dacomeup
Supporter
- Jan 20, 2006
- 26,613
- 37,569
Sheesh 19 boards?
2025 NBA Draft Thread
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by addict4sneakers,
- Start date
- Mar 8, 2008
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Yea, could be partially inflated due to Hurt starting alongside him but he was crashing the boards aggressively. Couple nice putback dunks on the offensive end. A lot of his points came off drives/cuts but made the only 3 he attempted
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- Jul 13, 2005
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We're not gonna talk about how nice Mac Mcclung is? Future G league all star.
- Mar 22, 2003
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Why you hating on Mac? He will be fun at Tech, Beard will have him in good spots
- Jul 13, 2005
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No hate. Actually think the kid is good. Idk about NBA level, but he’s fun to watch.
- Aug 22, 2012
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........ Agree to disagree on MN being able to retain talent, but tough to argue with 20 years of underwhelming performance.
I am starting to wonder what kind of dirt Patino has on our AD 7 years with that record and he will be here for 3 more is my guess. I will say that our AAU circuit is among the best in the country and we underperform for a university in a top media market while being the only game in town.
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- Mar 22, 2003
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Lol why’d you delete?
- Aug 22, 2012
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Wrong audience for nuanced gopher takes 
- Mar 22, 2003
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Wrong audience for nuanced gopher takes
It wasn’t a bad take IMO - I didn’t agree with all of it but it was fine - it will always be tough for state schools who aren’t the top top programs to keep in-state. But to your point they need to be able to acquire some of it and should be top 25-ish.
- Sep 5, 2010
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- Jul 13, 2005
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I think Ive seen enough from Jalen Johnson, Suggs, and Cade to warrant them going top 3 in w.e order.
- Mar 31, 2011
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Cade's physicality is what I wish Lamelo Carter Williams had.
- Aug 21, 2017
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Sleeping on Jalen Green. He’s arguably as good as Cade.
- Mar 31, 2011
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I assume he was just talking about the college players since we haven't really seen Green/Kuminga/Nix.
- Sep 5, 2010
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I'm a sucker for centers that can pass.
- Apr 5, 2017
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- Nov 5, 2012
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Just watched Mikey Williams vs Scoot Henderson and then Emoni Bates vs #1 Duncanville (TX)... it's weird as hell seeing live crowds and packed in especially in the Williams Henderson clip. Looked like a pre Pandemic game
- Apr 5, 2017
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ESPN Mock from the day before the CBB season started.
- Nov 5, 2012
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I'm undecided on those Sierra Canyon kids. They are slotted top 5-10 in almost every mock.. Obviously talented just can't get a feeling one way or the other yet
- Sep 5, 2010
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2021 NBA Mock Draft: Cade Cunningham tops wing-heavy class that excites scouts, execs
The 2021 NBA Draft process begins in earnest this week as college basketball teams tip off games and scouts look on knowing that the 2021 class looks, throughout the lottery, to have much more upside than the 2020 one did.
And indeed, this is a draft worth tanking for. I’d ballpark it at five players who are currently tracking ahead of anyone in the 2020 NBA Draft and thus would have been likely to be selected at No. 1 in that class. And realistically, there are even more players than those who are particularly interesting and seem to have higher upsides.
But more importantly, this draft is absolutely loaded with wings. NBA teams are constantly on the lookout for players who can morph into athletic, multi-positional and multi-role two-way wings, and this draft has more of them than any that I can remember scouting in the last seven years. After a draft where bigs ended up being selected in 12 of the top 35 picks, I’d expect much more of a reversion next year toward the way the NBA game actually looks in reality now, where versatile wings are the most important thing that you can find.
In an era where defensive versatility and athleticism are prized by NBA coaches, this is the draft that will provide a significant influx of flexible, lineup-altering players who will allow teams to play skilled and switchable without losing a ton of size. It’s also worth noting that you’ll see this class is dominated by freshmen at the top. Why is that? Well, simply put, two reasons. First, it’s a great recruiting class filled with talent. Second, look at the 2020 draft. Seventeen of the top 30 picks were first-year eligible players, either as internationals or college one-and-dones. An additional eight first-round picks were second-year eligible sophomores. Overall, only three seniors were taken in the top-49 selections. As kids continue to choose to enter the draft earlier, there is a real talent drain in college basketball at the upperclass levels, and it makes it much less likely that upperclassmen get picked. Still, you’ll see a few familiar collegiate names here as we enter the season.
Having said that, I’d also note that in general NBA teams have been out to collegiate practices a bit less than in recent years, and thus aren’t quite as certain about what to expect heading into the 2020-21 college basketball season. After all, scouts have been pulled into 2020 NBA Draft prep throughout October and November. Plus, there has been a ton of free agency prep to deal with post-draft. And without any of McDonald’s All-American, Nike Hoop Summit and Jordan Brand Classic, NBA scouts haven’t gotten as much in-person evaluating time as normal at this point in the process. I’d expect that this top 30 changes quite a bit as we get to see how players have improved over the eight months since we saw many of them play last. In that vein, you’d probably be best off considering this something of a watch list rather than a true ranking.
I just want to note one final thing: Many around the league and those with public-facing jobs have called this one of the deepest drafts in recent memory. Through the lottery, I generally agree that this draft projects as strong. Because of that strength at the top, this projects to be a much, much stronger draft overall. However, I’m not quite as convinced yet that the depth will extend through the end of the first through to the mid-second round like it did this season. It’s possible that will be the case once evaluators get a chance to see the players perform and see how they’ve improved, starting this week. Of course, there are pop-up guys every year who burst onto the scene and blow up. But I think the jury remains out on just how much depth this draft will end up containing.
So with that being said, here is where I’ve landed on my 2021 NBA mock draft entering the 2020-21 college basketball season. For this particular ‘way-too-early’ exercise, there are not teams assigned to the picks, rather an indication as to where these prospects would figure to be drafted at this stage.
1. Cade Cunningham | 6-7, lead ballhandler | 19 years old, freshman | Oklahoma State
As mentioned above, I love the talent at the top of the 2021 NBA Draft. It’s a considerably deeper draft within the top half of the lottery than the 2020 iteration was. And yet, I still think of it as “The Cade Cunningham Draft” at this stage. He’s not only one of the best prospects I’ve evaluated at the high school level, but also one of my favorite players to watch. Everything about Cunningham looks likely to translate at a high level in the NBA, and he gets better every time I see him.
I wrote about Cunningham two-and-a-half years ago, back when I first saw him at Pangos All-American camp, and was stunned that he was considered just a borderline top-20 prospect in his recruiting class. That’s no longer the case. Over those nearly 30 months since I started writing about him, Cunningham has gone from being a future NBA wing with high feel for the game to a legit lead ballhandler who was the best player at the U19 World Cup as an underage player last year — while sharing a backcourt with 2020 lottery picks Kira Lewis Jr. and Tyrese Haliburton and emerging as the clear top dog.
He’s 6-foot-7 with a 7-foot wingspan, but plays point guard. His handle is very strong technically, and he’s rarely out of rhythm as a ballhandler. You can’t speed him up because of how well he plays through contact at his size. If you give him a ball screen and let him get downhill, he’ll go through guys at the rim and finish using his length to extend.
His best skill, though, is his passing ability. Cunningham can hit every read out of spread or side pick-and-rolls. He hits cross-corner kickouts and baseline drive-and-drifts with ease. He knows how to draw help defenders to hit the easy little drop off to his big. He whips one-handed passes with both his right and left hands. Everything is just so polished. In Oklahoma State’s spread offense under Mike Boynton, Cunningham is going to average seven assists per night with ease as long as his teammates hit shots.
