BluRayHush Big Board 1.0

The draft lottery was last night. Congratulations to the Timberwolves, Warriors, Hornets, and Bulls. This is a good time to get to know my top prospects. Mock drafts and longer boards will come out every couple of weeks, and gain more and more depth as we near draft day.

1.) Anthony Edwards - SG - 19.0 years old, 6’5” 225 lb. from Georgia

19.1 pts 4.2 reb 2.8 ast 1.3 stl 0.6 blk

40.2% fg 29.4% 3pt 77.2% ft

Comparison: Jerry Stackhouse

A great scorer. Athletic, can create his own shot. His defense can definitely get there because he has a loaded toolkit. He played for a Georgia team that needed so much from him that it’s hard to tell if things he lacked were truly lacking. There is nothing in his game to me that has no chance of coming around. In a weak draft class, he has the best combination of high ceiling and high floor.

2.) Onyeka Okongwu - PF/C - 19.7 years old, 6’9” 245 lb. from USC

16.2 pts. 8.6 reb 1.1 ast 1.1 stl 2.7 blk

61.6% fg 25.0% 3pt 72.0% ft

Comparison: Horace Grant, Kenyon Martin

Offense has a lot of skill and talent around the hoop, and he demonstrates touch finishing and at the free throw line. This gives him upside to develop an offensive game outside of the paint. Strong rebounder. Not just good at rebounding, but literally uses his great strength to get tough rebounds and make his presence felt. Athleticism and defensive instincts are pluses that make him a good shot blocker. Uncomfortable defending on the perimeter but possesses the ability to be really good there.

3.) Killian Hayes - PG/SG - 19.1 years old, 6’5” 187 lb. from Ratiopharm Ulm, Bundesliga (Germany)

12.8 pts 2.3 reb 6.2 ast 1.5 stl 0.2 blk

45.5% fg 39.0% 3pt 90.9% ft

Comparison: Chauncey Billups

A gifted passer with a good head on his shoulders. Can shoot well and projects to get better, including a signature stepback three. Doesn’t necessarily need the ball in his hands to be productive, but is probably a lead guard. Solid handle. Average defense with upside, good intelligence, and no glaring weakness.

4.) LaMelo Ball - PG - 18.9 years old, 6’7” 190 lb. from Illawarra Hawks, NBL (Australia)

17.0 pts 7.6 reb 6.8 ast 1.6 stl 0.1 blk

37.5% fg 25.0% 3 pt 72.3% ft

Comparison: better Lonzo Ball

Best passer and handle in the class. Size mixes with touch on offense to make him a good finisher. One of the most polarizing jump shots you can find. Gets streaky results but needs a lot of change. I worry that it may never come around and that lowers his floor. Doesn’t use his size well on defense, but most of his defensive weaknesses are coachable.

5.) James Wiseman - C - 19.4 years old, 7’1” 237 lb. from Memphis

19.7 pts 10.7 reb 0.3 ast 0.3 stl 3.0 blk

76.9% fg 0.0% 3pt 70.4% ft

Comparison: athletic Hassan Whiteside, inside-oriented Anthony Davis

Playing just three games this season makes him the biggest question mark of the class. Athletic but more strong, he at least dominated Division I players. Strong offensive game around the rim, can finish. Reason to be optimistic about his shot as he grows. Shot selection needs work. Active and great rebounder. Defense is not wonderful outside of rim protection: needs a lot of strong coaching. Motor concerns compound that need.

6.) Deni Avdija - SF - 19.6 years, 6’9” 215 lb. from Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)

12.9 pts 6.3 reb 2.7 ast 0.9 stl 1.0 blk

52.6% fg 35.3% 3 pt 59.4% ft

Comparison: Evan Turner

All-around wing. Talented passer and gets open for good looks around the rim. Touch and finishing are above-average. Shooting could go either way. Whoever drafts him is either confident in the tape or their coaching staff. Point forward feel, adequate but basic handle. Defense probably projects to average, but his intelligence and size will make him someone hard to target/pick on.

