really turnover-prone, but I think he knows what the hell he’s doing. His stroke’s not broken. Nice kid.” Chaundee Brown, 6-5 senior guard, Michigan. “He’s an end-of-bench rotation guy, maybe. Glue guy who plays hard. Strong shooting guard, has the skills of an undersized power forward. His midrange shot is OK, but when he gets deep his mechanics start to really fluctuate. You see a couple of flashes, but you don’t have a lot of consistency. He wants to float around the perimeter. He’s a tease. Probably a late second-round guy and you put him on a two-way contract and see if he can develop.” Greg Brown, 6-9 freshman forward, Texas. “He’s sexy, but I just can’t tell you what he does. He shoots 3s or dunks, that’s it. No skill, no feel for the game. His interview was very disappointing. If he buys into being defensive-minded and using his athleticism as a shot-blocker, he could wind up having a place in our league. He gets too caught up in being a wing. He rebounds a little bit. I’m guessing he goes second round but there’s a lot of buyer beware with him. You’ve got to have a really strong assistant or player development guy to work with him.” Jared Butler, 6-3 junior guard, Baylor. “Oh man, what an unbelievable kid. He was so impressive in our interview. He’s really small. Not a super quick athlete. A winner and big-time shot-maker. He could be in the 20s without that medical issue. This kid could run for president. He checks all the boxes in terms of culture.” Josh Christopher, 6-5 freshman guard, Arizona State. “I give him credit for playing at the combine. A lot of top guys didn’t. He’s got a motor, he competes, he’s a downhill attacker. He’s a little undersized at the wing. Didn’t play up to his expectations in college. He got hurt and then basically never played again. It’s not like he tore his ACL. He’s a big, strong kid. He’s not going to move the ball, he’s more of a score-first guy. Raw but competitive. He’s really talented. Early second round, I’d say.” Sharife Cooper, 6-1 freshman guard Auburn. “Wow, what a great kid. He’s bigger than I thought. Really knows how to change speeds to get in the paint. The poor shooting is really hard to overcome, but he’ll be in the first round because he’s just so elite at getting to spots and making plays. Also at that size, who’s he gonna guard? I don’t think he defends worth a ****. If he was a 35 percent 3-point shooter he’d be at the top of the lottery. He’s got that ball on a string. In our league you have to be able to shoot it. He plays hard and he loves basketball.” Cade Cunningham, 6-8 freshman guard, Oklahoma State. “Clear No. 1 pick. He’s not a really good athlete and doesn’t have the quickest first step, but he’s got a chance to be a high-level two-way player because of his versatility at both ends. He doesn’t have to dominate the ball. He’s the ultimate leader, he’s the best teammate, he’s a responsible kid. Smaller point guards can get up under him. The only thing I would question maybe a little bit is I’m not sure he’ll be able to defend point guards. He’ll have to adapt. He’s not some electric, dynamic athlete but neither is Luka Doncic. He has a smart athleticism.”
Ayo Dosunmu, 6-5 junior guard, Illinois. “I’m not as high on Ayo as some others. He’s got great size, but I worry about his playmaking, I worry about his shooting. He’s probably a third guard or a backup. He loves watching film, he’s a junkie. He’s a good piece. His body looked terrific in Chicago. Aggressive downhill attacker. Just needs to get more consistent with his shooting. He wants to guard, which is impressive. I don’t trust him as a shooter. I hate his mechanics.” Chris Duarte, 6-6 senior guard, Oregon. “That’s my man crush right there. He’s not what you think of when you think of a juco kid. He plays the right way, he plays really hard. Tough, physical kid. He’s just a basketball player. I know he’s 24, but whoever drafts him is getting someone who can play right away. He can dribble, pass, shoot, he guards, got a good feel. Just doesn’t have a lot of weaknesses.” Luka Garza, 6-11 senior center, Iowa. “He’s a non-athlete and he knows it. Maybe the greatest interview I’ve ever had. He lost 30 pounds. Does that change his ability to rebound and push people off the block? He needs to be a lights-out shooter because all that **** he got away with in the Big Ten will be hard for him to do in our league. He did some workouts in Chicago and he shot the ball very well. All he does is produce. I can’t count him out. He’s not going to get the same usage in the NBA as he did in college, so his ability to do some of the high-motor stuff is going to be important. He has physical limitations defending pick-and-rolls.” RaiQuan Gray, 6-8 junior forward, Florida State. “He measured the highest