On top of that, Cunningham is a diligent defender who really does an excellent job of reading what offensive players want to do, and making their life tough with his length. Unsurprisingly, he’s also great at using that length to create deflections and get into passing lanes.
The only real issue here is that he’s been a bit of an inconsistent shooter throughout his career. But a source at Oklahoma State told me that he’s come to preseason workouts and been the team’s second-best shooter behind 3-point marksman Ferron Flavors. If Cunningham is really a shooter now, it’s kind of a wrap for opponents because there isn’t really an easy way to stop him. I’d bet on Cunningham averaging something in the ballpark of 16 points, seven rebounds and seven assists at Oklahoma State this season, and being in the mix to win the national player of the year award. He is the big lead ballhandler that everyone is looking for, plus he has a real winner’s mentality that consistently leads to positive team play and good results.
2. Jalen Green | 6-5 guard | 18 years old | G League Ignite
Above all, Green is a live-wire athlete who mixes real quick-twitch and vertical pop with all sorts of body control and skill. He’s a highlight reel waiting to happen whenever he takes the court. That athleticism allows him to get separation at exceedingly high levels for step-backs as well as take off for massive dunks. Everything he does is just oozing with explosiveness.He also has a real skill level as a ballhandler and separator. The idea here is that he can be a legitimate three-level scorer because of his above-the-rim finishing and pull-up gifts.
On the AAU level, he got a bit inefficient and shot-happy at times, but he’s shown in Team USA settings that he can play within a scheme and either be the top dog as a scorer (as he showed when he won MVP of the 2018 U17 World Cup as a 16-year-old) or as more of a complementary piece (like he did at the 2019 U19 World Cup). He chose to pass on college basketball and will be training with the G League Ignite team in Walnut Creek, Calif.
3. Brandon Boston, Jr. | 6-7 wing | 19 years old, freshman | Kentucky
Boston is a super long scoring wing who has really emerged over the last 18 months as an elite, top-five level prospect. When Boston committed to Kentucky about a year ago, I wrote that I thought he was a creative wing who was very likely to hear his name called in the lottery, but that he needed to keep repping through his jumper to achieve his genuine top-five level upside. Over the last year, he’s worked tirelessly to improve that jumper and as he’s gotten stronger, it’s become easier for him to replicate his mechanics every time.
I think I’d bet on him being an average-plus shooter this year at Kentucky in terms of efficiency while taking difficult ones as opposed to being purely a volume guy. Beyond that, he’s a tough driver and ballhandler who can finish inside and plays with real aggressiveness when hunting his own shot. He’s going to average close to 20 per night at Kentucky this season as his mix of inside-out dribbles and crossovers going forward, paired with step-backs off the bounce, make him an impossible cover for college teams.
4. Jonathan Kuminga | 6-8 forward | 18 years old | G League Ignite
Kuminga is a terrific athlete with a great frame. He’s grown to be in the 6-foot-8 range with what looks to be a plus-four or plus-five wingspan. Thus far, he’s been productive at every level. He has an aggressive mindset out there every time he takes the floor, and can really create shots as a quick-twitch driver. he uses his leaping ability to finish well around the rim with ease. Again, the hope here is that he’s a three-level scorer who can be something of a centerpiece of a team if he continues on this trajectory offensively. He’s not just an offensive player, though. He’s also a terrific defender who alters shots from the weak side as a rim protector and who can switch onto multiple player types defensively. He’ll be with the G League Ignite after having bypassed college hoops this year.
5. Keon Johnson | 6-5 wing | 18 years old, freshman | Tennessee
Yeah, I’m just going to call my shot on this one. I think Johnson is an absolute stud despite the fact that he was ranked outside of the top-15 in his recruiting class. He’s one of the most explosive athletes in the country, a 6-foot-5 wing who can get wherever he wants on the court because of how sudden and powerful his movements are. Offensively, he’s a great driver and can finish way above the rim because of that quick-twitch athleticism. He’s also a developing shooter who clearly seems to have made some strides there, and he also plays unselfishly with solid passing ability. Defensively, he plays exceptionally hard and tries to impact the game by switching across the positional spectrum 1 through 3. He has a real desire to be great on defense. He’s the guy in this class that I expect to burst onto the scene and become something of a surprising top half of the lottery type of talent.
6. Evan Mobley | 7-0 center | 19 years old, freshman | USC
Mobley is one of the most interesting big prospects to come across college basketball in a while because of how easy it is to imagine him developing into a modern big while maintaining some real interior talent. He’s long and defends on the interior, plus has good enough feet to where he looks projectable as a perimeter and ball-screen defender. He really wants to be a force on that end, too, contesting everything. Offensively, he has great touch out to the midrange already and is developing his 3-point shot. He can face up and drive with ease and has a handle to get by defenders. He’s still working his way into his frame and developing his overall game. It’s going to take some time with Mobley. But he’s going to be very productive in college this year on both ends of the floor, and the ceiling is immensely high as long as he keeps working to develop all the flashes he has into consistent moments.
7. Ziaire Williams | 6-7 wing | 19 years old, freshman | Stanford
At 6-foot-7 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, Williams has all the tools you look for in a prototypical two-way wing. He can defend multiple positions because of his athleticism and quickness. He gives a lot of effort on that end and generally is regarded as one of the most mature elite prospects in the class. On offense, he’s a high-flyer who really can get out on the break and finish, but more than that has real skills as a playmaking scorer. He loves to drive and play through contact despite the fact that he’s still extremely skinny. His first step is terrific and allows him to blow by, even if he’s still developing his versatility off the bounce. I’m also a believer in him becoming a consistent shooter because the mechanics are quite good and he can get to them off the pull-up with ease (even if the results weren’t always there in high school). More than anything though, he just doesn’t play like a goofball. He plays hard on both ends, he constantly moves on offense, and he plays unselfishly despite his skill.
8. Terrence Clarke | 6-7 wing | 19 years old, freshman | Kentucky
Clarke is a super slasher on the wing. He has a great first step and can get into the paint at will. He’s known as an above-the-rim finisher who has great lift off of one foot, but he also already has an impressive array of floater/touch shots from within eight feet. Kentucky really empowers guys to take those little midrange floaters, so I’d expect it to be a big part of his arsenal this year. He’s also a really impressive passer for his size. He sees over the defense and finds passing lanes that other guys just don’t.
The problems right now are that he’s an inconsistent shooter from outside of 15 feet, and he sometimes gets way over-aggressive and commits some wild turnovers. Whereas Boston will be the scoring phenom at Kentucky this year, I’d expect Clarke to be something of a problem solver due to the nature of his game. He can do a little bit of offensive initiation, he can defend guys at high levels, and he can go get a bucket when necessary. If the jumper comes, Clarke has real upside beyond even this level in 2021.
9. Scottie Barnes | 6-8 forward | 19 years old, freshman | Florida State
The prototypical “everything but the jumper” skill package. Elite-level potential on defense. He plays with an exceptional motor and has elite measurements at 6-8 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan. One of the very rare prospects who have actual 1 through 5 switchable potential on defense. Genuinely has All-Defensive Team upside at some point already at just 19 years old because of his ability to slide with quicker players. The key will be deriving enough value on offense to stay on the floor.
Generally, I think he can do that because he’s not a total non-factor on that end. He’s a really smart passer and playmaker for others, both from a standstill and on the move. He actually is expected to play some point guard this year at Florida State, although I see him more as a secondary guy at the NBA level. He moves well without the ball, and does a great job of intuitively taking advantage of 4 on 3 situations when he sees open teammates. Ultimately, he needs to show that he can do anything as a shooter at all, otherwise this might be too high for him. Given the importance of defensive versatility, though, I like Barnes to become a good NBA player.