7.) Tyrese Haliburton - PG - 20.5 years, 6’5” 175 lb. from Iowa State

15.2 pts 5.9 reb 6.5 ast 2.5 stl 0.7 blk

50.4% fg 41.9% 3pt 82.2% ft

Facilitating guard with exemplary 3 and D skills. Can pass with the best of them and knock down shots at an impressive clip. That and adequate finishing are about the extent of his offense. Took more threes than twos in college. High IQ helps him recognize his limitations and minimizes mistakes. Team defender and long wingspan allows him to set the tone and line up against the opposing team’s best guard. Does a lot of the dirty work and intricacies on defense. Potential to be a top-tier glue guy. Too small to defend forwards that aren’t undersized.

8.) Obi Toppin - PF - 22.5 years, 6’9” 220 lb. from Dayton

20.0 pts 7.5 reb 2.2 ast 1.0 stl 1.2 blk

63.3% fg 39.0% 3pt 70.2% ft

One of the best offensive players in the draft. Can do everything you want on that end. Inside and outside scoring, passing, handling, transition. Good awareness too. Defense is not good at anything. Hopefully his problems are fixable with his athleticism and a mixture of a suitable scheme + fit.

9.) Isaac Okoro - SF - 19.6 years, 6’6” 225 lb. from Auburn

12.9 pts 4.4 reb 2.0 ast 0.9 stl 0.9 blk

51.4% fg 28.6% 3pt 67.2% ft

Best perimeter defender in the class. A pest with super high IQ and good not great disruption. Strength lets him do well in the post and fight through some screens. Offensively can do a little bit of everything and is a plus finisher. Not a good shooter yet but projects as someone to keep the defense honest spacing-wise on reasonable volume. IQ carries over to offense. Even if he’s bad on that end, he won’t make bad plays or take bad shots.

10.) RJ Hampton - PG/SG - 19.5 years, 6’5” 188 lb. from NZ Breakers (New Zealand)

8.8 pts 3.9 reb 2.4 ast 1.1 stl 0.3 blk

40.7% fg 29.5% 3pt 67.9% ft

Combo guard based around athleticism. Handle needs work, but decent to pretty good at everything you can think of. Passing, shot creation, finishing, shooting, pick and roll, decision-making. Has enough raw ability to improve a lot everywhere still. High ceiling. Defense needs a lot of work, but his athleticism makes it fairly salvageable on all fronts.

11.) Devin Vassell - SF - 19.9 years, 6’7” 194 lb. from Florida State

12.7 points 5.1 reb 1.6 ast 1.4 stl 1.0 blk

49.0% fg 41.5% 3pt 73.8% ft

Three and D wing with a great release who can shoot every jumper in the book. Great off-ball getting open, slashing, and crashing the glass. Finishing needs work but isn't broken. Additional strength is needed. Competent passer. Not much of a handle. Creates a lot of terror on defense. Great motor and nose for passing lanes. A bit too eager and can overplay opportunities.

12.) Aleksej Pokusevski - PF/C - 18.7 years, 7’0” 201 lb. Olympiacos B (Greece)

10.8 pts 7.9 rebs 3.1 ast 1.3 stl 1.8 blk

40.4% fg 32.1% 3pt 78.3% ft

A project at center with an unbelievable ceiling. Plays with calculated chaos in his game. A lot of fun. Gifted passer, not just for a center. About half of his shots were threes. Can handle and initiate offense. Gets pushed around inside and doesn't finish well. Uses his length surprisingly well on defense. Is rail thin and needs to bulk up, otherwise he'll just be a seven foot Mario Chalmers.