body fat (17.3 percent) at the combine. His shooting is inconsistent, but he’s capable. He has a chance because he’s got size, he handles the ball very well, very smart basketball player. Anytime you’re a captain on a Leonard Hamilton team, you’re about the right stuff. Moves his feet extremely well for a big kid. Not ideal size for his position. Probably a mid- to late second-round pick. Maybe a G League candidate.” Jalen Green, 6-6 guard, NBA G League. “I could see him leading the league in scoring in a couple of years. He’s a highlight tape waiting to happen. His playmaking for others has to improve. He’s not a point guard who can facilitate — he’s more of a wing. He’s in the gym, he wants to get better. The sky’s the limit for this kid. My biggest question is how quickly can he get to a point where he understands how to play? He needs to learn to harness that athletic ability. He’s got that Zach LaVine, Bradley Beal stuff in his game. He’s thin now but he’ll get stronger.” Quentin Grimes, 6-5 junior guard, Houston. “He was the best player at the combine. He showed a little more off the dribble than people thought he had. Had an awesome year at Houston. He’s not the best athlete, he’s not the best ballhandler, but he can make shots. I could see him going late first round. He’s been very well-coached. At the end of the day I’m not sure he does anything special enough. He has a definitive NBA skill, and that’s shooting. He has a good level of mental toughness. He’s not a great defender, but he’s not a liability.” Sam Hauser, 6-8 senior forward, Virginia. “He’s not the quickest guy, but he really makes shots at a high level. Could he be like Dean Wade? Could he be Matt Bonner? He can be Georges Niang. He’s tougher than you think. His shooting disappointed me in Chicago, but because of his size and his shooting ability people will take a chance on him. He’ll be a mid-second-round pick because he does one thing very well, and that one thing is pretty important. I don’t think he’s going to be switchable defensively. He can’t run, he can’t jump, but he can stay in that corner and make shots.” Aaron Henry, 6-6 junior forward, Michigan State. “I feel like there’s 10 of him in the G League. I want to like him, I just don’t know if he can make enough shots. He’s physical, but I don’t think there’s much there yet, skill-wise. He’s a pretty good passer, got a little midrange to him. He could get too big if he doesn’t manage his weight. Michigan State needed him to be really good, and he didn’t elevate them. He’s a versatile guy at both ends. He’s going to guard multiple positions. Early to mid-second round, I think.” Nah’Shon Hyland, 6-3 sophomore guard, VCU. “Helped himself in Chicago. He’s skinny, and I don’t think he’ll gain a lot of weight, but he can really score. He’s going to have to learn to pass more. He’s not a vertical athlete, but he’s twitchy, and he’s clever. He’s a scorer much more than a shooter. That’s one area he needs to improve, but I think he will because he’s a gym rat. Full of personality. Worst case he goes in the mid-30s and gets some guaranteed money.” Matthew Hurt, 6-9 sophomore forward, Duke. “Should have gone back to Duke. Defensively he’s got to improve. Really needs to add strength to improve his lateral movement. I’m not going to say he can’t make it in the NBA, but if he doesn’t he can go overseas and make a lot of money. He struggled shooting the ball in Chicago. I’m not sure he has the mentality to overcome a lot of his stuff. He makes things more difficult than they have to be. He was disappointing with his body fat at the combine (15.2 percent). He’s a non-athlete. I don’t know who he guards.” Isaiah Jackson, 6-10 freshman forward, Kentucky. “Long, lean, has elite defensive potential. Can really block shots. But his offense needs to catch up. He’s going to be more of a rim runner, catch-and-finish guy. He has to get so much stronger. I think he can be in the Daniel Gafford mold. I’m not sure I see his passing coming along. He’ll wind up being a terrific defender and rebounder in our league. You worry about him being able to pick up weight and maintain it. He’s an undersized center, really thin, has limited skill. Running and jumping isn’t a skill.” David Johnson, 6-5 sophomore guard, Louisville. “Big-bodied, strong guard. Probably more of a combo. I don’t know if you want him running your team. He’s gotta improve his shooting. He didn’t shoot it well at the combine. I like his size. I like his potential. He has a lack of confidence. He’s not a takeover guy. You watch him, and you want to say, ‘Come on, man, you’re good, let’s go.’ I don’t think this year was great for him playing more off the ball. He’s got legit size. His offense isn’t broken, he just needs more reps.” Jalen Johnson, 6-9 freshman forward, Duke. “When you meet him, he’s got tremendous size. An impressive looking player and athlete. Lotta question marks, though. Why did he choose so many high schools? Why did he quit Duke? It just seems like he runs away from adversity. I don’t trust his shooting right now. My question is, when the game grinds to halfcourt, is he the same athlete? You’re talking about a guy with a lot of physical upside. He’s going to be a first-round pick, but I wouldn’t feel good about taking him. In our league, he’s going to have to become a better shooter. I don’t think he’s malicious. He’s not a bad kid. He’s got top 10 talent, but I think he falls to the 20s.” Keon Johnson, 6-5 freshman guard, Tennessee. “Freaky, freaky athlete. Not very polished offensively. Doesn’t shoot it great, not sure about his decision-making. If that clicks, with his size and athleticism, you’re going to have a really good player. In today’s world of positionless basketball, he can play and defend three positions. He needs to establish more variety to get his shots. If he learns to make better plays for others he’ll wind up being a star in our league. He got exposed at Tennessee because he couldn’t make a shot. His shot isn’t broken, he just needs reps. Off-the-charts unbelievable kid.” Carlik Jones, 6-1 senior guard, Louisville. “He’s got some challenges in front of him, but he’s a tough ****. He can score that ball. Makes plays for others, and he’s a winner. His size and athleticism holds him back. Plays really well in ball screens. He’s more of a scorer than a passer. Not a tremendous defender, but he’s good enough, and he’s extremely competitive. I wouldn’t be surprised if he winds up sticking in the league like Jordan McLaughlin. He didn’t have high assist numbers, but he hit guys in areas for them to score. I don’t know if he gets drafted.” Herbert Jones, 6-8 senior forward, Alabama. “Talk about a guy with elite toughness. He played his junior year with a broken hand. He can guard one through five, he’s a playmaker with the ball. The shooting piece really needs to improve. I know his shooting percentages improved, but he still has a funky looking shot. He could have a Torrey Craig kind of impact on a playoff team. He does a lot of little things. You have to have the right coach who understands what you have with this guy.”
Kai Jones, 6-11 sophomore forward, Texas. “People have him in the lottery, but I don’t see it. I don’t think he knows how good he is. He could go to the Olympics as a track athlete. He’s shown enough flashes with his perimeter game that you feel like you could take a chance on him. You just have to be patient. You see the physical potential, but you gotta get more done, man. There’s a lot to work with there. He’s a ball of energy at both ends of the floor. He’ll thrive in transition in our league. He’s always around the ball. I don’t think he’s a great low post player because he’s too small.” Corey Kispert, 6-7 senior guard, Gonzaga. “He can make shots at a high level. He’s gotten better off the bounce and finishing at the rim. He’s got legit size at 6-7. He got exposed defensively in that Baylor game. He hasn’t shown he can guard big-time athletes, and that’s all he’s going to see in the NBA. I’d say he’s a streaky shooter more than an excellent shooter. He’s a fluid runner in the fullcourt but not as good of a mover in the halfcourt. His shot can be flat at times, but you can’t argue with the results. He’s a finished product.” Jonathan Kuminga, 6-8 forward, NBA G League. “He’s a freak. Clearly the most gifted athlete in the draft. Can guard one through four. He can make a shot, but he’s not the greatest decision-maker. But he’s not even 19 and he’s got loads of potential. I’m not sure how committed he is. I thought he was great at the beginning of the bubble, but then he faded. I think his motor runs inconsistently, but when it’s running high he’s special. He’s pretty explosive for his size. He’s Pascal Siakam.” Isaiah Livers, 6-7 senior forward, Michigan. “He’s had a rough couple of years with his injuries. He’s pretty limited with the ball in his hands. Defensively he’s just okay. It wouldn’t shock me if he goes undrafted but eventually makes his way. He’s a good shooter, not elite. The problem is, who does he guard? A four man will post him up, and he certainly can’t guard a wing. His lateral quickness is a problem. He’s a good kid, he’ll be coachable. Pretty marginal athlete, but his ability to shoot and make the right reads will help. I’d say he’s mid-second round.” Tre Mann, 6-5 sophomore guard, Florida. “I’m a big Tre Mann guy. In high school he reminded me of Stephen Curry. He’s going to have some challenges athletically. Really good size. High-level scoring combo guard. His body’s