Ja Morant, Sophomore PG Murray St.
Zion Williamson has gotten most of the hype, but Ja Morant
will be the best player from the 2019 NBA Draft. Point guard is one of the deepest and most
talented positions in the NBA, and Morant has a real chance to be the best of
them all.
Morant has a nearly perfect handle, able to control the ball in every way imaginable. He understands how and when to change speeds, and he has all the gears. He has very good size, length, and incredible athleticism, and he attacks the defense with measured aggression. He gets wherever he wants to on the floor. He has the ability to make shots from anywhere and from any angle, but he’s also able to deliver a perfect pass to a teammate from even the most difficult spots. He understands the exact speed he needs to put on each pass. He sees everything, and he usually makes the best decision.
His vision and passing ability are already among the best of any player I’ve ever watched. He’s incredibly unselfish despite his immense talent, a trait that becomes contagious with his teammates. His Murray State squad wasn’t anywhere close to the most talented team, but they moved the ball as well as anyone. That kind of ball movement with highly-capable NBA players surrounding him is how championships are won.
Morant has a huge vertical leap, and he’s an exceptional
finisher around the rim with great body control. He’s able to rise above any defender for a
savage dunk, but he’s also more than capable of finishing with floaters and
acrobatic reverses. He’s a very good
shooter, and he can get even better.
He’s extremely confident and wants the ball in the biggest moments, and
he’s going to deliver more often than not.
He can easily create his own shot whenever he wants, but he’s just as
brilliant creating an open shot for a teammate.
He’s a big-time closer and will lead a team that plays well in pressure
situations.
What really separates Morant is his combination of elite
skill and athleticism, effort, and intelligence. He’s such a smart player, and he played
nearly perfect for a majority of his minutes this season. He plays extremely hard, but he’s efficient
at the same time. He’s fiercely
competitive, but he understands that he doesn’t have to do it all himself. He just has an understanding of the game that
you don’t see very often, with the physical tools to put that knowledge to use
against any opponent.
He’ll very likely lead the NBA in assists at some point,
probably many times, and he’ll also grab more than his share of rebounds. He’ll be a triple-double threat every night,
but he’ll do it much more intelligently and efficiently than Russell Westbrook
does. His teams will be more successful.
Usually a player this good offensively isn’t the best
defender, but he’s very good on that end too.
Ja Morant really has no weaknesses, and I can’t wait to see how much
better he’ll get.
By this point anyone who watches basketball knows all about
Zion Williamson. He’s got incredible
strength and freakish athleticism, and he simply bullied his opponents this
season. He’s a great finisher at the rim
with power, and virtually no one could stop him from getting there. He plays with phenomenal energy and effort on
both ends of the floor, and he was definitely one of the most impactful players
in college basketball this season.
Defensively Zion is a beast.
His strength and quickness give him the versatility to guard multiple
positions, and he loves using his leaping ability to block shots at the
rim. He’s a monster on the boards as
well, and he’s usually the most likely to come up with a loose ball. When you play with that much passion and
intensity, a lot of times the ball finds you.
Offensively Zion can get much better. He’s a good shooter with 3-point range, but
he’s not the best if he’s not set. He
doesn’t handle the ball very well, and he has trouble creating and making his
shot off the bounce. He didn’t need to
do much of that in college, as he simply used his size, strength, and
athleticism to get easy buckets around the rim.
While he’ll still be able to do this in the NBA, it will be much harder
for him to simply bully his way to the rim and dunk on people.
There’s going to be an adjustment period for Zion Williamson
at the next level, and he could very well struggle with poor shooting and
turnovers early on. He’s obviously a
huge draw and will bring in tons of fans, but I’m not convinced he’ll be the
best player from this draft class. He’s
drawn comparisons to LeBron, but he doesn’t handle or pass the ball anywhere
near as well as LeBron. Williamson does
appear to play harder, but at this point in his career he’s not nearly as
skilled a player as James was. Ball
handling and developing his shot off the bounce will be the key factor in how
good Zion can become.
R.J. Barrett came in as the #1 prospect this season, but he
was clearly outshined by his Duke teammate Zion Williamson. Barrett was still extremely effective, and he
displayed a well-rounded game that will make him a great asset to any team that
drafts him.