10. Usman Garuba | 6-8 forward/center | 18 years old | Real Madrid
Garuba is this season’s early-career producer in Euroleague. He is a part-time starter for Real Madrid, one of the top teams in the world outside of the NBA. The big thing he brings to the table is defensive versatility. He’s one of the better teenage defensive prospects to emerge out of Europe in recent years. He has quick feet with slides in ball screen coverages, and his 7-foot-2 wingspan and body control on shot contests on the interior allows him to affect a ton of shots.
Offensively, he’s not particularly an explosive leaper and he doesn’t get downhill all that well as a roller, but he has great dexterity with the ball for his age and is a really underrated passer. The big key for him is continuing to develop the 3-point shot. Real Madrid has really allowed him to explore the studio space in ACB play this season, and he’s shooting just 4-for-25 from 3. If he were a better 3-point shooter, I would say that I think he’s a legit top-half of the lottery guy. But until we see that ironed out, he’s more just your baseline lottery big who can move his feet and help you in multiple ways.
11. Jalen Suggs | 6-5 guard | 19 years old, freshman | Gonzaga
Suggs has a shot to be the leading scorer on a Gonzaga team that is currently the favorite to win the national title this season. The 6-foot-5 guard is a tremendous scorer with fluid body control and great touch around the basket. He can also shoot it at a high level from deep. There is also some combo guard to his game as well, as he can make high-level dump-off passes and same-side kickouts after collapsing the defense as a driver. Unfortunately, there is a downside here, though: you’re going to get tired very quickly of hearing how he was a high school quarterback who won Minnesota’s Mr. Football award in addition to its Mr. Basketball award.
12. Caleb Love | 6-3 guard | 19 years old, freshman | North Carolina
Another scoring combo/lead guard here with Love. His handle is extremely tight and he can create plays with or without ball-screens. If a defender goes under a ball-screen with him, he has the ability to easily stop and pop from behind the 3-point line. But if you overplay him, he’ll beat you off the bounce with ease and get into the lane with quickness and tremendous footwork. Everything about his pull-up game is on-point right now for a teenage guard. It would be great for him to keep improving as a distributor and playmaker for others. That’s where his upside lies. But he might have enough talent as a scorer to where he just sticks regardless of the passing ability.
13. Daishen Nix | 6-5 guard | 18 years old | G League Ignite
Nix was one of the best passers and playmakers for others in the 2020 recruiting class, a big lead guard with great vision who constantly finds his teammates in advantageous spots. He’s also an impressive finisher at the rim. Despite not being a particularly explosive athlete, he plays at his own pace, changes speeds, and has absolutely elite footwork to maneuver around defenders in traffic. Loves the Euro step move at the rim to finish. The big question that he’ll need to answer is whether he can consistently separate from opposing players. Having said that though, I think I buy into his jumper from distance keeping defenders off-balance enough to help him get into the paint.
14. Keyontae Johnson | 6-5 wing | 21 years old, junior | Florida
NBA evaluators were surprised when Johnson decided not to enter the 2020 NBA Draft, as many thought he had a chance to turn into a late first-round pick after going through even the truncated process. Again, NBA teams are constantly on the lookout for wings who do two things: defend multiple positions and shoot. At 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, Johnson is a tank who can hit shots from distance, and then guard 1 through 4 at the collegiate level. By the end of SEC play last year, Johnson was one of the five best players in the conference and clearly earned All-SEC honors. Look for more of the same this year, and I’d expect he goes in round one in 2021.
15. Greg Brown | 6-8 forward | 19 years old, freshman | Texas
Brown is one of the more explosive athletes you’ll find in the 2021 class as a leaper. He’s a highlight reel waiting to happen as a dunker, but he is more than that. He has a great face-up game as a driver, and has some chance to shoot it off the catch as he continues to work through his mechanics. Defensively, he does a great job as a 4-man protecting the weak side of the rim. The key with Brown will be to keep working on upping his skill level overall beyond just being a crazy athlete, but he already has enough talent to get him into conversations for the lottery.
16. Moses Moody | 6-6 wing | 18 years old, freshman | Arkansas
This is the third player in my top 16 who played for Montverde Academy last season, along with Cunningham and Barnes. Yeah, there is a good reason they got discussed as potentially the best high school team in history. Moody is the prototypical 3-and-D guy, a high-level shooter from distance with great length who takes on tough wing defensive assignments. He could stand to improve his lateral quickness a bit, but Moody should average up over 15 points per game while hitting between 37 and 41 percent from 3 in Eric Musselman’s wide-open offensive attack.
17. Josh Christopher | 6-4 guard | 19 years old, freshman | Arizona State
Christopher is a three-level scoring guard who has one of the most polished repertoires of any incoming freshman in the country. His footwork is superb, and he can get to his spots with ease. He’s also very competitive and seems to really care about winning. Having said that, he’s probably not a good enough athlete to be a true creator at the NBA level, so his defensive effort needs to become more consistent. There is a role for him as a 3-and-D 2-guard at the next level, but he has to be willing to embrace that.
18. D.J. Steward | 6-3 guard | 19 years old, freshman | Duke
Steward is a fearless, high-scoring freshman out of Chicago who I would expect to lead Duke in scoring this season. He creates shots at will on offense. His pull-up game is pretty polished and sick, with sudden moves allowing him to create feet of separation going backward. He’s improved a lot as a jump shooter over the last year, too, to the point that he should be reliable as a central offensive figure in terms of efficiency. He’s just 6-foot-3, and he’s quite skinny, so he’d be best off putting on some weight and improving a bit as a distributor for others, but Steward’s scoring is so ridiculous that it puts him in the conversation to be a potential top 20 guy.
19. Jalen Johnson | 6-8 forward | 18 years old, freshman | Duke
Johnson is seen as the top recruit coming into Duke this season, and indeed I’d anticipate him having the biggest impact among its freshmen because his game will work well at the college level. He’s hyper-smart and plays with great feel. His best skill is his passing ability, as he’s always under control and keeps his head up to make plays for others. His body control and balance is terrific. The things that worry me here, though, are that Johnson is not a particularly high-level athlete, and while he has a reputation of being a good shooter, I don’t really love the mechanics because it’s a straight line drive jumper with a hitch. Still, he’s a smart player trending toward being a first-round pick.
20. James Bouknight | 6-5 wing | 20 years old, sophomore | Connecticut
Was one of the most impactful scoring freshmen in college basketball by the time late January rolled around in 2020. In his final 13 games, Bouknight averaged 17.2 points while shooting 45 percent from the field and 36 percent from 3. He’s an elite-level athlete in terms of leaping ability, and he has a real knowledge of how to get separation from defenders. He’s a live wire highlight waiting to happen in transition, plus has already proven he can knock down 3s. Hop aboard the Bouknight Bandwagon, because the train is leaving the station quickly.
21. Josh Giddey | 6-7 wing | 18 years old | Adelaide
Giddey has shot up the board for NBA teams over the last year and is considered a potential first-round pick as a Next Star in Australia. He’s 6-foot-7 and extremely skinny still, but his feel for the game is superb and he makes an impact across the board because he just knows how to play the game. He’s the youngest player to debut for the Australian national team since Ben Simmons. His passing ability — which is genuinely very high-level for his size — has seen him fashioned as something of a lead guard at youth levels in Australia, but I see him as more of a secondary playmaking wing long-term. He doesn’t quite have the necessary game off the bounce yet to create plays. Maybe it’ll come, but the good news is that Giddey should profile into that secondary playmaking role nicely because of his burgeoning shooting ability.