13.) Patrick Williams - SF/PF - 19.0 years, 6’8” 225 lb. from Florida State

9.2 pts 5.0 reb 1.0 ast 1.0 stl 1.0 blk

45.9% fg 32.0% 3pt 83.8% ft

14.) Aaron Nesmith - SG/SF - 20.8 years, 6’6” 213 lb. from Vanderbilt

23.0 pts 4.9 reb 0.9 ast 1.4 stl 0.9 blk

51.2% fg 52.2% 3pt 82.5% ft

Best shooter in the draft. Can shoot set or while moving. Not a shot creator or driver. Not a playmaker. Knows his role very well and doesn't take bad shots. Perhaps could do more if asked, but had a lot on offense around him at Villanova. Good defender for his position, and quick enough to deal with guards.

15.) Josh Green - SG - 19.8 years, 6’6” 2016 lb. from Arizona

12.0 pts 4.6 reb 2.6 ast 1.5 stl 0.4 blk

42.4% fg 36.1% 3pt 78.0% ft

Three and D shooting guard. More D than three. He can defend 1 through 3 and uses his athleticism well. Strong for his size. Only thing besides basic jump shots in his offensive game is finishing at the rim and a couple passes. Good verticality to his game on both ends.

16.) Kira Lewis Jr. - PG - 19.4 years, 6’3” 165 lb. from Alabama

18.5 pts 4.8 reb 5.2 ast 1.8 stl 0.6 blk

45.9% fg 36.6% 3pt 80.2% ft

Versatile point guard based around his well-rounded scoring and good speed. No massive gaps in his offense. Good intelligence as a creator, but not a wizard passing or vision wise. Defense is nice. If he was bigger it'd be better. IQ translates to the other end and lets him make some impact plays.

17.) Paul Reed - PF - 21.2 years, 6’9” 220 lb. from DePaul

15.1 pts 10.7 reb 1.6 ast 1.9 stl 2.6 blk

45.6% fg 30.8% 3pt 73.8% ft

An impressive offensive repertoire, he is a new wave power forward as opposed to conventional. His game has grown rapidly, going from barely playing at DePaul as a freshman to the Big East’s Most Improved Player as a sophomore. He can run the break in transition, crash the glass, and finish at the cup. His defense is raw, but his stat-stuffing proves that every tool in the book is there to be a legit menace. 4.5 stocks is really impressive.

18.) Cole Anthony - PG - 20.3 years, 6’3” 184 lb. from North Carolina

18.5 pts 5.7 reb 4.0 ast 1.3 stl 0.3 blk

38.0% fg 34.8% 3pt 75.0% ft

19.) Saddiq Bey - SF - 21.4 years, 6’8” 216 lb. from Villanova

16.1 pts 4.7 reb 2.4 ast 0.8 stl 0.4 blk

47.7% fg 45.1% 3pt 76.9% ft

20.) Desmond Bane - SG - 22.2 years, 6’5” 215 lb. from TCU

16.6 pts 6.3 reb 3.9 ast 1.5 stl 0.5 blk

45.2% fg 44.2% 3pt 78.9% ft

21.) Precious Achiuwa - PF - 20.9 years, 6’9” 223 lb. from Memphis

15.8 pts 10.8 reb 1.0 ast 1.1 stl 1.9 blk

49.3% fg 32.5% 3pt 59.9% ft

22.) Jaden McDaniels - SF/PF - 19.9 years, 6’10” 184 lb. from Washington

13.0 pts 5.8 reb 2.1 ast 0.8 stl 1.4 blk

40.5% fg 33.9% 3pt 76.3% ft

23.) Tyrese Maxey - PG/SG - 19.8 years, 6’3” 198 lb. from Kentucky

14.0 pts 4.3 reb 3.2 ast 0.9 stl 0.4 blk

42.7% fg 29.2% 3pt 83.3% ft

24.) Jalen Smith - PF - 20.4 years, 6’10” 225 lb. from Maryland

15.5 pts 10.5 reb 0.8 ast 0.7 stl 2.4 blk

53.8% fg 36.8% 3pt 75.0% ft

25.) Malachi Flynn - PG - 22.3 years, 6’1” 185 lb. from San Diego State

17.6 pts 4.5 reb 5.1 ast 1.8 stl 0.1 blk

44.1% fg 37.3% 3pt 85.7% ft