Barrett has great size, length and athleticism, with the
versatility to play up to three positions on both ends of the floor. He’s an intense competitor who’s always on
the attack, and he can get buckets in every way imaginable.
Barrett has a great handle and is able to combine that with
his size and quickness to get wherever he wants on the floor. He’s a phenomenal finisher around the rim,
and he’s got the size and strength to finish amongst the trees. He has the ability to get his shot whenever
he wants, but he also possesses the vision and passing ability to find open
teammates when the shot isn’t there for him.
His combination of size, effort, and athleticism make him a great
rebounder as well, and he’ll be a triple-double threat every single night.
Right now Barrett isn’t the best shooter, but he’s decent and
will almost certainly get better. He
knocks down open shots and has a really good mid-range game, but he’s
inconsistent shooting off the dribble or on the move. He really struggles at the free thrown line,
and he’ll need to get much better there to take the next step as a scorer. Despite this he’s extremely confident and
wants the ball with the game on the line.
He’s a clutch performer, and I fully expect him to keep developing and
expanding his game.
Defensively Barrett is a monster. He’s relentlessly aggressive, and his size
and length make him a difficult matchup for anyone. He’s good on the ball and in the passing
lanes, and he also challenges shots at the rim.
Barrett has all the skills to be a great player in the NBA, and an
argument can definitely be made for taking him as high as #1.
Keldon Johnson is one of the most intense competitors in this
draft. He’s an explosive athlete who
plays incredibly hard on both ends. He
has elite size, length, and quickness, and he was one of the most impactful
players in college basketball this season.
Johnson is an amazing defensive player capable of guarding
anyone. He’s extremely versatile on that
end, and it’s obvious that he loves the challenge of stopping the opponent’s
star player. His length makes him a
terror on the ball and in the passing lanes, and he’s also great on the boards
and defending the rim.
Offensively Keldon has shown glimpses of every skill you’d
want, but he still has lots of room for improvement. He’s a good shooter with deep range, but I
know he’ll work relentlessly to get even better. He’s a solid ball handler and passer, but he
can get much better. He’s a very good
finisher around the rim with a nice mid-range game, and he relishes any
opportunity to throw down a massive dunk.
He’s always attacking with his relentless motor, and as he continues to
polish his game he’s going to transform into a total beast.
Johnson is a clutch player who wants the big shot, but it was
clear he took a back seat to P.J. Washington this season. This kid has a chance to be special, and he
could end up being a steal due to his role for Kentucky this season.
I typically don’t include many foreign players since it’s
very hard for me to see them, but Luka’s performance at the NBA Combine earned
him a lottery pick. He has great size
and length and uses it very well. He’s
an extremely tough competitor who’s always aggressive on both ends of the
floor. Samanic has a very good handle,
allowing him to push the ball up the floor immediately after grabbing a
rebound. He’s able to get by his man off
the dribble and make the right decision once he does. He’s a great shooter with deep range, a good
finisher around the rim, and a great passing big man who finds an open teammate
when the shot isn’t there for him.
Samanic is an incredibly smart player who always seems to be
in the right place. He moves extremely
well and has great awareness on both ends.
He plays with tremendous effort, hustle, and anticipation. He’s a great rebounder with strong, sure
hands, and the ball is almost always his if he can get a hand on it. He defends the rim and rotates perfectly in
help D. He’s a confident player who’s
not afraid of anyone, and he could potentially turn into the #1 option on a
very good team.
Mfiondu Kabengele was slightly hidden at Florida St., and for
that reason could end up being a steal in this year’s NBA Draft. He came off the bench and didn’t play nearly
as many minutes as he should have. He’s
extremely long and athletic, and he plays with a passion and intensity that’s a
great predictor of long-term success.
Players with his will and determination always get better.
Kabengele’s size and length allow him to do almost anything
he wants on the floor. He’s a beast on
the boards and around the rim, and it’s scary to think how good he can be as he
continues to get stronger and more fluid.
His toughness allows him to play stronger than he actually is, and he
still has a lot of room to grow and add muscle.
He plays with relentless aggression on both ends, making him incredibly
tough to deal with at all times.