22. Chris Smith | 6-9 wing | 20 years old, senior | UCLA
Smith was very close to entering the 2020 NBA Draft, but returned to UCLA. He finally is starting to realize his immense potential, having morphed into an interesting shot-maker and defensive wing at his size. He can handle the ball comfortably at 6-foot-9, and his jump shot off the catch is real. The idea here is that he has the upside of someone like a Trevor Ariza as a big wing with some shooting and enough game off the bounce to keep defenses honest, while also playing solid defense himself. This will probably be the highest you’ll see Smith on a draft board, but I’m a believer in him being a high-level character kid who will continue to improve now that his confidence is right.
23. David Johnson | 6-5 guard | 20 years old, sophomore | Louisville
Johnson was one of my favorite prospects to emerge over the course of the 2019-20 season, as he made an immediate impact upon getting healthy for Louisville as a freshman. At 6-foot-5, he’s a high-level playmaker as a passer, making every live-dribble read that you can find in the book. He’s also a high-level defensive player who can swallow up opposing lead guards with his length. The critical input here will be the jump shot, as it’s still a bit too inconsistent at this stage. He spent the offseason repping out jumpers though, so we’ll see how it looks once he gets back. If Johnson is a threat as a jump shooter, I expect he’ll be one of the breakouts of the college hoops season and a first-round pick.
24. Roko Prkacin | 6-9 forward/center | 18 years old | Cibona
Prkacin is a weird big prospect in that he’s something of a multi-skilled and polished big man for his age, but doesn’t appear to have a particularly high ceiling despite his obvious talent. On the plus side, he clearly has a great feel for the game and a very polished skillset that allowed him to be productive even at Adriatic League level before turning 18. He has great dexterity with the ball, making plays as a passer and driver. Defensively, he wants to make an impact. The problem is that he’s a heavy-footed 6-foot-9 forward who may struggle a bit to defend in space at the NBA level. He’s also working through his jumper at this stage, a skill that will be essential to his NBA success. He’s too productive at too high of a level not to have here as a late first-, early second-rounder. I just wonder how it keeps translating as he moves up levels as a big.
25. Aaron Henry | 6-5 wing | 21 years old, junior | Michigan State
I’ve been a fan of Henry for a few years now, as he has a game that should translate nicely to the pros as soon as he starts to become more consistent with his performances. That started to come late in the season for Michigan State, as he became a more confident driver and attack-oriented player, averaging 12 points, six rebounds and three assists over his last eight games. Had the season not been suspended, he might be in the NBA right now. He’ll move into a more primary role this year for the Spartans, and I’d expect that as long as the jumper continues to be consistent, he’ll get a guaranteed deal in the NBA in 2021.
26. Ayo Dosunmu | 6-5 guard | 21 years old, junior | Illinois
Expected to leave school throughout the majority of his sophomore season, Dosunmu decided to return after leading Illinois to a terrific season that had it poised to make an NCAA Tournament run. Now, Illinois is (or at least should be) considered the favorite to win the Big Ten with a loaded roster returning. Dosunmu was arguably the most clutch player in college hoops last season, and while the 3-point number may point to regression, he actually got more comfortable as a shooter last year from the midrange area. The keys for Dosunmu are extending that range beyond the 3-point line, and continuing to refine his halfcourt game offensively. He’s considered an elite character kid, so evaluators want to buy into him. He just needs to keep improving the jumper and not stagnate. He’s one of my favorites for first-team All-America this year.
27. Corey Kispert | 6-7 wing | 22 years old, senior | Gonzaga
Had Kispert decided to turn pro after his junior season, he would have certainly gotten a guaranteed deal from an NBA team. In the end, he decided he wanted a final collegiate shot at the immortality of being the leader of Gonzaga’s first national champion. The translation for him to the NBA is pretty simple. He’s an elite-level shooter. He averaged 14 points per game while shooting 44 percent from 3 last season. His mechanics on the jump shot are absolutely pristine. I think he’s one of the safest bets of any returning player in college hoops to be a top-45 pick in this class.
28. Moussa Cisse | 6-10 center | 18 years old, freshman | Memphis
Cisse is just an absolutely ridiculous shot-blocker. Has a chance to be among the nation’s leaders this season, as he contests and affects nearly everything around the rim while maintaining his athleticism away from the hoop defensively. He has to figure out what to do on offense because right now he doesn’t process the game quick enough to be anything other than a catch-and-finish guy at the rim. He needs to be able to not get flustered and turn the ball over. But with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, he has the tools NBA teams look for in a prospect.
29. Jared Butler | 6-3 guard | 20 years old, junior | Baylor
I want to have Butler higher, but there wasn’t quite as much enthusiasm for him as I’d have hoped as he went through the pre-draft process this year before returning to Baylor. He didn’t get any assurances that he would be a guaranteed pick. So I have Butler at No. 29, as I think he’s going to have an absolutely monster season as a scorer. He has one of the most technically sound handles of any prospect I’ve seen, with the ability to get defenders off-balance with ease. He knocks down shots off the catch and off the bounce as a combo guard. I think he sticks as a bench guard in the NBA.
30. Terrence Shannon Jr. | 6-5 wing | 20 years old, sophomore | Texas Tech
Last season, word out of Texas Tech practices was that evaluators were more excited about the long-term potential of Shannon as opposed to that of one-and-done freshman Jahmi’us Ramsey. The latter had the All-Big 12 year, but I’d bet that those premonitions about Shannon end up getting proven right this draft cycle. He really struggled to shoot it as a freshman. However, he has all of the athletic tools that evaluators look for from the NBA wing position. He’s a lefty with high-flying leaping ability, great quick-twitch lateral athleticism, and the skills for dribbling, passing, shooting and defending.
31. Franz Wagner | 6-10 forward | 19 years old, sophomore | Michigan
32. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl | 6-10 forward | 20 years old, sophomore | Villanova
33. Isaiah Jackson | 6-10 center | 18 years old, freshman | Kentucky
34. Oscar Tshiebwe | 6-9 center | 20 years old, sophomore | West Virginia
35. Scottie Lewis | 6-5 wing | 20 years old, sophomore | Florida
36. Trendon Watford | 6-9 forward | 20 years old, sophomore | LSU
37. Marcus Garrett | 6-5 guard | 22 years old, senior | Kansas
38. Jaden Springer | 6-4 guard | 19 years old, freshman | Tennessee
39. Romeo Weems | 6-7 wing/forward | 20 years old, sophomore | DePaul
40. Trayce Jackson-Davis | 6-9 center | 20 years old, sophomore | Indiana
41. Matt Mitchell | 6-6 wing | 22 years old, senior | San Diego State
42. Carlos Alocen | 6-4 guard | 19 years old | Real Madrid
43. Marcus Zegarowski | 6-0 guard | 21 years old, junior | Creighton
44. Wendell Moore | 6-5 wing | 19 years old, sophomore | Duke
45. Cam Thomas | 6-3 guard | 18 years old, freshman | LSU
46. Miles McBride | 6-2 guard | 20 years old, sophomore | West Virginia
47. Yves Pons | 6-7 forward | 21 years old, senior | Tennessee
48. Matthew Hurt | 6-9 guard | 20 years old, sophomore | Duke
49. John Petty | 6-5 wing | 21 years old, senior | Alabama
50. Luka Garza | 6-11 center | 22 years old, junior | Iowa
51. Joe Wieskamp | 6-7 wing | 21 years old, junior | Iowa
52. Isaiah Todd | 6-9 forward | 19 years old | G League Ignite
53. Ibou Badji | 7-0 center | 18 years old | Barcelona
54. Aamir Simms | 6-8 forward | 22 years old, senior | Clemson
55. Chris Duarte | 6-5 guard | 22 years old, senior | Oregon
56. Samuell Williamson | 6-7 wing | 20 years old, sophomore | Louisville
57. AJ Lawson | 6-6 guard | 21 years old, junior | South Carolina
58. Joel Ayayi | 6-5 guard | 20 years old, junior | Gonzaga
59. Neemias Queta | 7-0 center | 21 years old, junior | Utah State
60. Derrick Alston Jr. | 6-9 wing | 22 years old, senior | Boise State
The 2021 NBA Draft process begins in earnest this week as college basketball teams tip off games and scouts look on knowing that the 2021 class looks, throughout the lottery, to have much more upside than the 2020 one did.