got to improve, and he’s gotta get better defensively. He’s done a great job adding muscle to his body. I don’t think he’s a point guard, I think he’s more of a two. He wants nothing to do with physical activity. He shies away from contact.” Miles McBride, 6-2 sophomore guard, West Virginia. “He really helped himself in Chicago. If I were an agent of another player, I wouldn’t want him going into a workout with this guy. His competitiveness is elite. He’s not a true point guard. I wouldn’t have him run your team. Big time on-ball defender and clutch shot-maker. He’s not big but, he’s got those long arms. He’s got a really nice little elbow pullup game. I look at him as an emotional leader. I think he can sneak into the first round. There’s a lot to like about him.” Davion Mitchell, 6-2 senior guard Baylor. “He’s small, not as long as you think. But he’s a high-level competitor and winner, and he’s gotten better each year at playmaking for others. Just an incredible will to compete, and from what I understand he’s a great teammate. Safe pick. I wonder how good his point guard skills are. He’s made himself into a good shooter where you can’t go underneath ball screens on him.” Evan Mobley, 7-0 freshman forward, USC. “His impact on that USC team was incredible. He’s got to get a lot stronger to be able to handle the physicality of playing the five in our league. He can knock down a 17-footer now, but he has to be able to move it back a few feet. Chris Bosh got there, why couldn’t he? I used to think he was too nice but not anymore. Not a great rim protector but he’s big enough to deter people. My main concern is stability in his base and whether he can pick up weight. You wonder if he loves the game. Will he get into the weight room and change his body?” Moses Moody, 6-6 freshman guard, Arkansas. “One of the safer picks in the draft. He’ll be a classic 3-and-D guy. I’d like to see more nasty in him. He played the right way as a freshman. The Arkansas staff speaks the world of him. He’s average sized for a shooting guard, but he’s a strong physical kid. He’s not selfish, and he’s a pretty willing defender. His athleticism isn’t dynamic. I don’t know how well he changes directions one on one. He’s not a great shooter, but he’s got a little wiggle to him.” Trey Murphy III, 6-9 junior forward, Virginia. “He’s a lot bigger than I thought. Big-time athlete. He’s 6-9 and he can shoot and guard. Those guys don’t grow on trees. I’ve been surprised at how well he moves defensively. He’ll probably go in the first round because people see potential for him to defend on the perimeter against smaller guys. He can actually defend a four. Nice kid, very happy go lucky. For a guy with all that length and athleticism, he didn’t rebound it well in college. He needs to be a better finisher. He needs to be a tougher, more hard-nosed player. If you let him jump off two feet he will rock your world. He doesn’t have a great handle but he can do what Cam Johnson does.” Daishen Nix, 6-5 guard, NBA G League. “He’s got good size and can really pass, but his shooting is atrocious. That’s a problem if you’re a point guard. He’s got to get his body right. Can get in the paint, but he really struggles to finish at the rim. I know he had COVID-19. and he gained a lot of weight during the season. He lost a lot of the weight but did not play particularly well in Chicago. Kind of reminds me of Andre Miller, a stocky strong point guard. The work ethic goes up and down, but he’s a gamer. Someone will take a swing at him in the second round.” Joshua Primo, 6-6 freshman guard, Alabama. “He’s 18, the youngest kid in the draft. Whoever drafts him is getting a top 15 talent a year early. His shooting is not great, but he’s got some defensive versatility. You look at his face, it doesn’t look like a razor has ever touched it. But he does have a body that I could see developing. He’s got good overall core strength. By all accounts he has an incredible work ethic. A lot of people peg him as being just a shooter, but he’s better off the dribble than people thought. I could see a team with multiple picks taking him.” Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, 6-9 sophomore forward, Villanova. “I love Villanova guys. They’re all about the right stuff. The only thing holding him back is his shooting. He might be one of the highest IQ guys in the draft. He could be like a Georges Niang, but Georges is a 43 percent 3-point shooter. He’s a little below average athletically, but his mind is so good it makes up for it. He needs to be a poor man’s Al Horford. He’s not the most physical kid, but I think he’ll do enough rebounding wise. He doesn’t have a lot of vertical pop. His shooting mechanics are not flawed, but he needs to develop consistency there.”