He’s a very good shooter with 3-point range, and he’s going
to continue getting even better. He
finishes high above the rim with power, and there’s not many guys that can
really contest him when he goes up strong.
His game is still kind of raw in many areas, a fact that should really
terrify future opponents.
Kabengele is also a load defensively with his size, length,
and effort. He defends the rim and
dominates the glass, and as he continues to polish his skills he’ll be in the
perfect spot more often. This guy is going
to put in the work to be great.
Romeo Langford, Freshman SG Indiana
Romeo Langford is one of the most NBA-ready players in this draft. He’s got great instincts and incredible skill on both ends of the floor.
Romeo has a really good handle, allowing him to get wherever
he wants on the floor. He can create a
shot for himself or a teammate at any time, and he’s a great shooter from all
distances and angles. He makes step-backs
and other shots look routine, and he’s deadly in the one-on-one mid-range game
much like DeMar DeRozan. He finishes
extremely well around the rim with either hand, and he has every shot in his
bag including floaters and all kinds of different release points. Langford is a silky, smooth scorer with a
great feel for maneuvering around defenders to get his shot off, and he should
have no problem scoring at the next level.
Langford also has the passing ability and court vision to
find open teammates when the shot isn’t there for him. He’s clearly a great teammate, but sometimes
he’s too unselfish. He’s not always as
aggressive as he should be, and he needs to improve his movement off the
ball. Too often Langford can be found
just standing in the corner watching his teammates. Increased movement will get him more open
looks, as well as more rebounds and assists to teammates.
Defensively Lanford is very good as well. He understands where to be, and his size,
length, strength, and quickness make him good both on the ball and in the
passing lanes. It’s not in his nature to
be overly physical and look to completely dominate his opponent, but he doesn’t
shy away from contact either. Romeo
Langford doesn’t seem to be an alpha-dog who can lead a team to championships,
but he will be a very good player and excellent sidekick.
Isaiah Roby, PF Nebraska
Isaiah Roby will likely be a steal in this year’s draft. He’s got a tremendous skill-set for a player
his size, and he’s just starting to realize how good he can be.
Roby has great size, strength, and athleticism, and he’s got
every skill you’d want on both ends of the floor. He’s got a good handle that allows him to get
where he needs to go. He can drive by
his man and finish extremely well around the rim, or pull-up for a mid-range
jumper. He’s a very good shooter with
deep range, but he’s also more than capable of creating open looks for a
teammate. He’s a great passer for a big,
and he understands the game well enough to usually make the right play. He uses pump fakes well to create space and
open shots, and he makes tough finishes through contact.
Roby needs to be more aggressive and look for his shot more,
and it looks like he’s starting to figure that out. He became more confident as the year went on,
and he was one of the best players at the NBA Combine.
Isaiah Roby is also a tough defender and rebounder. He protects the rim and cleans up his
teammate’s mistakes. He has good
anticipation and wreaks havoc in the passing lanes. Roby is already a very good player, but he’s
just scratching the surface of what he could potentially become.
Louis King, Freshman SF/SG Oregon
Louis King is a great shooter with tremendous size and length
on the wing. He has a very good handle
and a knack for creating separation, and his size makes it easy for him to
shoot over most any defender. He’s able
to knock down shots both off the dribble and the catch, and he’s able to finish
around the basket in traffic. King also
has very good vision and finds the open man when the shot isn’t there for him.
King missed the first month of the season and it took him
another month or so to get adjusted, but once he did he became a force. He developed into a very consistent scorer
and rebounder at Oregon, and he’s only begun to scratch the surface of what he
can become. Right now he’s still pretty
thin, and adding strength should be one of his top priorities. He was a solid defender at Oregon, and as he
gets stronger he can get a lot better.
Someone with his size and length should be very disruptive defensively.
King has all the tools to be a great NBA player. If he’s willing to put in the work, he could
become a star.
Jordan Poole, Sophomore SG Michigan
Jordan Poole’s college underutilization reminds me a lot of
Devin Booker. Poole played off the ball
almost exclusively at Michigan, limiting the impact he could have
offensively. Most of the time he was
running off screens trying to get open for threes, and while this is something
he does extremely well, it’s only one facet of his well-rounded offensive
game.