And indeed, this is a draft worth tanking for. I’d ballpark it at five players who are currently tracking ahead of anyone in the 2020 NBA Draft and thus would have been likely to be selected at No. 1 in that class. And realistically, there are even more players than those who are particularly interesting and seem to have higher upsides.
But more importantly, this draft is absolutely loaded with wings. NBA teams are constantly on the lookout for players who can morph into athletic, multi-positional and multi-role two-way wings, and this draft has more of them than any that I can remember scouting in the last seven years. After a draft where bigs ended up being selected in 12 of the top 35 picks, I’d expect much more of a reversion next year toward the way the NBA game actually looks in reality now, where versatile wings are the most important thing that you can find.
In an era where defensive versatility and athleticism are prized by NBA coaches, this is the draft that will provide a significant influx of flexible, lineup-altering players who will allow teams to play skilled and switchable without losing a ton of size. It’s also worth noting that you’ll see this class is dominated by freshmen at the top. Why is that? Well, simply put, two reasons. First, it’s a great recruiting class filled with talent. Second, look at the 2020 draft. Seventeen of the top 30 picks were first-year eligible players, either as internationals or college one-and-dones. An additional eight first-round picks were second-year eligible sophomores. Overall, only three seniors were taken in the top-49 selections. As kids continue to choose to enter the draft earlier, there is a real talent drain in college basketball at the upperclass levels, and it makes it much less likely that upperclassmen get picked. Still, you’ll see a few familiar collegiate names here as we enter the season.
Having said that, I’d also note that in general NBA teams have been out to collegiate practices a bit less than in recent years, and thus aren’t quite as certain about what to expect heading into the 2020-21 college basketball season. After all, scouts have been pulled into 2020 NBA Draft prep throughout October and November. Plus, there has been a ton of free agency prep to deal with post-draft. And without any of McDonald’s All-American, Nike Hoop Summit and Jordan Brand Classic, NBA scouts haven’t gotten as much in-person evaluating time as normal at this point in the process. I’d expect that this top 30 changes quite a bit as we get to see how players have improved over the eight months since we saw many of them play last. In that vein, you’d probably be best off considering this something of a watch list rather than a true ranking.
I just want to note one final thing: Many around the league and those with public-facing jobs have called this one of the deepest drafts in recent memory. Through the lottery, I generally agree that this draft projects as strong. Because of that strength at the top, this projects to be a much, much stronger draft overall. However, I’m not quite as convinced yet that the depth will extend through the end of the first through to the mid-second round like it did this season. It’s possible that will be the case once evaluators get a chance to see the players perform and see how they’ve improved, starting this week. Of course, there are pop-up guys every year who burst onto the scene and blow up. But I think the jury remains out on just how much depth this draft will end up containing.
So with that being said, here is where I’ve landed on my 2021 NBA mock draft entering the 2020-21 college basketball season. For this particular ‘way-too-early’ exercise, there are not teams assigned to the picks, rather an indication as to where these prospects would figure to be drafted at this stage.
1. Cade Cunningham | 6-7, lead ballhandler | 19 years old, freshman | Oklahoma State
As mentioned above, I love the talent at the top of the 2021 NBA Draft. It’s a considerably deeper draft within the top half of the lottery than the 2020 iteration was. And yet, I still think of it as “The Cade Cunningham Draft” at this stage. He’s not only one of the best prospects I’ve evaluated at the high school level, but also one of my favorite players to watch. Everything about Cunningham looks likely to translate at a high level in the NBA, and he gets better every time I see him.
I wrote about Cunningham two-and-a-half years ago, back when I first saw him at Pangos All-American camp, and was stunned that he was considered just a borderline top-20 prospect in his recruiting class. That’s no longer the case. Over those nearly 30 months since I started writing about him, Cunningham has gone from being a future NBA wing with high feel for the game to a legit lead ballhandler who was the best player at the U19 World Cup as an underage player last year — while sharing a backcourt with 2020 lottery picks Kira Lewis Jr. and Tyrese Haliburton and emerging as the clear top dog.
He’s 6-foot-7 with a 7-foot wingspan, but plays point guard. His handle is very strong technically, and he’s rarely out of rhythm as a ballhandler. You can’t speed him up because of how well he plays through contact at his size. If you give him a ball screen and let him get downhill, he’ll go through guys at the rim and finish using his length to extend.
His best skill, though, is his passing ability. Cunningham can hit every read out of spread or side pick-and-rolls. He hits cross-corner kickouts and baseline drive-and-drifts with ease. He knows how to draw help defenders to hit the easy little drop off to his big. He whips one-handed passes with both his right and left hands. Everything is just so polished. In Oklahoma State’s spread offense under Mike Boynton, Cunningham is going to average seven assists per night with ease as long as his teammates hit shots.
On top of that, Cunningham is a diligent defender who really does an excellent job of reading what offensive players want to do, and making their life tough with his length. Unsurprisingly, he’s also great at using that length to create deflections and get into passing lanes.
The only real issue here is that he’s been a bit of an inconsistent shooter throughout his career. But a source at Oklahoma State told me that he’s come to preseason workouts and been the team’s second-best shooter behind 3-point marksman Ferron Flavors. If Cunningham is really a shooter now, it’s kind of a wrap for opponents because there isn’t really an easy way to stop him. I’d bet on Cunningham averaging something in the ballpark of 16 points, seven rebounds and seven assists at Oklahoma State this season, and being in the mix to win the national player of the year award. He is the big lead ballhandler that everyone is looking for, plus he has a real winner’s mentality that consistently leads to positive team play and good results.
2. Jalen Green | 6-5 guard | 18 years old | G League Ignite
Above all, Green is a live-wire athlete who mixes real quick-twitch and vertical pop with all sorts of body control and skill. He’s a highlight reel waiting to happen whenever he takes the court. That athleticism allows him to get separation at exceedingly high levels for step-backs as well as take off for massive dunks. Everything he does is just oozing with explosiveness.He also has a real skill level as a ballhandler and separator. The idea here is that he can be a legitimate three-level scorer because of his above-the-rim finishing and pull-up gifts.
On the AAU level, he got a bit inefficient and shot-happy at times, but he’s shown in Team USA settings that he can play within a scheme and either be the top dog as a scorer (as he showed when he won MVP of the 2018 U17 World Cup as a 16-year-old) or as more of a complementary piece (like he did at the 2019 U19 World Cup). He chose to pass on college basketball and will be training with the G League Ignite team in Walnut Creek, Calif.