Day’Ron Sharpe, 6-11 freshman forward, North Carolina. “He’s not the quickest guy, but he’s got pretty decent feet. He’s not much of a scorer but he’s an underrated facilitator. You can run offense through him a little bit. He’s a really good prospect in today’s NBA. He’s a rim-roller dunker, he can switch a ball screen. He’s a Clint Capela, Rudy Gobert type of player in terms of their offense. The concern is he’s a little bit of a dinosaur offensively. He doesn’t really excel at anything at the moment. He’ll add tremendous value if he can become a pick-and-pop guy. From what I hear he’s gotten into terrific shape. He’s got a decent skill set.” Jericho Sims, 6-10 senior forward, Texas. “Nobody helped himself more at the combine than Jericho. He’s freaky bouncy, he plays hard. Not very skilled, he’s more of a dunker, rim runner, lob finisher. His feel is not very good. I wouldn’t call him a great rebounder. Lateral movement is a question. Will he be able to switch off a screen? He only does one or two things well, but he does those really well. Moves his feet better than I’ve seen in a big in a long time. I don’t think he makes smart decisions. I don’t want the ball in his hands. He needs to show consistent energy. You can’t throw it to him on the block. He can’t make a free throw.” Jaden Springer, 6-4 freshman guard, Tennessee. “I don’t see it with him. He’s not a point guard, he’s not an elite athlete, he doesn’t shoot it. He looks like a G League guy to me. All I heard coming into last season was what a great athlete he was. I know he played with a bad ankle so I’ll give him a pass for not showing it. I don’t quite understand where the upside is with him. He’s an OK shooter, not a terrific shooter. There’s some upside on the defensive side. I don’t think he has an identity. Is he a scorer or a point guard?” Jalen Suggs, 6-4 freshman guard, Gonzaga. “He’s not the most talented player in the draft skill-wise, but he’s gonna rip your heart out to win a drill. The only thing I would question is his shooting. He will impact your organization and help you win games. I’ve heard his workouts have been great, but people are surprised how much work his passing needs. He’s got unbelievable confidence and swagger. He’s in the Jamal Murray model. If there’s a weakness, he’s got average size for his position. In our league he’s not gonna get to the basket like he did in college. He can be a little turnover prone.” Cameron Thomas, 6-4 freshman guard, LSU. “He just wakes up and gets you 20. He’s not the biggest dude. He’s not a good athlete, he doesn’t put pressure on the rim, he doesn’t play any defense. Clearly one of the most confident players in this draft. There’s no shot he doesn’t like, so he has to rein that in and be more efficient. He was allowed to do a lot of things at LSU that I just don’t see him being allowed to do as a rookie in the NBA. He’s a hard worker and his teammates trust him to make shots. Doesn’t really do much outside of scoring. I’d say late first round, but it has to be a niche for him. He drew a **** ton of fouls, but a rookie is not going to get those calls.” Franz Wagner, 6-9 sophomore forward, Michigan. “He’s big, he’s versatile. Doesn’t do anything great but gives you a little bit of everything. It’s weird because he’s got good shooting form; it just doesn’t go in. I don’t feel good when it leaves his hands. He’s not confident enough in himself. Excellent passer for his size, good defender. The major question is his shooting and lateral athleticism. Super intriguing. Really good size and skill. Not the toughest kid. I’d say 10 to late teens.” Joe Wieskamp, 6-6 junior guard, Iowa. “He could be a smaller Duncan Robinson. He can really shoot it. He’s longer than you think. He’s a second-round pick, and I think he makes a rotation because he makes shots. Defensively he’s going to struggle. He’s not the toughest kid. Helped himself a lot in Chicago. Shot the ball well, tested well. Got a 6-11 wing span. I would take a chance on him. You wonder if he’s too mild-mannered.” Aaron Wiggins, 6-6 junior guard, Maryland. “He’s a little bit of a dime a dozen. Average size, average athlete, good shooter but not elite. He’s shown flashes in college. He’s got a good midrange game. I just don’t trust him as a shooter. He’s a good athlete, plays hard, he’ll help you rebound. He’ll be able to help teams defensively right away. Three-and-D guy. Shooting is the biggest missing ingredient.” Ziaire Williams, 6-8 freshman forward, Stanford. “Loads of potential, but he had a very disappointing season. I know he had COVID issues and other things going on. He’s a 6-8 shot maker so there’s potential there. Other than Jalen Johnson, I think Ziaire has the biggest potential to drop. He gets bumped off his line a lot. I don’t think he’s the toughest kid physically. I’ve heard complaints from his coaches at every level about his work habits. There’s a lot to like there, as a 3-point shooting hybrid forward. He’s really smart, so much that I wonder if he really loves basketball, or if has so many other interests.” McKinley Wright IV, 6-0 senior guard, Colorado. “Just a pit bull winner. He’s gonna make a roster at some point even if he goes undrafted. He’s got elite speed in the open court. He had a very good few days in Chicago. Size is a concern, but he’s got good quickness, he can score. Really good speed and burst. Not quite as good a vertical athlete. Cannot shoot at all. An Ish Smith type. When we interviewed guys from the Pac-12 and asked who was the toughest guy in the league to guard, his name came up a lot.”
Wow! That was quite an indictment. I have not been too high on him, so hopefully he goes where he's projected and pushes better talent down to us.
This is a very good scouting report. The background is crucial if not the most important piece if the player will succeed and get better. Thats where you have to read between the lines and not just the game stats