Poole has a sneaky good handle, and he’s able to get by his
man rather easily. He can attack the rim
and finish with power or finesse. He’s a
great passer as well, and he makes good decisions with the ball in his
hands. He’s able to create his own shot,
and he’s a great shooter from all over the floor with extremely deep
range. He shoots it well off the bounce
and the catch. If the shot isn’t there
for him he has the vision to spot an open teammate, but he wasn’t used in a
playmaker role nearly enough in college.
If put in the right situation, Poole has a chance to blossom into a
go-to guy in the pros.
Poole is a defensive standout as well. He’s good on the ball and in the passing
lanes, and his Michigan team was one of the best defensive squads in the
country. Poole is very strong with great
quickness and athleticism, and he’s able to guard multiple positions. He could be a better rebounder, but he also
played with some good rebounders so many times they were getting gobbled up by
teammates.
Jordan loves the pressure moments and has hit many clutch
shots over his career. He has a lot of
star qualities, with my only complaint being that he didn’t impose himself
enough over his two college seasons. I’m
going to attribute this mostly to coaching and his lack of touches, and with
the ball in his hands Poole could become a much more impactful player.
Coby White, Freshman PG UNC
Coby White was one of the fastest, most aggressive players in
college basketball this season. He has
great size and strength at the point guard position, and he keeps the defense
on its heels by staying on the attack all game long. White is a phenomenal competitor who always
gives maximum effort, but the next step in his progression is learning how to
play more under control.
White is a very good shooter with deep range. He really perfected his step-back three by
the end of the season, a shot that’s nearly impossible to guard. He uses his strength and blazing speed to get
to the rim whenever he wants, and he’s a very good finisher around the
basket. He appears to will the ball in
through contact, and while he doesn’t explode off the floor like you might
expect from someone with his speed, he always seems to find a way to get his
shot off. He’s a very good shooter who
makes tough shots look routine, and he’s not afraid of the biggest moments.
White’s toughness, strength, aggression, and speed make him a
great defender as well. He applies
relentless ball pressure and makes it tough for his opponent to start the
offense, and he comes up with plenty of deflections and steals.
Coby started to see the floor much better and do a better job
of finding open teammates late in the season.
He’s definitely a score-first point guard, but he drastically improved
his ability to be a floor general as the season went on. However, Coby has a tendency to force the
issue and get out of control at times.
Auburn really exposed this weakness in the NCAA Tournament, as White
turned the ball over time and time again trying to dribble through the entire
defense. He has to learn how to change
speeds and take better care of the ball, something I think he’s more than
capable of doing.
Darius Garland, Freshman PG Vanderbilt
Darius Garland got hurt early in the season, but he looked
like a true alpha-dog before the injury.
He’s a phenomenal competitor who plays with extreme confidence and
aggression.
He’s a great ball-handler who can get to the rim or create
his own shot at will, and he can put points on the board in bunches. Garland is a very good shooter and finisher
at the rim, and he makes step-backs and other difficult shots look easy. He’s got a quick release and can make shots
from all distances and angles. He’s lightning
quick with the ability to change speeds when necessary, and he maintains great
body control even at top speed. He
effortlessly splits defenders and constantly stays on the attack.
Garland is a great shooter and scorer, but he’s not a very
good passer yet. He needs to improve his
vision and get his teammates more involved to become a more well-rounded point
guard and leader. It’s always a little
concerning when a player is injured so early on and we don’t get to see much of
them, but this guy clearly has a star quality to him.
Darius Garland is a guy who never takes a play off. His aggression, quickness, toughness, and
competitive drive make him a tough defender as well, and he’s clearly one of
the four best point guards in this class.
Rui Hachimura, Sophomore SF Gonzaga
Rui Hachimura made massive leaps in his game this
season. He’s always played with great
effort and energy, but this year the game really slowed down for him. He’s very strong with great size and length,
and now he has a polished skill-set to go with it.
Rui has great body control and finishes everything around the
rim. He’s got a good handle, and he can
use it to create open looks for himself or teammates. He’s deadly in the mid-range game, but he’s
also able to get by his man off the dribble or post-up and finish with an array
or pro moves. He’s shown incredible
footwork in the post, and he’s developed a nice turnaround hook. He uses his strength very effectively to grab
rebounds and finish through contact around the basket.