3. Brandon Boston, Jr. | 6-7 wing | 19 years old, freshman | Kentucky
Boston is a super long scoring wing who has really emerged over the last 18 months as an elite, top-five level prospect. When Boston committed to Kentucky about a year ago, I wrote that I thought he was a creative wing who was very likely to hear his name called in the lottery, but that he needed to keep repping through his jumper to achieve his genuine top-five level upside. Over the last year, he’s worked tirelessly to improve that jumper and as he’s gotten stronger, it’s become easier for him to replicate his mechanics every time.
I think I’d bet on him being an average-plus shooter this year at Kentucky in terms of efficiency while taking difficult ones as opposed to being purely a volume guy. Beyond that, he’s a tough driver and ballhandler who can finish inside and plays with real aggressiveness when hunting his own shot. He’s going to average close to 20 per night at Kentucky this season as his mix of inside-out dribbles and crossovers going forward, paired with step-backs off the bounce, make him an impossible cover for college teams.
4. Jonathan Kuminga | 6-8 forward | 18 years old | G League Ignite
Kuminga is a terrific athlete with a great frame. He’s grown to be in the 6-foot-8 range with what looks to be a plus-four or plus-five wingspan. Thus far, he’s been productive at every level. He has an aggressive mindset out there every time he takes the floor, and can really create shots as a quick-twitch driver. he uses his leaping ability to finish well around the rim with ease. Again, the hope here is that he’s a three-level scorer who can be something of a centerpiece of a team if he continues on this trajectory offensively. He’s not just an offensive player, though. He’s also a terrific defender who alters shots from the weak side as a rim protector and who can switch onto multiple player types defensively. He’ll be with the G League Ignite after having bypassed college hoops this year.
5. Keon Johnson | 6-5 wing | 18 years old, freshman | Tennessee
Yeah, I’m just going to call my shot on this one. I think Johnson is an absolute stud despite the fact that he was ranked outside of the top-15 in his recruiting class. He’s one of the most explosive athletes in the country, a 6-foot-5 wing who can get wherever he wants on the court because of how sudden and powerful his movements are. Offensively, he’s a great driver and can finish way above the rim because of that quick-twitch athleticism. He’s also a developing shooter who clearly seems to have made some strides there, and he also plays unselfishly with solid passing ability. Defensively, he plays exceptionally hard and tries to impact the game by switching across the positional spectrum 1 through 3. He has a real desire to be great on defense. He’s the guy in this class that I expect to burst onto the scene and become something of a surprising top half of the lottery type of talent.
6. Evan Mobley | 7-0 center | 19 years old, freshman | USC
Mobley is one of the most interesting big prospects to come across college basketball in a while because of how easy it is to imagine him developing into a modern big while maintaining some real interior talent. He’s long and defends on the interior, plus has good enough feet to where he looks projectable as a perimeter and ball-screen defender. He really wants to be a force on that end, too, contesting everything. Offensively, he has great touch out to the midrange already and is developing his 3-point shot. He can face up and drive with ease and has a handle to get by defenders. He’s still working his way into his frame and developing his overall game. It’s going to take some time with Mobley. But he’s going to be very productive in college this year on both ends of the floor, and the ceiling is immensely high as long as he keeps working to develop all the flashes he has into consistent moments.
7. Ziaire Williams | 6-7 wing | 19 years old, freshman | Stanford
At 6-foot-7 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, Williams has all the tools you look for in a prototypical two-way wing. He can defend multiple positions because of his athleticism and quickness. He gives a lot of effort on that end and generally is regarded as one of the most mature elite prospects in the class. On offense, he’s a high-flyer who really can get out on the break and finish, but more than that has real skills as a playmaking scorer. He loves to drive and play through contact despite the fact that he’s still extremely skinny. His first step is terrific and allows him to blow by, even if he’s still developing his versatility off the bounce. I’m also a believer in him becoming a consistent shooter because the mechanics are quite good and he can get to them off the pull-up with ease (even if the results weren’t always there in high school). More than anything though, he just doesn’t play like a goofball. He plays hard on both ends, he constantly moves on offense, and he plays unselfishly despite his skill.
8. Terrence Clarke | 6-7 wing | 19 years old, freshman | Kentucky
Clarke is a super slasher on the wing. He has a great first step and can get into the paint at will. He’s known as an above-the-rim finisher who has great lift off of one foot, but he also already has an impressive array of floater/touch shots from within eight feet. Kentucky really empowers guys to take those little midrange floaters, so I’d expect it to be a big part of his arsenal this year. He’s also a really impressive passer for his size. He sees over the defense and finds passing lanes that other guys just don’t.
The problems right now are that he’s an inconsistent shooter from outside of 15 feet, and he sometimes gets way over-aggressive and commits some wild turnovers. Whereas Boston will be the scoring phenom at Kentucky this year, I’d expect Clarke to be something of a problem solver due to the nature of his game. He can do a little bit of offensive initiation, he can defend guys at high levels, and he can go get a bucket when necessary. If the jumper comes, Clarke has real upside beyond even this level in 2021.
9. Scottie Barnes | 6-8 forward | 19 years old, freshman | Florida State
The prototypical “everything but the jumper” skill package. Elite-level potential on defense. He plays with an exceptional motor and has elite measurements at 6-8 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan. One of the very rare prospects who have actual 1 through 5 switchable potential on defense. Genuinely has All-Defensive Team upside at some point already at just 19 years old because of his ability to slide with quicker players. The key will be deriving enough value on offense to stay on the floor.
Generally, I think he can do that because he’s not a total non-factor on that end. He’s a really smart passer and playmaker for others, both from a standstill and on the move. He actually is expected to play some point guard this year at Florida State, although I see him more as a secondary guy at the NBA level. He moves well without the ball, and does a great job of intuitively taking advantage of 4 on 3 situations when he sees open teammates. Ultimately, he needs to show that he can do anything as a shooter at all, otherwise this might be too high for him. Given the importance of defensive versatility, though, I like Barnes to become a good NBA player.
10. Usman Garuba | 6-8 forward/center | 18 years old | Real Madrid
Garuba is this season’s early-career producer in Euroleague. He is a part-time starter for Real Madrid, one of the top teams in the world outside of the NBA. The big thing he brings to the table is defensive versatility. He’s one of the better teenage defensive prospects to emerge out of Europe in recent years. He has quick feet with slides in ball screen coverages, and his 7-foot-2 wingspan and body control on shot contests on the interior allows him to affect a ton of shots.
Offensively, he’s not particularly an explosive leaper and he doesn’t get downhill all that well as a roller, but he has great dexterity with the ball for his age and is a really underrated passer. The big key for him is continuing to develop the 3-point shot. Real Madrid has really allowed him to explore the studio space in ACB play this season, and he’s shooting just 4-for-25 from 3. If he were a better 3-point shooter, I would say that I think he’s a legit top-half of the lottery guy. But until we see that ironed out, he’s more just your baseline lottery big who can move his feet and help you in multiple ways.
11. Jalen Suggs | 6-5 guard | 19 years old, freshman | Gonzaga
Suggs has a shot to be the leading scorer on a Gonzaga team that is currently the favorite to win the national title this season. The 6-foot-5 guard is a tremendous scorer with fluid body control and great touch around the basket. He can also shoot it at a high level from deep. There is also some combo guard to his game as well, as he can make high-level dump-off passes and same-side kickouts after collapsing the defense as a driver. Unfortunately, there is a downside here, though: you’re going to get tired very quickly of hearing how he was a high school quarterback who won Minnesota’s Mr. Football award in addition to its Mr. Basketball award.
12. Caleb Love | 6-3 guard | 19 years old, freshman | North Carolina
Another scoring combo/lead guard here with Love. His handle is extremely tight and he can create plays with or without ball-screens. If a defender goes under a ball-screen with him, he has the ability to easily stop and pop from behind the 3-point line. But if you overplay him, he’ll beat you off the bounce with ease and get into the lane with quickness and tremendous footwork. Everything about his pull-up game is on-point right now for a teenage guard. It would be great for him to keep improving as a distributor and playmaker for others. That’s where his upside lies. But he might have enough talent as a scorer to where he just sticks regardless of the passing ability.
13. Daishen Nix | 6-5 guard | 18 years old | G League Ignite
Nix was one of the best passers and playmakers for others in the 2020 recruiting class, a big lead guard with great vision who constantly finds his teammates in advantageous spots. He’s also an impressive finisher at the rim. Despite not being a particularly explosive athlete, he plays at his own pace, changes speeds, and has absolutely elite footwork to maneuver around defenders in traffic. Loves the Euro step move at the rim to finish. The big question that he’ll need to answer is whether he can consistently separate from opposing players. Having said that though, I think I buy into his jumper from distance keeping defenders off-balance enough to help him get into the paint.
14. Keyontae Johnson | 6-5 wing | 21 years old, junior | Florida
NBA evaluators were surprised when Johnson decided not to enter the 2020 NBA Draft, as many thought he had a chance to turn into a late first-round pick after going through even the truncated process. Again, NBA teams are constantly on the lookout for wings who do two things: defend multiple positions and shoot. At 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, Johnson is a tank who can hit shots from distance, and then guard 1 through 4 at the collegiate level. By the end of SEC play last year, Johnson was one of the five best players in the conference and clearly earned All-SEC honors. Look for more of the same this year, and I’d expect he goes in round one in 2021.
15. Greg Brown | 6-8 forward | 19 years old, freshman | Texas
Brown is one of the more explosive athletes you’ll find in the 2021 class as a leaper. He’s a highlight reel waiting to happen as a dunker, but he is more than that. He has a great face-up game as a driver, and has some chance to shoot it off the catch as he continues to work through his mechanics. Defensively, he does a great job as a 4-man protecting the weak side of the rim. The key with Brown will be to keep working on upping his skill level overall beyond just being a crazy athlete, but he already has enough talent to get him into conversations for the lottery.
16. Moses Moody | 6-6 wing | 18 years old, freshman | Arkansas
This is the third player in my top 16 who played for Montverde Academy last season, along with Cunningham and Barnes. Yeah, there is a good reason they got discussed as potentially the best high school team in history. Moody is the prototypical 3-and-D guy, a high-level shooter from distance with great length who takes on tough wing defensive assignments. He could stand to improve his lateral quickness a bit, but Moody should average up over 15 points per game while hitting between 37 and 41 percent from 3 in Eric Musselman’s wide-open offensive attack.
17. Josh Christopher | 6-4 guard | 19 years old, freshman | Arizona State
Christopher is a three-level scoring guard who has one of the most polished repertoires of any incoming freshman in the country. His footwork is superb, and he can get to his spots with ease. He’s also very competitive and seems to really care about winning. Having said that, he’s probably not a good enough athlete to be a true creator at the NBA level, so his defensive effort needs to become more consistent. There is a role for him as a 3-and-D 2-guard at the next level, but he has to be willing to embrace that.
18. D.J. Steward | 6-3 guard | 19 years old, freshman | Duke
Steward is a fearless, high-scoring freshman out of Chicago who I would expect to lead Duke in scoring this season. He creates shots at will on offense. His pull-up game is pretty polished and sick, with sudden moves allowing him to create feet of separation going backward. He’s improved a lot as a jump shooter over the last year, too, to the point that he should be reliable as a central offensive figure in terms of efficiency. He’s just 6-foot-3, and he’s quite skinny, so he’d be best off putting on some weight and improving a bit as a distributor for others, but Steward’s scoring is so ridiculous that it puts him in the conversation to be a potential top 20 guy.
19. Jalen Johnson | 6-8 forward | 18 years old, freshman | Duke
Johnson is seen as the top recruit coming into Duke this season, and indeed I’d anticipate him having the biggest impact among its freshmen because his game will work well at the college level. He’s hyper-smart and plays with great feel. His best skill is his passing ability, as he’s always under control and keeps his head up to make plays for others. His body control and balance is terrific. The things that worry me here, though, are that Johnson is not a particularly high-level athlete, and while he has a reputation of being a good shooter, I don’t really love the mechanics because it’s a straight line drive jumper with a hitch. Still, he’s a smart player trending toward being a first-round pick.
20. James Bouknight | 6-5 wing | 20 years old, sophomore | Connecticut
Was one of the most impactful scoring freshmen in college basketball by the time late January rolled around in 2020. In his final 13 games, Bouknight averaged 17.2 points while shooting 45 percent from the field and 36 percent from 3. He’s an elite-level athlete in terms of leaping ability, and he has a real knowledge of how to get separation from defenders. He’s a live wire highlight waiting to happen in transition, plus has already proven he can knock down 3s. Hop aboard the Bouknight Bandwagon, because the train is leaving the station quickly.
21. Josh Giddey | 6-7 wing | 18 years old | Adelaide
Giddey has shot up the board for NBA teams over the last year and is considered a potential first-round pick as a Next Star in Australia. He’s 6-foot-7 and extremely skinny still, but his feel for the game is superb and he makes an impact across the board because he just knows how to play the game. He’s the youngest player to debut for the Australian national team since Ben Simmons. His passing ability — which is genuinely very high-level for his size — has seen him fashioned as something of a lead guard at youth levels in Australia, but I see him as more of a secondary playmaking wing long-term. He doesn’t quite have the necessary game off the bounce yet to create plays. Maybe it’ll come, but the good news is that Giddey should profile into that secondary playmaking role nicely because of his burgeoning shooting ability.
22. Chris Smith | 6-9 wing | 20 years old, senior | UCLA
Smith was very close to entering the 2020 NBA Draft, but returned to UCLA. He finally is starting to realize his immense potential, having morphed into an interesting shot-maker and defensive wing at his size. He can handle the ball comfortably at 6-foot-9, and his jump shot off the catch is real. The idea here is that he has the upside of someone like a Trevor Ariza as a big wing with some shooting and enough game off the bounce to keep defenses honest, while also playing solid defense himself. This will probably be the highest you’ll see Smith on a draft board, but I’m a believer in him being a high-level character kid who will continue to improve now that his confidence is right.
23. David Johnson | 6-5 guard | 20 years old, sophomore | Louisville
Johnson was one of my favorite prospects to emerge over the course of the 2019-20 season, as he made an immediate impact upon getting healthy for Louisville as a freshman. At 6-foot-5, he’s a high-level playmaker as a passer, making every live-dribble read that you can find in the book. He’s also a high-level defensive player who can swallow up opposing lead guards with his length. The critical input here will be the jump shot, as it’s still a bit too inconsistent at this stage. He spent the offseason repping out jumpers though, so we’ll see how it looks once he gets back. If Johnson is a threat as a jump shooter, I expect he’ll be one of the breakouts of the college hoops season and a first-round pick.
24. Roko Prkacin | 6-9 forward/center | 18 years old | Cibona
Prkacin is a weird big prospect in that he’s something of a multi-skilled and polished big man for his age, but doesn’t appear to have a particularly high ceiling despite his obvious talent. On the plus side, he clearly has a great feel for the game and a very polished skillset that allowed him to be productive even at Adriatic League level before turning 18. He has great dexterity with the ball, making plays as a passer and driver. Defensively, he wants to make an impact. The problem is that he’s a heavy-footed 6-foot-9 forward who may struggle a bit to defend in space at the NBA level. He’s also working through his jumper at this stage, a skill that will be essential to his NBA success. He’s too productive at too high of a level not to have here as a late first-, early second-rounder. I just wonder how it keeps translating as he moves up levels as a big.