Rui plays with constant aggression and is always on the
attack. This year it was much more
controlled, and he was able to read the game and make the right play instead of
simply going hard towards the rim. He’s
become a very good passer capable of seeing the entire floor, and with his
activity the defensive can never relax.
Hachimura proved to be a clutch player this season, hitting
big shots down the stretch in Gonzaga’s biggest games. He clearly wants the ball with the game on
the line, and he’s shown he’s more than capable of delivering. He’s definitely at his best in the mid-range
game and around the rim, but he’s added the ability to hit the three. His shot can get flat at times however, and
becoming even more consistent from long-range will take him to the next level.
Rui’s size, strength, athleticism, and all-out effort make
him a great defender as well. He’s an
intelligent player who knows where to be, and he’s truly become an all-around
player without any weaknesses. He’s
ready to step in and play right away, and he’ll end up being a very good 2nd
or 3rd option on a winning team.
Bruno Fernando, Sophomore C/PF Maryland
Bruno Fernando is the center most
ready to step in and play right away. He
has elite size, strength, and athleticism, and he plays with tremendous effort
and intensity at both ends of the floor.
He’s the perfect anchor defensively, seemingly always in the right spot
to defend the rim. He has the strength
and toughness to hold his position in the post, with the agility and
athleticism to quickly move for blocks and rebounds. He grabs tons of boards out of his area, and
he cleans up a lot of his teammates’ mistakes.
He’s an intimidating presence inside, and he’s got a chance to become
one of the better centers in the league.
On top of being a great defender,
Fernando has all the skills you’d want offensively as well. He’s always extremely active setting great
screens, and he moves to the correct spot afterwards. He’s able to make the defense pay by catching
lobs, making great moves in the post, or stepping out for an open jumper. He’s a very good shooter with 3-point
range. He makes his free throws. He has a decent jump hook and a great spin
move, and he finishes very well around the rim.
His strength allows him to finish powerfully through contact, and he’s
nearly impossibly to stop if he gets in the air.
Bruno is a very good decision-maker
who passes well out of double teams.
Sometimes he’s too unselfish, but I love the all-around skill-set he
has. For a team that’s desperate to land
a good big man, Fernando is as safe a bet as there is.
Nassir Little, Freshman SF UNC
Nassir Little is a ferocious competitor and freakish athlete
who was held back at UNC. Roy Williams
has a pattern of keeping young players on the bench to “teach lessons,” and
Nassir was no different. Sure he
probably missed some assignments defensively and may not have mastered the
playbook early on, but this kid has a lot of special qualities and would have
caught on much quicker by playing. As a
result both Little and UNC didn’t develop quite as much as they should have,
and Nassir could be a steal because of it.
Little is extremely strong with a huge vertical leap. He’s an explosive finisher at the rim and he
plays as hard as anyone. His effort and
intensity make him the first to more than his share of loose balls and plenty
of rebounds, and he gives his team an infusion of energy. Little is a good shooter with 3-point range,
but he’s still pretty raw in most facets of the game.
Nassir’s ball handling isn’t the best. He has a hard time getting all the way to the
basket or creating his own shot, and he often looked out of control this
season. He also needs to improve his
touch around the basket, but with his work ethic and competitive drive I think
he will. He needs to find a situation
where he’ll get more playing time, and while I don’t think he’s ready for the
NBA just yet, I can’t fault him for leaving if he’s still going to be picked in
the lottery.
Little is a really tough on the ball defender, but he still
has some work to do in help position. It
often appeared that Little was thinking too much rather than just reacting, and
I fully expect him to continue improving in all aspects as he gets more
experience. He showed an impressive
ability to block shots at the rim, and he consistently gave us glimpses of the
force he could become. Nassir Little has
star potential, but he still has a ways to go. Any team that drafts him needs to be prepared to wait a few years, but the payoff could be a big one.