25. Aaron Henry | 6-5 wing | 21 years old, junior | Michigan State
I’ve been a fan of Henry for a few years now, as he has a game that should translate nicely to the pros as soon as he starts to become more consistent with his performances. That started to come late in the season for Michigan State, as he became a more confident driver and attack-oriented player, averaging 12 points, six rebounds and three assists over his last eight games. Had the season not been suspended, he might be in the NBA right now. He’ll move into a more primary role this year for the Spartans, and I’d expect that as long as the jumper continues to be consistent, he’ll get a guaranteed deal in the NBA in 2021.
26. Ayo Dosunmu | 6-5 guard | 21 years old, junior | Illinois
Expected to leave school throughout the majority of his sophomore season, Dosunmu decided to return after leading Illinois to a terrific season that had it poised to make an NCAA Tournament run. Now, Illinois is (or at least should be) considered the favorite to win the Big Ten with a loaded roster returning. Dosunmu was arguably the most clutch player in college hoops last season, and while the 3-point number may point to regression, he actually got more comfortable as a shooter last year from the midrange area. The keys for Dosunmu are extending that range beyond the 3-point line, and continuing to refine his halfcourt game offensively. He’s considered an elite character kid, so evaluators want to buy into him. He just needs to keep improving the jumper and not stagnate. He’s one of my favorites for first-team All-America this year.
27. Corey Kispert | 6-7 wing | 22 years old, senior | Gonzaga
Had Kispert decided to turn pro after his junior season, he would have certainly gotten a guaranteed deal from an NBA team. In the end, he decided he wanted a final collegiate shot at the immortality of being the leader of Gonzaga’s first national champion. The translation for him to the NBA is pretty simple. He’s an elite-level shooter. He averaged 14 points per game while shooting 44 percent from 3 last season. His mechanics on the jump shot are absolutely pristine. I think he’s one of the safest bets of any returning player in college hoops to be a top-45 pick in this class.
28. Moussa Cisse | 6-10 center | 18 years old, freshman | Memphis
Cisse is just an absolutely ridiculous shot-blocker. Has a chance to be among the nation’s leaders this season, as he contests and affects nearly everything around the rim while maintaining his athleticism away from the hoop defensively. He has to figure out what to do on offense because right now he doesn’t process the game quick enough to be anything other than a catch-and-finish guy at the rim. He needs to be able to not get flustered and turn the ball over. But with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, he has the tools NBA teams look for in a prospect.
29. Jared Butler | 6-3 guard | 20 years old, junior | Baylor
I want to have Butler higher, but there wasn’t quite as much enthusiasm for him as I’d have hoped as he went through the pre-draft process this year before returning to Baylor. He didn’t get any assurances that he would be a guaranteed pick. So I have Butler at No. 29, as I think he’s going to have an absolutely monster season as a scorer. He has one of the most technically sound handles of any prospect I’ve seen, with the ability to get defenders off-balance with ease. He knocks down shots off the catch and off the bounce as a combo guard. I think he sticks as a bench guard in the NBA.
30. Terrence Shannon Jr. | 6-5 wing | 20 years old, sophomore | Texas Tech
Last season, word out of Texas Tech practices was that evaluators were more excited about the long-term potential of Shannon as opposed to that of one-and-done freshman Jahmi’us Ramsey. The latter had the All-Big 12 year, but I’d bet that those premonitions about Shannon end up getting proven right this draft cycle. He really struggled to shoot it as a freshman. However, he has all of the athletic tools that evaluators look for from the NBA wing position. He’s a lefty with high-flying leaping ability, great quick-twitch lateral athleticism, and the skills for dribbling, passing, shooting and defending.
31. Franz Wagner | 6-10 forward | 19 years old, sophomore | Michigan
32. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl | 6-10 forward | 20 years old, sophomore | Villanova
33. Isaiah Jackson | 6-10 center | 18 years old, freshman | Kentucky
34. Oscar Tshiebwe | 6-9 center | 20 years old, sophomore | West Virginia
35. Scottie Lewis | 6-5 wing | 20 years old, sophomore | Florida
36. Trendon Watford | 6-9 forward | 20 years old, sophomore | LSU
37. Marcus Garrett | 6-5 guard | 22 years old, senior | Kansas
38. Jaden Springer | 6-4 guard | 19 years old, freshman | Tennessee
39. Romeo Weems | 6-7 wing/forward | 20 years old, sophomore | DePaul
40. Trayce Jackson-Davis | 6-9 center | 20 years old, sophomore | Indiana
41. Matt Mitchell | 6-6 wing | 22 years old, senior | San Diego State
42. Carlos Alocen | 6-4 guard | 19 years old | Real Madrid
43. Marcus Zegarowski | 6-0 guard | 21 years old, junior | Creighton
44. Wendell Moore | 6-5 wing | 19 years old, sophomore | Duke
45. Cam Thomas | 6-3 guard | 18 years old, freshman | LSU
46. Miles McBride | 6-2 guard | 20 years old, sophomore | West Virginia
47. Yves Pons | 6-7 forward | 21 years old, senior | Tennessee
48. Matthew Hurt | 6-9 guard | 20 years old, sophomore | Duke
49. John Petty | 6-5 wing | 21 years old, senior | Alabama
50. Luka Garza | 6-11 center | 22 years old, junior | Iowa
51. Joe Wieskamp | 6-7 wing | 21 years old, junior | Iowa
52. Isaiah Todd | 6-9 forward | 19 years old | G League Ignite
53. Ibou Badji | 7-0 center | 18 years old | Barcelona
54. Aamir Simms | 6-8 forward | 22 years old, senior | Clemson
55. Chris Duarte | 6-5 guard | 22 years old, senior | Oregon
56. Samuell Williamson | 6-7 wing | 20 years old, sophomore | Louisville
57. AJ Lawson | 6-6 guard | 21 years old, junior | South Carolina
58. Joel Ayayi | 6-5 guard | 20 years old, junior | Gonzaga
59. Neemias Queta | 7-0 center | 21 years old, junior | Utah State
60. Derrick Alston Jr. | 6-9 wing | 22 years old, senior | Boise State
- Nov 5, 2012
- 80,694
- 55,639
He has Jalen Johnson and Jaden Springer considerably lower than most mocks, very interesting
Good write up nonetheless
Good write up nonetheless
- Nov 5, 2012
- 80,694
- 55,639
Oh, and Josh Christopher needing to embrace a 3 and D role? That's sad to read and think about when you watch how he plays lol
Like trying to put Nick Young or Lance Stephenson in that role. idk about that
Like trying to put Nick Young or Lance Stephenson in that role. idk about that
- Jun 4, 2017
- 5,667
- 6,627
only two games, but BJ Boston's been really underwhelming. Takes a lot of tough shots (that haven't gone in) and is 0-7 from 3. Looking more like Kevin Knox so far than Brandon Ingram
Marcus Bagley looks pretty good. 6-7, 6-8 with a great shot
- Nov 5, 2012
- 80,694
- 55,639
Stanford finally starts tomorrow so Williams can get on the floor. From his time at SC he definitely had some nice highlights still never had any definitive opinion on him. At least they both have size
- Sep 18, 2003
- 61,881
- 134,148
Maui invitational and Greg brown on now