Ignas Brazdeikas, Freshman SF/PF Michigan
Brazdeikas plays with a toughness and
confidence that sets the tone for his team and rubs off on teammates. He’s extremely strong and fearless, and he
seems to thrive on contact. He’s a
relentless competitor who plays with great effort and energy. His hustle and toughness make him a great
rebounder and usually the first to a loose ball, and he obviously loves doing
the dirty work that most players don’t do.
He seems to be right in the middle of every play.
Brazdeikas has a very
polished all-around skill-set to go with his elite motor. He’s got a solid handle that enables him to
get by his man. He can get all the way
to the rim and finish with either hand, or find a teammate for an open
look. He’s always on the attack and
extremely aggressive going to the basket, and he relishes the opportunity to
thrown down a huge dunk on his opponent.
He’s a good shooter with deep range as well, and he’s shown the ability
to make step-backs and other tough shots.
His size, strength,
and competitive drive make him a great defender as well. He was a big part of Michigan’s top-rated
defense, and he never backs down from any challenge. Brazdeikas will immediately bring toughness
and a more aggressive mindset to any team he joins. This guy is a winner.
Bol Bol, Freshman C Oregon
Bol Bol is probably
the biggest risk/reward player in this draft.
He has a chance to be one of the most unique players the game has ever
seen. He’s a good shooter with deep range,
and at 7’3” he has an uncanny ability to make off-balance type shots. His great size and length allow him to get
his shot off whenever he wants, and he’s shown a very nice touch around the
rim. He passed the ball very well out of
double teams in his limited time on the floor this season, but there’s plenty
of reason to be concerned about drafting him.
Bol Bol is extremely
thin, and he injured his foot early and missed the entire season. Before the injury he was putting up good
numbers, but his team was struggling and he was showing a lot of holes in his
game. He was having a lot of trouble
holding rebounding position and doing a very poor job blocking out his
man. Oftentimes he would just stand
there, relying on his extreme height and length to grab the rebounds. While this worked against some teams whose
biggest players were more in the 6’7” range, it won’t cut it against bigger,
stronger, NBA players. Bol Bol will have
to get a lot stronger and more disciplined to be an effective player at the
next level.
Defensively Bol Bol
blocks and effects many shots with his length, yet his overall defense leaves a
lot to be desired. His awareness is not
great, and he’s often slow or late on his rotations. It’s obvious that he never had to work really
hard on that end in high school, and as a result he’s developed a lot of bad
habits. He often appeared extremely lazy
defensively, simply standing there and waiting to get the ball back.
If I’m a team looking
for a big man, Bol Bol will be extremely tempting. He could turn out to be a dominating presence
on both ends, but it also won’t surprise me if he never develops into the
player he could be. He could just as
easily keep getting injured, and fail to ever put in the work to round out his
game. It will take some great coaching
and a top-notch strength program to help Bol Bol reach his enormous potential,
but at some point he will be worth the risk.
Nicolas Claxton, Sophomore C Georgia
Nicolas Claxton is
one of the most interesting prospects in this draft. He has arguably the most tantalizing
skill-set of all the bigs, but his extremely slender frame is a concern.
Claxton is an
incredibly versatile player. He has a
great handle with the ability to play point guard, something he did a fair
amount at Georgia. He’s a very good
shooter capable of creating his own shot.
He can get to the rim and finish, or he can make tough stepbacks and
fadaways off the bounce. He finishes
well over either shoulder in the post, and he’s shown a variety of spin moves
to create space.
Claxton also has the
vision and passing ability to find open teammates when the shot isn’t there for
him. He was often the main playmaker
this season, and it had to be frustrating for him when his teammates didn’t
provide a lot of help. Despite his
team’s struggles Claxton never sulked, and he continues to paly with great
effort and hustle throughout the season.
He runs the court extremely well for someone his size, and if he’s able
to add weight and continue getting stronger he could be a great player.
Defensively Claxton
is a terror. His length and awareness
result in lots of steals and blocked shots, and it seems like his arms are
always in the way. He dominates the
glass with his size and length, and he plays with a toughness that makes him
much stronger than he looks. I
absolutely love his mentality and the fact that he doesn’t shy away from
contact despite his slight build.
Claxton looks like a guy who has trouble gaining weight, but if he’s
able to do it he could develop into one of the better centers in the league.
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